Large Campfire Cooking Grate

A large campfire cooking grate may not be something currently in your camping gear. However, after you read this article, it is going to change quite a bit. Now, the key question you have to ask yourself is what exactly do you need a cooking grate for? Well, that is a question that is difficult to answer, but it is definitely one you should be looking into as the grate is one item that is very valuable and one thing that I want to have inside of my camping gear at all times.

Makes Cooking On A Fire Easier

Yes, I will constantly preach my love of cast-iron dishes and how nice they are to use while cooking on an open fire while camping. However, at the same time, if you cannot get cast iron or you do not have a level fire, it is very difficult to cook on. Now, the grates, especially the larger campfire cooking grates it is rather easy to cook on a fire even if it is not level.

What else makes this great is the fact that the grate allows you to not use cast iron all the time. The grates when it covers the fire levels the wood out and covers the entire fire ring. However, at the same time, the grates make it easier for you to use items that are not rated for direct flame will be able to work perfectly on the grate as long as you keep the flames away from the cooking pans.

The grates you buy can be adjustable and this means they can fit over the size of the ring you are using. As much sense as it would make for all the rings to be the same size, they are not and that often means you have to find the perfect grate to fit the fire. When you find a ring that is adjustable it makes it easier for you to adjust the size to fit your ring and have some leftover space or even have the grate around the middle of the fire if you need to have a hotter fire for boiling water or cooking a soup rather quickly.

Tend To Be Very Durable

I have seen a couple of different ways these grates are made and will say both of them tend to be very durable. The materials usually are a metal that has a high-temperature resistance or cast iron. I tend to go towards the cast iron because I love the fact that it is going to last for a long time and if the fire does get out of hand has a very high melting point. Granted, I have used the other metals, which is usually stainless, it does not have as high resistance in the temperature rating.

What else is great about the durability of these grates is even if they are exposed to heat they do not warp. That is because of the materials they are constructed of, but at the same time the thickness of the metal as well. The manufacturers tend to know these grates are going to be used over a campfire, which is why the metals are a lot thicker and last longer than what you would have ever expected to see.

Ease Of Use

Using a cooking grate over a fire is actually very easy to use. You may have never thought about this, but when you use these grates they are very easy to fit over the fire and in some cases just lay across the ring. The rings usually are going to have the round grates you can find to fit over the top of the ring and have the fire directly below it. This is the common type that you can find and generally is not adjustable and a solid piece of metal, but is very easy to use.

Well, the other type you have available to use is the type that tends to be longer and more rectangle than what you see for the round cooking grates. The rectangle grates tend to be more of the cast iron cooking grates and while they are sometimes adjustable tend to be the type that sits at the same size they always are made from. Now, what else is nice about the grates that are a rectangle is they often have legs that can be adjusted in the height and moved to the fire. The other thing that is nice about the adjustable leg style of grate is they do not always require a ring to be used and this makes it nice if you are in an area that does not have the rings to use.

Can You Cook Directly On A Cooking Grate?

Now, this is one question that I have seen asked several times. The quick answer is yes, you can cook directly on the grate. However, at the same time, I tend to only cook several items directly on the grate and sometimes nothing at all because the grates can get quite a bit hotter than you expect and unlike the pans or pots you cannot pull the grate off the fire right away. So I tend to use the grate only for holding pots or pans directly over the fire and not for cooking directly on the grate.

What Should I Look For In A Campfire Cooking Grate

This has to be the one question you need to get an answer to. If you do not get the right grate then you will be disappointed in the way it works and what it is able to do for you. Since this is the case, I am going to provide you a quick little bit of information on what I tend to look for when I am trying to find a new cooking grate for use on my campfire.

One of the main things I look at is the material the grate is constructed from. Yes, it may seem odd since I mentioned earlier that I use any of the materials, but I will be honest and say I prefer the cast iron grates. They seem to be more durable, stronger, and if you are using them to put pots or pans over the fire do not have the flexion you can get with some of the other styles. If you are cooking directly on the fire and do not want to have the weight of cast iron, I would recommend using the alternative metals.

While I tend to use these for holding my pots and pans, some people prefer to cook on them. With that being the case, I would suggest using the size of the food you plan on cooking to keep an eye on the grates slots. This makes it easier for you to find the grate that works for you and know it will actually work for the food you cook and not let the food just drop straight down into the fire.

Size matters, let’s face it guys and gals, the size of the grate impacts the amount of food you can cook and if it will fit on your fire. So you need to consider the size of the grate you are planning on using and know if it will actually fit over the fire you build

Finally, I will bring up the point I did earlier that I think you should consider how easy the grate is to use. In general, the grates are easy to use and setup, but in some cases, it is very difficult to figure out at times. That tends to come from the fact that the grates may not be self-supporting, may have a post that needs drove into the ground, or in some rare cases have several steps before they are ready to be used.

Why Do You Need A Cooking Grate For The Campfire?

I hope after reading this you completely understand why you need a large campfire cooking grate for cooking on, but also why this item varies so much. No matter what, the cooking grate makes it quite a bit easier for you to prepare all the food you want to cook and know it will actually work for your food needs while camping. Just remember you do not need to get a large grate and can actually use a smaller grate then I would recommend finding a smaller cooking grate for your campfire and know it works for the cooking you are doing while camping.