Road Test: Aussie Campfire Kitchens portable fire pit

It’s hard to beat a good quality, well designed portable fire pit when you’re out on the road or, more specifically, off it! Sure, there are a few cheapy options out there but, to be honest, a good chunk of them are about as useful as tits on a bull!

For a breath of fresh air, I wanted to check out the portable fire pit from Aussie Campfire Kitchens; it’s a handy bit of kit, and it’s not hard to see that this thing has been designed by real Aussie campers that truly live and breathe outdoor cooking.

VERSATILE DESIGN

So what’s so good about it? Well, it’s a combination of positive points. It all starts off with its size. It’s 430mm in diameter by 120mm deep, which has proven to be just the right size to provide plenty of heat for those cold nights away, or cook an absolutely cracking camp feed on the road. The only thing that I reckon could be improved is the addition of a few little spacers to raise the hot plate up a few inches, which would allow a little more control over the hotplates’ cooking temperature. But that’s probably just me being fussy again...

To help keep the coals burning for longer, there’s another grill plate which elevates the coals to help regulate the air flow. The kit also comes with a drop-in grill along with a separate hotplate, which is actually quite solid might.

The main pit is fabricated from mild steel, which means it’s nice and robust while the foldable legs are also strong and allow for compact storage. Weighing in at just 10kg, it’s a pretty lightweight unit to keep on board the camper. But over half of that weight is actually from the hotplate, which makes the fire pit itself easy to handle around camp.

THE VERDICT

I’m going to be honest – it’s the versatility and cooking options that makes this thing so special for me. It can utilise timber, heat beads and even a gas ring burner in order to cook your meal. There’s not much this fire pit can’t do! Thanks to a removable gate you can simply drop your cast iron ring burner into the pit and place the hot plate on top or even the camp oven. This pretty much makes it the ultimate all-in-one unit.

In fact, over the last six months that I’ve been testing it out, it’s become one of the most useful items in my arsenal of camping gear – and that’s saying something!

Check out the full review in issue #110 of Camper Trailer Australia magazine. Subscribe today for all the latest camper trailer news, reviews and travel inspiration.