Gear Review: Cabela’s Five-Piece Cast-Iron Cookware Starter Set
Cabela’s cast iron 5 piece cookset
cabelas cast iron cookset is the ultimate in camp comfort. It includes a 5-quart camp oven, or dutch oven, with lid (which is essentially a big pot), two skillets, one is 10 inch deep and the other 12 inches deep, and a griddle that is also used a lid for the 12 inch skillet. The other items are heavy-duty leather gloves that are perfect for handling hot, heavy cookware, and a dutch oven lifting tool.
This 5 piece, cast iron cookset was sent to us from Cabela’s Canada for review.
Opening the box to take out our new cookware.
Please note: this is an unbiased review of the cookset. The cookset was sent to us by Cabela’s Canada for review. This is not a sponsored post, and no payment was taken in exchange.
This is a great value at $89.99. This cook set is part of the “everyday value” program at Cabela’s. According to Cabela’s, the goal of the program is to provide a discounted, sale price that is valid every day. We also reviewed the Rainy River PacLite jacket, which is also a part of this program.
Cast Iron cookware retains heat very well and provides even cooking for your food. The main disadvantage to this is that it’s very heavy. But that comes with the territory for cast iron cookware – it’s just part of the deal!
Here is what the cookware looks like packaged. The pots are separated by paper sheets which will be a bit oily because the pots come pre-seasoned.
Cabela’s lists that one of the features of the cast iron cookware, is that they are a quick, affordable way to get cooking, which is definitely true. A similarly priced set would cost you around $200, and the pots are good quality and come seasoned. You can use these pots right out of the box. The pots come separated with paper sheets which may be a bit oily, because the pots come pre-seasoned. This is shown in the above photo.
There are four cooking pots and skillets in this set. Lid for one of the skillets doubles as a griddle.
How we tested the cookware
We took a short drive down to the lake to cook dinner using the pots by a nearby lake. Using our Primus campground stove that we use for car camping and road trips, we whipped up a feast including a jambalaya stew and lemon-olive chicken.
Cooking the chicken in the skillet and jambalaya in the dutch oven.
We cooked the jambalaya stew in the 5-quart camp oven, which is essentially a deep pot, perfect for cooking stews. This pot comes with a lid that has a metal handle. There are three skillets included in this set, one of which is a griddle that doubles as a lid. We used the 12-inch deep skillet to cook our chicken.
Cast iron heats up slower than other cookware, but once it’s warm it retains heat much better. This makes it ideal for simmering.
Cast iron produces a nice, even heat.
Advantages
The price point of this cookset is great at $120. Similar sets to this retail for almost $200. For $120 you get 5 pieces complete with heavy-duty leather cooking gloves and a dutch oven lifting tool, both great for handling hot and heavy cookware.
The advantage to cooking with cast iron is that it retains heat really well, and the surface warms up very evenly. This gives nice, even cooking for your food. It’s great for cooking meat dishes and large stews.
The cookset comes pre-seasoned, which is really nice. Seasoning cast iron involves a bit of work, so it’s nice not to have to do it initially.
The thick, ultra heavy-duty gloves are really nice for handling the hot, heavy cookware. You don’t have to worry about hot surfaces or spills on your hands.
Cast iron is amazing for cooking meat, so if you’re setting up a big camp and plan on cooking lots of stews and meat dishes, it’s a great choice. For camp use, it’s nice not to either have to use soap or heat up water to wash the cookware, because cast iron only has to be cleaned with cold water.
The sets can be used at home or right at camp, when weight isn’t an issue. Because of the weight, you will definitely need to use a car camping stovetop-style stove to cook in these pots, and not a single burner backpacking stove.
What is a dutch oven?
A dutch oven is any large, heavy pot that can be used either on stovetop or in the oven. Dutch ovens are the workhorses of the kitchen, perfect for slow simmering soups, stews and braised meat.
The skillet has a lid which doubles as a griddle. You’ll need the gloves to handle the lid as the handle gets very hot.
How to take care of cast iron cookware
Never wash cast iron with soap. Wait until the cookware cools, then wash only using cold water only. This will keep the seasoning from being washed off at clean up. You may need to re-season the pots after awhile.
How to re-season cast iron cookware
The seasoning will wear off naturally after awhile of use. You will notice that when the seasoning wears off, food will start to stick to the surfaces. You will need to re-season the cookware. To do this, clean the cookware with hot soapy water. Add vegetable shortening, lard or oil all over the pot, and not just the cooking surface, never use olive oil which will burn off at high temperatures nor butter or margarine. Place the pot, upside down in an pre-heated oven at 375 F. Place aluminium foil or metal tray at the bottom of the oven to catch any drips. Bake for an hour, then remove and let cool.
Food magic at camp.
Disadvantages
The main disadvantage is weight. Cast iron is great for cooking, but it is incredibly heavy, making it very impractical to take at times. It also requires quite a bit of maintenance and care.
The dutch oven lifting tool works well once you’ve clamped the lid but is easy to let go of once you have it if you move it the wrong way. A bit of a better design would be helpful here, perhaps and actual clamp by which you can grab the handle to get more of a positive grip. This is especially important because it’s so heavy, so if you drop it on your foot it will definitely hurt.
Showing the dutch oven lifting tool. The tool is made to lift the lid of the dutch oven pot.
The lid for the 12 inch skillet is a griddle. The heavy griddle that doubles as a lid is a bit awkward to use. The griddle is heavy as a lid and can slide off the pot easily if not oriented correctly. It would be ideal if the one lid provided fit all four cooking pots. The lid provided only fits the dutch oven and 10 inch skillet.
The lid for the skillet is shown here.
This item is really heavy, and qualifies as an overweight/bulky item, so it will cost you about $17 for shipping and $17 in an additional freight fee. The total charge will be close to $160, still a good value for what you get, even when taking shipping into account. And you get the gloves for that price, which are excellent to have for handling the cookware, and you don’t have to worry about burning your hands.
The leather gloves are great for handling the cookware. Here we pour the stew, using the gloves to handle the hot and heavy pot.
About the brand
This cookset is part of Cabela’s “everyday value” program, where a selection of outdoor goods and clothing are given a very reasonable price (like a sale price), but the price is valid every day. The program means that a select Cabela’s branded product has a consistent price all year-round.
- How to experience the world while isolated at home - April 21, 2020
- How to prevent and treat hypothermia - February 21, 2019
- How to layer with your down jacket - November 28, 2018
We write rarely, but only the best content.
