What’s the one major question we’re always asked about our portable propane campfires? Take a guess. You’ve probably wondered it yourself.

If you guessed: “Can I cook on it?” you’d be right!

Everyone wants to know if it’s both safe and possible to make a culinary masterpiece (or sling some dogs) on top of the LavaBox. 

Our Answer: HELL YEAH YOU CAN!

LavaBox Portable Campfires are both safe and effective for camp cooking. In fact, did you know that Josh (our Chief Eruption Officer and fearless leader) used to be a professional chef? That means cooking is serious business over here—whether it takes place at camp, on a tailgate, or in the kitchen. 

How to Cook on Your LavaBox Portable Campfire

You know what drives me crazy? Those food blogs where you find a recipe you want to cook, but first you have to scroll through 8 pages of ads and the writer’s life story before finding the damn recipe you clicked through for. 

That said, without getting unduly science-y or life story-ie, here’s a quick overview of how and why LavaBox Portable Campfire is a stellar camp cooking apparatus and how to make the most of it in your camp kitchen. If you want to get straight to the recipe, scroll down to “Campfire Recipe: LavaLunch Break Beer Brats”.

• Unlike a traditional burner—think of a typical propane camp stove with a small circular or square burner—our patented LavaBox burner distributes heat evenly across a long surface, creating a consistent heating platform to cook on. 
• The flame on your LavaBox is infinitely adjustable via the regulator on your propane hose. That means you can crank that baby up for a good, quick sear, run it low and slow, or achieve the perfect sauté.
• The Over/Under Grill Thingy was designed with camp cooking in mind. If you’re going to get cookin’ atop your LavaBox Portable Campfire, make sure you have your Over/Under secured to the top of your LavaBox in the “Over” position. 
• Whether using the Over/Under or your own elevated grill or tripod, always leave 1-2 inches of space between the top of the ammo can and your pot, pan, or Dutch oven. The LavaBox needs to breathe! NEVER COVER THE TOP.

Camp Cookware to Accompany Your Portable Campfire

Minimalists, take a deep exhale, you can keep your camp cooking setup simple. Whip up some good ole’ hobo packs and sling those babies on top of the Over/Under Grill. We don’t recommend letting grease or oil drip through the grill onto the burner, but hobo packs are great because the aluminum foil keeps that from happening! 

If you consider yourself more of a maximalist (if you have a rooftop tent with an awning and hanging shower with an instant hot water heater hooked up to your truck, I’m looking at you), or you simply aren’t worried about going as bare bones as possible, here’s some of the camp cookware that works great with your LavaBox Portable Campfire. 

• The Coleman Camp Oven: While we’ve spent a lot of time reminding you why those Coleman green propane tanks are terrible, we sure don’t feel the same way about their portable camp oven! The Coleman Oven can sit comfortably on top of the Over/Under Grill and is designed for use with liquid fuel and propane-powered fire pits and camp stoves. Like the Over/Under Grill, the Coleman Oven folds flat for easy storage and transport. That means you can have boujee fresh baked pastries at camp without sacrificing storage space. 
• Omnia Oven: This piece of camp cookware is a staple in RVs, overlanding setups, and boats. It’s a portable cooktop oven that works with a handful of heat sources from electric to—you guessed it—propane. The Omnia Oven is relatively small, portable, and can cook anything you can cook in a regular oven at home. It also pairs great with a LavaBox and Over/Under Grill for camp cooking. 
• Any cast-iron cookware: From Dutch ovens to cast-iron skillets, cast-iron is a low-maintenance camp cookware staple and, it works great for cooking atop the LavaBox.
• You’ve seen sneak peeks and teasers, you’ve been eagerly waiting for us to announce a presale date. The LavaBox Skottle is coming soon. Join our mailing list to be the first to find out when we release a presale date.

LavaBox Portable Campfire Recipes: Volume 1

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. That means. . . Camping season is here! And gathering with friends and family to cook and eat around the campfire is one of our favorite bonding rituals.

We’ll be sharing campfire recipes that you can cook on your LavaBox to help you make the most out of your camp cooking setup all season long. 

Follow along, try out our recipes, and let us know what you think in the comments below and on social media. Happy camp cooking, chef!

Campfire Recipe: LavaLunch Beer Brats

A quick, flavorful camp meal inspired by parking lot team lunches at the LavaBox Headquarters. You can throw together a tasty tailgate or camp meal for many and still have plenty of time for an afternoon hike. 

Feeds: 6

Ingredients: 

• 1 Onion, thinly sliced
• 1 Yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 Red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 6 Bratwursts/sausages
• Butter
• 6 Bratwurst buns
• 1 12oz can of beer of your choice—can’t go wrong with a Montucky Cold Snack
• 1 Bottle of your favorite spicy mustard
• (Optional) Jar of sauerkraut 

Camp Cookware:

• Cast-iron skillet
• Tongs
• Cutting board
• Knife

Get cookin'!

1. Place your Over/Under Grill Thingy on top of your LavaBox and fire it up. Begin heating the cast-iron skillet on the Over/Under.
2. Melt a healthy dose of butter in the skillet.
3. Seep some of that butter up with the bratwurst buns, and then leave those buns on the skillet until their nice and toasty. Set buns aside.
4. If you haven’t already chopped your veg, be sure to do that. If you’re a savvy camper who prepped your food ahead of time, throw all of your bell peppers and onions on the buttered skillet and get a nice sauté going. 
5. Time for the pièce de résistance! Add your brats/sausages to the sauteed veggie mix. Make sure they’re contacting the skillet—not sitting on a pile of peppers and onions.
6. Add beer! Once the brats look like they’re almost cooked through, pour your beer of choice into the mixture and let simmer.
7. Serve brats with veg on your toasty buns. Add mustard and sauerkraut to your heart’s desire.