Faux Cambro vs. actual Cambro?

[roburado]

Anyone ever actually try an actual Cambro instead of doing a faux Cambro thing with the blankets and cooler? Just curious.

 

[squirtthecat]

Yes, I have both. I use my Omaha Steak coolers for small/simple loads, but I break out the big kahuna if I actually have to transport something.

I think I had 7 butts in there wrapped in foil. It would hold a couple big packer briskets easily, and a boatload of ribs.

It is a beast - weighing 21 pounds just by itself. You preheat/chill it with hot/cold water (I do it in the bathtub), and it holds that temperature for hours and hours. The locking lid is nice, and it cleans up easily. (also in the bathtub)

 

[Big Poppa]

Cambros are great for catering and holding food....The best way to use them with our kind of food is to vent the food for the steam to escape if you are foiling during your cook...keep a probe in it and when the it drops to 175 but it in the cambro...
FTC is not near as critical...true cambos are airtight and will continue your cook...they are rock solid but that not always is a good thing too.

 

[HoDeDo]

We have both... nice thing about the actual cambros, is they were designed to hold the steam pans we all use. 1/2 and full pans fit no problem. Definately want to vent your food before putting it in the cambro... or it will continue to cook. They hold heat so well that some folks use them as sous vide chambers when doing that style of cooking. I believe your heat loss is somewhere on the order of just a few degrees per hour, - so if you are trying to keep food above 140 (safe temp), you could theoretically leave it in a cambro for hours, before needing to heat or refrigerate.