Thanks to its light and durable nature, enamel camping gear offers one of the most enjoyable ways to cook outdoors. In this article we look at using enamel for outdoor activities, whether enamel is healthy, and how to care for and clean it at the campsite.
Whether we live in a big city or a small town, it is in our nature to find ourselves at weekends or on the shortest holiday enjoying a picnic and some activity in the mountains or by the sea.
These family outings, full of unforgettable memories, become a reflex in later years that always calls us back, like a passion.
The patterned, colourful enamel bowls, plates and even trays that our mothers and grandmothers famously called "zinc" never leave our memories. The purity and naturalness of enamel truly reflected the way we lived.
Although today's camping and picnic activities may seem to have lost their old character over time, at heart they are always the same. Like everything done with love and passion, anything done willingly brings happiness, just like the work of today's enamel manufacturers.
However fun camping and picnics are, they need serious preparation, because anything forgotten or overlooked may be impossible to make up for at the campsite.
Whether you light a classic campfire or use a grill of some kind, keep the food you will cook in enamel storage containers, which are very hygienic. Enamel storage containers preserve the taste of your food. With other materials, some compounds may break down at different temperatures, even in very small amounts. With its completely natural raw materials and non-porous structure, enamel keeps your food stored healthily.
Using Enamel for Outdoor Activities
Their light weight and smooth, healthy forms make enamel cookware and tableware essentials for camping, caravanning and similar outdoor activities.
They nest inside one another and take up little space, and with a huge variety of colours and patterns they fit in wherever they are used, making enamel kitchenware a unique choice.
Easy-to-clean, practical enamel pots and enamel plates play the starring role in these activities.
Enamel pots come in many sizes. Cook delicious meals in the size that suits you, serve them on enamel plates in matching colours, brew a lovely tea in an enamel kettle after the meal, or make a frothy Turkish coffee in an enamel coffee pot.
However, because its glass-like surface heats up very quickly, you should avoid putting enamelware directly on a campfire. This will burn your enamel and it will lose its properties.
By buying enamel pieces one by one, you can build your own enamel set in matching colours.
You can also make delicious dishes in colourful enamel pots and baking trays of different sizes by placing them in the oven or on your grill. Thanks to the base and inner structure of enamel cookware, it stores heat well and spreads it evenly, so enamel delivers a flawless cooking and frying experience through excellent conductivity and a smooth surface.
For the same reasons, you can choose enamel mugs or enamel cups for the drinks you plan to enjoy with your meal.
So What Is Enamel?
Enamel is a remarkable material that perfectly combines the positive properties of glass and steel at 800–850 °C and is used to coat kitchenware for cooking and serving.
In other words:
Enamel is a natural material born of fire. It resists corrosion and is as pure as glass, is unaffected by time and weather, can be made in a wide range of colours and is always recyclable. Porcelain enamel is an inorganic, glass-like coating used on metals for protective, functional and decorative purposes.
This brings us to the question: is using enamel healthy?
Is Enamel Healthy?
Because enamel products are made from completely natural materials, they are extremely healthy.
* They are non-toxic.
* Enamel is an extremely hard and smooth material. Even when exposed to heat, it releases nothing and does not break down, which means there is no health risk.
* It is easy to clean and antibacterial, with a smooth, rust-free, non-porous surface.
How should you care for and clean enamel when camping and picnicking?
Care and Cleaning Tips for Enamelware
Cleaning Enamel in the Dishwasher
Before putting it in the dishwasher, remove any leftover or burnt food. Pour lukewarm or hot water over burnt-on food, add a little gel washing-up liquid, scrub gently with a soft brush or sponge, then rinse with warm water. Once it is in the dishwasher, use the gentle glass programme.
Washing Enamel by Hand
We recommend washing with gel washing-up liquid and a dish sponge.
* Dark lines on enamel serving plates are usually metal marks from stainless steel cutlery; they can be removed by rubbing with a mild washing-up gel.
* If a stain remains, rubbing with a soft cloth and warm water with a little vinegar added will do the trick.
* Make sure the piece is dried well after washing to avoid water marks and damp.
We wish you a life as healthy and colourful as enamelware.
Enamel for Camping: Frequently Asked Questions
What is enamel?
Enamel is a remarkable material that perfectly combines the positive properties of glass and steel at 800–850 °C and is used to coat kitchenware for cooking and serving.
Is enamel healthy?
Because enamel products are made from completely natural materials, they are extremely healthy.