In Praise of Pie Irons

[ChadHahn]

I picked up two pie irons today. When ever I see them I like to get them because they are great camp cooking utensils. In case you don't know what they are here is one for sale on Amazon. But keep your eyes open at thrift stores and yard sales because you can pick them up used very cheap. Look for the ones with long handles so you don't have to be so close to the fire while cooking.

To use one, take two slices of bread, butter the slices and stick them into the pan with the butter side facing out. Then fill the inside with what ever you want. Pizza sauce, pepperoni, and cheese makes a favorite. Join the two halves together and use the clip to join the handles together and stick in the fire until done. Here's a website full of recipe ideas.

 

[Explorerinil]

I love my pie irons. I didn’t see the link for the recipes.

 

[Buliwyf]

Pizza is best. Hot dogs cook well in the panini sized irons. If your fire is too sketchy for a stick, or don't want to wait for coals.

Try buttered bread, chocolate, gram cracker, marshmello.

Also we'll pre-cook egg whites and ham. Reheat inside the bread with swiss cheese.

Bread, corned beef, swiss cheese, carrot, potato. But never in Michigan, it's bad luck.

 

[jeepers29]

Such good memories of the pie irons as a kid. Buttered bread and cherry pie filling . Yummy.

 

[Correus]

Something to keep in mind... try to get vintage, cast iron ones. These are the ones I grew up with and used in Scouts (1970s - 1980s). We bought some of the more modern ones and they suck compared to those.

For fun... hunt down a vintage Waffle Dog iron!

 

[ChadHahn]

Something to keep in mind... try to get vintage, cast iron ones. These are the ones I grew up with and used in Scouts (1970s - 1980s). We bought some of the more modern ones and they suck compared to those.

For fun... hunt down a vintage Waffle Dog iron!

View attachment 601800

I found one of those before the pandemic. I haven't have a chance to use it yet. I can't wait too though.

That's another reason to look for them at thrift stores and yard sales. You can find the better built old ones for only a few dollars.

 

[Correus]

I found one of those before the pandemic. I haven't have a chance to use it yet. I can't wait to though.

That's another reason to look for them at thrift stores and yard sales. You can find the better built old ones for only a few dollars.

We lucked out with our pie irons. We were given 4 cast iron ones that were made by the local foundry back in the '70s. The even have our town name and troop number cast into them. Found the Waffle Dog iron at a local auction, got it for $1!!!

 

[ChadHahn]

We lucked out with our pie irons. We were given 4 cast iron ones that were made by the local foundry back in the '70s. The even have our town name and troop number cast into them. Found the Waffle Dog iron at a local auction, got it for $1!!!

Those pie irons sound great.

 

[ChadHahn]

I love my pie irons. I didn’t see the link for the recipes.

I used inline quotes for the links but they aren't different color or anything so they are hard to see. https://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/g4609/pie-iron-recipes/ Here's the link again.

And here's the link to the what a pie iron is. https://www.amazon.com/Camp-Chef-Single-Square-Cooking/dp/B07CBTM75Z

 

[Ragman]

Ok I'll ask...I have been using pie irons for years but I have no idea what a waffle dog is-please enlighten me!

 

[Correus]

Ok I'll ask...I have been using pie irons for years but I have no idea what a waffle dog is-please enlighten me!

It's a corndog waffle maker. Following pic should sum it up.

 

[ChadHahn]

Ok I'll ask...I have been using pie irons for years but I have no idea what a waffle dog is-please enlighten me!

Like a pie iron but for making corn dogs.

WAFFLE DOG IRON, CAST ALUMINUM COOKING | #23580738

FOR SALE IS A WAFFLE DOG IRON. THIS IS CAST ALUMINUM. IT STATES ON THE BOX WIENERS BAKED ON A STICK IN A DELICIOUS WAFFLE BATTER TO A CRISPY, GOLDEN BROWN. COOKS EQUALLY WELL ON GAS AND ELECTRIC BURNE

www.worthpoint.com

 

[geojag]

I have a few that mainly get used for desert. You can buy canned Pillsbury crescent dough in sheets, or the regular canned crescents work well too. A little pie filling and you are set. Add a dab of cream cheese for a little something extra.

I have also made all order of grilled sandwiches, and a breakfast favorite is a cooked sausage patty (add a bit of jelly if you want) wrapped in crescent dough.

 

[Herbie]

Among the many things the Mrs. has brought to the relationship are a set of vintage "Toas-Tite" pie "irons". I have to admit to being ignorant of such things until she brought them home from her parent's garage 20 years ago. They get a LOT of play now.

That said, I'm going to counter what Correus says and point out that vintage Toas-Tites (and some other brands) are cast aluminum and I think it's actually a great material for such a tool. Compared to the cast-iron ones belonging to friends, our aluminum ones heat up more quickly (shorter time to my belly), and cool down more quickly (so you don't have a blazing-hot danger-object you have to keep track of while you eat. The aluminum ones hold more than enough heat to get the job done. I've also seen that some of the cast iron ones store up enough heat that the handle-end becomes uncomfortable to hold during use. The quick-heat, quick-cool nature of the cast aluminum avoids this.

I do covet one of the Snow Peak irons, though. (The business end is also cast aluminum, but the square shape makes for a more efficient use of bread.)

EDIT: Recipes for those who need inspiration: http://toastite.biz/recipes/

 

[WeLikeCamping]

I bought a couple - the Rome original pie iron, and a cheap knockoff from WalMart. I'm working on recipes. My best so far, Red/White/Blue bread from Wildflower. Get it unsliced. Slice it thick, I go about an inch. Butter one side and lay it in the iron. Fill with fresh fruit - peach slices are good, and a couple dabs of cream cheese. If you really want fancy, sprinkle a bit of brown sugar. Butter another slice, put it on top, butter side out. Attach the other half of the iron and grill away.

Another fun one is toasted bagels. Butter them lightly, put them in the iron and toast away.