Cajun Microwave...Updated 10/11/09 New Pics...

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Care to post some pics of the finished product?

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I will in a week or so. Needs to be painted and have wheels put on. I gotta admit, it's pretty badass. Brought it to a guy to have him put in the inner metal liner. He used 16 guage sheet metal. This fricker is heavy. I think the fire box is 1/8 inch sheet metal.

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they are cool conversation pieces and all, but really they are just large ovens .... put your turkey in the oven....flavor will be exactly the same....cook better in an oven too

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You are most definitely right on that one. I mainly got it for tailgating and the occasional pig roast. Since I have it, I would like to get some use out of it. I'd rather fry my turkeys...

I wonder how much people would pay to rent it...hmmmmm.

Theres not much more you can do with a box that size other than pigs. I own both a large and small box and use them weekly or more. The charcoal investment isnt worth cooking only one or two small items in a large box. I bought a small box which is great for turkeys, standing rib roasts, whole chickens, briskets, or pork butt/shoulders. I disagree that food from a conventional oven is the same as from the box. A well made box is airtight when under heat, the combination of radiant heat from the coal and steam generated in the box is the magic of the boxes. I dont think a conventional oven can duplicate this. The secret to cooking in the box is the same as cooking in a smoker, dont give into the temptation to look inside. Only open when it is time to flip the meat.

Check out this website..

La Caja China

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Please share details of just how you built this thing. I have often thought buying one of these cajun microwaves but I could not justify the cost to my wife. Your build up is a lot cheaper then any one I have found on internet.

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Well, I could never justify the cost either--at least for a well-made one. I traded some electrical work with a carpenter and he built the box and the firebox for me. I still had to pay extra for the metal liner. That cost about $140(materials) plus a handle of Crown Royal for the guy that did that. I still have to paint or stain it and put wheels and handles on it. I think it's gonna be close to $900 when it's all said and done, with about $400 cash out of pocket.

If you have any carpentry skills at all, it doesn't seem that difficult. Two sheets of 3/4" plywood oughta do it (my carpenter used cabinet grade plywood, but I don't think it's necessary). The tricky part is coming up with the sheet metal for the fire box and lining AND being able to get them fabricated properly.

eta: the fire box is made out of 1/8" sheet metal and the lining is made out of 16 guage sheet metal.

To be honest, I think 16 guage would be fine for the fire box and 22 guage is probably good enough for the liner. At least that's what I've read.

Damn, that one sounds pretty badass.

Cubans who decide to not build a backyard grill for pig roasts will use a caja china, you can buy a really nice one for under $400. When Christmas comes around, it's always time for a Cuban pig roast.

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they are cool conversation pieces and all, but really they are just large ovens .... put your turkey in the oven....flavor will be exactly the same....cook better in an oven too

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Not really. I have an Al Simon microwave and when I cook in mine, the turkey has a closer consistency to a fried turkey than one in the oven. The skin tends to crisp up. I love it in the microwave. Also, a good boston butt, brisket, shoulder are all awesome in the wave. I have the medium sized one. Plus I have the stainless grill that fits on top of the wave, so I can cook burgers etc... while everything is cooking inside.

BUMP