Sizzler BBQ vs Auspit Spit: Two Different Ways to Cook at Camp

Pull into camp hungry and a Sizzler BBQ will have snags on the hotplate before you've unfolded the chairs. Build a proper fire, hang a leg of lamb on an Auspit, and the whole night becomes the main event. Both cook a cracking camp feed. They just go about it in completely different ways.

This isn't a "which one wins" article, because neither does. A gas Sizzler and a fire-driven Auspit give you different cooks, different experiences and different results. Think of this as part comparison and part honest Auspit review. We'll cover where each one shines, what each can and can't cook, and how to work out which suits your camping style. Plenty of campers end up packing both, and by the end you'll see why.

Sizzler BBQ vs Auspit at a Glance

The Sizzler: A Gas BBQ for Camping When You Want to Eat Now

It's been a long drive, the light's fading and the kids are circling. This is where gas earns its spot. The Sizzler range is built for life on the road: stainless steel, compact, and made to sit in tunnel boots, on caravans and in camper set-ups, ready to go.

Connect the gas, hit the ignition and the hotplate is heating while you set up camp. There's no hunting for firewood and no waiting on coals. The heat is steady and even from the first snag to the last.

What the Sizzler Does Best

• Snags, chops and steak. Hot, even gas heat gives a quick sear and dinner on the table fast.
• Brekky. Bacon, eggs and tomatoes on the hotplate while the billy boils.
• Late arrivals and wild weather. No fire to wrangle when you roll in after dark or the wind picks up.
• Burger nights and veg. Plenty of flat hotplate space for onions, patties and stir-fried greens.

There are low lid and high lid models, and options from a full hotplate to half grill, half hotplate. Choose based on how you like to cook and how much room you've got. If you want a compact caravan BBQ that does the everyday cooking without fuss, the stainless Sizzler Deluxe is where plenty of travellers start. The Galleymate models, built in 316 marine grade stainless steel, bring the same easy gas cooking to boat owners.

Yes, You Can Roast in a Sizzler

This surprises people. Pair a Sizzler baking dish with a cooking rack made for Sizzler BBQs, close the lid, and you've got a camp oven that runs on gas. It handles a roast chook, a small pork roast or a tray of spuds and pumpkin well.

The dish isn't huge, so think family roast rather than feeding the whole campground. For oven-style tray roasts, though, the Sizzler is actually the easier tool of the two.

The Auspit: Campfire Cooking You'll Still Talk About Next Trip

If the Sizzler is about getting fed, the Auspit is about the night itself. It's a show. The meat turns slowly over the coals, the fat hisses as it drips, and everyone ends up gathered around the fire whether they meant to or not.

That's how it was meant to be. Aussie bushman Rhett Thompson designed the Auspit because he wanted dinner cooking on the side while he had a yarn with his mates. Years later the design is the same, and so is the idea. Get the cards out, crack a drink, and let the stars come out while dinner looks after itself.

Let the Motor Do the Work: How the Auspit Rotisserie Runs Off Grid

This is the bit Auspit owners love. The battery-operated Auspit motor turns up to 8kg of meat and averages up to 30 hours of run time on 2 x D-size batteries. You don't need a generator or a powered site. Set it spinning and walk away.

The patented carrier bracket and squeeze lock let you set the height over the fire and swing the skewer into position, where it locks in place. When it's time to baste or carve, you simply swing the meat away from the heat. The motor hangs free on the bracket, so there's less strain on it and it keeps turning reliably, trip after trip. The whole kit packs into a carry bag just over a metre long.

Auspit Accessories: It Cooks the Quick Stuff Too

Here's what many people miss. With the right Auspit accessories, the spit can cook everything the Sizzler does, and then some.

• A hotplate and grill combo kit handles snags, chops and steak over the same fire.
• A swing arm keeps the billy boiling.
• The Spitmate Junior turns spuds and veg alongside the main event.
• Gyros discs make bush kebabs.

The Auspit Gold package bundles most of these together, along with a fire tray, heat accelerator, hatchet and heat-resistant gloves, so you're set for just about any cook.

The one place it trails the Sizzler is tray roasts. You can roast plenty on the spit itself, but for a roast in a baking dish, gas and a lid make life easier.

The Honest Trade-Off: Time

The Auspit asks more of you. You need to gather wood, get the fire going, wait for it to burn down to coals, set up the spit and then give the meat time to cook. Dinner lands later than it would on gas.

A few tips make it easy:

• Light the fire as soon as camp is set up. You want glowing coals, not flames, before the meat goes on.
• Use a meat thermometer. Chicken needs to reach 75°C in the thickest part. Cook lamb and beef to how you like them.
• Plan the night around the cook. That's the whole point.

Choosing a Camping BBQ for Where You're Headed

Where you're going matters as much as what you're cooking.

• Fire-approved campsites are Auspit country. More and more national parks now ban in-ground fires, which is why the fire tray in the Auspit Gold package matters: it keeps your fire contained and off the ground. The heat accelerator helps keep the cook going on windy nights.
• Caravan parks and sites without fire pits suit the Sizzler, which cooks wherever gas is allowed.
• Fire bans apply to both. Open fires are off during a fire ban, and the rules for gas differ between states and parks. Always check the park rules and the current fire danger rating before you light anything.

Gas vs Charcoal BBQ: What About the Flavour?

Gas gives clean, consistent heat. A good steak on a hot Sizzler plate tastes great, and the flavour comes from the meat, the sear and your seasoning.

Wood and charcoal add something gas can't: smoke, and fat dripping onto hot coals and rising back into the meat. A slow-turning spit also bastes the meat in its own juices the whole way through. That's where the Auspit's deeper, smokier flavour comes from.

Neither is wrong. They're just different results. If the fire has you hooked and you're planning a bigger cook, our guide to spit roasting for a crowd without the stress covers the gear and timing.

Sizzler or Auspit: Which Suits Your Trip?

Reach for the Sizzler if:

• You want to eat soon after you pull up
• You're on the move most days and set up late
• You like quick meals: snags, chops, steak and brekky
• You want small tray roasts without a fire

Reach for the Auspit if:

• You're staying put for a few nights at a fire-friendly site
• You want the cook to be the night's entertainment
• You love that wood-fired, smoky flavour
• You want to spit roast, with the option to grill using accessories

Why plenty of campers pack both: the Sizzler handles brekky and the quick weeknight-style feeds, and the Auspit comes out for the big night around the fire. They serve different cooks, so they don't double up.

Sizzler BBQ and Auspit FAQs

Can you roast in a Sizzler BBQ?

Yes. With a Sizzler baking dish and cooking rack and the lid closed, it handles family-sized roasts like a chook, small pork roast or roast veg.

Does the Auspit need power?

No. The Auspit motor is battery-operated, turns up to 8kg and averages up to 30 hours on 2 x D-size batteries.

What if my campsite doesn't allow ground fires?

Use a fire tray or fire pit to keep the fire contained and off the ground, and always check the site's rules first.

Can an Auspit cook snags and steak too?

Yes. Add the hotplate and grill combo kit and you can cook quick meals over the same fire.

Which is quicker to set up?

The Sizzler. Connect the gas and light it. The Auspit needs a fire burned down to coals before you start cooking.

The Bottom Line

The Sizzler gets you fed. The Auspit gives you a night to remember. One isn't better than the other: they're built for different moments on the same trip.

Work out how you like to camp and pick the cook that suits it. Browse the Sizzler gas BBQ range, or check out the full Auspit spit range and start planning your next fire-side feast.