Dutch Oven

[garym053]

Happy SPRING!
Not sure if this should go here, product reviews, or recipes, but will put it here and feel free to move it wherever!!!
I have not yet done any Dutch Oven cooking while camping, although I would like to! I am now in the process of looking for a Dutch Oven and would appreciate some advice!
First some details: Except for one weekend we camp where there is no power. In the past I pretty much have only grilled or cooked with propane. There are USUALLY only two of us, but occasionally that swells to 6, 4 adults, and 2 preteens. My questions:
1. What size Dutch Oven would serve us best?
2. Cast Iron or Cast Aluminum?
3. What brand is best?
Thanks in advance!

[popupcop]

1. Probably a 10 or 12 inch camp dutch oven (with a lid that holds the coals)
2. Cast Iron
3. Lodge is the best. I have had good luck with some off brand I purchased from Bargain Outfitters or Sportsmans Guide (I forgot which one but they are owned by the same company).  The Lodge DO is much better quality and the lids fit better than most.

Here are some sites with information and recipies:

http://www.isu.edu/outdoor/dutch.html#Recipes

http://www.bsa-troop237.org/dutchov/indexb.html
 
Look for a cobler recipies, they are wonderful.

[Campntime]

'Popupcop' is telling you some truth.  We studied dutch ovens all last summer and ended up with a 12" Lodge.  Many of the cheap ones made in China and we heard of to many bad results.  You can look...and consistency of thickness in pan wall, consistency of surface, how porous and how well the lids fit.  Many cheap ovens when new...the lid is warped and will not seal tight.

Don't be afraid to get an unseasoned oven.  It is not that big a deal to season one yourself at home in the kitchen oven following Lodges directions.  Most receipes call for certain number of coals underneath oven and so many on the lid.  Therefore an oven with legs and a liped lid to hold coals on top is a big advantage.

Lodge is well worth the extra.  Also advise getting a lid holder so you don't have to use pliers or a welding glove to pick up or move a lid!  Our first few receipes went great.  Can't wait to get it out again.

You'll love cooking with a dutch oven. It adds a whole new dimension to camping!

[Diplomat]

I hate to chime in with a "me too" but since the topic is DO cooking I will!

A  12" Lodge with legs is the way to go.  Don't go into sticker shock when you see the prices though.  Like most things in life you get what you pay for.  I also suggest a lid lifer and an lid stand (you need someplace to put the hot lid down!)

Do a search for Dutch Oven Cooking and you will find all sorts of recipies and helpful hints.  For Lodge click here.

HTH and have fun!

[griffsmom]

As far as SCCampers is concerned, oldmoose and his wife, young moosette, are the king and queen of DO cooking.  They did a DO cooking 101 demo at one of our rallies last year and will be holding the sequel, DO cooking 201, at this year's summer rally at Pismo Beach.  If youwere to do a search under oldmoose's member name, I'm sure you'll pull up a lot of posts (and yummy recipes!!!) on this subject.

[Calstate361]

Yes, to add to Griffsmom's comments, Old Moose is our local pro.  He also has very good advise on seasoning your dutch oven.   To do dutch oven cooking you MUST have the ones with the legs. We had to pick Old Moose's brain at a rally because we were having trouble getting our new dutch oven to season properly.  He told us that a lot of the ovens or pans come with a coat of some sort of wax or grease that you have to burn off before it will season properly.  When we got home my husband did just that and then the oven seasoned real nice.  If you don't want to stink up your house when seasoning your dutch oven, my husband first tried heating it up in the Bar-b-que and that went OK, but this last time he used the propane heating elemnt from our turkey fryer and that worked very well.  Contact Old Mosse for some of the best advise you can get.

GOOD LUCK!
 
Joan

[vjm1639]

We bought the 12" Lodge (as all my cast iron is...) DO wtih legs two years ago and as much as I love to cook, I just haven't ever tried using it.  Every recipe I've seen seems to be so huge. There are just two of us and I don't have room for left overs on camping trips.  Any suggestions?

[oldmoose]

Thank you for the compliments. While i've been using Dutch oven's for over 20 years, I still learn new things. I second the comments about Lodge. They are now selling Lodge Logic, which are pre-seasoned cast iron wear. A well seasoned Dutch oven is a thing of joy, but be waring of getting too many of these toys. Marital harmony can be stretched thin, as I can attest. The Dutch ovens can also be used indoors. This past weekend I tried a new recipe for a pot roast using a 7-bone chuck roast. I used my camping oven in the house oven as it was too windy outside. It worked great. I also have a charcoal chart in MS Word that I can email you. A web site with great links is www.idos.com. Any food you can cook inside can be cooked outdoors in a camping Dutch oven. Use your lid also. Get a folding lid stand, put charcoal underneath and make quesadillas. Yummy.
 
BTW, we're helping with a Dutch oven demo in Northridge, CA this Saturday morning. It's being put on by the SoCAl IDOS chapter.
 
Happy cooking,
Moose

[AustinBoston]

Me too! Me Too!

I also think Lodge is the best, and I would also suggest starting with a 12".

A 10" oven would not be large enough for 6 people (unless it's only part of the meal).

Later on, you could add an 8" or 10" if the 12" is sometimes too big for just the two of you.

We have fed groups as large as 10 using a 14", a 12", and an 8" oven.  We had several small chickens in the 14", a vegatable mix in the 8", and a blueberry pie in the 12".  MMmmm...I can still smell it.

A sampling of the things we've had (cooked in a DO):
* venison stew
* corn bread
* baked "omletes" of various types (some things cooked in a DO are unique, you won't find an adaptation for a home oven).
* cornish game hens
* various beef and lamb stews
* pork roast

If you're looking for convenience, dutch ovens work both ways.  For a smaller meal, you can cook the whole thing in one pot.  They're relatively easy to clean up.  But you will not usually get away with a quick meal, so they're generally wrong if you're in a hurry.  But they're great if you're just hanging around the campsite anyway, or you want something different from burgers and dogs.

Austin (getting hungry)

[garym053]

Thanks for all the wonderful information! I will be shopping for one this weekend!

[cyclone]

I just bought a 10" Lodge Logic ~ can't wait to try it out!  Moose, I would love to have the charcoal chart if you don't mind emailing it to me.  Thanks.

[oldmoose]

If anyone wants me charcoal chart, please email me.
Moose