Bought an Oven!

[SpeakEasy]

Dutch, that is!

After years of reading about them, thinking about them, and occasionally seeing them in operation, we decided to plunge in and get one yesterday.

I wanted the type that can go right into the fire and/or operate with briquettes. So, we got a Lodge, 10" with legs and the rim on the cover.

Woo hoo! Can't wait to get it seasoned up and into operation. Come on Spring!

Jump right in here and tell me about your favorite things to do with your dutch ovens while camping.

           

[ForestCreature]

Great choice for a first dutch oven. We started out with the same one and have added a 14" for when there is more than DH and I camping. Do yourself a favor and season it outside in your grill, they tend to smoke alot during seasoning.
 
 My all time fav in the DO is fresh hot cinnamon rolls in the morning.
 
 

[gager2002]

Yes, season it outside.  Smoke and Smell are not good for inside.

I love making coblers in mine.  Always line with heavy duty foil when baking those, it makes cleanup a snap.

[zamboni]

My roomie in college had an oven... a 4-seater.

Ugly yellow Reliant K-car.  Broken A/C.  Windows would not roll down.

In TEXAS.

[SpeakEasy]

 
 My all time fav in the DO is fresh hot cinnamon rolls in the morning.
 
 

So, Marcy - should I come looking for you in the campground when I smell those lovely cinnamon rolls in the morning?


Or will you share the recipe?

[ForestCreature]

So, Marcy - should I come looking for you in the campground when I smell those lovely cinnamon rolls in the morning?
 
 
  Or will you share the recipe?

You sure can, if your sniffer is off we aren't hard to find. All but twice we've been the only A frame in the CG.
 
 The recipe is one of the easiest in the world. Gathering the ingredients is sometimes time consuming depending on the checkout lines. You go to the freezer section of your favorite grocery store and grab a package of Rhodes anytime cinnamon rolls that comes in a tin. Buy 2 packs, everyone always wants more than one
 

[Buzz]

Are you sure it's not pre-seasoned?
I believe all Lodge CDO's have been preseasoned for the last couple of years....May be wrong on that or you may have gotten one thats old stock.
I season cast iron in my home oven.....just have a towel ready to fan the smoke detector.
Scrub the DO with hot soapy water (never use soap on it again), dry it completely. Apply a THIN coat of oil all over it...inside and out plus the lid. Put the DO upside down (prevent puddeling if the oil is not THIN enough) in the oven and crank it to 500*, bake for one hour and let it completely cool in the oven.

You will get a perfectly seasoned oven that looks like it was spray painted gloss black. Trust me on the high temperature. If you use a lower temp, as some instructions will tell you, it will come out sticky.
I have been cooking in Camp Dutch ovens for over 25 years. My first, last and every oven inbetween (6 in all) are Lodge.

Get yourself a lid lifter, a pair of welding gloves, a trivet, a pair of long handled tongs (to hand hot coals) and a DO cooking table (about $60 at Cabela's)....have fun.

[Old Goat]

DW sez that the only oven she wants is one that has a hybrid built around it.......

[gager2002]

Are you sure it's not pre-seasoned?
I believe all Lodge CDO's have been preseasoned for the last couple of years....May be wrong on that or you may have gotten one thats old stock.
I season cast iron in my home oven.....just have a towel ready to fan the smoke detector.  Scrub the DO with hot soapy water (never use soap on it again), dry it completely. Apply a THIN coat of oil all over it...inside and out plus the lid. Put the DO upside down (prevent puddeling if the oil is not THIN enough) in the oven and crank it to 500*, bake for one hour and let it completely cool in the oven. You will get a perfectly seasoned oven that looks like it was spray painted gloss black.

I agree with this completely.

[oldmoose]

Enjoy your oven. BTW, you can put 40 small canned biscuits in a 10" by standing them on end and 40 Grands in a 12".

Moose

[PLJ]

I just received a 12 inch 8 quart Creekside as a birthday gift. It came pre-seasoned.

I can't wait to learn how to use it. There seems to be some good dutch oven websites around. See link below for example. Any other favorites or books people want to recommend?

http://papadutch.home.comcast.net/dutch-oven-recipes.htm

[AustinBoston]

Are you sure it's not pre-seasoned?
I believe all Lodge CDO's have been preseasoned for the last couple of years....May be wrong on that or you may have gotten one thats old stock.

Only the ones labeled Lodge Logic(TM) are preseasoned.

I season cast iron in my home oven.....just have a towel ready to fan the smoke detector.

If you set off the smoke detector while seasoning, you may be doing it too hot.

Scrub the DO with hot soapy water (never use soap on it again), dry it completely. Apply a THIN coat of oil all over it...inside and out plus the lid. Put the DO upside down (prevent puddeling if the oil is not THIN enough) in the oven and crank it to 500*, bake for one hour and let it completely cool in the oven.

No wonder your smoke detector is going off!  Lodge suggests 350

[AustinBoston]

There seems to be some good dutch oven websites around. See link below for example. Any other favorites or books people want to recommend?

IDOS is the official site of the International Dutch Oven Society.  They have a very active forum.

Austin

[Buzz]

I use what ever vegetable oil is in the cabinet. Peanut oil is not a good seasoning oil because of its high burn point.
If, as I suggest, you apply the oil very thinly it does not smoke enough to set the smoke detector off.
Thin is the key word when applying the oil...too much and it will puddle and not become hard. I checked Lodge's web site and they do in fact list a non Logic CDO (unseasoned). It seems all I have seen lately are preseasoned which is worth the extra cost IMO.
I have seasoned many cast iron utinsils be it skillets, home style dutch ovens, griddles - whatever.
I have put on to much oil and got puddleing. I have "baked" them at lower temperatures than I suggest and got sticky. I have been using the high temp/thin oil method (that I read about on a thread at the IDOS forum) with perfect results EVERY time.