Dutch Oven?

rburns4147 · 03-25-2014, 10:25 AM

I am considering buying a Lodge 6 or 8 quart outdoor dutch oven. It looks like you can make anything from biscuits to soup in them. Anybody using a dutch oven?

iowaborn · 03-25-2014, 10:42 AM

It has been years, but We just received our 12" 5 " deep do from Amazon. Supposedly the 5" deep do is good for main dishes and the 3.5" us good for deserts and biscuits.

iowaborn · 03-25-2014, 01:03 PM

I don't ever plan on cooking directly in the do. For deserts, biscuits, and such I will be using a round cake pan in the do, with something under the pan so it is not in direct contact with the do. Meats w/veggies will be in double wrapped aluminum foil. This allows for much easier clean up of the do.

GalsofEscape · 03-25-2014, 01:59 PM

Use mine all the time. I also have a cast iron set for home use too. Camping, i have two 12 quart dutch camp ovens. Desserts, stew, and my favorite roasted whole chicken with potatoes and carrots. Am currently looking at recipes to expand the offerings and looking into getting a smaller d.o. to have around. There are Dutch Oven Groups (DOGs) that have camping/cooking rallies. Google DOG and see if there is one in your area. They love to teach and demonstrate how to cook in a DO.

Witch Doctor · 03-25-2014, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rburns4147

I am considering buying a Lodge 6 or 8 quart outdoor dutch oven. It looks like you can make anything from biscuits to soup in them. Anybody using a dutch oven?

If you wait til Goshen if you are going they have a class on them and also sell them. Linda went last year and really liked it and learned a lot.....

1Texan · 03-25-2014, 02:56 PM

There's nothing like sitting around the campfire with your dutch oven and a pot of stew, scrambled eggs and potatos, baked ham, or what ever. Cleanup is easy also. When done cooking, put in water and put over the fire, cover with the lid and let it steam/boil. Some balled up foil will clean of any stuck particles. Dump the water, dry and apply a light oil and you are ready to start again. DW really appreciates you cleaning up the pot. In our camp, it's kind of a "man" thing. We build the fires, cook with the dutch oven, and do the clean up of the DO. The ladies bring out the food to cook and help with the clean up. Division of labor/chores is always appreciated.

This is a long answer to say.... yes, you need a dutch oven.

David 01 · 03-25-2014, 03:03 PM

Been cooking in the dutch oven since I learned how when the boys were in Scouts. One thing for sure the Scout leaders knew how to eat on those camp outs! One pot cooking! Love it!

rburns4147 · 03-25-2014, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1Texan

There's nothing like sitting around the campfire with your dutch oven and a pot of stew, scrambled eggs and potatos, baked ham, or what ever. Cleanup is easy also. When done cooking, put in water and put over the fire, cover with the lid and let it steam/boil. Some balled up foil will clean of any stuck particles. Dump the water, dry and apply a light oil and you are ready to start again. DW really appreciates you cleaning up the pot. In our camp, it's kind of a "man" thing. We build the fires, cook with the dutch oven, and do the clean up of the DO. The ladies bring out the food to cook and help with the clean up. Division of labor/chores is always appreciated.

This is a long answer to say.... yes, you need a dutch oven.

You sound like a veteran dutch oven user. What size would you recommend for two people with an occasional two guests. I would like to be able to cook a whole chicken also.

GalsofEscape · 03-25-2014, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1Texan

There's nothing like sitting around the campfire with your dutch oven and a pot of stew, scrambled eggs and potatos, baked ham, or what ever. Cleanup is easy also. When done cooking, put in water and put over the fire, cover with the lid and let it steam/boil. Some balled up foil will clean of any stuck particles. Dump the water, dry and apply a light oil and you are ready to start again. DW really appreciates you cleaning up the pot. In our camp, it's kind of a "man" thing. We build the fires, cook with the dutch oven, and do the clean up of the DO. The ladies bring out the food to cook and help with the clean up. Division of labor/chores is always appreciated.

This is a long answer to say.... yes, you need a dutch oven.

A MAN THING!!! watch what you say!!

No such thing when it comes to D.O. cooking or grilling for that matter

But kidding aside, some of the best cooking comes from the Dutch oven.

**ependydad** · 03-25-2014, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GalsofEscape

A MAN THING!!! watch what you say!!

No such thing when it comes to D.O. cooking or grilling for that matter

But kidding aside, some of the best cooking comes from the Dutch oven.

LOL. Exactly- cooking is woman's work no matter what the mechanism!

(I jest! I jest! Though, my wife does do most of our cooking- grilling or otherwise.)

okraman · 03-25-2014, 03:32 PM

Ron, a 10" DO would be good for 2 to 4 people. Most recipes are written with a 12" DO in mind, but they are easy to adapt. I started with/ a 12", too much for the two of us. Now I have a 10", a 12" and a 14". So there are sizes accommodate your needs. There are some good DO and camp cooking websites out there.

abby8242 · 03-27-2014, 04:33 AM

I picked up a couple of dutch ovens cheap locally on craigslist.

Firefighter969 · 03-27-2014, 06:15 AM

I like cooking with the DO. I have a 10"DO and a 12"DO cook main dish's to dessert's. I cook with cast iron when we camp it is very easy to clean. Dessert's are the biggest hit cobbler to popcorn, even share with neighbors.

Witch Doctor · 03-27-2014, 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firefighter969

I like cooking with the DO. I have a 10"DO and a 12"DO cook main dish's to dessert's. I cook with cast iron when we camp it is very easy to clean. Dessert's are the biggest hit cobbler to popcorn, even share with neighbors.

Just a dumb question, aren't those cast iron pans and pots pretty heavy to carry? Where do you store them? I wanted a pot and a griddle but my wife says we do not have the room to carry them? This year in Goshen I might go to the seminar on cooking with them. If they offer it again this year.

TURBS · 03-27-2014, 06:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gljurczyk

Just a dumb question, aren't those cast iron pans and pots pretty heavy to carry? Where do you store them? I wanted a pot and a griddle but my wife says we do not have the room to carry them? This year in Goshen I might go to the seminar on cooking with them. If they offer it again this year.

Only if u haul them in a ford

TURBS
Sabre owners united!

Rickflint · 03-27-2014, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gljurczyk

Just a dumb question, aren't those cast iron pans and pots pretty heavy to carry? Where do you store them? I wanted a pot and a griddle but my wife says we do not have the room to carry them? This year in Goshen I might go to the seminar on cooking with them. If they offer it again this year.

They are not as traditional as cast iron but they also make cast aluminum DO and if you are just a little careful they work the same. You have to let them cool slowly so they don't warp.

I belong to a local DOGS here in SE Michigan. That way you can carry the DO if you have a GMC.

campdohbrew · 03-27-2014, 09:53 AM

We use Dutch Ovens and have several. There is a chart that shows the number of coals to use on top and underneath the Dutch Oven to achieve the desired temperature. You can stack the pots on top of each other while cooking.

We got into this years ago while visiting Bull Shoals State Park in Arkansas.

I think Lodge has the chart on their website.

iowaborn · 03-27-2014, 10:26 AM

Try this D.O. temperature chart:
http://www.outdoor-cooking.com/Dutch...ure-guide.html

WrongWayRandall · 03-27-2014, 01:23 PM

We use them and like both the functionality and the tradition. There are 'deep' and 'standard' dutch ovens, and I would start off with the traditional depth until you get familiar with them - a 10 or 12 is a good place to start. They can be heavy (we carry two at the moment) but not so much that you would have to worry about it unless you are backpacking with them. Just stow them like any other object you cook with - you can even stow things inside them as long as they are dry. That said, unless you can guarantee that they will be well lashed down I would not place them too high up, just in case.

- Randy

Firefighter969 · 03-27-2014, 06:23 PM

I have a 10" and 12" DO and a 10" and 12" fry pan all Lodge cast iron. I have a tote in my basement of the FW that I keep this stuff in. It does have some weight but it is no more than what we carry camping in scouts. My DW does not carry a whole lot of cookware.

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