Talk to me about Dutch Ovens...

Scott

Scott

Adventurist
After DRV, I have decided a dutch oven is one of the next purchases. I am sold on what they can do after seeing Jeremy2013 make cinnamon rolls in his... So, talk to me about them. Are there some that are better than others? What's a good size to get? I am looking at everything from 5-8 quart capacity.
 
Lodge is pretty much the best way to go. I have a 12 inch, 6 quart model. Works very well all around.

Their ovens are pre-seasoned, and ready to go out of the box. They're made in America, and made well. Properly taken care of, it will last you forever. And even if you don't take care of it, take steel wool to it, get it down to the iron again, cover it in olive oil and stick it in the oven to re-season it.

Sounds like we need to plan another camping trip based around the dutch oven. :D

You can cook anything in them that you'd cook in a regular oven following these coal settings...

Temp.8 inch10 inch12inch14 inch16 inch
°FTopBtm.TopBtm.TopBtm.TopBtm.TopBtm.
300°941251571992111
325°10513616720102212
350°11514717821112412
375°11616718922122413
400°126178191024122713
425°136189211025132814
450°1461910221126143014
500°1572011231228143215

You'll want the kind with the 3 legs on the bottom, and the lid with the coal lip around the top.

Head down to Bass Pro and get yourself an oven and accessories :)
 
Last edited:
Mitch said:
Lodge is pretty much the best way to go. I have a 12 inch, 10 quart model. Works very well all around.

Their ovens are pre-seasoned, and ready to go out of the box. They're made in America, and made well. Properly taken care of, it will last you forever. And even if you don't take care of it, take steel wool to it, get it down to the iron again, cover it in olive oil and stick it in the oven to re-season it.

Sounds like we need to plan another camping trip based around the dutch oven. :D

You can cook anything in them that you'd cook in a regular oven following these coal settings...

Temp.8 inch10 inch12inch14 inch16 inch
°FTopBtm.TopBtm.TopBtm.TopBtm.TopBtm.
300°941251571992111
325°10513616720102212
350°11514717821112412
375°11616718922122413
400°126178191024122713
425°136189211025132814
450°1461910221126143014
500°1572011231228143215

You'll want the kind with the 3 legs on the bottom, and the lid with the coal lip around the top.

Head down to Bass Pro and get yourself an oven and accessories :)
Click to expand...

Lodge is what I'm looking at. I've seen the snowpeak stuff, and I just can't justify that kinda $$.. I can see this is something I'm gonna have to do research here!

- - - Updated - - -

Mitch, after some research, I am seeing that the 12" shows to be an 8 quart unit, is that what you have? They also have a 14" model that's 10 quart.
 
Snow Peak is great stuff. Good for personal sizes and appropriate recipes. But for what you saw this weekend... You need a full size rig. ;)

A 12 inch 10 quart is a good starting point, most of the recipes out there seem to revolve around the 12.

Admittedly I haven't made much more than Triple Chocolate Cake in mine, but soon I'll be trying a few more things.
 
poriggity said:
Mitch, after some research, I am seeing that the 12" shows to be an 8 quart unit, is that what you have? They also have a 14" model that's 10 quart.
Click to expand...

Yup, it appears I got my numbers messed up.. I have the 3 3/4" deep, 6 Quart model.
 
Mitch said:
Yup, it appears I got my numbers messed up.. I have the 3 3/4" deep, 6 Quart model.
Click to expand...


Good stuff. I am thinking 8 quart lodge might be the way to go for the first one. Amazon has them for a good price....
 
I have the 10", it is awesome, but I often find that I wish it was just a touch larger. I will probably pick up a 12" at some point
 
My suggestion would be to start with the 12" shallow or 6 qt. The deep 8 qt. may be a little more versatile for things like roasts, but most recipes are based on a 12" shallow. Try it out, then go big if you decide to get deep into DO cooking. (see what I did there?) Cakes and cassaroles are better done in the shallower oven. With the deep, you have to work with more coals on top to force the heat down further in the mostly empty oven.

Amazon is a good way to go for their free shipping, but look at Walmart to compare prices before buying. I bought mine there a few years ago, just before they stopped selling Lodge, and went to Chinese made Coleman's. The prices were very good then. I noticed recently that my local store has gone back to selling Lodge again.

While the pre-seasoning on the Lodge is easy to get started, it is not real durable. I found some info to improve the seasoning. I am not sure if stripping the seasoning off is better, or just adding to it would work. Use Flaxseed Oil. It has a low smoke point, and creates a hard, durable seasoning. You will find it in the refrigerated section of health food stores, as it goes rancid quickly. Here is a link to the info on Flaxseed oil: http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/

I also found a technique that quickly adds multiple thin layers to the inside bottom of the pot (the part that needs it most). I did this to two pots yesterday, and it works well. Here is the link: http://www.camp-cook.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1497 . He also says to run a new pot throught the oven at 450*, which would be good advice.

Hope this helps.
 
Mitch said:
Their ovens are pre-seasoned, and ready to go out of the box. They're made in America, and made well. Properly taken care of, it will last you forever. And even if you don't take care of it, take steel wool to it, get it down to the iron again, cover it in olive oil and stick it in the oven to re-season it.
Click to expand...

Most people seem to get by with the "factory" Lodge seasoning, but I'm picky. I'm also one of those people who will strip and re-season my cast iron occasionally. My preferred method to avoid smoking up the house is to rub a thin layer of Crisco over all surfaces, and place (inverted) on my outdoor grill on the highest setting. Finish with a clean-up wipe, and good to go.

I have cumulatively 200+ lbs of Lodge product, but the 3 items that see the most use are my 12" skillet (home), 12" camp oven, and reversible griddle (camp). I'm about to build a new chuckbox for the van and one of the features I'm most excited about is that I'll finally have room to permanently store a dedicated cast iron skillet therein.
 
My wife loves cast iron cooking! And i would love to find her those nifty wind screens/stands that people were using at the DRV. Anyone know where you can find those?


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stm2727 said:
My wife loves cast iron cooking! And i would love to find her those nifty wind screens/stands that people were using at the DRV. Anyone know where you can find those?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

The 2 that I am assuming you are speaking of were home built, and there is a long line of us looking to purchase them. I dont want to throw him under the bus and make him feel pressured to make them,so I will just say that he may or may not be related to Tim
 
BlkWgn said:
The 2 that I am assuming you are speaking of were home built, and there is a long line of us looking to purchase them. I dont want to throw him under the bus and make him feel pressured to make them,so I will just say that he may or may not be related to Tim
Click to expand...

Lol! Copy that...


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I have a Lodge 10" skillet, griddle, and a standard size Lodge dutch oven with the legs and the lid with the edge for charcoal. I just gave away my first dutch oven because it didn't have the legs or the inverted lid so if you plan on using it for anything other than home stove use, gotta get the camp version. I have found that Amazon has good deals and I think will ship prime if you are a member.
 
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