Basic Elements

• Popular Dutch ovens used today by the outdoorsman are called "camp" Dutch ovens. This is an oven with a lid constructed with a lip to facilitate holding coals on top of the oven. Most pots are four inches deep or deeper, depending on the diameter. The oven will have a bail to enable you to adjust or carry your oven.
  
  Dutch ovens come in various sizes ranging from 8 inches (2 quarts) to 22 inches (64 quarts) in diameter and are available in cast iron and aluminum. Both metals have advantages and disadvantages. Cast iron distributes heat evenly and retains heat longer; aluminum does not. Aluminum ovens weigh significantly less than cast iron, making them easier to carry. Aluminum is rust resistant and easy to clean up. Cast iron ovens require "seasoning" to keep them from rusting. The choice between the two metals is completely up to the individual's preferences, but, according to J.S. Larsen (Lovin' Dutch Ovens), cast iron is what most consumers prefer.
  
  

Estimate Cooking Temperatures

• The easiest way to estimate temperatures and cooking time is with charcoal. When estimating temperatures with charcoal, depending on the brand of Dutch oven you are using, use one of the following formulas to calculate 325 degrees:
  
  Lodge Dutch Ovens: Take the diameter of the oven and add three. This is the number of briquettes needed for the top heat. The diameter minus three is the number of briquettes needed for the bottom.
  
  Maca Ovens: The diameter plus three for the bottom heat and the diameter plus six for the top heat.
  
  

Camp Kitchen Tools

• Dutch ovens are easy to cook in and maintain, making them the ultimate addition to your camp kitchen. Consider adding the following to your camp kitchen to make cooking more pleasurable.
  
  A lid lifter or holder is a bent rod that has a hook on one end and a handle on the other, allowing you to lift the hot lid or pick up the oven with the bail.
  
  A cooking stand will allow you to bring the Dutch oven off of the ground. The ground will absorb heat from your coals. A flat metal stand that comes in a variety of shapes and sizes will make cooking easier as well as making your system more efficient.
  
  Consider purchasing leather gloves, long tongs and a shovel to add to your camp kitchen. They make handling coals and hot ovens much safer.
  
  

Dutch Oven Care

• Season a new Dutch oven. When they are new, they are not ready to cook in. The food will absorb the smell of the metal and stick horribly to the cast iron.
  
  Clean the Dutch oven after use. There are several ways to clean an oven, the simplest being to "burn-out" the oven by installing the lid and placing the entire oven into the fire. Leave the oven in the fire for a minimum of 20 minutes, depending on the heat. Remove the oven and let cool.
  
  Use extreme caution when lifting the lid of a burned out oven! Open the lid away from you. The introduction of oxygen to the inside of the oven will cause a flash of fire if there is any heat or fuel (food) inside.