I love my camp oven and they can do almost anything. BUT, lacking any form of thermostat has meant some disasters. I learned to improvise, so:
1. when baking, I found that using a trivet to stop contact with the direct heat of the base reduced burning the bottom of roasts, cakes, bread etc.
2. likewise, I found using a cake tin or pan on a trivet inside the oven kept the sides from burning.
3. Another trick is to put a little water in the oven (just below the trivet level). It worked exceptionally well with cakes and bread. It evened the temperature and steam cooked for the important early stages keeping it moist, then evaporated for dry heat to give a great crust. Also useful when doing roasts of chicken or other meat cuts.
4. Finally, I bought a $30 laser thermometer to check the surface temp of the oven while cooking. When trying to maintain say, 180 c, contact-less reading of the oven temperature was very handy. Apply or remove coals as needed. Just requires constant checking - but that is needed any way you go with camp ovens.
Bicyclecamper said
07:40 PM May 18, 2022
Thanks for this. Will be away on another campertrailer local trip, next week( tent set up out in the bush on camp ground will remain there watched over by friend), but we will be using a little kettle style BBQ with charcoal to use the dutch oven and will be cooking Pork Belly, nice small bit for 2 people, so had forgot about having a trivet, so will get one tomorrow. Also have a laser thermometer, did not think to use it for this, great Idea. Have cooked a roast lamb with this kettle BBQ ( $20 at Bunnings) before, and although it used a bit of the loose Samba lump charcoal, it still only took 1hr20min, for a roast for 4 people, including veg. Best portable bbq we have ever owned. Have been a bit of a stickler for the cheap small portable bbq's that you can buy around the traps over the last 40 years. Anyhow thankyou for the advice.
Leshill said
10:00 PM Jun 4, 2022
I use a small cast iron camp oven to do a small lamb roast. Using a trivet and a steaming pot out of a saucepan set to stop sides burning.
I put it all into a cut down gas bottle which has had the coals prepared .lamb in 15 to 20 minutes then the vegies.keep an eye on it and I use a meat thermometer into the lamb..45 to 50 mins it is done.
Come on now PT, be honest... what about the other 27 photographs where stuff was either raw or burnt? :)
I cheat and place a thermocouple inside the camp oven which then supports an external temperature display - it's an old drover's cook's trick.
Gary and Barb said
03:09 PM Jan 16, 2023
Bicyclecamper wrote:
Thanks for this. Will be away on another campertrailer local trip, next week( tent set up out in the bush on camp ground will remain there watched over by friend), but we will be using a little kettle style BBQ with charcoal to use the dutch oven and will be cooking Pork Belly, nice small bit for 2 people, so had forgot about having a trivet, so will get one tomorrow. Also have a laser thermometer, did not think to use it for this, great Idea. Have cooked a roast lamb with this kettle BBQ ( $20 at Bunnings) before, and although it used a bit of the loose Samba lump charcoal, it still only took 1hr20min, for a roast for 4 people, including veg. Best portable bbq we have ever owned. Have been a bit of a stickler for the cheap small portable bbq's that you can buy around the traps over the last 40 years. Anyhow thankyou for the advice.
...and thanks to you.....
I have just bought that little kettle bbq, too. A little ripper. Absolutely ideal for my needs on desert trips and plenty big enough for our recent neighbourhood block party. Prefer charcoal, but it will burn anything if you want that bush smokey flavour. At only $20, I can trash it when it gets dirty....
EDIT:
I just knocked up a 250mm pizza stone from a ceramic floor tile to fit the little 300mm kettle. Pita bread or dough base should work. It will be ideal for that quick dinner on the track, I hope.
-- Edited by Gary and Barb on Monday 16th of January 2023 04:04:07 PM
86GTS said
05:24 PM Jan 16, 2023
We've been doing roasts, baking bread & cooking casseroles in our Coleman Camp Oven for many years. It has a temperature gauge in the door. Always done to perfection, we wouldn't leave home without it.
We recently took some cast iron cookware to the tip including a camp oven. The main disadvantage with it is that it weighs a bl**dy ton.
Gary and Barb said
04:22 PM Jan 23, 2023
86GTS wrote:
We've been doing roasts, baking bread & cooking casseroles in our Coleman Camp Oven for many years. It has a temperature gauge in the door. Always done to perfection, we wouldn't leave home without it. We recently took some cast iron cookware to the tip including a camp oven. The main disadvantage with it is that it weighs a bl**dy ton.
I have seriously considered the Coleman type camp oven in the past, but couldn't quite justify it. I have two cast iron camp oven sizes and the weight can be a problem. Eventually a spun steel setup might be the go. Lighter and easier to clean.
You can do anything in camp ovens. It will be interesting to see if I can use my small one in the little Bunnings kettle BBQ, though. Thinking roasts, baking, etc...
Keen to try the new combinations in the field, now.
lots of great ideas on this forum, too.
Bicyclecamper said
01:20 PM Sep 6, 2023
Gary and Barb wrote:
Bicyclecamper wrote:
Thanks for this. Will be away on another campertrailer local trip, next week( tent set up out in the bush on camp ground will remain there watched over by friend), but we will be using a little kettle style BBQ with charcoal to use the dutch oven and will be cooking Pork Belly, nice small bit for 2 people, so had forgot about having a trivet, so will get one tomorrow. Also have a laser thermometer, did not think to use it for this, great Idea. Have cooked a roast lamb with this kettle BBQ ( $20 at Bunnings) before, and although it used a bit of the loose Samba lump charcoal, it still only took 1hr20min, for a roast for 4 people, including veg. Best portable bbq we have ever owned. Have been a bit of a stickler for the cheap small portable bbq's that you can buy around the traps over the last 40 years. Anyhow thankyou for the advice.
...and thanks to you.....
I have just bought that little kettle bbq, too. A little ripper. Absolutely ideal for my needs on desert trips and plenty big enough for our recent neighbourhood block party. Prefer charcoal, but it will burn anything if you want that bush smokey flavour. At only $20, I can trash it when it gets dirty....
EDIT:
I just knocked up a 250mm pizza stone from a ceramic floor tile to fit the little 300mm kettle. Pita bread or dough base should work. It will be ideal for that quick dinner on the track, I hope.
-- Edited by Gary and Barb on Monday 16th of January 2023 04:04:07 PM
How did you find the kettle BBQ from bunnings, did you do a roast in the dutch oven. I have tried it, but the lid of the bbq doesn't go on top with my size D.Oven. Anyhow on the weekend just gone, did a very small portion for 2 a hogget roast, just putting on new charcoal as needed, being hogget it took a little while longer, but cooked well thru, with roast vegie's. My wife adds garlic to our sheep roasts, boy does that make a difference. Anyhow even though it is hot day today at home, am currently cooking scones for arvy tea with friends today in the dutch oven in the little bbq as the wife is on a long distance driving job today. The smell of the scones baking here on the back are to die for.
-- Edited by Bicyclecamper on Wednesday 6th of September 2023 01:24:33 PM
Are We Lost said
02:06 PM Sep 6, 2023
Gary and Barb originally posted this early last year and has not been online since June.
I like the idea of using a laser temperature sensor to easily check it every now and again. And a trivet with water underneath sounds like a good idea too.
I love my camp oven and they can do almost anything. BUT, lacking any form of thermostat has meant some disasters. I learned to improvise, so:
1. when baking, I found that using a trivet to stop contact with the direct heat of the base reduced burning the bottom of roasts, cakes, bread etc.
2. likewise, I found using a cake tin or pan on a trivet inside the oven kept the sides from burning.
3. Another trick is to put a little water in the oven (just below the trivet level). It worked exceptionally well with cakes and bread. It evened the temperature and steam cooked for the important early stages keeping it moist, then evaporated for dry heat to give a great crust. Also useful when doing roasts of chicken or other meat cuts.
4. Finally, I bought a $30 laser thermometer to check the surface temp of the oven while cooking. When trying to maintain say, 180 c, contact-less reading of the oven temperature was very handy. Apply or remove coals as needed. Just requires constant checking - but that is needed any way you go with camp ovens.
I use a small cast iron camp oven to do a small lamb roast. Using a trivet and a steaming pot out of a saucepan set to stop sides burning.
I put it all into a cut down gas bottle which has had the coals prepared .lamb in 15 to 20 minutes then the vegies.keep an eye on it and I use a meat thermometer into the lamb..45 to 50 mins it is done.
You could perhaps try this.
I found it on another site on Facebook I believe, and will be trying it when we are away soon.
Just a matter of practice,and you can get golden crispy veggies
Come on now PT, be honest... what about the other 27 photographs where stuff was either raw or burnt? :)
I cheat and place a thermocouple inside the camp oven which then supports an external temperature display - it's an old drover's cook's trick.
...and thanks to you.....
I have just bought that little kettle bbq, too. A little ripper. Absolutely ideal for my needs on desert trips and plenty big enough for our recent neighbourhood block party. Prefer charcoal, but it will burn anything if you want that bush smokey flavour. At only $20, I can trash it when it gets dirty....
EDIT:
I just knocked up a 250mm pizza stone from a ceramic floor tile to fit the little 300mm kettle. Pita bread or dough base should work. It will be ideal for that quick dinner on the track, I hope.
-- Edited by Gary and Barb on Monday 16th of January 2023 04:04:07 PM
We recently took some cast iron cookware to the tip including a camp oven. The main disadvantage with it is that it weighs a bl**dy ton.
I have seriously considered the Coleman type camp oven in the past, but couldn't quite justify it. I have two cast iron camp oven sizes and the weight can be a problem. Eventually a spun steel setup might be the go. Lighter and easier to clean.
You can do anything in camp ovens. It will be interesting to see if I can use my small one in the little Bunnings kettle BBQ, though. Thinking roasts, baking, etc...
Keen to try the new combinations in the field, now.
lots of great ideas on this forum, too.
How did you find the kettle BBQ from bunnings, did you do a roast in the dutch oven. I have tried it, but the lid of the bbq doesn't go on top with my size D.Oven. Anyhow on the weekend just gone, did a very small portion for 2 a hogget roast, just putting on new charcoal as needed, being hogget it took a little while longer, but cooked well thru, with roast vegie's. My wife adds garlic to our sheep roasts, boy does that make a difference. Anyhow even though it is hot day today at home, am currently cooking scones for arvy tea with friends today in the dutch oven in the little bbq as the wife is on a long distance driving job today. The smell of the scones baking here on the back are to die for.
-- Edited by Bicyclecamper on Wednesday 6th of September 2023 01:24:33 PM
I like the idea of using a laser temperature sensor to easily check it every now and again. And a trivet with water underneath sounds like a good idea too.