{"id":1352,"date":"2019-07-26T11:02:06","date_gmt":"2019-07-26T16:02:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carcampingtips.com\/?p=1352"},"modified":"2022-03-09T06:06:35","modified_gmt":"2022-03-09T12:06:35","slug":"what-exactly-to-look-for-in-a-camping-dutch-oven","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/what-exactly-to-look-for-in-a-camping-dutch-oven\/","title":{"rendered":"What Exactly to Look For in a Camping Dutch Oven"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You’ve decided to take the plunge<\/strong> into the age-old tradition of cooking in a dutch oven while you’re camping. Some people are able to make amazing meals in their dutch ovens, and you think it’s about time that you tried it yourself! But which dutch oven to get for camping? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We eventually decided on the Lodge 10-inch 4-quart Camping Dutch Oven… We love this Dutch oven and it has given us many delicious meals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Multiple factors impact your choice of a dutch oven for camping, including:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Factor<\/strong><\/td>Description<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Size<\/strong><\/td> A dutch oven’s size is expressed in quart capacity<\/td><\/tr>
Weight <\/strong> <\/td> Depending on the size of the dutch oven, cast iron dutch ovens can weigh from 10 lbs to over 30 lbs, while aluminum dutch ovens can weigh from 5 lbs to 10 lbs. <\/td><\/tr>
Material<\/strong><\/td>Which material do you want in a camping dutch oven? Cast iron? Aluminum? Enamel? <\/td><\/tr>
Maintenance Needs<\/strong> <\/td>Different dutch oven materials need different levels of maintenance <\/td><\/tr>
Lid Shape<\/strong><\/td> Even the lid shape has a big impact on which camping dutch oven to choose <\/td><\/tr>
Carrying Options<\/strong> <\/td> Do you want to use a hook? Or use the built-in handle? <\/td><\/tr>
Legs<\/strong><\/td>What good are legs on a camping dutch oven? Do you need them?<\/td><\/tr>
Seasoning<\/strong><\/td>Pre-seasoned, season yourself, or no seasoning required? <\/strong> <\/td><\/tr>
Extra Features<\/strong><\/td>Reversible Lids, legs on lids, etc.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

All of these factors affect the dutch oven experience, so it’s important to decide on what is most important to you in a dutch oven for camping.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Ideal Size of the Camping Dutch Oven and the 4-Quart Sweet Spot<\/a><\/li>
  2. Which Metal Type is Best for Camping Dutch Ovens?<\/a><\/li>
  3. How Heavy Do You Want Your Dutch Oven?<\/a><\/li>
  4. Maintenance Needs For Dutch Ovens<\/a><\/li>
  5. Lid Shape and Why it Matters<\/a><\/li>
  6. Legs or No Legs for Camping Dutch Ovens?<\/a><\/li>
  7. Seasoning: To Season or Not to Season<\/a><\/li>
  8. Which Extra Features Actually are Useful in a Camping Dutch Oven?<\/a><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Which Size Of Dutch Oven Is Best For Camping?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Last November, I cooked dinner every day for my family of 3 with a 4-quart (10-inch) dutch oven. We always had leftovers. A 10-inch 4-quart dutch oven is perfect for a family of 3-5 for camping because it’s not heavy or bulky to carry around back and forth to the campsite, but it’s still deep enough to bake, stew, and cook.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Some sourdough bread made in our 4-quart, 10-inch Lodge Dutch Oven<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    By the way, I highly recommend our Lodge 10-inch dutch oven. (see it here<\/a> on Amazon where we got it) It’s worked out great for us and isn’t very expensive. It’s got camping legs and a flat lid and lots of other benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sizes of camping dutch ovens range from 1-quart all the way up to 12 quarts (and beyond), but the most popular dutch ovens are from 2-6 quarts.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Choosing the size of your dutch oven can be tricky, but it becomes a lot simpler if you consider your needs<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Assessing Your Camping Oven Size Needs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Many meals from a camping dutch oven are going to be foods that can be spooned out, like cobblers, stews, chili, beans,<\/strong> etc. Thus, thinking in terms of volume is very practical for selecting the right dutch oven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How Full Can I Fill Up My Dutch Oven While Camping?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    In reality, you can fill up your camping dutch oven as full as you want, but a good rule of thumb is to shoot for using only 2\/3rd of the dutch oven’s capacity<\/strong>. This will give you plenty of room to work with so you can stir (if that’s needed), and spoon the food out without spilling it all over the place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Remember, that since you’re camping, you must give yourself a little wiggle room<\/strong>. You might be lifting your camping stove from the fire to the ground and back again, thus there is going to be some movement and rocking in your camping stove. If your food is to the brim of the camping stove, you’re bound to make some undesirable spills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Planning Portions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    If you are making a dessert or a side then 1\/2 a cup is a good starting place to start calculating serving portions.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So for an example with a 2-quart dutch oven–remembering we won’t fill the dutch oven to the complete top–then that means we have a bit more than 1 and a 1\/4 quart of the oven to work with. Rounding down to 5 cups, then that means we have 10 dessert or side dish servings we can prepare with one 2-quart dutch oven.<\/strong> Careful though, if your peach cobbler is amazing then people will want more than 1\/2 a cup! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you are cooking the main course in your dutch oven, then you should plan on at least a full cup for each serving portion<\/strong>. Going off the same calculation as before with dessert, then a 2-quart dutch oven can feed 5 people with the main course.<\/strong> Remember though, if all of the dinner for 5 people is in one 2-quart dutch oven without any other sides, it’s possible everyone won’t feel satisfied. If you have other side dishes, then a 2-quart dutch oven will work fine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    These examples only account for spoonable dishes (like chili or cobblers), and for modest portion sizes<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Therefore, to be conservative, if you are planning on only ever cooking in your dutch oven for 2-3 people, then a 2-quart camping dutch oven will work great. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This all changes if you are cooking meat, such as pork chops, or bulky foods like biscuits. At that point, you are limited by how many you can fit in your dutch oven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you are planning on groups of 4-10, then you should start looking at 4-6 quart dutch ovens for camping.<\/strong> The sweet spot is right around 4-quarts. At 4-quarts, you can handle groups of around 6-8 people (for entrees), or 10-14 people<\/strong> (for sides or desserts), and you can then accommodate bulkier foods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We tested this out for pre-Thanksgiving last year. With our 4-quart, 10-inch dutch oven we made a Sweet Potato Casserole, and it fed 6 adults and 3 kids<\/strong>. So not quite 10 people, but everyone definitely got enough. It was delicious too so we all got more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Sweet Potato Casserole in a dutch oven hidden underneath a delicious layer of cornflakes and brown sugar<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Which Metal Type is Best for Camping Dutch Ovens?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    When you think of a dutch oven, you often think of cast iron. It’s been the de facto metal of choice for dutch ovens for centuries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Nowadays, dutch ovens are used in home kitchens, and so there are many different types of dutch ovens out there. However, not all of these dutch oven materials are good for camping! <\/strong> For example, enamel dutch ovens (which look really gorgeous) are actually not suited for camping since the enamel can be damaged by really high temperatures (such as temperatures you’d find over an open flame).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Cast Iron Dutch Ovens<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    As mentioned, this is the de facto material for camping dutch ovens, and for good reason. Cast iron cookware is known for its durability and heat retention<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Cast iron is incredibly resilient and durable.<\/strong> It’s not uncommon for cast iron cookware to be passed on for years and even for generations. It can withstand high temperatures (although you have to be careful about rapid changes of temperature or uneven heating, which can lead to cracking), and if seasoned properly, can have an extremely functional non-stick surface for years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Heat retention <\/strong>is a great feature to have in a dutch oven since at times you want a lower heat. Rather than finding a really tall tripod or swing to suspend your dutch oven above the fire, with a cast iron dutch oven, you can remove your oven from the fire and still cook or warm your food for a good long while! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Cast iron dutch ovens are heavy<\/strong>, weighing anywhere from 10 to over 30 lbs–this is one of its major downsides. If you have bigger cast iron dutch ovens, you’re going to need to use some muscles to move things around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Cast iron <\/strong>has this amazing and sometimes finicky thing called seasoning.<\/strong> Seasoning is essentially polymerized oils that are cooked and embedded within the pores of the cast iron, creating a non-stick surface. Cast iron is generally pretty forgiving of what you do to it if you have a well seasoned pan, but it can take some time and effort<\/strong> to re-season a pan. Here’s a very in-depth blog entry<\/a> for an example of how passionate people can get about the cast iron seasoning process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Aluminum Dutch Ovens<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Aluminum has some excellent properties, the main being that it conducts heat really well<\/strong>, which means more even heating,<\/strong> and another advantage is that aluminum dutch ovens are lightweight (by comparison).<\/strong> Furthermore, because aluminum dutch ovens have a thicker layer of aluminum, the dutch oven does a decent job of heat retention.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In comparison to cast iron, aluminum has some distinct advantages: <\/p>\n\n\n\n