Great review. To use the lid as a pan you would typically flip the base upside down and set hot coals on the back. You can then put the lid on the legs and cook on top of the lid. This way you don't destroy any coating inside your pan and keep it clean as well.
The lodge 4 in 1 multi tool can be used not only to hold the lid when checking inside the pot, but can be flipped to hold the lid upsidedown to cook on over coals.
@@rld1278 Or if you work in a machine shop can make a Dutch oven from stainless steel and have a hookable handle on both sides of the lid top and bottom!!! And make it larger than a regular dutch oven in diameter as well as depth with removable solid screw in legs using one" diameter material and a thicker bottom to hold heat more evenly!!! But not for backpacking but off road truck camping as I do!!!
Thanks for this nice introduction into the Dutch Oven. One advice, do not forget your welding gloves or you will get burnt fingers. A lid lifter is a versatile tool, too.
Dan you are so right, with a Dutchoven you can cook anything. I used Dutchovens all my life. I suggest for the people that have never used Dutchovens you should do a part 2 on how to care for them. Dutchovens can last for generations if properly cared for.
I cannot cook soups / stews in cast iron Dutch oven; I bought a new lodge one; and it’s my 3rd time cooking in it post seasoning as recommended ; But by the end I am left with greenish black residue in my soup. I can only use it for baking now.
@@redwolf155 that's really odd. Never heard of it before. You might need to have developed a thicker seasoning then try again. That's never happened to me before. Good luck
Great tips Dan! You mentioned putting coals in the Dutch oven and cooking on the lid underside. You could turn the Dutch oven over, placing coals on the bottom of the Dutch oven, and the legs would support the lid for cooking, allowing the coals not to burnout.
Ooh, is that what they are called?! They're a staple here in South Africa, common in making "potjie-kos", pot food, which is a type of stew over coals. :) You gave lots of extra tips for utilizing the whole thing I didn't know about, thanks :)
@@markdudley3831 True story mate. A Dutch oven is either when you fart in bed and force the covers up over your missus head, or when you smoke the devils lettuce in a car with some mates. You cook a lamb leg and some spuds, carrots and onions in a camp oven.
@@zeropoint546 ....hey zero point I have to confess , I'm actually kiwi & our "dirty dutches" over here hate me using their name and oven in the same sentence because of what you pointed out 🤣
Great video! Can I add some tips? - If you are going to use your pot, as a base for your coals: 1) You can use some fresh, Green wood, sticks or metal skewers (something that won't burn!). Put these between the rim of the pot, and the lid skillet, to let fresh air in and keep your coals burning. 2) First, place some aluminum foil in the pot, to help preserve your seasoning inside the pot! 3) Turn your Dutch oven, into a Hibachi Grill - Take along a small, round, grill grate, slightly larger that the top of the pot. Put Aluminum foil, and hot coals in the pot. Then add your grill grate on top of the pot! Boom, you are grilling!
I totally agree. While I admire the "spider" variety, I use legless ones because they cook so well on my cast-iron kitchen range top. I also have a flat-top little wood burner in my small RV. On a blustery day, the toasty warmth from the RV stove and the smells from the Dutch Oven on top are pure heaven. On a hot day use the oven outside, setting it on 3 small stones with coals underneath- never directly over a fire.
@@pouglwaw5932 just curious, but what brand of woodstove for RVs (or tiny houses) are wide enough at top to allow a pot as big as a dutch oven? There aren't many - unless you have a metal worker add a thick metal place on top, as one tiny house owner has done. I want to do what you've done - use a legless dutch oven on top of a woodstove...I guess that is what you meant by "word burner".
Great video. The one complimentary piece if kit for a dutch oven I would add is a pair of welder's gloves or the like - they make handling hot iron safer (fewer accidents, ie., burns, spillage, etc.). Makes hot coal transfer to the lid easy.
i have a plyer with a hook that holds the handle and or lets you pick up things. really helpful. and after a quick search i can't find anything like them. mine are from the 80s and have a hook to lift lids by the bail and plyers. been doing me right since boy scouts.
I use a 12 inch around deep dutch oven by putting small pans inside it like with a regular oven. I can cook my vegetables, meat and scalloped potatoes separately that way.
I use my Dutch over 30 years easily and cool trick for almost fool proof baking with is to use 3 aluminium wadedup foil balls about golf ball size. And flatted them to thickness of a large grape and then use a cake pan sitting on those balls inside the Dutch oven. Naturally have put maybe 6 to 8 hot coals on top and about 5. On bottom remember heat rises. Average temperature will be about 350 degrees inside depending on weather conditions. The flavor will always be better than the oven at home. And like the man ANY THING you can cook at home you can do it in a Dutch oven. And if you have several Dutch oven to use at one time, ground permitting double or triple stack to save coals.
@Gail-gf7km I used the grates for years too, and I have a large number of Dutch ovens and other types of cast iron , that I use I some form or fashion usually each month but I find if don't want the foil balls inside the Dutch oven it use Mason jar lids without the disc insert in them and use the cast iron trivet so I can set the lid down on the trivet and keep the underside of the lid clean. PS make sure if you use the Mason jar lids inside the oven to set the lids in a open fire outside to burn off the coating on the lids, usally 3 to 4 or 5 lids for the large Dutch ovens you will see a huge different of quality of cooking with less burnt black meals .
I went out and bought one immediately after watching you bake bread in one of your videos. The look on your face when you bit into it was priceless and I wanted to experience it myself. Thanks for all the tips.
Im old school and cook almost exclusively with cast iron. My dutch ovens are indispensable and the perfect vessel. The lip lid is critical when cooking on a outdoor fire. I built an inground oven that my dutch ovens fit into and the oven has a cover and it is the perfect oven. Thanks for this video. ❤
I have no oven because it takes up too much space and I don't bake often. My concern is being able to cure/season cast iron without a normal kitchen oven. Can they be cured on a grill or electric burner? or even in the sun on a scorching-hot summer day ?
I use a round wire rack/trivet inside as a thermal break and a round cake pan to do pies and cakes, bread in camp, wooden utensils to avoid removing the seasoning
LOVE Cast Iron Dutch Ovens!!! Rimmed Lids and the feet are VERY important. Thank you for your tips. Appreciate you getting everyone up to speed on how versatile Dutch Ovens can be. Also, loved the comment Charles included about stacking the ovens. Sure, they're a beast to lug around, but fantastic for car/truck/trailer camping. Heck, use 'em at home too for good practice. Get out into the woods.
I chose one without feet so I could use it at home on the hob or oven aswell as while camping. Agree though that the feet make it easier for camp cooking.
@@walterkersting9922 yes, some of the same concepts used to make adjustable rings for alcohol stoves could be used to make one for you dutch oven. I'd guess even a couple of large metal office clips could help secure the ring while in use and then the flexible ring could curl up more tightly to be store inside while not in use.
One of the handiest DO accessories I have (besides a good set of tongs) is the Lodge lid stand/lid lifter. You've probably seen one, a folding X shaped device. You can set the inverted lid on it, with coals under the lid and cook on it while the bottom half is doing pot duty for something else. Or the newer versions of the device are shaped to easily lift or rotate the lid with coals on it. The "bake kettles" are one item that were important enough to the Lewis and Clark and expedition that they carried them both going and returning. They were not for trade and carefully cared for.
That's my favorite size dutch oven! I've used it for everything from meatloaf to biscuits, and of course chili and stew. One of our favorites is chicken and dumplings from scratch. It just tastes better cooked over a camp fire!
You forgot to talk about stacking Dutch ovens. If you have 2 or more you can save on wood/charcoal by stacking. This works best with meals that need a longer cooking time and little attention.
love the tips you have given me some great ideas only comment is i think the nick in the lid and base were put in to allow you to use a thermometer to check inside temp
Dan - As always, great tips! Thank you sir! I absolutely love me some cast iron cook wear. If you remove the lid, turn oven upside down, coals on bottom, lid on top of the legs, use lid as frying pan. Then you won’t smother the coals as you would by putting inside the oven, can easily add coals if needed and easily remove the lid.
Dutch oven are awesome, anything you can cook in an oven, you can cook in it. Have a good lifting tool is very important so you don’t end with ashes in your meal. I found a framing hammer’s claw can makes a great substitute in a pinch.
You said about filling it with coals and using the lid to cook on that's a great idea I think if you could use a grate for separation so the coals can breath it would add cook time
Great video ... and good information. I've been cooking in Dutch ovens long than ol' Coalcracker has been alive. I've served at a judge at the finals of the International Dutch Oven Society. I've also worked as the "cookie" in a professional hunting camp where my employer agreed that my Dutch oven cooking not only pleased his clients, but enhanced our tips. I'm presently at my remote Idaho cabin. Mañana I'll cook and bake bread.
I like Lodge cast iron cookware use it almost daily . Got 10in 12in and 14in deep outdoor dutch oven plus indoor ditches and skillets small to very large. Somewhere in the ballpark of 35 pcs. I'm having a lot of FUN with them. Keep care of them people them will last you a life. Mom a used some for over 70 yrs my older sister has them now. Thanks.
Great video, Dan. Nothing like cast iron on a campfire. And the best part about cast iron, is you can get used to cooking with it at home, on your stove/in the oven. Build your season, build your cast iron skills.
Hey, Dan, you the man. I've been doing dutch oven cooking for several years and never did I think about turning the pot upside down. Thanks for the tip my friend. You always come up with great ideas.
What a fun video. I'm good with cast iron how-to but I couldn't resist watching such an upbeat video from you. The bonus: hearing about the new book. My grandboys are gonna love it!
I’ve cooked with my Dutch oven for a few years and I was aware of using the lid as a skillet. I was aware of flipping it over to cook things like a pizza on it. I used that method not for the cooking but for putting a pineapple upside down cake out for easier cutting and serving. I’ve never heard of it as a portable-ish grill, not sure that I will need it that way but in case I do it’s in the memory bank. I enjoyed this video a lot, now how about cooking tips / ideas with it. Like a breakfast, a lunch, dinner and a desert.
Hmm... I recently picked up a cast iron Dutch oven, and haven't even had a chance to test it out yet. In looking up recipes, etc., I saw that opening under the lid as where people would put their digital thermometers through. Never saw anyone use it as a steam vent! The lid of the Dutch oven I got has legs built into the lip, so it can be used as a frying pan with coals under it, just like the main pot. I would never have thought of using the whole thing upside down. What a great idea. Thanks for sharing!
I ordered your bushcraft book and I'm looking forward to the material. Great video by the way. I need to do a little Dutch Oven cooking next time I go camping.
I got both types- the round top (which I use on an induction oven) and the one with legs and a rim for the campfire. I learned a lot today. Thank you, sir.
I am hoping to buy one to use on an induction oven, too. Any tips? One concern I have is that most electric-type burners have a small burning diameter, but dutch ovens' bottoms are generally much wider.
My Dutch oven has a domed lid, no legs, no vents, Actually has spikes in the bottom of the lid, so no cooking pancakes, but I've had it forever and love it. I'm going to have to look for one with the featured you mentioned to try it out! great vid as usual!
You just totally blew my mind with the versatility of a freekin' Dutch Oven..... Not only that their great but SOME are even more versatile! I suppose it's obvious that I'm not a bush crafty/ camping aficionado but this info will definitely improve my experiences that are forthcoming! I'm very much enjoying your content and am learning much from your efforts and others.
Can you do a “Keeping Cast Iron Seasoned” Part 2 video? It can be really easy for cast iron to become rusted when used outdoors for any length of time if not maintained properly.
If your cooking for a large group or often, invest in a Dutch oven cook table, witch makes it very convenient. You can also stack them and cook multi dishes at once. Add that in a part two. Former Scoutmaster. Still love my cast iron.
@@johnsullivan6560 I have saw a person do stacks before once when I was really little it blew my mind how they added as they need and move them up or down to heat up more
Definitely love Dutch oven. When I get money I'm definitely going to get one . I thought about getting a cask iron cook set. My goal is in the near future to build a off grid cabin. I just love watching these videos about survival.
I love all my cast iron cookware. I have cooked with it for years . I also use a tripod with it ! I love making pizza , biscuits and gravy. Chicken and dumplings . Great video as always Dan!!! Take care and stay safe my friend!!!
My DO, which I'll be using in the hotel parking lot to bake bread in about an hour, is a Camp Chef "Deluxe" and has the little feet on the lid too, which makes the top into a great griddle. The one drag I ran into with it last summer is that the fire restrictions in the west, which are killing camping for me, include charcoal briquettes too and make it a crime to cook with anything but a gas stove.
@@davebetker8788 I've seen those tents, though I understood that they are for using a DO in windy conditions. I'm not sure how they'd to reflecting heat to the top of a DO.
when i made a 3 day drive, i used a butane stove and, when I get my dutch oven (looking for ideas now), I will use it on that. But, if you don't own a butane stove yet, might i suggest spending $10 to $20 more for a dual-fuel one? It seems that being able to refill propane canisters can save a ton of money over the long run and butane canisters cannot be refilled. I've tried tiny alcohol stoves, but they take forever to heat your food or water, so are really only good for backpacking and emergencies.
@@genkiferal7178 That works fine, if I'm just using it as a soup/chili/stew pot. The true magic of the Dutch Oven is that it is in fact an oven. You put some coals under it, but you also put them on the top so that you get the heat from above too. It's about twelve pounds of cast iron, and it is sealed, so it literally becomes an oven inside once it's hot. I have used it to bake cakes, three days out on a river trip, make cookies, pies, roast a whole chicken, the ever popular meatloaf, and most of all bake sourdough bread. A camp oven (not the enamel D.O's intended for home use inside a regular oven) is made to be used over a campfire, or with Briquettes. It's a lot of fun to cook in one, and they are amazingly versatile.
Really helpful! I've owned several D.H.'s yet I was always too intimidated to try using them...so they ended up stacked by size, (I think I had 4), and becoming a "decorator item". Sold off all but the smallest, sorry to say, but I'm looking forward to having fun cooking in/on the one I have left. Thank you!!
Thank you, Dan! My family is used cast iron for generations, and I thought I knew about it. But that little vent for reductions is something I've never seen before.
I learned so much on this video. Good presence, Sir. I loved your video. Very enthused to use mine. I got it and it was all rusty and dirty, got it restored but haven't even used it. Nothing like the morning air to get a nice meal cooked oiutdoors. Something magical about it.
This is awesome Dan. I really thought I was a campire cooking master but there is always something to learn. Cant wait to show some new skills off around the campfire. Thanks!
Awesome, video. Thank you for taking the time to share this valuable information for people like myself, whom wasn't brought up using them. Very informative with info that is all useful/valuable to know.
Back in the 18th century, what we call a Dutch Oven was called a Bake Kettle. It really was used as an oven to bake bread, pies, biscuits, etc. A trivet between the Dutch Oven and the pie pan helps prevent scorching.
The originals are really meant for cooking on a hearth. Not taking anything away from the outstanding versatility of this design, but that's the truth. I won't go into what a hearth is, but it's pretty obvious.
I got a cast iron skillet a few years ago. It was frustrating at first because it heats up and retains heat very differently from a regular non stick skillet. Now it's the ONLY skillet I use and I've added a couple other pieces; still need a Dutch oven though.
That steam breather trick is a step up. My little4 1/2" will update mine in no time. Owned DO's for years and you really don't need much else. Great info!
Totally agree about getting the style of lid with the lip and getting the legs. Yeah I bought the wrong one. Didn’t know about the vent hole either. The lid used as a grill, brilliant! This is a great video, everyone in scouting should watch your video. Thank you Sir 😊
without the legs means you can use it on a woodstove or in a regular indoor stovetop scenario. A trivet allow you to do that and it looks like a trivet could also hold a regular small pot with an alcohol stove or Sterno/canned heat stove under it. The legs are a negative in my opinion.
So Dan how about good utensils to complement the Dutch oven? Such as how to move the coals from place to place, types of spoons, forks etc.. Never really used a dutch oven but your video has inspired me to consider getting one.
@@benningtoncamper2852 I was thinking the same - a spetnaz shovel so dual-use. heard you might even be able to cook on some of those. certainly can dig a hole for underground cooking so safer and maybe less smoke if rocket oven type.
Awesome show, I just inherited an Cabela’s Tri Leg Dutch Oven #14 from my father in-laws estate, it has all the features you pointed out, the lid upside down is like a frying pan in itself, my goal is to cook as many meals as possible all summer long on it. Cheers.
The dutch oven is extremely popular here in South Africa. The name for it here is a "potjie". They are much bigger and more round. Frequently used in competition and social cooking. here!
My dutchie lid has smaller legs too which is super handy👍 I bake cakes, bread as well as some awesome meals like tacos and roast lamb. Love our cast iron dutchie when camping/overlanding through Oz. Great video!
👍 Very good tips. I bought one from Home Depot that looks a lot like the one in this video. A little too heavy for backpacking, but a nice addition when I “car camp” with my Jeep or Motorhome.
I agree with you Dan cast iron is the best cooking utensil and actually all forms of cast iron are great for cooking. I have a dutch oven but mine has a domed lid so I have combatted that I made a metallic ring to set over top of it to hold my coals. I wish that mine had the little feet on the bottom but it doesn't and of course to combat that I just put something to raise it up. Cooking in a dutch oven over the fire gives you some great I mean great meals and you're exactly right you can cook anything and I mean anything in a dutch oven. This video is excellent for beginners or even anyone who uses a dutch oven that doesn't know about Dutch ovens so thanks for the video have a great day and stay safe and keep your powder dry and your oven tempt!
You have no legs on your Dutch oven try using grate from a gas stove it'll get it up high enough that it'll be like legs just a thought. You can get coal's under then
When you mentioned cooking the pancakes and taking it away and smothering it.. if you do happen to have a grate you can lay it between to make a gap to help not smother it
Great information about the Dutch Oven. I see so many people using them like a pot over a fire that they miss the forest for the trees. I like to look at mine for what it is, an oven. They are so completely versatile and the maintenance is minimal once you get the basics down. Thank you for posting this video as it's truly worthwhile for not only the experienced but for the people getting into this level of cooking some truly amazing meals!
The clue is in the name……… Dutch OVEN 👍😂😂😂 great video as always much appreciated. Now I realise why I should have bought one with legs! My saving grace is these days most of my cooking is stove top☹️😢 Regards from deepest Dorset England 🇬🇧🇺🇸👍
I have 3 and am very happy with using them when we go camping. The food tastes delicious...I've even made deserts in these ovens. Remember to take care of them so they continue to work well for you. Also, you can put coals on the lid to help maintain heat evenly
Someone gave me a dutch oven just like the one you have with legs and stuff. I do believe I'm finally going to try it out this summer LOL. Should be interesting, fun and most likely really yummy! 😁😎
Great video and informative---the topic reminds me of summers in Gainesville, Florida--heat radiating from the swampy humid ground, rising up in waves you can see from a short distance--and then the blasting sun overhead unrelenting---like being cooked in exactly the same way you describe as biscuits. I forgot how great cast iron skillets are, and you have reminded me. Your vids are informative and fun--:)
coals from a campfire are hotter than store bought charcoal so you need to adjust accordingly. I'll usually use about 25% less coals from a campfire than I do charcoal. Also, sometimes the coals from the fire burn out a little quicker so if you're doing a long cook, say an hour, you'll probably need to replenish the coals from the fire as they burn out. Just remember to not put quite as many as you would if you were cooking with charcoal. Yep, it's all about heat control.
It's amazing how good and versatile a dutch oven is I had not considered flipping the lid the couple ways you mentioned I am going to get one soon for my wander the world rig. It's good to know all the features to look for as well since I have not had or used one but I have had a nice cast iron pan
I love mine! I have a gas grill on my river raft boat. My 12" Dutch oven is all I need to cook everything. For baking, I just put on the lid and close the grill. I can hold 350 degrees as long as I want. And, no smoke or ashes to deal with. I do think i will get out the grinder and make me a steam vent.
Great review. To use the lid as a pan you would typically flip the base upside down and set hot coals on the back. You can then put the lid on the legs and cook on top of the lid. This way you don't destroy any coating inside your pan and keep it clean as well.
This needs more likes
genius
😳
The lodge 4 in 1 multi tool can be used not only to hold the lid when checking inside the pot, but can be flipped to hold the lid upsidedown to cook on over coals.
@@rld1278 Or if you work in a machine shop can make a Dutch oven from stainless steel and have a hookable handle on both sides of the lid top and bottom!!! And make it larger than a regular dutch oven in diameter as well as depth with removable solid screw in legs using one" diameter material and a thicker bottom to hold heat more evenly!!! But not for backpacking but off road truck camping as I do!!!
Thanks for this nice introduction into the Dutch Oven. One advice, do not forget your welding gloves or you will get burnt fingers. A lid lifter is a versatile tool, too.
I've always used a claw hammer as a lid lifter. Gauntlet gloves are a must if you like the hair on your arm.
Dan you are so right, with a Dutchoven you can cook anything. I used Dutchovens all my life. I suggest for the people that have never used Dutchovens you should do a part 2 on how to care for them. Dutchovens can last for generations if properly cared for.
I cannot cook soups / stews in cast iron Dutch oven; I bought a new lodge one; and it’s my 3rd time cooking in it post seasoning as recommended ; But by the end I am left with greenish black residue in my soup. I can only use it for baking now.
Amazing summary bud! Much thanks!
@@redwolf155 that's really odd. Never heard of it before. You might need to have developed a thicker seasoning then try again.
That's never happened to me before.
Good luck
@@redwolf155 strip it down and reseason it
@@kevo8225 did just that , and works like charm now, i m down 2 pounds of salt though.
Great tips Dan! You mentioned putting coals in the Dutch oven and cooking on the lid underside. You could turn the Dutch oven over, placing coals on the bottom of the Dutch oven, and the legs would support the lid for cooking, allowing the coals not to burnout.
Ooh, is that what they are called?! They're a staple here in South Africa, common in making "potjie-kos", pot food, which is a type of stew over coals. :) You gave lots of extra tips for utilizing the whole thing I didn't know about, thanks :)
Aussie here. Most Aussie campers will use these. Generally to roast a joint of meat and a bunch of vegetables.
He also does not know enough ! 🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦
C Rib ... its only the uncivilized yankees that call them dutch ovens .. The rest of the real world call them Camp Ovens ... cheers from Aussie.
@@markdudley3831 True story mate. A Dutch oven is either when you fart in bed and force the covers up over your missus head, or when you smoke the devils lettuce in a car with some mates. You cook a lamb leg and some spuds, carrots and onions in a camp oven.
@@zeropoint546 ....hey zero point I have to confess , I'm actually kiwi & our "dirty dutches" over here hate me using their name and oven in the same sentence because of what you pointed out 🤣
Great video! Can I add some tips? - If you are going to use your pot, as a base for your coals:
1) You can use some fresh, Green wood, sticks or metal skewers (something that won't burn!). Put these between the rim of the pot, and the lid skillet, to let fresh air in and keep your coals burning.
2) First, place some aluminum foil in the pot, to help preserve your seasoning inside the pot!
3) Turn your Dutch oven, into a Hibachi Grill - Take along a small, round, grill grate, slightly larger that the top of the pot. Put Aluminum foil, and hot coals in the pot. Then add your grill grate on top of the pot! Boom, you are grilling!
A small linked chain ring on the lid works to hold coals on a non rimmed lid, rocks or a trivet for legless pots to raise above the coals
Good tip.
I totally agree. While I admire the "spider" variety, I use legless ones because they cook so well on my cast-iron kitchen range top. I also have a flat-top little wood burner in my small RV. On a blustery day, the toasty warmth from the RV stove and the smells from the Dutch Oven on top are pure heaven. On a hot day use the oven outside, setting it on 3 small stones with coals underneath- never directly over a fire.
@@pouglwaw5932 just curious, but what brand of woodstove for RVs (or tiny houses) are wide enough at top to allow a pot as big as a dutch oven? There aren't many - unless you have a metal worker add a thick metal place on top, as one tiny house owner has done. I want to do what you've done - use a legless dutch oven on top of a woodstove...I guess that is what you meant by "word burner".
Great video.
The one complimentary piece if kit for a dutch oven I would add is a pair of welder's gloves or the like - they make handling hot iron safer (fewer accidents, ie., burns, spillage, etc.). Makes hot coal transfer to the lid easy.
There is a three finger adjustable lid handle. It is worth every penny. It holds the lid steady.
Now I am hungry so good luck.
I have a pair of the same we used in the heat treat room . In my kitchen , real handy .
I love my welder s gloves would not cook in fire without them
i have a plyer with a hook that holds the handle and or lets you pick up things. really helpful. and after a quick search i can't find anything like them. mine are from the 80s and have a hook to lift lids by the bail and plyers. been doing me right since boy scouts.
excellent tip. thank you.
I use a 12 inch around deep dutch oven by putting small pans inside it like with a regular oven. I can cook my vegetables, meat and scalloped potatoes separately that way.
I use my Dutch over 30 years easily and cool trick for almost fool proof baking with is to use 3 aluminium wadedup foil balls about golf ball size. And flatted them to thickness of a large grape and then use a cake pan sitting on those balls inside the Dutch oven. Naturally have put maybe 6 to 8 hot coals on top and about 5. On bottom remember heat rises. Average temperature will be about 350 degrees inside depending on weather conditions. The flavor will always be better than the oven at home. And like the man ANY THING you can cook at home you can do it in a Dutch oven. And if you have several Dutch oven to use at one time, ground permitting double or triple stack to save coals.
I use cast iron stove grates for a trivet in the bottom of my oven.
@Gail-gf7km I used the grates for years too, and I have a large number of Dutch ovens and other types of cast iron , that I use I some form or fashion usually each month but I find if don't want the foil balls inside the Dutch oven it use Mason jar lids without the disc insert in them and use the cast iron trivet so I can set the lid down on the trivet and keep the underside of the lid clean. PS make sure if you use the Mason jar lids inside the oven to set the lids in a open fire outside to burn off the coating on the lids, usally 3 to 4 or 5 lids for the large Dutch ovens you will see a huge different of quality of cooking with less burnt black meals .
This is why Dan is the guru of bushcraft!!! You should have a TV show BUT, I prefer you here!!
I went out and bought one immediately after watching you bake bread in one of your videos. The look on your face when you bit into it was priceless and I wanted to experience it myself. Thanks for all the tips.
Im old school and cook almost exclusively with cast iron. My dutch ovens are indispensable and the perfect vessel. The lip lid is critical when cooking on a outdoor fire. I built an inground oven that my dutch ovens fit into and the oven has a cover and it is the perfect oven. Thanks for this video. ❤
I have no oven because it takes up too much space and I don't bake often. My concern is being able to cure/season cast iron without a normal kitchen oven. Can they be cured on a grill or electric burner? or even in the sun on a scorching-hot summer day ?
I use a round wire rack/trivet inside as a thermal break and a round cake pan to do pies and cakes, bread in camp, wooden utensils to avoid removing the seasoning
Thx for the wooden cooking utensils tip :)
LOVE Cast Iron Dutch Ovens!!! Rimmed Lids and the feet are VERY important. Thank you for your tips. Appreciate you getting everyone up to speed on how versatile Dutch Ovens can be. Also, loved the comment Charles included about stacking the ovens. Sure, they're a beast to lug around, but fantastic for car/truck/trailer camping. Heck, use 'em at home too for good practice. Get out into the woods.
I chose one without feet so I could use it at home on the hob or oven aswell as while camping. Agree though that the feet make it easier for camp cooking.
@@tjk355 Use a trivet if your Dutch Oven has no feet.
So I see a Dutch oven for $30, no feet and the lid is a dome, no rim for coals. I’m thinking maybe just find a metal ring to hold the coals?
@@walterkersting9922 yes, some of the same concepts used to make adjustable rings for alcohol stoves could be used to make one for you dutch oven. I'd guess even a couple of large metal office clips could help secure the ring while in use and then the flexible ring could curl up more tightly to be store inside while not in use.
One of the handiest DO accessories I have (besides a good set of tongs) is the Lodge lid stand/lid lifter. You've probably seen one, a folding X shaped device. You can set the inverted lid on it, with coals under the lid and cook on it while the bottom half is doing pot duty for something else. Or the newer versions of the device are shaped to easily lift or rotate the lid with coals on it. The "bake kettles" are one item that were important enough to the Lewis and Clark and expedition that they carried them both going and returning. They were not for trade and carefully cared for.
They make a single person Dutch oven. Great for the backpack. Great information as always.
That's my favorite size dutch oven! I've used it for everything from meatloaf to biscuits, and of course chili and stew. One of our favorites is chicken and dumplings from scratch. It just tastes better cooked over a camp fire!
Is it 2 quart?
You forgot to talk about stacking Dutch ovens. If you have 2 or more you can save on wood/charcoal by stacking. This works best with meals that need a longer cooking time and little attention.
THIS!!♡ ^^^
Awesome idea
Pre ordered the book, cannot wait to experience more wild adventures and more father son experiences
love the tips you have given me some great ideas only comment is i think the nick in the lid and base were put in to allow you to use a thermometer to check inside temp
Dan - As always, great tips! Thank you sir! I absolutely love me some cast iron cook wear.
If you remove the lid, turn oven upside down, coals on bottom, lid on top of the legs, use lid as frying pan. Then you won’t smother the coals as you would by putting inside the oven, can easily add coals if needed and easily remove the lid.
There is no better video on the internet that explains what you just did so succinctly. Great video.
Dutch oven are awesome, anything you can cook in an oven, you can cook in it. Have a good lifting tool is very important so you don’t end with ashes in your meal. I found a framing hammer’s claw can makes a great substitute in a pinch.
You said about filling it with coals and using the lid to cook on that's a great idea I think if you could use a grate for separation so the coals can breath it would add cook time
Great video ... and good information.
I've been cooking in Dutch ovens long than ol' Coalcracker has been alive. I've served at a judge at the finals of the International Dutch Oven Society. I've also worked as the "cookie" in a professional hunting camp where my employer agreed that my Dutch oven cooking not only pleased his clients, but enhanced our tips. I'm presently at my remote Idaho cabin. Mañana I'll cook and bake bread.
so, does that vent hole on lid and pot allow too much heat to be released? Is it actually a perk or a detriment?
I like Lodge cast iron cookware use it almost daily . Got 10in 12in and 14in deep outdoor dutch oven plus indoor ditches and skillets small to very large. Somewhere in the ballpark of 35 pcs. I'm having a lot of FUN with them. Keep care of them people them will last you a life. Mom a used some for over 70 yrs my older sister has them now. Thanks.
any tips on curing or seasoning them if I don't have a regular indoor kitchen oven?
Great video, Dan. Nothing like cast iron on a campfire. And the best part about cast iron, is you can get used to cooking with it at home, on your stove/in the oven. Build your season, build your cast iron skills.
Hey, Dan, you the man. I've been doing dutch oven cooking for several years and never did I think about turning the pot upside down. Thanks for the tip my friend. You always come up with great ideas.
What a fun video. I'm good with cast iron how-to but I couldn't resist watching such an upbeat video from you. The bonus: hearing about the new book. My grandboys are gonna love it!
I’ve cooked with my Dutch oven for a few years and I was aware of using the lid as a skillet. I was aware of flipping it over to cook things like a pizza on it. I used that method not for the cooking but for putting a pineapple upside down cake out for easier cutting and serving. I’ve never heard of it as a portable-ish grill, not sure that I will need it that way but in case I do it’s in the memory bank. I enjoyed this video a lot, now how about cooking tips / ideas with it. Like a breakfast, a lunch, dinner and a desert.
Hey 👋 Dan
To me the Dutch ovens are the best for camping. Learning about hot coals placement is everything. And never fry bacon naked.
6:19 yeah !! Great thing ! Thanks..
Hi from France !
Fabulous update, I’ve never tasted a bad “Dutch Oven” meal 🧡 Thank you for sharing
I have one but have never used it. I have used cast iron pots and frying pans. Time to bring it out and cook with it. You have inspired me.
Hmm... I recently picked up a cast iron Dutch oven, and haven't even had a chance to test it out yet. In looking up recipes, etc., I saw that opening under the lid as where people would put their digital thermometers through. Never saw anyone use it as a steam vent!
The lid of the Dutch oven I got has legs built into the lip, so it can be used as a frying pan with coals under it, just like the main pot. I would never have thought of using the whole thing upside down. What a great idea. Thanks for sharing!
I ordered your bushcraft book and I'm looking forward to the material. Great video by the way. I need to do a little Dutch Oven cooking next time I go camping.
I got both types- the round top (which I use on an induction oven) and the one with legs and a rim for the campfire. I learned a lot today. Thank you, sir.
I am hoping to buy one to use on an induction oven, too. Any tips? One concern I have is that most electric-type burners have a small burning diameter, but dutch ovens' bottoms are generally much wider.
My Dutch oven has a domed lid, no legs, no vents, Actually has spikes in the bottom of the lid, so no cooking pancakes, but I've had it forever and love it. I'm going to have to look for one with the featured you mentioned to try it out! great vid as usual!
You just totally blew my mind with the versatility of a freekin' Dutch Oven..... Not only that their great but SOME are even more versatile! I suppose it's obvious that I'm not a bush crafty/ camping aficionado but this info will definitely improve my experiences that are forthcoming! I'm very much enjoying your content and am learning much from your efforts and others.
Thanks for posting this. I was just clearing my Caravan and realized how lopsided the floor is. This is a quick, simple, and cheap fix I will try too
Can you do a “Keeping Cast Iron Seasoned” Part 2 video? It can be really easy for cast iron to become rusted when used outdoors for any length of time if not maintained properly.
I enjoy using butter or lard and after cleaning I butter/lard the iron and dry in the sun or on low/coal fire (in case of clouds or cold)
Flax seed oil is my go-to after several years of experimenting with different oils!
If your cooking for a large group or often, invest in a Dutch oven cook table, witch makes it very convenient. You can also stack them and cook multi dishes at once. Add that in a part two. Former Scoutmaster. Still love my cast iron.
@@johnsullivan6560 I have saw a person do stacks before once when I was really little it blew my mind how they added as they need and move them up or down to heat up more
@@TheBellmare just the answer i needed. thank you!
My wife and I just got our first Dutch oven! Thank you for this video!!!
Thanks for this. I hadn't thought of how many ways you can use a camp oven before. Now it will be my number 1 go to for camp cooking. Cheers.
Definitely love Dutch oven. When I get money I'm definitely going to get one . I thought about getting a cask iron cook set. My goal is in the near future to build a off grid cabin. I just love watching these videos about survival.
I love all my cast iron cookware. I have cooked with it for years . I also use a tripod with it ! I love making pizza , biscuits and gravy. Chicken and dumplings . Great video as always Dan!!! Take care and stay safe my friend!!!
Cooking on the lid, and some dutch ovens having a steam vent, are new to me. Thanks!
My DO, which I'll be using in the hotel parking lot to bake bread in about an hour, is a Camp Chef "Deluxe" and has the little feet on the lid too, which makes the top into a great griddle. The one drag I ran into with it last summer is that the fire restrictions in the west, which are killing camping for me, include charcoal briquettes too and make it a crime to cook with anything but a gas stove.
Lodge makes a dutch oven tent to use over a campstove
@@davebetker8788 I've seen those tents, though I understood that they are for using a DO in windy conditions. I'm not sure how they'd to reflecting heat to the top of a DO.
when i made a 3 day drive, i used a butane stove and, when I get my dutch oven (looking for ideas now), I will use it on that. But, if you don't own a butane stove yet, might i suggest spending $10 to $20 more for a dual-fuel one? It seems that being able to refill propane canisters can save a ton of money over the long run and butane canisters cannot be refilled. I've tried tiny alcohol stoves, but they take forever to heat your food or water, so are really only good for backpacking and emergencies.
@@genkiferal7178 That works fine, if I'm just using it as a soup/chili/stew pot. The true magic of the Dutch Oven is that it is in fact an oven. You put some coals under it, but you also put them on the top so that you get the heat from above too. It's about twelve pounds of cast iron, and it is sealed, so it literally becomes an oven inside once it's hot. I have used it to bake cakes, three days out on a river trip, make cookies, pies, roast a whole chicken, the ever popular meatloaf, and most of all bake sourdough bread. A camp oven (not the enamel D.O's intended for home use inside a regular oven) is made to be used over a campfire, or with Briquettes. It's a lot of fun to cook in one, and they are amazingly versatile.
I recommend dutch oven liners, made from parchment paper, when cooking sticky items like cobbler.
I was wondering about that, thx for the tip
Really helpful! I've owned several D.H.'s yet I was always too intimidated to try using them...so they ended up stacked by size, (I think I had 4), and becoming a "decorator item". Sold off all but the smallest, sorry to say, but I'm looking forward to having fun cooking in/on the one I have left.
Thank you!!
Thank you, Dan! My family is used cast iron for generations, and I thought I knew about it. But that little vent for reductions is something I've never seen before.
I have never seen that either! I’m just seeing this video and so now I’m going to go look for a Dutch oven just like this. 😂
I pre-ordered the book. It releases on 24 May. You have a good channel! Hope you sell lots of books!
This is an awesome set of tips, I just got a lodge 12’ and am gonna use these tips right away. - Thanks!!
I learned so much on this video. Good presence, Sir. I loved your video. Very enthused to use mine. I got it and it was all rusty and dirty, got it restored but haven't even used it. Nothing like the morning air to get a nice meal cooked oiutdoors. Something magical about it.
I do have two Dutch ovens and both do have the features you talk about in this video, awesome.
I have one of these dutch ovens, have not used it much. Thank you, I actually learned a couple more useful tips for it.
This is awesome Dan. I really thought I was a campire cooking master but there is always something to learn. Cant wait to show some new skills off around the campfire. Thanks!
Just ordered Bushcraft Kids for my four young boys. They are super excited... as am I. Keep up the great informational videos!
I cook on fires once or twice a week.. cast is the go to! Have one deep and a big shallow. I’m a pro at biscuits and gravy while camping!
can I season the pot and lid on the camp fire or must i really use an oven?
Awesome, video. Thank you for taking the time to share this valuable information for people like myself, whom wasn't brought up using them. Very informative with info that is all useful/valuable to know.
Back in the 18th century, what we call a Dutch Oven was called a Bake Kettle. It really was used as an oven to bake bread, pies, biscuits, etc. A trivet between the Dutch Oven and the pie pan helps prevent scorching.
The originals are really meant for cooking on a hearth. Not taking anything away from the outstanding versatility of this design, but that's the truth. I won't go into what a hearth is, but it's pretty obvious.
I got a cast iron skillet a few years ago. It was frustrating at first because it heats up and retains heat very differently from a regular non stick skillet.
Now it's the ONLY skillet I use and I've added a couple other pieces; still need a Dutch oven though.
That steam breather trick is a step up. My little4 1/2" will update mine in no time. Owned DO's for years and you really don't need much else. Great info!
Love your content!!!! Book pre-ordered ……. Cannot wait to receive it 👍
Great video Dan, I've used Dutch ovens for many years and you've just proven that there's always more to learn. Thanks 😊
Nothing hotter than a man who knows his way around cast iron! 😁
Totally agree about getting the style of lid with the lip and getting the legs. Yeah I bought the wrong one. Didn’t know about the vent hole either. The lid used as a grill, brilliant! This is a great video, everyone in scouting should watch your video. Thank you Sir 😊
without the legs means you can use it on a woodstove or in a regular indoor stovetop scenario. A trivet allow you to do that and it looks like a trivet could also hold a regular small pot with an alcohol stove or Sterno/canned heat stove under it. The legs are a negative in my opinion.
Awesome information! Going camping this weekend with our Dutch oven. Greatly appreciate it
What a great insight into how you can utilise the Dutch oven. Much appreciated, I’ve learnt a lot from this video.
Thanks!
The notches are for a thermometer. The cable goes goes through the notches to the digital readout.
Thanks Dan, you certainly have given me a lot of different ideas when cooking with a Dutch oven.
I have the same Dutch oven, great tips few that I wasn’t aware of now I’ll have to try them. Thanks for sharing 👍
So Dan how about good utensils to complement the Dutch oven? Such as how to move the coals from place to place, types of spoons, forks etc.. Never really used a dutch oven but your video has inspired me to consider getting one.
I have an old GI folding shovel I use to manipulate coals. It can be locked at 90 degrees and works great if you dont leave the colas in it too long
@@benningtoncamper2852 I was thinking the same - a spetnaz shovel so dual-use. heard you might even be able to cook on some of those. certainly can dig a hole for underground cooking so safer and maybe less smoke if rocket oven type.
I put a cast skillet in between the pot and lid. Was able to cook in the pot and skillet at same time.
Awesome show, I just inherited an Cabela’s Tri Leg Dutch Oven #14 from my father in-laws estate, it has all the features you pointed out, the lid upside down is like a frying pan in itself, my goal is to cook as many meals as possible all summer long on it. Cheers.
Great post my friend. I am a new D. oven owner. So this post is especially timely for me. Stay free, happy and healthy ✨️
The dutch oven is extremely popular here in South Africa. The name for it here is a "potjie". They are much bigger and more round. Frequently used in competition and social cooking. here!
My dutchie lid has smaller legs too which is super handy👍 I bake cakes, bread as well as some awesome meals like tacos and roast lamb. Love our cast iron dutchie when camping/overlanding through Oz. Great video!
👍 Very good tips. I bought one from Home Depot that looks a lot like the one in this video. A little too heavy for backpacking, but a nice addition when I “car camp” with my Jeep or Motorhome.
Thank you for the useful, practical information and straightforward presentation.
We went camping in Yellowstone last year. My wife bought a Dutch oven to bring. Our family’s favorite meals were cooked in it. We loved it.
I agree with you Dan cast iron is the best cooking utensil and actually all forms of cast iron are great for cooking. I have a dutch oven but mine has a domed lid so I have combatted that I made a metallic ring to set over top of it to hold my coals. I wish that mine had the little feet on the bottom but it doesn't and of course to combat that I just put something to raise it up. Cooking in a dutch oven over the fire gives you some great I mean great meals and you're exactly right you can cook anything and I mean anything in a dutch oven. This video is excellent for beginners or even anyone who uses a dutch oven that doesn't know about Dutch ovens so thanks for the video have a great day and stay safe and keep your powder dry and your oven tempt!
You have no legs on your Dutch oven try using grate from a gas stove it'll get it up high enough that it'll be like legs just a thought. You can get coal's under then
Good to see a fellow Schuylkill County boy making a difference. How about you make Boilo in the ditch oven?
thanks, great lesson, can't wait to cook outside Dan
I love my Dutch oven I’ve been using it since I was 12 years old and am 48 now the first years were a little rough 😂😂 things are going good now 😊
When you mentioned cooking the pancakes and taking it away and smothering it.. if you do happen to have a grate you can lay it between to make a gap to help not smother it
Great information about the Dutch Oven. I see so many people using them like a pot over a fire that they miss the forest for the trees. I like to look at mine for what it is, an oven. They are so completely versatile and the maintenance is minimal once you get the basics down. Thank you for posting this video as it's truly worthwhile for not only the experienced but for the people getting into this level of cooking some truly amazing meals!
The clue is in the name……… Dutch OVEN 👍😂😂😂 great video as always much appreciated. Now I realise why I should have bought one with legs! My saving grace is these days most of my cooking is stove top☹️😢 Regards from deepest Dorset England 🇬🇧🇺🇸👍
I have 3 and am very happy with using them when we go camping. The food tastes delicious...I've even made deserts in these ovens. Remember to take care of them so they continue to work well for you. Also, you can put coals on the lid to help maintain heat evenly
Great tips . About to move to the country . Bushcraft area in the garden and a dutch oven coming up . Thank you 👍🥘
Thank you CCB. Those are really good ideas for ways to use cast iron cookware.
Someone gave me a dutch oven just like the one you have with legs and stuff. I do believe I'm finally going to try it out this summer LOL. Should be interesting, fun and most likely really yummy! 😁😎
Great video and informative---the topic reminds me of summers in Gainesville, Florida--heat radiating from the swampy humid ground, rising up in waves you can see from a short distance--and then the blasting sun overhead unrelenting---like being cooked in exactly the same way you describe as biscuits. I forgot how great cast iron skillets are, and you have reminded me. Your vids are informative and fun--:)
coals from a campfire are hotter than store bought charcoal so you need to adjust accordingly. I'll usually use about 25% less coals from a campfire than I do charcoal. Also, sometimes the coals from the fire burn out a little quicker so if you're doing a long cook, say an hour, you'll probably need to replenish the coals from the fire as they burn out. Just remember to not put quite as many as you would if you were cooking with charcoal. Yep, it's all about heat control.
I preordered the book for an RV camping trip coming up. Thank you Mr Dan!
It's amazing how good and versatile a dutch oven is I had not considered flipping the lid the couple ways you mentioned I am going to get one soon for my wander the world rig. It's good to know all the features to look for as well since I have not had or used one but I have had a nice cast iron pan
I've cooked a few meals with a Dutch Oven, but you just taught me a few new tricks. COOL. Thank you.😀
I love mine! I have a gas grill on my river raft boat. My 12" Dutch oven is all I need to cook everything. For baking, I just put on the lid and close the grill. I can hold 350 degrees as long as I want. And, no smoke or ashes to deal with. I do think i will get out the grinder and make me a steam vent.
6:30 I turn the Dutch oven over so the feet are up with the griddle/lid on top and coals between. You can't move it though.