BUSHCRAFT KID! Buy the BOOK NOW! www.amazon.com... Like what you see? Want more? Visit us at.. www.coalcracke... / danwowak / coalcrackerbushcraft and as always.... Stay in the Woods, Dan
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!!!
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.
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.
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!
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 🤣
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
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 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.
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.
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 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.
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
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".
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.
this guy knows his products. it's not the same ol cookie cutter pitch. he actually wants you to know what is good, and what to do with it once you go it. good stuff.
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.
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.
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
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 was going to say with the legs you can stack them and share the top coals of one with the bottom of another, but Charles beat me to it. So I guess I can offer ... line the inside with aluminum foil and then follow the recipe on the box to make a pineapple upside-down cake. This is where the welding gloves come in handy. put a clean piece of foil on the table and turn the dutch oven over gently and shake. The cake and foil will drop out and just gently peel the foil off the cake.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
I just use mine on the stove and cut the heat before the dish is done. It stays hot enough to finish cooking all by itself. It saves money and you can use a wonderbag if you have to.
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.
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!
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.
Hello 👋 my outdoors friend. Greetings from Northern California. Thank you for sharing this informative video. All the best to you. Stay safe out there. 🤗
I live in the outdoors, and, I have a dutch oven, of course I've broken your rules because my lid is domed and there are no legs! LOL, however, I've heard arguements both for and against legs, but my main problem was my domed lid (it was all that was available), I have cut some metal to make a 'fence' around the lid, however, baking bread the other day, and, for the first time putting coals on top, without anything tokeep them there, wow, the few coals I put on were enough to speed up the baking of the bread and actually burnt the top of the loaf in no time. (usually I would fip the loaf three quarters of the way through cooking) but yeah, I completely agree, its the best bit of kit ever (that and my wok that can also double as an oven), got a few decades left in my dutch oven, it's most likely goingto outlast me, so I won't ber changing it, just becoming more adventurous with what I cook with it. Love the idea of cooking pizza upside down!
I watched some videos of African outdoor cooking and they use something that looks like a big pizza pan to place coals onto. I guess you could try that out by buying one at a thrift store or at Dollar Tree. A pizza pan could also be used to set coals onto. I've never seen a *round* broiler pan, but I'd bet that would work best - very very heavy duty.
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.
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.
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.
It reminds me of HOBO DINNERS... wrap some meat, potato, carrot, celery, salt/pepper in heavy duty layers of tin foil.. seal it off, then bury the pouch in the coals... Let it sit in for about 15/20 mins.. When you scoop it out of the coals, it will be perfectly cooked.. food doesn't burn without exposure to oxygen.. So cover the pouch so air can't get in.. perfectly cooked every time.. Same principle with the dutch oven.. 'Personally, i use a 18" parabolic mirror on the ground, then hang my Dutch oven full with lid on over and aim the directed sun light up to solar cook.. Make sure you monitor that the directed sunlight is only on the pot so you don't catch the trees above on fire.
I also use the Dutch oven as a tent heater. Put some hot coals in it, put the lid on and place it in the tent. If you have a tent with a floor make sure you put something under the oven so you don’t burn the floor.
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.
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.
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!!!
Spot on! I am the King of Colorado Campfire Cooks . My opinion is this is the best video on cooking with a dutch oven I have seen. Curse you, giving away my secrets..well done
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.
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!
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.
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.
👍 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.
Dutch Oven! Named for a Reason! It's an Oven! Heat on Top is more important then the heat below! Slow and steady! The one with the Lip as a recall is of American Decent? Out in the Frontiers Era they Developed the Lip to Help Hold the coals from sliding Off. Yes Very Heavy but, at that time they were Did Not Have an Oven. Fireplace or open Fire! Dutch Oven WILL Cook Everything you can cook in a Today's Oven! Nice Simple Informative Video! Thank You!
can it be seasoned over a campfire, though, because I want to use it in place of an oven (which I won't have in the future)? Most cast iron skillet directions call for seasoning within an oven.
I have a large variety of cast iron and accessories to go with them. Every bit of it has come from Tennessee's Lodge cast iron. I even give cast iron as gifts, birthdays, christmas and other occasions.
great idea! Can be a type of thermal cooking. Put that in a haybox that is lined with heavy-duty foil and i bet it could keep things warm twice as long.
💯 cook cast iron most of my adult life. always inside ,and out. Lots of fun ways to cook. Hey CC if you want to see A chuck wagon dude cook and is allot of fun to watch Cowboy Kent Rollins His spices are great too .He has a great channel. Good video
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!!!
The notches are for a thermometer. The cable goes goes through the notches to the digital readout.
This is why Dan is the guru of bushcraft!!! You should have a TV show BUT, I prefer you here!!
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.
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.
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 thought with my years of using my Dutch Oven…..I knew all there is to know. Evidently, I was wrong (again). Thank you, great video.
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 🤣
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.
There is no better video on the internet that explains what you just did so succinctly. Great video.
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 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.
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.
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.
6:19 yeah !! Great thing ! Thanks..
Hi from France !
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.
I put a cast skillet in between the pot and lid. Was able to cook in the pot and skillet at same time.
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
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".
They make a single person Dutch oven. Great for the backpack. Great information as always.
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.
this guy knows his products. it's not the same ol cookie cutter pitch. he actually wants you to know what is good, and what to do with it once you go it. good stuff.
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.
Hey 👋 Dan
To me the Dutch ovens are the best for camping. Learning about hot coals placement is everything. And never fry bacon naked.
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 😊
Pre ordered the book, cannot wait to experience more wild adventures and more father son experiences
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?
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
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 was going to say with the legs you can stack them and share the top coals of one with the bottom of another, but Charles beat me to it. So I guess I can offer ... line the inside with aluminum foil and then follow the recipe on the box to make a pineapple upside-down cake. This is where the welding gloves come in handy. put a clean piece of foil on the table and turn the dutch oven over gently and shake. The cake and foil will drop out and just gently peel the foil off the cake.
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?
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.
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.
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.
Very good tips! Most say they give tips and give nothing, you did great with this video, glad I watched it.
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!
Great video.
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?
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
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
Love your content!!!! Book pre-ordered ……. Cannot wait to receive it 👍
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!
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.
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!
good advice as always.. and thanks for not begging for subs like some do continuously. cheers
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.
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
I just use mine on the stove and cut the heat before the dish is done. It stays hot enough to finish cooking all by itself. It saves money and you can use a wonderbag if you have to.
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?
Just ordered Bushcraft Kids for my four young boys. They are super excited... as am I. Keep up the great informational videos!
Fabulous update, I’ve never tasted a bad “Dutch Oven” meal 🧡 Thank you for sharing
Hello from British Columbia Canada
🇨🇦👋👍♥️...I gave a dutch oven withe the flat rimmed lid to my brother...maybe I should have kept 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.
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!
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.
Hello 👋 my outdoors friend. Greetings from Northern California. Thank you for sharing this informative video. All the best to you. Stay safe out there. 🤗
I live in the outdoors, and, I have a dutch oven, of course I've broken your rules because my lid is domed and there are no legs! LOL, however, I've heard arguements both for and against legs, but my main problem was my domed lid (it was all that was available), I have cut some metal to make a 'fence' around the lid, however, baking bread the other day, and, for the first time putting coals on top, without anything tokeep them there, wow, the few coals I put on were enough to speed up the baking of the bread and actually burnt the top of the loaf in no time. (usually I would fip the loaf three quarters of the way through cooking) but yeah, I completely agree, its the best bit of kit ever (that and my wok that can also double as an oven), got a few decades left in my dutch oven, it's most likely goingto outlast me, so I won't ber changing it, just becoming more adventurous with what I cook with it.
Love the idea of cooking pizza upside down!
I watched some videos of African outdoor cooking and they use something that looks like a big pizza pan to place coals onto. I guess you could try that out by buying one at a thrift store or at Dollar Tree. A pizza pan could also be used to set coals onto. I've never seen a *round* broiler pan, but I'd bet that would work best - very very heavy duty.
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.
turn the dutch oven over place coals on bottom of oven place inverted lid on the feet of the oven and you have a flat griddle to cook on .
i suppose hardware cloth could be used to help secure the coals - depending on shape of pot and need.
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.
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.
It reminds me of HOBO DINNERS... wrap some meat, potato, carrot, celery, salt/pepper in heavy duty layers of tin foil.. seal it off, then bury the pouch in the coals... Let it sit in for about 15/20 mins.. When you scoop it out of the coals, it will be perfectly cooked.. food doesn't burn without exposure to oxygen.. So cover the pouch so air can't get in.. perfectly cooked every time.. Same principle with the dutch oven.. 'Personally, i use a 18" parabolic mirror on the ground, then hang my Dutch oven full with lid on over and aim the directed sun light up to solar cook.. Make sure you monitor that the directed sunlight is only on the pot so you don't catch the trees above on fire.
thanks, great lesson, can't wait to cook outside Dan
Great post my friend. I am a new D. oven owner. So this post is especially timely for me. Stay free, happy and healthy ✨️
I also use the Dutch oven as a tent heater. Put some hot coals in it, put the lid on and place it in the tent. If you have a tent with a floor make sure you put something under the oven so you don’t burn the floor.
Don’t forget that the three legs gives you a solid base on any surface that doesn’t touch the bottom. A flat surface doesn’t do that!
My wife and I just got our first Dutch oven! Thank you for this video!!!
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.
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.
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!!!
Spot on! I am the King of Colorado Campfire Cooks .
My opinion is this is the best video on cooking with a dutch oven I have seen.
Curse you, giving away my secrets..well done
I've cooked a few meals with a Dutch Oven, but you just taught me a few new tricks. COOL. Thank you.😀
Got your Book...
It is very well written...
Outstanding AF
I pre-ordered the book. It releases on 24 May. You have a good channel! Hope you sell lots of books!
I recommend dutch oven liners, made from parchment paper, when cooking sticky items like cobbler.
I was wondering about that, thx for the tip
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.
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!
What a great insight into how you can utilise the Dutch oven. Much appreciated, I’ve learnt a lot from this video.
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.
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.
Thank you for the useful, practical information and straightforward presentation.
Good to see a fellow Schuylkill County boy making a difference. How about you make Boilo in the ditch oven?
Alright..you convinced me that I can't live without this Dutch oven
Awesome 👌
That lid's a good tortilla warmer 👍🏼😉
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.
Awesome!
Thanks!
👍 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.
Dutch Oven! Named for a Reason! It's an Oven! Heat on Top is more important then the heat below! Slow and steady! The one with the Lip as a recall is of American Decent? Out in the Frontiers Era they Developed the Lip to Help Hold the coals from sliding Off. Yes Very Heavy but, at that time they were Did Not Have an Oven. Fireplace or open Fire! Dutch Oven WILL Cook Everything you can cook in a Today's Oven! Nice Simple Informative Video! Thank You!
can it be seasoned over a campfire, though, because I want to use it in place of an oven (which I won't have in the future)? Most cast iron skillet directions call for seasoning within an oven.
I have a large variety of cast iron and accessories to go with them. Every bit of it has come from Tennessee's Lodge cast iron. I even give cast iron as gifts, birthdays, christmas and other occasions.
I also use my dutch oven as a portable foot warmer. Fill it with hot rocks from the fire and it will keep warm for 2-3 hours.
great idea! Can be a type of thermal cooking. Put that in a haybox that is lined with heavy-duty foil and i bet it could keep things warm twice as long.
I do have two Dutch ovens and both do have the features you talk about in this video, awesome.
Hey Dan, I purchased qty of your books for our general store in North Woods Maine. Good stuff
Great tips . About to move to the country . Bushcraft area in the garden and a dutch oven coming up . Thank you 👍🥘
💯 cook cast iron most of my adult life. always inside ,and out. Lots of fun ways to cook. Hey CC if you want to see A chuck wagon dude cook and is allot of fun to watch Cowboy Kent Rollins His spices are great too .He has a great channel. Good video
Thank you CCB. Those are really good ideas for ways to use cast iron cookware.
Great comprehensive overview.