Pam, I'd like to tell you how I made something similar for my 12 year-old girl scout troop. It lasted us 4 years and we made the most amazing biscuits and s'mores, etc. for our troupe of 12 girls and 2 adults. 1. I got a heavy cardboard box (from a liquor store, i think) and covered the inside with heavy-duty aluminum foil, bringing the sides to the outside of the box and taping them with aluminum tape. No glue was used. 2. Make the door from one of the four sides. Leave one side secured to the box. Make a handle on the outside of that flap (it opens from the side of the "oven"). You can also make a loop on the side so that you can use a tent peg or something similar to use as a "hasp" to keep the door shut. 3. Now you need 4 or 6 metal skewers long enough to poke through from one side of the box through the other side. Slide one set of 2 or three skewers from the left outside "wall" through the inside right wall to make 2 shelves to set your coal pan and your baking pan on. 4. Put your hot coals on the bottom "rack," which should be about 1/4 of the way up from the bottom of the box. Place your baking pan on the second "rack", which should be about 1/2 way up from the bottom of the box. 5. This is the way we found safest to light the coals (We didn't have the luxury of a coal starter, and no table to set the burning coals on): Get a metal bucket with a swing handle. Use a can/bottle opener to punch several triangular holes at the base of the bucket on the sides just above the bottom. Put in your paper wads, add charcoal briquettes, light the paper, then hold the bucket by the handle and swing it from side to side, so that the wind goes through the holes you punched and multiplies the heat from the paper fire, igniting the briquettes. Pour the hot briquettes onto an aluminum pie plate and place the pie plate on the bottom rack of the oven. 6. Place your pan of whatever food you're cooking (brownies, meatloaf, biscuits, buns, etc.) on the top "shelf". Shut and secure the door, and bake it. Yum! We cooked breakfast, lunch, and dinner in our charcoal ovens and I even used them to bake when our electricity was out for10 days after a hurricane. I just set it on the hearth and we had bread with our cast-iron stew cooked in the fireplace coals. I hope this will give you some ideas for your Box Oven. I can't wait to see what you come up with!
Made this oven box 3 years ago and used it at the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous (RTR). Made beef ribs and pork ribs and they came out fantastic! I’m considered the “weird one” in the family because I think out of the box , pardon the pun. I’m in my 70’s so a real Johnny come lately to the whole prepping scene. I see something that makes perfect sense to me and I go for it despite the naysayers. I do realize these same naysayers will be benefiting from my “weirdness” one day, lol!
Pam & Jim~My husband, Jim, and I were watching this and the 1st thing he said when you started the oven was that wood-burning stoves and BBQs have air-intakes beneath the coals and exhaust escapes in the tops. That way the oven could get hotter and be more regulatable (sp).
I think if you could dome the interior like some pizza ovens it would be perfect. I think it would radiate heat towards top of loaf, giving much better browning of your bread but excellent idea. Your channel is by far the best on UA-cam in my opinion. Keep up the fantastic content. God Bless!
I was thinking, this could become a solar cooker too if you turn open side up and put a piece of glass or picture frame with the glass on top. Hum, the wheels are turning. LOL.
Living in the Four Corners area, you're not too far away from the northern New Mexico, southern Colorado area. Maybe a weekend getaway? Anyway, my grandmother had an adobe horno (a permanent outdoor oven) outside her kitchen door. Year 'round, her weekly bread baking was a real process/system--up early to make her bread dough, build a hot fire in the horno to heat up the oven, quickly raking out the burnt wood, ashes and any remaining coals. She quickly placed her pans of risen bread in the horno and sealed off the opening with a board. Retained head in the structure baked the bread, sometimes a roast and veggies. If I remember correctly she wouldn't remove the cover to the opening until the outside of the horno was just barely warm to the touch. A little girl's anticipation was hard to contain! The bread always was a beautiful golden color and the flavor was indescribably delicious! Spread with butter and her home canned chokecherry jam, oh my! What a delicious memory! I had horno bread a few years ago in Taos, and was taken right back to my childhood. Of course she would give my cousin and I a bit of dough to make our own loaves. Periodically, 2-3 times per year, she would scrape accumulated soot from the inside and bottom of the horno. Sorry for the long post, but I'm smiling as I remember; back then people didn't have electricity or propane nor any of the conveniences we have now, not even aluminum foil. Who knows, we may have to revert to those old ways if things get bad. Best to at least know, as you teach us, what can be done in the eventuality. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience with us.
We made these ovens when my boys were Cub Scouts. We always placed a narrow twig under the bottom edge of the box to allow for oxygen to feed the charcoal. We also used a rack inside and used either tuna cans or tomato sauce can to raise it to the height needed. Kids loved to make individual cakes baked in tuna cans. We made pineapple upside down and Black Forest cakes (cherry pie filling topped with chocolate cake batter). I made my window as a small flap (wrapped in foil) on the top covered with a piece of a roasting bag. Need to make sure to keep the flap down until the food is in the oven or the fire will melt the window. Learned that one the hard way, lol. Love all of your alternative cooking methods, all great ideas.
Also, using the dark pan on top, you can clip the two together with large binder clips. This too creates the Cheap Dutch Oven effect and it's usable over and over. It's actually how I cook bread in my actual oven!
Maybe some fire-safe brick or pavers on the bottom to minimize heat loss through the table and draping the whole thing in a welding blanket like you did with the other oven. I don't do too much charcoal grilling, but was there enough oxygen flow to let the coals get as hot as they can? Thanks for doing this-you are both very kind to share what you know. I got a kick out of Pam chucking the crumpled papers onto the table.
I love your videos. All so very helpful, and plus, you remind me so much of my Mom. I miss her so much! She passed away 12 years ago, so it’s very comforting to watch you. God Bless you both! ❤️
Great video as always. I do have a suggestion. If you wrapped another bread pan with foil on the outside, use it as a lid and put charcoal on the top. This would give a Dutch oven method of browning the top. I've just started making bread outside with my dutch oven and it turns out awesome. Thanks so much for all you share 😘
With you all the way !! Dutch oven cooking ( in a pit, with charcoal top and bottom, in an oven or stove top even,) is fabulous ! Recently caught a Lodge sale on the 6qt. enameled Dutchies ($59.00) ! So 'emergency' household money got put to great use.
Pam I loved seeing this, I would love to give some hints. 1st you need to make sure your box is tall enough so the bread or whatever you bake is the right distance away from coals. 2 nd you need to have air flow, just a small stone or covered cardboard with foil. I have found that you don’t need the window, since it lets a lot of heat out and after 1-3 uses it is too cloudy to see through it as well. Also you do not need to cover the outside of the box but it does look better you do. When using on a table you can get cement board at Home Depot cut it just a bit longer than your box put it on 2 2x4 boards cover it with foil tape on edges and lay foil down in area you plan on putting your charcoal, that way you can use it on a plastic type table like lifetime type, no bending. 1 more is to keep all your needed supplies in a box inside your foiled box and your box inside another so the foil doesn’t get rips in it from 1 use to the next. I use a double long Applebox and bake 4-5 loaves at once using 2 cookie cooling racks. Baked many casseroles chops pie’s cookies cakes and rice dishes. Love this type cooking.
For off grid baking I use a good old cast iron dutch oven. A small fire on the ground, and heat up the dutch oven as usual, drop the dough in and cover, then cover with coals nd let it bake. You can bake anything in a cast iro dutch oven over a fire.
You two are a classy couple. I love your approach to different tasks. Always well thought out. I really like this idea of baking bread with charcoal and a box.Thanks for all the good recipes and how-to’s!! ♥️🙏🏼♥️
Fantastic video presentation today! We have half dozen or so old CPU cases laying around collecting dust and taking up space; my son and I have decided to modify them into cooking stations. We are thinking something similar to what you may find at a state park for cooking outside (those metal open face boxes on a pole). We may be able to use 2 inside each other with proper fire/heat insulation between them, weld/seal to make a solar oven of sorts using an old toaster oven glass door. We'll see how they turn out. Primarily need to find out for sure what metal was used for the case/housing (if we use for open fire). I think it's just basic steel sheet metal, my son is concerned it could be an alloy. In the meantime, I have oodles of cardboard boxes I've been turning into grow beds with landscaping fabric.. Looks like one of them will be turned into an oven! Thank you Pam & Jim for another well done project.
Professor Pam, Would cutting around the window area, so it creates a door that lifts up, help keep more heat in the oven? Oh, and I love, love, love all of your videos! Thanks to Jim too!
Hi Pam, For anyone interested, Amazon says the Coleman oven will ship in 1-2 months. Home Depot is offering the same oven at the same price, $38.47, with free shipping to local store...estimated delivery 7 days! Free home delivery with minimum $45 purchase.
I’ve made a similar one before using a paper box box. I created a door on the side and cut a window in it and used turkey roasting bags to cover it to cover the window. I wired an old toaster oven rack inside to place my toaster oven tray on. We baked some really good cookies in the oven. It worked like a charm. Also used tin pie plate to put charcoal in inside the oven. I love all your videos. I get so many ideas.
Love your videos. Maybe using a baking pan with some coals on top of the loaf, like sitting a rack above the loaf too so you get heat on top and bottom. Like when you use dutch oven camping.
My husband has used a big aluminum pot, like one for water bath canning, turned upside down as an oven in a similar manner. It can be elevated a little for airflow. Works pretty good.
We always put a few holes toward the bottom of our ovens for air/exhaust of the briquettes. We can reach temps of 500+ degrees easily this way. Also if you turn the chimney over you can put paper in the inverted cone and briquettes on top to light small batches easily. Great video's love watching them.
Found your channel today - ..thermos jug cooking - same idea.. next seeing your bee hives..... had as young one some and in my Study of biology.. and maybe now in my older days again - than your vids of canning.. remembers me on my youth - we were more or less self sufficient - Read some comments- A living community that communicates and gave Tips to each other - a very lucky easter monday 🙂🙂 IT will be nice to learn or remember from your vids and the comments - greetings from germany and stay sane and lucky
If you don’t have a nice griddle to set everything on. Make a out door oven. Fireproof bricks and wood . Cheap easy and you came bake , grill and cook off it . Cost under 30 bucks and last a long time . But your on the right track
BRAVO Pam and Jim! I call it a win! The information that you share is invaluable and well researched and thought out. I love your videos, and I think you are both beautiful inside and out. If you could fashion a little handle for a quicker lift when putting something in it may lose less heat.
Tips: Watch Debbie Kent's "Apple Box Oven" UA-cam video for ideas, make the oven from two boxes (or a box top and box bottom) fitted one inside of the other, cut a small vent flap at the bottom on each side of the cardboard box/apple box oven (or slightly elevate the bottom of one side of the box) to let Oxygen in to help keep the coals burning hotter, eliminate the "window" in the box or cover it with 2 layers of oven bag, when putting the bread loaf pan under the box, lift the box quickly straight up (not tilted) and then place it quickly straight back down after you have placed the pan on the rack :-)
I watched Debbie Kent’s video. Thank you for sharing! Debbie Kent had some good information. I also watched Mary Ann’s Cupboards video “Making A Cardboard Box Oven” which gave me some more ideas however that video didn’t show it being used.
I bet if you added a flap, that would help maintain the heat when putting things in and out. This is wonderful. I really enjoy watching your videos. Thank you! 😊
@@RoseRedHomestead I'm sure it'll work out great. My husband and I will be building a stone fire pit this summer and I think we will try to achieve two styles of heat creation. I think we will do a rocket stove style and a simple grill style. Or we may do an oven style, havent quite decided yet! I'm sure we'll be seeing more great ideas from you two!
I have a bit of information that might be useful to all of our group. Adding a bay leaf to packages and containers of dry goods like grains, rice, or flour will keep pantry pests at bay. Bay leaves can repel weevils, flies, moths, roaches, and mice, simply because they can't stand the bitter smell the leaves exude. For 50 years I have put a bay leaf on top of my flour, rice, cereal, etc inside their container and have never had a bug problem. I, therefore, feel comfortable storing large quantities of flour, rice and cereal, etc. using my bay leaf trick.
Hi Pam and Jim 👋 Thank you so very much for this video. The demonstration from Jim was perfect and I can have confidence in using the burner now👍👌I really appreciate you taking the time to include it in your video. 🌹❤ The oven looks easy enough to make so its one I'll try to replicate this summer. I was thinking, if you make the tin foil a few layers thick on the bottom, and bigger in size, could you wrap it up the sides? perhaps that would help to keep or seel in the heat. Also you may need more airflow, like any heat source, it needs oxygen to generate more heat ....perhaps some correcty placed holes and a fan or a wee chimney? It may be something to think about for oven 2.0. 🤔 Congratulations anyway on the beautiful bread 🍞. That..... on any day.... is better than any I've ever made before 😂🤪🤣😂 Take care and all the best from the UK 🇬🇧 Paula x My goodness...this video has really stirred the thinking of the community. All the comments have suggestions to help with this project. I love how everyone contributes and participates as they do...its wonderful ❗❤🥰
Oh! So exciting! I can't wait to see more videos using this oven! Prepping is so expensive, so seeing DIYs like this makes me feel like it's doable on a tight budget!!!
Looks like a great even. I think I'd make a second slightly bigger box that would create a double walled oven w/ an air pocket for more insulation. I can't wait to see more of this series.
Your charcoal was being starved for oxygen. Try cutting a flap, down low, and a small exhaust port up high, then control the temperature with the inlet flap. Love your videos!
Love love love the scientific method! Pam, you are so funny and I really LOL when you were throwing term papers to Jim! It's enjoyable to see a different side of your personality. My husband Bob and I enjoyed watching Jim lightning the briquettes. Happy cooking and baking, Debbie
Graduations on your new channel. I really like watching yours and I’m glad that you were going to do some more experiments with things that the rest of us can use to help feed ourselves and our families. I appreciate you for not overlooking us, I’m glad you understand.
I use a cast iron dutch oven or skillet instead of a conversational bread pan. I love your channel. Thanks so much for all that you two do. So very helpful.
Simply ahhhmazing….had no idea one could bake bread off-grid using a few items, that most people have laying around the house. Thank you for sharing such a low cost way of making this inexpensive outdoor oven✨
How fun! The suspense was exciting! 😁 I wonder if placing it in the sun, non-windy day would have lent enough heat to reach at least 350? My Off-Grid 3 ring binder is filling up FAST!!! Thank you thank you! Nice to see Jim too!!
When using your chimney if you add a few small sticks or wood chips in with your charcoal, your charcoal will always catch fire. The wood starts before the charcoal and then catches the charcoal.
👍👍👍👍👍 Anyone with a bit of dirt, clay, straw and water can make a cob oven - for free. Also any clean metal box or pail would work, etc., maybe even an old wash tub that isn't galvanized. Burning galvanized metal is toxic so I suspect that heating them will be toxic as well. Metal boxes or pails can be found in many sizes and thickness of metal (like the Coleman oven you gave a link to) for free and used as well.
Another wonderful video! Both of loaves of bread looked great., you freezer must be full of bread😄. Due to arthritis I gave up making bread by hand and just bought a bread machine which works for me.
Hi Pam and Jim! I just want to say bravo for your going the extra mile and constructing the off grid oven. I would eat that bread, turned out good considering how simple the oven was. I have a friend that makes charcoal, guess I should learn that skill. I thought about a grill I have that I could take the heating element out and use it for an oven. It’s electric and is stainless steel with a dome lid, already has a rack and I could control the heat a little better I think. Thank you both for a great demonstration, got my wheels turning in my head, lol. Have a blessed day. Pam from Tennessee.
That was AWESOME!!! It reminded me of being a girl scout in the 70's and roughing it. A huge thank you to you both!! I just found you a week ago and I'm a massive fan!! Can't wait to try this too!!
Could the window be cut more like a fold down oven door to slide your bread through? Perhaps put velcro or something around it to hold it closed? This may save some heat. Just spitballing ideas LOL
Nice idea but if you want to bake indoors consider using a slightly smaller box and a Very hot heat lamp. Just make sure that your box is fire resistant. Kind of like cooking with an Easy Bake Oven for kids. Place a small fan on top of the box with only the fan blades inside of a hole. This will circulate the hot air, like a convection oven. Your heat lamp & small fan could be plugged into a solar battery. Or try a cheap heat powered fan made for wood burning stoves. Many don’t use batteries, and sometimes they even have a built in temperature gauge. Keep the food on a metal rack or shelf while it’s baking, to help allow it to cook more evenly. Bon Apatite!🍞😋💕 I Love your videos! Thanks so much for sharing. I’m a new subscriber.
Laurice: I would not use the procedure inside, or in a tent, or any other enclosed area due to the possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning (as stated on the outside of the package of charcoal. We will continue to research for a better way to maintain the heat in the oven. Yes, we do have rack on which to set the bread pan so it is not directly on the coals. Jim
Thank you! Some are doing less well than others, and some of us have put what we had into food and a few of our own 'gadgets', ( the pressure-canner; the jars alone have set me back a lot!) This is something that I never did with Boy Scouts, but you have reminded me that I may still have a BSA camping cookbook somewhere in my house that I need to look for!
My dad, lifelong Scout, Scouter collected old Scouting books. He gave them all to one of my son's when he earned his Eagle. He has 3 or 4 editions of old BS Field books. Excellent resource! If you ever come across some at flea markets, yard sales, etc. GRAB THEM 🙂
Hint for the charcoal lighter (I use the exact same chimney): Add a small bit (less than 1/2 tsp) of cooking oil or fat to a few of your crumpled paper pieces. REALLY makes it light quickly and just take off :-)
It may be better for a flatter style loaf bread. French Baggett or bigger hoagie style rolls Is the window one or two layers of turkey bag? Could the window be used as a oven door?
What a fantastic idea. You are so clever! I wondered whether you could put a piece of foil over the window to keep the heat in? And perhaps a blanket or similar.
This is awesome. I wonder if we could throw a old piece of wool blanket over the box away from the briquettes to hold in the heat. I think I am going to make one and fool around with it. It seems like the power always goes off when I have either a cake or bread in the oven. Thanks so much, this is so cool
Do you think a giant stainless steel bowl would work? And then just put your bread pan under it. I kind of don’t like to have to use all that glue. If I can avoid it. I don’t know if stainless steel does the same thing as aluminum foil does. Also would a regular charcoal domed bbq grill work?
Thank you for this video! I personally found it exciting to watch! Your great thinking and sharing for everyone’s benefit is so appreciated. I must add that I find all the comments so informative. So many great creative minds on this channel - all drawn by you both with your intelligence and generosity of spirit! You both make the world a better place!
This was so fun to watch I am truly interested in all kinds of different baking ideas...thanks to your video on baking bread in the insulated bag I went ahead and ordered one (I can't sew to save my life so I had to buy one 🤣) and it came today and I cannot wait to try it out...thanks again for all you put out here!!
I really enjoyed this video, how resourceful using a cardboard box! I admire your tenacity to learn how to make it work even better. I look at it as though if power was out and this was all you had to use how amazing that bread would be even after the hour and 20-minute wait, great job!
Great video 😊 I am wondering if you build another platform that goes above the bread and put a just a few charcoals on so the heat is more evenly distributed. Like you do place charcoals a Dutch oven lid. And like others mentioned a little air vent.
For those really wanting a charcoal starter but unable or unwilling to buy one, I've heard of people using empty coffee cans (or any larger can, like a #10 size). You would have to get crafty and get both the top and bottom off, and remember not to slice yourself on any of the sharp edges!
I wonder how you would do this if you didn't have briquettes? You have a wonderful setup! I wonder if a person put 2 layers of cardboard or insulation to hold heat in the box. I will have to play with this. Thank you for such wonderful videos!!
Pam, I'd like to tell you how I made something similar for my 12 year-old girl scout troop. It lasted us 4 years and we made the most amazing biscuits and s'mores, etc. for our troupe of 12 girls and 2 adults.
1. I got a heavy cardboard box (from a liquor store, i think) and covered the inside with heavy-duty aluminum foil, bringing the sides to the outside of the box and taping them with aluminum tape. No glue was used.
2. Make the door from one of the four sides. Leave one side secured to the box. Make a handle on the outside of that flap (it opens from the side of the "oven"). You can also make a loop on the side so that you can use a tent peg or something similar to use as a "hasp" to keep the door shut.
3. Now you need 4 or 6 metal skewers long enough to poke through from one side of the box through the other side. Slide one set of 2 or three skewers from the left outside "wall" through the inside right wall to make 2 shelves to set your coal pan and your baking pan on.
4. Put your hot coals on the bottom "rack," which should be about 1/4 of the way up from the bottom of the box. Place your baking pan on the second "rack", which should be about 1/2 way up from the bottom of the box.
5. This is the way we found safest to light the coals (We didn't have the luxury of a coal starter, and no table to set the burning coals on): Get a metal bucket with a swing handle. Use a can/bottle opener to punch several triangular holes at the base of the bucket on the sides just above the bottom. Put in your paper wads, add charcoal briquettes, light the paper, then hold the bucket by the handle and swing it from side to side, so that the wind goes through the holes you punched and multiplies the heat from the paper fire, igniting the briquettes. Pour the hot briquettes onto an aluminum pie plate and place the pie plate on the bottom rack of the oven.
6. Place your pan of whatever food you're cooking (brownies, meatloaf, biscuits, buns, etc.) on the top "shelf". Shut and secure the door, and bake it. Yum! We cooked breakfast, lunch, and dinner in our charcoal ovens and I even used them to bake when our electricity was out for10 days after a hurricane. I just set it on the hearth and we had bread with our cast-iron stew cooked in the fireplace coals.
I hope this will give you some ideas for your Box Oven. I can't wait to see what you come up with!
Another great tutorial! No glue and easy assemblidge, thanks.
We did this same thing years ago when camping.
Such a a great idea and wonderfully clear instructions. Thank you!💜
I’m wondering if I could set this on top of our rocket heater?? It is about 24” in diameter, and round.
You should make a video of this 😀
Made this oven box 3 years ago and used it at the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous (RTR). Made beef ribs and pork ribs and they came out fantastic! I’m considered the “weird one” in the family because I think out of the box , pardon the pun.
I’m in my 70’s so a real Johnny come lately to the whole prepping scene. I see something that makes perfect sense to me and I go for it despite the naysayers. I do realize these same naysayers will be benefiting from my “weirdness” one day, lol!
Pam & Jim~My husband, Jim, and I were watching this and the 1st thing he said when you started the oven was that wood-burning stoves and BBQs have air-intakes beneath the coals and exhaust escapes in the tops. That way the oven could get hotter and be more regulatable (sp).
Agreed and mentioned you post. Blessings.
First thing I thought of when the temp was not rising as expected! Love how the community on this site is so free with their helpful suggestions!
I think if you could dome the interior like some pizza ovens it would be perfect. I think it would radiate heat towards top of loaf, giving much better browning of your bread but excellent idea. Your channel is by far the best on UA-cam in my opinion. Keep up the fantastic content. God Bless!
I was thinking, this could become a solar cooker too if you turn open side up and put a piece of glass or picture frame with the glass on top. Hum, the wheels are turning. LOL.
Yep exactly
When I was a Girl Scout at summer camp on Catalina Island, the counselors made solar ovens with similar foil covered boxes.
I love how this community adds suggestions and how you, Dr Pam experiment with inexpensive ideas❤️❤️❤️
Living in the Four Corners area, you're not too far away from the northern New Mexico, southern Colorado area. Maybe a weekend getaway? Anyway, my grandmother had an adobe horno (a permanent outdoor oven) outside her kitchen door. Year 'round, her weekly bread baking was a real process/system--up early to make her bread dough, build a hot fire in the horno to heat up the oven, quickly raking out the burnt wood, ashes and any remaining coals. She quickly placed her pans of risen bread in the horno and sealed off the opening with a board. Retained head in the structure baked the bread, sometimes a roast and veggies. If I remember correctly she wouldn't remove the cover to the opening until the outside of the horno was just barely warm to the touch. A little girl's anticipation was hard to contain!
The bread always was a beautiful golden color and the flavor was indescribably delicious! Spread with butter and her home canned chokecherry jam, oh my! What a delicious memory! I had horno bread a few years ago in Taos, and was taken right back to my childhood. Of course she would give my cousin and I a bit of dough to make our own loaves.
Periodically, 2-3 times per year, she would scrape accumulated soot from the inside and bottom of the horno.
Sorry for the long post, but I'm smiling as I remember; back then people didn't have electricity or propane nor any of the conveniences we have now, not even aluminum foil. Who knows, we may have to revert to those old ways if things get bad. Best to at least know, as you teach us, what can be done in the eventuality.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience with us.
We made these ovens when my boys were Cub Scouts. We always placed a narrow twig under the bottom edge of the box to allow for oxygen to feed the charcoal. We also used a rack inside and used either tuna cans or tomato sauce can to raise it to the height needed. Kids loved to make individual cakes baked in tuna cans. We made pineapple upside down and Black Forest cakes (cherry pie filling topped with chocolate cake batter). I made my window as a small flap (wrapped in foil) on the top covered with a piece of a roasting bag. Need to make sure to keep the flap down until the food is in the oven or the fire will melt the window. Learned that one the hard way, lol. Love all of your alternative cooking methods, all great ideas.
Hello Linda
Also, using the dark pan on top, you can clip the two together with large binder clips. This too creates the Cheap Dutch Oven effect and it's usable over and over. It's actually how I cook bread in my actual oven!
Maybe some fire-safe brick or pavers on the bottom to minimize heat loss through the table and draping the whole thing in a welding blanket like you did with the other oven. I don't do too much charcoal grilling, but was there enough oxygen flow to let the coals get as hot as they can? Thanks for doing this-you are both very kind to share what you know.
I got a kick out of Pam chucking the crumpled papers onto the table.
I think propping the edge of the oven up just about a quarter inch with say, a piece of crumpled foil would help those briquettes stay alot hotter.
I thought the same with oxygen to the coals as well.
I love your videos. All so very helpful, and plus, you remind me so much of my Mom. I miss her so much! She passed away 12 years ago, so it’s very comforting to watch you. God Bless you both! ❤️
Mtn Girl: We are happy that we are able to comfort you as you watch our channel. Jim
Great video as always. I do have a suggestion. If you wrapped another bread pan with foil on the outside, use it as a lid and put charcoal on the top. This would give a Dutch oven method of browning the top. I've just started making bread outside with my dutch oven and it turns out awesome. Thanks so much for all you share 😘
This is my next area to test...if you have any helpful hints I would appreciate it! ❤️🤗
With you all the way !! Dutch oven cooking ( in a pit, with charcoal top and bottom, in an oven or stove top even,) is fabulous ! Recently caught a Lodge sale on the 6qt. enameled Dutchies ($59.00) ! So 'emergency' household money got put to great use.
Pam I loved seeing this, I would love to give some hints. 1st you need to make sure your box is tall enough so the bread or whatever you bake is the right distance away from coals. 2 nd you need to have air flow, just a small stone or covered cardboard with foil. I have found that you don’t need the window, since it lets a lot of heat out and after 1-3 uses it is too cloudy to see through it as well. Also you do not need to cover the outside of the box but it does look better you do. When using on a table you can get cement board at Home Depot cut it just a bit longer than your box put it on 2 2x4 boards cover it with foil tape on edges and lay foil down in area you plan on putting your charcoal, that way you can use it on a plastic type table like lifetime type, no bending. 1 more is to keep all your needed supplies in a box inside your foiled box and your box inside another so the foil doesn’t get rips in it from 1 use to the next. I use a double long Applebox and bake 4-5 loaves at once using 2 cookie cooling racks. Baked many casseroles chops pie’s cookies cakes and rice dishes. Love this type cooking.
You are such a great teacher👍👍👍👍
For off grid baking I use a good old cast iron dutch oven. A small fire on the ground, and heat up the dutch oven as usual, drop the dough in and cover, then cover with coals nd let it bake. You can bake anything in a cast iro dutch oven over a fire.
You two are a classy couple. I love your approach to different tasks. Always well thought out. I really like this idea of baking bread with charcoal and a box.Thanks for all the good recipes and how-to’s!! ♥️🙏🏼♥️
Judy: Thank you! Jim
Fantastic video presentation today! We have half dozen or so old CPU cases laying around collecting dust and taking up space; my son and I have decided to modify them into cooking stations. We are thinking something similar to what you may find at a state park for cooking outside (those metal open face boxes on a pole). We may be able to use 2 inside each other with proper fire/heat insulation between them, weld/seal to make a solar oven of sorts using an old toaster oven glass door. We'll see how they turn out. Primarily need to find out for sure what metal was used for the case/housing (if we use for open fire). I think it's just basic steel sheet metal, my son is concerned it could be an alloy. In the meantime, I have oodles of cardboard boxes I've been turning into grow beds with landscaping fabric.. Looks like one of them will be turned into an oven! Thank you Pam & Jim for another well done project.
Wow. That was a great idea to use an oven/Turkey bag for a viewing window. This was interesting. Thank you.
Professor Pam, Would cutting around the window area, so it creates a door that lifts up, help keep more heat in the oven? Oh, and I love, love, love all of your videos! Thanks to Jim too!
Y'all! Thank you for catering to the whole group. I love to see all the methods explored! You are the best!👌
Hi Pam, For anyone interested, Amazon says the Coleman oven will ship in 1-2 months. Home Depot is offering the same oven at the same price, $38.47, with free shipping to local store...estimated delivery 7 days! Free home delivery with minimum $45 purchase.
Playinatlife: Thanks for the information. Jim
What a great idea! Thanks for testing this. I showed my husband the ingenious gadget and he wondered how the briquettes can get oxygen...
Love this experiment!! I had no idea that you could bake bread with charcoal in a homemade oven! Way to go! I have learned so much from you.
I’ve made a similar one before using a paper box box. I created a door on the side and cut a window in it and used turkey roasting bags to cover it to cover the window. I wired an old toaster oven rack inside to place my toaster oven tray on. We baked some really good cookies in the oven. It worked like a charm. Also used tin pie plate to put charcoal in inside the oven.
I love all your videos. I get so many ideas.
I love the innovation. Can’t wait to see more
Love your videos. Maybe using a baking pan with some coals on top of the loaf, like sitting a rack above the loaf too so you get heat on top and bottom. Like when you use dutch oven camping.
My husband has used a big aluminum pot, like one for water bath canning, turned upside down as an oven in a similar manner. It can be elevated a little for airflow. Works pretty good.
I really appreciate that you would include those of us who can’t afford all the bells and whistles.🌹
You are such a wonderful woman! I wish you were my neighbor or family member! You're a treasure! 🥰🌹💐
We always put a few holes toward the bottom of our ovens for air/exhaust of the briquettes. We can reach temps of 500+ degrees easily this way. Also if you turn the chimney over you can put paper in the inverted cone and briquettes on top to light small batches easily. Great video's love watching them.
David: Thank you for the suggestions. Jim
Found your channel today - ..thermos jug cooking - same idea.. next seeing your bee hives..... had as young one some and in my Study of biology.. and maybe now in my older days again - than your vids of canning.. remembers me on my youth - we were more or less self sufficient - Read some comments-
A living community that communicates and gave Tips to each other - a very lucky easter monday 🙂🙂
IT will be nice to learn or remember from your vids and the comments
- greetings from germany and stay sane and lucky
If you don’t have a nice griddle to set everything on. Make a out door oven. Fireproof bricks and wood . Cheap easy and you came bake , grill and cook off it . Cost under 30 bucks and last a long time . But your on the right track
Thank you for all ya'll do!
BRAVO Pam and Jim! I call it a win! The information that you share is invaluable and well researched and thought out. I love your videos, and I think you are both beautiful inside and out. If you could fashion a little handle for a quicker lift when putting something in it may lose less heat.
Claire: Our pleasure! We are continuing to research this problem. Jim
This will be great for your camping trip this summer.
I’m impressed! Thank you for doing these experiments and sharing.
Tips: Watch Debbie Kent's "Apple Box Oven" UA-cam video for ideas, make the oven from two boxes (or a box top and box bottom) fitted one inside of the other, cut a small vent flap at the bottom on each side of the cardboard box/apple box oven (or slightly elevate the bottom of one side of the box) to let Oxygen in to help keep the coals burning hotter, eliminate the "window" in the box or cover it with 2 layers of oven bag, when putting the bread loaf pan under the box, lift the box quickly straight up (not tilted) and then place it quickly straight back down after you have placed the pan on the rack :-)
I watched Debbie Kent’s video. Thank you for sharing! Debbie Kent had some good information. I also watched Mary Ann’s Cupboards video “Making A Cardboard Box Oven” which gave me some more ideas however that video didn’t show it being used.
@@joanmdvorsky6196 You're welcome! Thanks for mentioning the Mary Ann's Cupboards video; I'll check that one out also :-)
Congratulations on your website lunch successfully. As always thank you for all the awesome projects on tube Pam &Jim.
Have nice day.
kasf1982able: Thank you! We are pretty happy with the responses to our projects. Jim
My husband suggested a handle on top, to make it easier to open and close.
Cassandra: Great tip! Jim
Hello Cassandra
I bet if you added a flap, that would help maintain the heat when putting things in and out. This is wonderful. I really enjoy watching your videos. Thank you! 😊
Anastasia: Thanks, we are in process of testing it with a flap as well as a number of other of changes. Jim
@@RoseRedHomestead I'm sure it'll work out great. My husband and I will be building a stone fire pit this summer and I think we will try to achieve two styles of heat creation. I think we will do a rocket stove style and a simple grill style. Or we may do an oven style, havent quite decided yet! I'm sure we'll be seeing more great ideas from you two!
I love all the ideas that you and @Jim come up with, @Pam! So appropriate for the times in which we live. Thank you so much!💗💗💗
Hello Esther
Thank you for all you do.
Thank you for all that you do . 🙏
I have a bit of information that might be useful to all of our group. Adding a bay leaf to packages and containers of dry goods like grains, rice, or flour will keep pantry pests at bay. Bay leaves can repel weevils, flies, moths, roaches, and mice, simply because they can't stand the bitter smell the leaves exude. For 50 years I have put a bay leaf on top of my flour, rice, cereal, etc inside their container and have never had a bug problem. I, therefore, feel comfortable storing large quantities of flour, rice and cereal, etc. using my bay leaf trick.
Thank you so much for this video! Another great one! I appreciate the cheaper option!!
WOW! I love these cardboard cooking options!
Hi Pam and Jim 👋 Thank you so very much for this video. The demonstration from Jim was perfect and I can have confidence in using the burner now👍👌I really appreciate you taking the time to include it in your video. 🌹❤ The oven looks easy enough to make so its one I'll try to replicate this summer. I was thinking, if you make the tin foil a few layers thick on the bottom, and bigger in size, could you wrap it up the sides? perhaps that would help to keep or seel in the heat. Also you may need more airflow, like any heat source, it needs oxygen to generate more heat ....perhaps some correcty placed holes and a fan or a wee chimney? It may be something to think about for oven 2.0. 🤔 Congratulations anyway on the beautiful bread 🍞. That..... on any day.... is better than any I've ever made before 😂🤪🤣😂 Take care and all the best from the UK 🇬🇧 Paula x
My goodness...this video has really stirred the thinking of the community. All the comments have suggestions to help with this project. I love how everyone contributes and participates as they do...its wonderful ❗❤🥰
I always find that proper wood charcoal burns hotter than the briquettes although they don't last as long
Oh! So exciting! I can't wait to see more videos using this oven! Prepping is so expensive, so seeing DIYs like this makes me feel like it's doable on a tight budget!!!
Looks like a great even. I think I'd make a second slightly bigger box that would create a double walled oven w/ an air pocket for more insulation. I can't wait to see more of this series.
Linda: Your suggestion sounds great! Let us know the results. Jim
Hello! This evening Burnin' Up the Roads & Prepping shouted out your channel. As one of her mods, I dropped your link. Thanks for all your info!
Could you make an oven door so you don't lose much heat when you insert the bread? Love the concept!
Love the new website. I added it to my bookmarks. 👍👍👍👍👍
Thank you!
Your charcoal was being starved for oxygen. Try cutting a flap, down low, and a small exhaust port up high, then control the temperature with the inlet flap.
Love your videos!
Wow! I hope they read this. I would love to see this in action. This makes sense to me.
Thank you for all you do.
You both are a blessing.
Great video & worthy project! I’m very impressed that your loaf baked through! I think you are on your way!
I hope so! Thanks.
Love love love the scientific method! Pam, you are so funny and I really LOL when you were throwing term papers to Jim! It's enjoyable to see a different side of your personality. My husband Bob and I enjoyed watching Jim lightning the briquettes. Happy cooking and baking, Debbie
Debbie: You are so welcome! Jim
Graduations on your new channel. I really like watching yours and I’m glad that you were going to do some more experiments with things that the rest of us can use to help feed ourselves and our families. I appreciate you for not overlooking us, I’m glad you understand.
Christina: Thank you so much! Jim
I use a cast iron dutch oven or skillet instead of a conversational bread pan. I love your channel.
Thanks so much for all that you two do. So very helpful.
Simply ahhhmazing….had no idea one could bake bread off-grid using a few items, that most people have laying around the house. Thank you for sharing such a low cost way of making this inexpensive outdoor oven✨
This is the first I've heard of your website. I'll have to visit.
How fun! The suspense was exciting! 😁 I wonder if placing it in the sun, non-windy day would have lent enough heat to reach at least 350?
My Off-Grid 3 ring binder is filling up FAST!!! Thank you thank you! Nice to see Jim too!!
When using your chimney if you add a few small sticks or wood chips in with your charcoal, your charcoal will always catch fire. The wood starts before the charcoal and then catches the charcoal.
What a great idea! Thanks for the demonstration.
👍👍👍👍👍 Anyone with a bit of dirt, clay, straw and water can make a cob oven - for free. Also any clean metal box or pail would work, etc., maybe even an old wash tub that isn't galvanized. Burning galvanized metal is toxic so I suspect that heating them will be toxic as well. Metal boxes or pails can be found in many sizes and thickness of metal (like the Coleman oven you gave a link to) for free and used as well.
Thank you for the information.
Thank you Pam and Jim
Love the video, I’m going to try this. Great idea
Lepha: Have fun! Jim
Another wonderful video! Both of loaves of bread looked great., you freezer must be full of bread😄. Due to arthritis I gave up making bread by hand and just bought a bread machine which works for me.
Great that you didn't give up though! I hope you like the new machine and have many successful bakes from it. All the best 👍 💝
may God bless you and your" camera man❤" and ofcourse your family and all watchers.
I love that I found Pam and Jim’s channel. They are wonderful examples of ministering to all of us.
Thank you so much Jim & Pam. So much great info. I never understood how those chiminies worked.
Hi Pam and Jim! I just want to say bravo for your going the extra mile and constructing the off grid oven. I would eat that bread, turned out good considering how simple the oven was. I have a friend that makes charcoal, guess I should learn that skill.
I thought about a grill I have that I could take the heating element out and use it for an oven. It’s electric and is stainless steel with a dome lid, already has a rack and I could control the heat a little better I think.
Thank you both for a great demonstration, got my wheels turning in my head, lol. Have a blessed day. Pam from Tennessee.
That was AWESOME!!! It reminded me of being a girl scout in the 70's and roughing it. A huge thank you to you both!! I just found you a week ago and I'm a massive fan!! Can't wait to try this too!!
Libby: You are welcome. Jim
I saw this video and thought Now THERES something I can use. Ive been wanting to know exactly if this works and how. Thanks so much my dear! :)
Glad it was helpful!
Could the window be cut more like a fold down oven door to slide your bread through? Perhaps put velcro or something around it to hold it closed? This may save some heat. Just spitballing ideas LOL
Just hinge on the top edge, then you won't need to use velcro or anything which may melt
Nice idea but if you want to bake indoors consider using a slightly smaller box and a Very hot heat lamp. Just make sure that your box is fire resistant.
Kind of like cooking with an Easy Bake Oven for kids. Place a small fan on top of the box with only the fan blades inside of a hole. This will circulate the hot air, like a convection oven. Your heat lamp & small fan could be plugged into a solar battery. Or try a cheap heat powered fan made for wood burning stoves. Many don’t use batteries, and sometimes they even have a built in temperature gauge.
Keep the food on a metal rack or shelf while it’s baking, to help allow it to cook more evenly.
Bon Apatite!🍞😋💕
I Love your videos! Thanks so much for sharing. I’m a new subscriber.
Laurice: I would not use the procedure inside, or in a tent, or any other enclosed area due to the possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning (as stated on the outside of the package of charcoal. We will continue to research for a better way to maintain the heat in the oven. Yes, we do have rack on which to set the bread pan so it is not directly on the coals. Jim
Thank you! Some are doing less well than others, and some of us have put what we had into food and a few of our own 'gadgets', ( the pressure-canner; the jars alone have set me back a lot!) This is something that I never did with Boy Scouts, but you have reminded me that I may still have a BSA camping cookbook somewhere in my house that I need to look for!
We have a Boy Scout Handbook as part of our preparation library! It is terrific!
@@RoseRedHomestead I loved my time with my sons and grandson in the Boy Scouts!
My dad, lifelong Scout, Scouter collected old Scouting books. He gave them all to one of my son's when he earned his Eagle. He has 3 or 4 editions of old BS Field books. Excellent resource! If you ever come across some at flea markets, yard sales, etc. GRAB THEM 🙂
Hint for the charcoal lighter (I use the exact same chimney): Add a small bit (less than 1/2 tsp) of cooking oil or fat to a few of your crumpled paper pieces. REALLY makes it light quickly and just take off :-)
Sandra: I had not thought of oil as started in the paper. Jim
It may be better for a flatter style loaf bread. French Baggett or bigger hoagie style rolls
Is the window one or two layers of turkey bag? Could the window be used as a oven door?
What a fantastic idea. You are so clever! I wondered whether you could put a piece of foil over the window to keep the heat in? And perhaps a blanket or similar.
I'm so excited about your website 😃
Hello roni
This is awesome. I wonder if we could throw a old piece of wool blanket over the box away from the briquettes to hold in the heat. I think I am going to make one and fool around with it. It seems like the power always goes off when I have either a cake or bread in the oven. Thanks so much, this is so cool
I would not risk a fabric cover anywhere near the charcoal.
lyn: I am not sure if a wool blanket would be safe. Jim
@@RoseRedHomestead I might not be. How about a welding blanket.
Excellent presentation
You're such an amazing person sharing your knowledge with us. Thank you so very much
DRC: You are so welcome. Jim
so exciting to see this, I'm going to try it this summer and maybe in the fall. thank you
Do you think a giant stainless steel bowl would work? And then just put your bread pan under it. I kind of don’t like to have to use all that glue. If I can avoid it. I don’t know if stainless steel does the same thing as aluminum foil does. Also would a regular charcoal domed bbq grill work?
Grill dome sounds interesting to try.
A regular bbq will work, just do a quick youtube search for it :D
I have set a pizza stone directly on my grill grate and covered my bread pan with a Large turkey roaster bottom (spatterware). Works great.
Thank you so much for making this video 💝
What a fabulous experiment! Thank you for walking us through it and I believe my 13 year old and I just found our next project. 😉
Ellen: Wonderful! Let us knw how it goes. Jim
@@RoseRedHomestead Yes, sir. Will do :)
Thank you for this video! I personally found it exciting to watch! Your great thinking and sharing for everyone’s benefit is so appreciated. I must add that I find all the comments so informative. So many great creative minds on this channel - all drawn by you both with your intelligence and generosity of spirit! You both make the world a better place!
This was so fun to watch I am truly interested in all kinds of different baking ideas...thanks to your video on baking bread in the insulated bag I went ahead and ordered one (I can't sew to save my life so I had to buy one 🤣) and it came today and I cannot wait to try it out...thanks again for all you put out here!!
Excellent video. Gave me a good deal of ideas to try.
Love the new website! Thank you for everything I've been learning from you.
Red: Great to hear! Jim
I really enjoyed this video, how resourceful using a cardboard box! I admire your tenacity to learn how to make it work even better. I look at it as though if power was out and this was all you had to use how amazing that bread would be even after the hour and 20-minute wait, great job!
Pumpkin: Thank you! Jim
Try heating sand while the temperature is heating before adding the bread. Maybe in a clay planter.
That sounds like a great idea! Yeah, the clay planter tray will hold the heat in.
My thought was adding A few rocks to retain the heat longer
I am so grateful you added that message as I was wondering..😉...
THE WINDOW IS MADE FROM A TURKEY BAG. Thanks x
Great video 😊
I am wondering if you build another platform that goes above the bread and put a just a few charcoals on so the heat is more evenly distributed. Like you do place charcoals a Dutch oven lid. And like others mentioned a little air vent.
Great idea!
For those really wanting a charcoal starter but unable or unwilling to buy one, I've heard of people using empty coffee cans (or any larger can, like a #10 size). You would have to get crafty and get both the top and bottom off, and remember not to slice yourself on any of the sharp edges!
Great going to do this with my grandkids
I wonder how you would do this if you didn't have briquettes? You have a wonderful setup! I wonder if a person put 2 layers of cardboard or insulation to hold heat in the box. I will have to play with this. Thank you for such wonderful videos!!
I actually folded the lid flaps inside the box so I do have 2 layers in some places.
@@RoseRedHomestead It sure was impressive. Thanks again!
I love this! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and experiments❤️ Looking forward for the next video
Thank you! I plan to make one!
Great!