Dutch Oven advice

PattyO

I'll be taking a day trip to Kidron, OH. www.Lehmans.com
One thing I'll be looking for is a dutch oven. What is your advice, with or without legs? And why? They have one DO with an inverted lid that acts as a skillet. Sounds good to me if the handles don't put it over my 14" limit.
Here is their cast iron assortment.
http://www.lehmans.com/cgi-bin/lehmans/dyna/dynaQuCZ8U?page_number=1
PattyO

Mike in Abita

I use my CI on my eggs as well as stove. For me a DO with legs would not work on my stove. If you cook over a campfire, I'd say get it. Otherwise I wouldn't see where it would be and advantage.

Bacchus

I agree with Mike. Get a flat bottom, then use the green feet when a little elevation is needed.
A 5qt is a good size, and will fit the MBGE with room to spare. A 7qt would fit also.
I prefer the wire bail handle type as opposed to the 2 loop handle design, enabling one handed carry.

Capt Frank

The one you are looking at is the model I have and I like it very much. It is two pots in one.

Capt Frank
Homosassa, FL

Grandpas Grub

 
If you are going to use it in the egg and oven and maybe a few times out camping (fire) then get the flat bottom.

Also the lids with the raised edge is designed for putting briquettes on the top of the DO. When removing the lid the lip help prevents ash from falling into the food.

The camp style DO (legs) is great to use if you want to put coals underneath the DO. There is a formula of how many briquettes to put under and on top of the DO for most any given cook temperature.

The is no reason to use raise the DO when cooking. The reason for the heavy CI is to produce an even heat for the food. Many times we put the DO right in and on top of the coals in a camp fire and the food cook fantastic. Th legs help prevent snuffing out the coals directly under the DO.

The DO and egg are great partners. If you use the lid on the DO in the egg you may as well save the lump and use the DO in the oven.

You may want to think about getting a ceramic DO too.











Ceramic DO used for reheating and moistening some frozen pulled pork.


GG

NibbleMeThis

I have a Lodge #12 and I like mine having the legs. But that is only because I take mine camping with my parents and we nest them with several at once like this:



If I ONLY used mine on the Egg, I'd go flat bottomed.

WingRider

PattyO,

We have this one:
Lodge Double Dutch Oven Part#: L8DD3





Every cook’s dream: A 5-quart Dutch oven, with the lid easily converted to a 10 ¼-inch skillet. A natural for countless recipes, the Double Dutch will quickly become a favorite in your Lodge Cookware collection.


Item No. Description Price Per Qty
L8DD3 Double Dutch Oven,
10 1/4" dia., Depth: 4" $59.95

We like the versatility of the cover also being a skillet. The pictures are desert and corn bread cooked in my small egg.

HTH

Capt Frank

Patty,
The one WingRider is showing you is the one I have and mentioned earlier.
Ditto to everything he says

Capt Frank
Homosassa, FL

Hungry Celeste

Count me as a fan of enameled cast iron. All the benefits of CI, with none of the maintenance. I use enameled CI on the egg all the time, and any exterior soot/gunk cleans right off. Le Creuset, Staub, Lodge, Mario Batali, Tramontina, etc...many brands available. Beware chinese made merchandise in bright colors, though: lead can be an issue.

Bacchus

There definately IS a reason to raise a Cast Iron cooking tool for some applications. CI is good at even heat distribution but FAR from perfect. Hot Spots in a fire can cause uneven cooking.

carlharper

GG,

Doesn't it get pretty expensive to use briskets as a heat source for DO cooking? I'd be on the lookout for a new forum..ula


Sorry............Typos like that just jump out at me and beg for a comment. Otherwise, very sound advice.

RVH

Kent, those are some of my favorite shots. When the daytime temps are not reaching 105°F I'm going to try some cooks like those with the D.O. that Lawn Ranger hauled up to the OKC Eggfest for me.
I will probably hit you up for some recipes that go with the images. :P

Mr. & Mrs Potatohead

I have a large one with a lipped lid for the fire pit and a smaller one for the stove top, fire grate and Egg!
Love them both!

Buckethead

I would check out the new DO at Costco. They are touting a new DO.

Grandpas Grub

 
Thanks, I purchased a green Tramontina and lately have been wondering about the potential of led. I understand Lodge is also made in China.

GG

Grandpas Grub

 
Yup, anything with high sugar, fruit cakes etc can defiantly get burned on one side. There has to be a just little common sense used.

Sear a roast in a DO directly on the coals does a great job and then take the DO and let is rest directly on tjv's spider directly above the coals has never had a hot spot yet. Best combination around - egg, spider & DO.

GG

Grandpas Grub

 
Dang spell checkers. :laugh: I use about 3 packers...

Thanks. GG

Grandpas Grub

 
Vance, I saw something was going out your way, must have been the heat.
104° this last week here - too hot for drag races. We have had very little rain this year so far - just enough to get the car spotty.

Just email when you decide to fight the heat. We did take a drive out to see the submarine races in the Great Salt Lake but it was a bit uneventful.

Be well, Kent

Grandpas Grub

 
Another thought for you, when you look for DO's make sure the lid fits tight - no wobbling or gaps or sloppy size from lid to base. You can get an inexpensive brand but the lid need to fit well and you will have a nice DO.

Watch out for those aluminum DO's, get CI or enamel.

GG

Angela

We only use the ones with legs for camp cooking directly over coals. Not on the eggs or stove.

'Q Bruddah

PattyO FWIW Camp ovens have three legs. Dutch ovens have none. Camp ovens are made to cook in a fire with coals on top and bottom. Double Dutch is a versatile tool. A Camp Oven lid will work as a griddle or fry pan if you set it on a lid stand, but that is an extra piece to carry. It would probably work on a propane two burner also.

If I wanted a CI oven for just the egg I'd go dutch oven. You can get a lot of bottom heat in an egg making cinnamon rolls and sticky buns a challenge.

When baking sweets in a camp oven most of the heat comes from the top and it is even removed from the bottom heat and allowed to finish with top heat only. There is a learning curve just like the egg.

I just spent last week camping on the Columbia River baking sourdough treats, bread, four loaves, cinnamon rolls, three batches and biscuits in a camp oven and dutch oven on a wok ring and a camp oven lid, all fueled with briquets. I had never baked bread in a camp oven or with just briquets I was pleasantly surprised with the results. It was a whole lot of fun and I opened a few eyes to the possibilities of that black pot.