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dutch oven

PostPosted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 7:45 pm
by jasoncpg
hi i have not used a dutch oven so how big is your dutch oven. i am going to get one but i don't know what i need. can you help me.


:?

PostPosted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 7:49 pm
by asianflava
5, 8, 10, deep 10, 12, deep 12, 14, deep14 and 16inch

For 2 people, I'd recommend a 10in oven.

PostPosted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 7:58 pm
by elmo
I got a 12" deep for my first one and it seems to do everything I need.

PostPosted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 12:32 am
by sdtripper2
To try to answer your question Jason, You might consider how many your
going to feed most of the time, as a serious first thought?

First paragraph tries to answer your question. The rest is fluff and not
a need to know for your first choice in iron:


Here are some rules of thumb that might help in your decision making
Dutch ovens come in a variety of sizes. The array of sizes makes them ideal
for different cooking tasks and for different-sized groups. The smallest
commonly available is the two-quart size (about eight inches). If you plan to
cook for up to two people, this size works well. It’s also a good choice for
side dishes and many dessert recipes. A four-quart oven (ten inches) will
accommodate recipes for two to six people. It’s a good size for beans, rolls,
and desserts, too. The six-quart size (twelve inches) can cook main dishes
for up to fourteen people. An eight-quart oven (fourteen inches) will allow
you to cook for a group of twenty, and if you want to feed a large crowd,
choose a fourteen-quart (sixteen inch) oven. Most consider the ten or twelve
inch ovens a good starter oven for a family campout. The larger ovens are
very heavy and difficult to handle. Most ovens come in a short and a deep
variation, and most choose the deep.

Transport & Storage should have some thought:
Then there is the packing aspect. Will you use soft sided bags or boxes or
just let the dusty ovens set in the bed of your truck?

Some of my observations & afflictions

I started out with a 10" & 2 - 5"ers ... I have a 12" now and a chicken fryer
cobo- lid top skillet, as well as grill and round top grill.

Once the Iron starts coming into the house .... it is like water finding a way
into an opening. Some here know better than me.... the affliction iron has
on kitchen storage space .... let alone traveling in a tiny trailer.

Be very aware that ebay prices for waffle irons have gone uP because the
affliction here on this forum has pushed prices uP on the bidding to a fever
pitch. It may have abated but know that Iron heads are always scanning
ebay fur their next find.

The link in the sticky section above
Members advise Manuals, Products, Tools & Iron for Cooks
has more information~

PostPosted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 12:08 pm
by Gaelen
Jason, I'm a novice at dutch oven cooking, but not at using cast iron. I stumbled on a deal at Dicks Sporting Goods on a Camp Chef 6qt DO which also has legs on the lid, and it's my first DO experiment. You can see it here:
http://www.campchef.com/catalog/item/7/38/0/DO10/64/6+qt.+Seasoned+Cast+Iron+Dutch+Oven.html

It's the Lewis and Clark commemorative edition, so aside from being functional, it's nice to look at. It's the DO-10 on the page. It's flexible (2 pans in one), not too big, not too small, not too much weight that I would even consider not taking it because of space/weight issues. When I'm not camping, I cook with it on my patio, and I've experimented with the lid as a griddle on my electric stove. The lid functions as a big camp skillet (eggs) or griddle (bacon, pancakes). The base is deep enough to fry chicken or fish in--it holds 5+ quarts. So I can use each piece independently, or together in a more traditional DO style. It works when it's just me, and it's works for a meal for a group of 6-10. It's not too big to handle when it's full of food and it fits nicely into a 5gal paint bucket for transport.

I admit, I can succumb to collectors syndrome when it comes to certain things, and kitchen tools are one of those weaknesses. I'm in NYC right now, and the only thing keeping me from going out to the dozen or so kitchen and home stores in this neighborhood is that it's like 95 degrees and aobut 80% humidity! In fact, I just re-homed some perfectly good cookware I've collected over time, including several Le Creuset cast iron skillets that I really don't use often enough to keep. I'm always editing my home kitchen...it's only 7 x 10 feet, and one entire wall is patio door, so storage space is always an issue. Editing is a good thing.

That said...that DO-5 3/4qt size also looks VERY tempting...and it would fit right inside the DO-10. It's not an addiction. I can quit whenever I want to.
Really.

PostPosted: Sun Aug 26, 2007 11:34 pm
by Joanne
asianflava wrote:5, 8, 10, deep 10, 12, deep 12, 14, deep14 and 16inch

For 2 people, I'd recommend a 10in oven.


Rocky,

I met two wonderful couples that camped next to me at the DOG in California this past weekend. One guy mentioned that he had just purchased a 5" oven so I walked over to look at it. Sure enough he had a camp chef 5". The wife of the other guy mentions that she has a 5" too and that it's sitting on the table for display. I look down at it and it's a Lodge 5"! I was a bit curious about her casual attitude, so I asked her about the oven. It comes to pass that she bought it quite a few years ago but they had just started DO cooking for real this last year. I asked her if she had any idea of what they were selling for on E-bay right now. She told me that she didn't pay much for it and that it probably wasn't worth too much. She was really surprised when I told her how much they go for. At first I'm not sure if they believed what they were worth. After our discussion she moved the oven back into the motorhome. I'm sure glad that no one decided to "collect" the oven off her table before she put it away!

Joanne

PostPosted: Mon Aug 27, 2007 3:00 am
by asianflava
Some people are just lucky that way. Not me :cry:

I'm gonna stick with my 5in Camp Chef till something better rolls my way.

PostPosted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 6:18 pm
by jasoncpg
thanks to all that posted. gaelen that is the one for me thanks for the info


:thumbsup: :) :thumbsup:

PostPosted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 10:39 pm
by Joanne
jasoncpg wrote:thanks to all that posted. gaelen that is the one for me thanks for the info


:thumbsup: :) :thumbsup:


Jason,

Sorry I didn't post an answer to your question. I have some info on my website about getting started in DO cooking. It gives the basics and isn't too long to read.

http://www.asolidfoundation.com/do101_equipment.shtml

http://www.asolidfoundation.com/do101_technique.shtml

Take a look. DO cooking is a lot of fun.

Joanne

PostPosted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 9:10 pm
by jasoncpg
thanks joanne big time help. i need it.!!



:)