Has any one ever tried a reflector oven?

[martha24]

I was just wondering if anyone has ever tried using a reflector oven using charcoal? Since so many seem to use DOs and are burning charcoal, reflector ovens can be fun to try. Generally they are made out of a cardboard box with the inside covered in foil, layer of foil on the ground, couple of bricks covered in foil & a rack to place food on. Especially if someone is one a budget, they are cheap to create. Basically the way it works, is place the charcoal (don’t need very many pieces) on the foil on the ground, place the rack over the charcoal supported by the bricks, place what you are baking on the rack, cover with the box, making sure there is a small crack to let air in. A small rock works very well. I would have to recheck as I have not done this in a long while, but around 8 charcoals makes a 350 degree oven. In the past we have made pizzas, cakes, muffins, cupcakes etc. in it, anything you would make in an oven. I did this with my Girl Scout troop & the girls loved it. If anyone is interested I’ll dig out some more information.
Martha

[Gerald_G]

I just built one thursday from coffee cans. It's an experimental design, but worked well this weekend out camping. I'll post pics and plans as soon as I can prep them.

Made some great biusquicks.

[Ira]

--Edited because of stupidity--

[jplock]

I used reflector ovens when in Boy scouts on a Canada canoe trip. we used them with flaming pine sticks because pinewood did not make very good coals. After baking breads or cakes we had to blow off the ashes. I never used one with coals, and I think you may not get high enough heat from coals. Another thing about reflector ovens they fold up and are light weight for hiking. It sure beats carrying a Dutch oven in the old back pack! They do work very good and you could make one from a square 5 gallon can.
jplock

[Gerald_G]

I promised pics, and since I KNOW how much this board loves the pics, here are the promised results.

I got to test the oven on a camping trip, the weekend after I built it, and the results are very satisfying.

Here's how I put it together. I used three coffee tins. The third one was sliced apart to make the folded over tin strips which join the other two coffee tins together, and to protect your fingers from the cut out door in the front.

The rack is a cooler rack purchased for $2.00, and the handle is leftover hardwood of unknown species from an old bed frame I am slowly recycling in my garage.

Here's the pics.

[Ira]

Oh!!!

THAT'S what you guys were talking about!!!

[martha24]

Gerald_G that's a very interesting reflector oven. They can certainly be made in a variety of ways.
I can see pictures would be a big help.
Mine unfortunately are after pictures, I didn't think of it while I was cooking my mexican cornbread. But the general idea will still be there. The cornbread came out nicely cooked and was enjoyed at the Dam Gathering.
Inside box covered in foil

Foil on ground, with 2 bricks covered in foil with rack & I used foil pie plate to put charcoals in. (when really cooking the coals were hot & white)

I cooked the cornbread in a disposible foil pan, any regular pan that could be used in oven can be used.

Then the box goes over the top, and need small rock or something to let some air in.

Each brigette equals about 40 degrees heat. So nine would be about 360 degrees. It also depends on how long it takes to cook what you are cooking, as more may need to be added as you go along.
So for someone who wants to try something different or who doesn't own a dutch oven yet, it can be fun to try & is cheap. Anything you can cook in an oven can be cooked in it. Pizza, cake, cupcakes, cookies, cornbread are a few of the things I have done in the past.
Martha