Camp Ovens

[seqfisho]

Hi All,

Just wondering what everyone uses, why and how. Plus any secrets or tips that you have found out along the way.

[hiline]

cast iron for us


and add 1/2 bottle of Stones Green Ginger Wine to your oven https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ :wink:

[crump]

None at present, but am going to investigate THE COBB. https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

[seqfisho]

Originally posted by hiline
cast iron for us


and add 1/2 bottle of Stones Green Ginger Wine to your oven https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ :wink:

Is that to take away the burnt taste because you already drank the other half and forgot to take the oven off the fire in time https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

[JamesH]

I love a cast iron camp oven. I have a Furphy Size 10. We generally take two largish ones away and two babies for damper and dessert (mate has a growing collection).

Could not claim to be an expert but learning as I go. My experience has been that the oven does a wonderful roast but have had trouble getting the vegies crisp. Advice received is to use a bit of wire under the lid to vent the oven when doing the vegies. Apparently venting also helps with the damper/bread as well. Looking forward to trying this.

[dages]

I'm a huge fan of my Furphy cast iron. Get it red hot to clean and then rub in the oilive oil, also keep an oily rag in it permently. I do miss not being able to load coals on the lid of the furphy, but it does displace heat well anyway so not a huge need.

Also the cast iron oven works really well for roasting on the gas, when wood is not an option. Usually enough residual in there to get that camp flavour going.

The Bedourie types seem really versatile to me and I would consider, given that the lid doubles as a pan and good to boil pasta or rice.

I really believe though that it all depends on A) what else you have in your range (I hate double-ups on application of equipment) and https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ what you using it for and where. I use the cast iron heaps at home because I have the time, when travelling I'm normally surfing up to dinner and so not really applicable to use unless hanging around the camp for the arvo.

Friend has the Cobb and swears by it, versatile from roasts to using the fry pan and steaming. Also good in 'no fire zones'

[Disco300Tdi]

Originally posted by JamesH
I love a cast iron camp oven. I have a Furphy Size 10. We generally take two largish ones away and two babies for damper and dessert (mate has a growing collection).

Could not claim to be an expert but learning as I go. My experience has been that the oven does a wonderful roast but have had trouble getting the vegies crisp. Advice received is to use a bit of wire under the lid to vent the oven when doing the vegies. Apparently venting also helps with the damper/bread as well. Looking forward to trying this.

Sit the vegies up on the wire tray with the meat MMMmmmmm

[incisor]

and it cast iron from me as well. best by far imho

[YRVGreen]

I want a Furphy, big fan of there water tanks used in the early wars,
it is sad that the expression, "telling a furphy" is slowly being weeded out of our common tounge,
I have the cheap castiron pot wich does ok, but this year we want to up grade to the furphy, nothing wrong the the casty but Furphys are like the camping worlds Nike or rip-curl, they are very trendy right now to be seen with a Furphy sitting in the back of the landy.

if you go with iron buy a bulk thing of cheap cooking oil from bilo, to keep it from rusting, and invest in the oven bag for them, so soot, oil and gook dont get in the car when it is pack up time,

[x-box]

I have a traditional cast-iron jobbie but prefer the Cobb. It's light, easy to clean, contains the fire (inside), cold to touch (can use inside tent), and can do quite a variety of cooking aspects eg smoking, roast, grill, fry. I suppose ease of operation and weight/space are the winning issues for me

[dages]

Even though I own a furphy i don't see the major difference with other quality cast iron ovens, other than the large price tag.

I was lucky enough to get one some time ago from the old's, my mother even made a huge canvas carry bag for it. Got one of those tripods as well, although i use that more for the billy than the oven.

Secret to camp ovens IMHO;

1. Keep them oiled

2. Become a fire master, it's all in controlling your heat and duration.

[weeds]

cast iron

i don't own one yet, have been grabbing one off a guys down the street

[seqfisho]

Originally posted by YRVGreen
I want a Furphy, big fan of there water tanks used in the early wars,
it is sad that the expression, "telling a furphy" is slowly being weeded out of our common tounge,
I have the cheap castiron pot wich does ok, but this year we want to up grade to the furphy, nothing wrong the the casty but Furphys are like the camping worlds Nike or rip-curl, they are very trendy right now to be seen with a Furphy sitting in the back of the landy.

if you go with iron buy a bulk thing of cheap cooking oil from bilo, to keep it from rusting, and invest in the oven bag for them, so soot, oil and gook dont get in the car when it is pack up time,


Unfortunately all the Furphy ovens are now made in China, so unless you can get one of the original ones it wont be much different to anything else.

Just doesn't seem right "Furphy Oven Made in China" stamped on one. 8O

[YRVGreen]

Sugar, China, I wonder if they tell furphys over there?
it is sad in a way,. cause it is like Furphy sold out by having them made over there,.. and it is like China is Selling out by having them printed on in english,. At least we wernt at war with China when the Furphy became popular,

[Bushie]

We have a couple of cheap cast iron ovens that have lasted 20+ years now. Its all about controlling the heat and usually you don't require anywhere as much heat as you think, but need even heat.
Keep the oven clean and make sure its dry before putting away oil is not so important then.
Cooked everything from roasts to pizzas to bread and cake.
Forget the tripod a couple of lengths of star picket are all you need.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2006/02/27.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2006/06/155.jpg
We just about always cook in a pit/trench, that way once finished there is almost no trace of where the fire was.

Bushie

[hiline]

Originally posted by seqfisho+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(seqfisho)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteBegin-hiline
cast iron for us


and add 1/2 bottle of Stones Green Ginger Wine to your oven https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ :wink:

Is that to take away the burnt taste because you already drank the other half and forgot to take the oven off the fire in time https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/[/b][/quote]

**** no mate, its to deglaze the oven https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ :wink:

for the gravy https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

[Steinzy]

Love the cast wouldn't have anything else

[RichardK]

Cast iron for us, makes a magnificent stew and roast

[CraigE]

Have a couple of cast iron ones one about 12" and one about 18". Also have my brother in laws made out of a truck rim about 24" and damn huge. All work well.
A great camp oven book is Cooking in a camp oven by Jack Absallom (spelling may be suspect)
It is amazing when you cook a camp oven for someone who has never had one.

[JamesH]

The latest Furphys are Chinese made or so Ive heard but they still of the same quality. They are significantly heavier and more robust that the other brands Ive seen (actually most camp ovens you see are cast alulinioum nowadays)

You can tell an older model Furphy because the have the year it was cast stamped on the lid. Mines a 92 model. New ones just have "Furphy" and the size (no made in China written anywhere).

SOmeone above said they miss not being able to put coals on the lid. I don't know why he said that as both old and new versions have lips on the lid to enable you to do just that.

Thanks for the advice re vegie rack.

[Redback]

I have both 2 spun steel Hillbillys and a small cast one for bread.

Gotta love the Hillbilly, it's the best camp oven i've ever owned, beats the cast ones by a country mile, and a fraction of the weight.

Baz.

[VladTepes]

Cast Iron. And I love it.


Originally posted by hiline
and add 1/2 bottle of Stones Green Ginger Wine to your oven https://www.aulro.com/afvb/ :wink:

Well, anything to avoid drinking it :!:

[RoverOne]

Cast Iron for sure.

Only difference with a Furphy is they are heavier, lids still break in half if you drop & they land the wrong way. Saw a guy do this & glad I had only Taiwan made at 16th the price, mine 30 years old & not broken, nothing wrong with Chinese either.

Spun steel type OK (Bidourie/ Hill Billy), but less forgiving if too much heat, char quickly if not watching.

Good hint 1. Place a layer of bread on bottom in oil, stops meat burning on bottom, cheap wire trivot also good.

Good hint 2. place green apple in oven when roasting meat, guarantee always moist meat even if over cooked & adds something to the flavour.

Good hint 3. place oven in a pit or hole for best results as no cold spots & even temperature, cover total in coals.

Good hint 4. If rusted inside when go to use, rub coarse cooking salt with news paper to clean out easily. Don't wash inside with detergents as takes out oil from pours of cast, scrape out thoroughly all food residue with paint scraper then resmear cooking oil all over before long term storage.

Cheers
Bryce