Thread: Which camp oven? Is there much difference?

I guess you will have to weigh up (no pun intended) the features benefits of cast iron vs. spun steel.

The reason for using cast iron is because there is a large mass to hold the heat, the spun steel version won't hold the heat but is less likely to get broken plus it's less weight to carry.

Furphy will be a better casting than the imported ones but will be many time the price. I carry a cast iron one I got from Rays Outdoors about 10 years ago, properly packed it hasn't been damaged. I have a Bedourie (spun steel) oven but haven't used it yet.

You will find some info here under 'Camp Oven Cooking'

CAMP OVEN COOKING IN AUSTRALIA (COCIA®) - Home Page


Colin

We're happy with our Bedourie ( spun steel ) one.
Our roasts turn out fine. Just make sure you use a trivet to keep stuff of the bottom. Can also be used as a stove top pot and the lid will double as a frypan ( although not as good as proper one. )
Some will swear by cast iron though. Furphies are supposed to be the best but exxie.

I've got a couple of cast iron ones. A small 10" chinese is ok, but the 10" Furphy, still made in China, but much heavier and finer cast, does a better job, and is probably as large as we need. I have a 12" Furphy, but only used a few times, great for pizzas, but too large for most applications. 10" Furphy is the most useful, 2 adults and 2 teenage sons ... I get them for local club members at about $99 delivered.

I've used the spun steel (Bedourie & Hillbilly) and also the cast iron (Furphy & Taiwanese) cooking for up to 50 people at times.

However, the one/s I prefer and use every trip are the el cheapo cast iron ones - and as said above, with careful packing and handling I haven't broken one in 28 yrs of use.

If you do get a cast iron one though, make sure you 'season' it before you use it at Easter - refer to the above COC website for 'seasoning' instructions. Also, the more you use it the better (more seasoned) it will become. Leave it well coated with oil/fat between usage and you won't have any problems with rust - I usually wipe out the inside then the outside with industrial paper towel - leaving the outside charcoal blackened will also stop rust.

Regarding size, for general camping with 4 or 5 people, I use two 4.5qt ovens which I find far more versatile and easier to handle than one 9qt oven. You can fit a reasonable size roast in the 4.5 and do the veges in the other one - as they require different cooking times and heat you will have better control if you use separate ovens. The 4.5's also fit nicely into one of those square milk crates.

Jack Absolom's book 'Outback Cooking in the Camp Oven' is a great reference and is what got me started - very good on the basics but you need to adapt some of his receipes and ideas to your own style though.



Don't restrict yourself to roasts - you can cook almost anything in a camp oven.

Lastly - enjoy your meal.

We've got the smaller Hillbilly spun steel one (7.5L) with an extension collar and vege ring for doing bigger roasts+veges. Very happy with it and even do most of our roasts at home in it now (on top of a homemade Oz-pig style burner with a few heat beads on top).
Have cooked roasts, stews, cakes etc with no problems. Always use a trivet in the bottom apart from when cooking stew and easily holds enough stew for half a dozen adults, or the equivalent in adults/kids.

Haven't used a cast iron one so cant give you a comparison to those.

Steve

The big difference I notice between cast iron cookware is the finish on the inside. The good stuff is ground smooth or cast well. The bad stuff is rough. If it's rough it's harder to clean, stuff sticks to it more easily.

I've got a Griswold Tite Top, came from my grandparents, its about seventy years old.

Originally Posted by abaddonxi

The big difference I notice between cast iron cookware is the finish on the inside. The good stuff is ground smooth or cast well. The bad stuff is rough. If it's rough it's harder to clean, stuff sticks to it more easily.

I've got a Griswold Tite Top, came from my grandparents, its about seventy years old.

Agree re the rough casting on the el cheapo cast iron ovens. I overcome this by attacking them with the angle grinder - smooth the inside using a 'Frap' disc, tidy up the fit of the lid and grind off the legs - too short to be useful and only get in the way, especially when I use the oven on my fire grate. I reckon the ones I use regularly are better than the teflon coated cookware. Cooking sausages is a very good way of impregnating the cast iron with a coating of oil/fat.

Also agree with the use of a trivett to keep certain food types off the bottom of the oven and allow the even circulation of heat.

best one I have is a cast iron one, seasoning correcty to start it off is very very important!

I prefer one with a lip around the lid, I can load the lid with coals etc and lift on off without spillage or putting crap in your tucker.

DONT FORGET TO GET A LID HOOK OR TO SELECT A NICE STICK ETC FOR DOING THE LID OR LIFTING THE WHOLE LOT OFF THE FIRE WHEN REQUIRED.

Stews, roast, damper and cake all come out nice with a little experience..its just getting used to temp and time...

season it earlier rather than later and feel free to overdo it...it wont hurt!!
(i always do mine inside and out and when packing ay at home spray inside and out With olive oil spray...just in case!)

CHEERS and enjoy!