The Best Camping Dutch Oven to Bring

If you wish to enjoy some mouth-watering meals after kayaking, using the best camping Dutch oven may be the solution for it. This is some kind of portable oven that allows you to boil, fry, stew, and roast your food when you go camping after some paddling in your kayak.

Thanks to the Dutch oven, you are able to prepare practically any dish you would usually cook at home. The camping Dutch oven gives the dish a unique and delicious taste. Generally speaking, if the recipe tells you to use a Dutch oven to cook the food, it usually recommends the cast iron type.

Top Picks for a Dutch Oven

• Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron 5-1/2-Quart Round Dutch Oven
• Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
• Tramontina Enameled Cast Iron 6.5 Qt Covered Round Dutch Oven
• Anolon Vesta Cast Iron Cookware 5-Quart Round Covered Casserole
• Lodge L8DD3 Double Dutch Oven and Casserole
• Staub Wide Round Oven Shallow Cocotte, 6-quart
• Le Creuset Enameled 15-1/2-Quart Cast-Iron Oval Dutch Oven
• Camp Chef Deluxe 12-Quart Dutch Oven
• Lodge L12DCO3 Deep Camp
• GSI Outdoor Hard Anodized Dutch Oven

Types of Dutch Ovens

• Aluminum Dutch Ovens

The majority of campers and kayakers believe that cast iron is the best camping Dutch oven although both cast iron and aluminum Dutch ovens have benefits.

For people who are into hiking towards the camping area or for those with physical disabilities and yet still love to cook, aluminum is the lighter option for them. This is because a 12-inch aluminum pot weighs 7 pounds as opposed to an 18-pound cast iron pan. Also, it is easier to wash and maintain an aluminum pan as it does not rust.

• Cast Iron Dutch Ovens

 Although there are newer aluminum cookwares in the market, the best material to be used for Dutch ovens is still cast iron.  A top-of-the-range cast iron can be used for many years.

A pot that is made from cast iron evenly distributes heat when cooking. It can also keep the heat much longer even after the pan is removed from the heat. For this reason, less fuel is necessary when cooking at camp. Its lid is heavy and it tightly seals the pan, steaming your food continuously.

Characteristics of the Dutch Oven

A camp Dutch oven has three short legs that help raise the pan on top of the fire. The shape of the lid makes it possible for you to put coals over it. Moreover, the shape of the oven lid allows you to use it as a griddle.

Listed here are the distinct features of the best camping Dutch oven:

• Sturdy wire handle
• Flat lid with a lip of about 2 inches
• Flat bottom part
• Three short legs
• Skillet-style handle connected to the lid
• Tiny loop handle on the lid

The Benefits of Using a Dutch Oven at Camp

• The Dutch oven works effectively in slow cooking. The best camping Dutch oven is user-friendly, and you do not need to worry about wear and tear even with an open flame. What's more, you can cook several dishes at the same time by stacking them one by one. Remember that 5 to 6 pans is the highest possible height.
• Cooking food goes to a whole new level if you choose to use the best camping Dutch oven. It is said that every meal will taste differently depending on the cookware that is used. Cooking in the Dutch oven gives the food a one-of-a-kind flavor that you cannot easily achieve if you use a clay pot.

Food connoisseurs understand this considering that they are extremely particular in the tastes of food. Because they are the experts of good eating, they know that what they are eating from the Dutch oven is fine food.

Is It Possible to Use Wood When Cooking in the Camp Dutch Oven?

The answer is yes. When cooking with the best camping Dutch oven, you may choose to use wood as your source of heat without burning the dish. Hardwoods are the most effective kinds to use for cooking, and these include hard maple, walnut, oak, osage orange, hickory, mesquite, and pecan. Keep in mind that not all woods can make hot coals.

Conclusion

If you do not have the best camping Dutch oven, now is the right time to get one for yourself. After kayaking, you do not have to bring other cooking equipment at the camp. With proper care and maintenance, these Dutch ovens can share with you more camping trip memories.