How to Cook with a Dutch Oven while Camping

October 25, 2022

If you’re a camping enthusiast, you should consider getting good outdoor cooking equipment to complete the whole experience by cooking food out in the open. With proper gear, you don’t have to carry store-bought, ready-to-eat items when you can have a delicious, piping-hot meal.

Are you looking for camping cooking essentials to get started? Start by getting a cast iron Dutch oven set. Not only is it easy to use, but it’s also convenient to carry around during your hiking and camping adventures.

Keep reading to learn all about how you can cook using a Dutch oven during your next camping trip.

What You’ll Need

Before getting to how you can cook, let’s start with all the things you need to cook using a Dutch oven. You’ll need the following:

• Bag of charcoal
• Charcoal holder
• Charcoal chimney
• Heat-resistant gloves
• Serving stand/Kickstand
• Lid opener
• Utensils (spoons, tongs, spatula, etc.)

The Heating Source

The Dutch oven doesn’t need fuel or an electrical outlet to work. Instead, the best way to heat it up and prepare it for cooking is to use charcoal. You can also use it over an open campfire or wooden embers; however, charcoal is the easiest to use and will give you a delicious smoky flavor.

Using the Charcoal Chimney

When using charcoal, you first need to light it up and heat it properly before placing it near your Dutch oven. You can take CampMaid’s collapsible charcoal chimney with you, place the coal inside it, and light it up. Once the charcoal is properly heated, wear your gloves and begin transferring the charcoal using tongs.

 

Placing the Coal

You need to place the charcoal near the Dutch oven (kept on the kickstand) to supply heat to it. The best way to do it is to place it in a charcoal holder with adjustable heat settings. The holder will go under the oven and heat it up slowly. If you want to increase the heat, you can also place some charcoal on the lid.

Maintaining the Heat

A Dutch oven is made of cast iron which can reach and retain high temperatures. However, you still have to account for external factors such as wind. You can make a rock shelter around the Dutch oven to protect the fire from the wind. Consider replacing the charcoal if your cooking time is over 30 minutes.

Cooking Evenly

Since the cast iron Dutch oven heats up evenly, you don’t have to do much to ensure that the food is cooked evenly. If needed, you can rotate the lid using the lid opener or the oven using its handle every 15 minutes to make sure that heat reaches all parts of your food properly.

Get the Best Dutch Oven Sets Online at CampMaid

At CampMaid, you’ll find the best-sized Dutch oven for camping, along with all the necessary cast-iron accessories. These include collapsible charcoal chimneys, portable charcoal grills, charcoal holders, heat-resistant gloves, kickstands, and lid lifters. You can order these products separately or simply get complete Dutch oven sets to cook the perfect meal outdoors.  

You can also check out CampMaid’s amazing recipes of all the food you can cook in a Dutch oven. Start by following us on our Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube channel to learn how to use CampMaid equipment.

Contact us to place an order today!

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