Can I use this dutch oven on a grill or camp fire?

Can I use this dutch oven on a grill or camp fire? - Couple Sitting on Ground Beside Bonfire with Marshmallows

I have a six quart cast iron, enameled dutch oven from Lodge and a power outage likely to last a few days. The dutch oven looks like this and has one of the oven safe knobs on top:

yum yum

The black out looks like this:

eek

Can I use an enameled cast iron dutch oven on either a charcoal grill, or better, a camp fire without worrying that the grates on the grill or the wood of the fire will scratch, crack, or otherwise damage the enamel?



Best Answer

If you get an enameled cast iron pot too hot, you can soften the enamel enough to damage it. My brother ruined one when we were younger on an electric stove, set on high (was making ramen, forgot about it, turned off the stove after the water had boiled off, when it cooled it fused to the burner)

The thing about camp fires is that they burn at different temperatures depending on the fuel and how much air's getting into it.

As you're using a dutch oven, I assume that you're doing something that requires low and slow cooking ... so you should be okay. If I were doing this, I'd try to pay attention to the fire (put the palm of your hand near the coals -- if you can't keep it there for a few seconds, it's too hot; move it somewhere else). And make sure that you have enough liquid in there that it won't risk going dry. If necessary, you can make a flour & water dough to use to seal the lip of the pan shut, so steam can't escape.

I'd also soap the bottom of the pot -- take a liquid dish soap, and rub the bottom and lower edges of the outside, so that when soot starts to deposit, it's depositing on the layer of soap, and not the pot itself. (it makes cleaning so much easier).

I'd also beware of grills for another reason -- many manufacturers are making lighter weight grill parts to save materials (so it costs them less to make). Many are so thin that I doubt they'd take the weight of a heavy cast iron pot. (I've broken one using a cast iron griddle)

It's also worth mentioning that what you have isn't quite ideal for campfire cooking, as it doesn't have the little legs to stand if off the ground a little bit, or the lip on top so that you can put coals on top, but be able to lift the lid without the ashes falling in your food. You can get around problem #1 with the grate, and might able to do something about #2 with some creative use of aluminum foil.




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Can I use this dutch oven on a grill or camp fire? - Cheerful ethnic woman switching stove before cooking



Quick Answer about "Can I use this dutch oven on a grill or camp fire?"

The camp dutch oven is arguably the best and most versatile dutch oven for outdoor cooking. It can withstand the high heat of being placed directly in or over the campfire, in hot coals, on the grill, or on a propane camp stove.

Can I put my Dutch oven on the grill?

Exciting news for campers: Dutch ovens don't need to stay on the stovetop or in the oven. Almost all Dutch ovens can cook on a grill top or directly over a flame.

Can you use a regular Dutch oven on a campfire?

Using a Dutch oven on a camp stove If you just want to use your Dutch oven as a pot, you will most likely be able to use it on any standard two-burner camp stove. Most camp stoves have an elevated grate, which will allow the legs of the Dutch oven to hang down.

Can you use a Dutch oven on a camp stove?

When you are making Dutch oven camping recipes, you can cook directly over a camp stove or a campfire flame, cook with coals from a campfire or for more precise temperature control, use charcoal briquettes. Today our camping Dutch oven tips will focus on coal placement as the heat source.

Can you use enameled cast iron on a camp fire?

Enameled cast iron It also has temperature limitations: it's not recommended for use over open fire (while standard cast-iron is a campfire classic), heating one while empty can crack or damage the enamel, and temperature recommendations for oven use are mixed from brand to brand.



Dutch Oven Basics for Beginners




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