When using charcoal to heat a dutch oven remember the +2 and -2 rule. Take the diameter of the dutch oven and put -2 the bottom and +2 on the lid.

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Originally posted by bobmn:
When using charcoal to heat a dutch oven remember the +2 and -2 rule. Take the diameter of the dutch oven and put -2 the bottom and +2 on the lid.

I realize that this is an old thread (just came accross it).

I would change the above a bit (just my opinion).

For cobler and breads, I would put 75% on the lid and the 25% on the bottom.

For the meats/stews.... I would reverse it.


These posts have me ready to break out my dutch ovens!

Since the COVID 19 fiasco, I've been organizing and cataloging all of my dutch ovens and other outdoor cooking items/accessories, and man, I didn't realize how much I had. Then, just the other day, I was cleaning out a top cabinet in my garage and found another brand new dutch oven that I've had for years!

I haven't used mine in ages, haven't been camping either. I used to attend a dutch oven cooking competition that was truly a wonder to experience as the contestants did marvelous things in dutch oven cooking. Perhaps they still occur but I haven't seen any. Of course with this current Chinese malady, one can't expect to see any normalcy for a while.

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I used to attend a dutch oven cooking competition that was truly a wonder to experience as the contestants did marvelous things in dutch oven cooking. Perhaps they still occur but I haven't seen any.

I think that they do, but not sure now with the COVID. Utah used to have many of them, especially in Logan, Utah. Dick Michaud used to chair the competitions, and I recall belonging to the International Dutch Oven Society for many years, also headed up by Michaud. I also remember being a Boy Scout Wood Badge Course Director years ago, and at the end of the week long adult training course, we had a tradition for the course participants that we called "The Feast". Everything was cooked by the course participants for the everyone at the course in dutch ovens-from appetizers to dessert. From exotic dishes to the time tested favorites. My mouth now waters recalling that!

some of those guys could REALLY perform in the cookoffs. You're right, makes my mouth water in remembrance. I hate to even bring up the Boy Scouts now that this other crap has been brought up. Hell, we never had any of this when I was a scout + we had strong solid men who were deacons in our church + WW2 veterans + there was NO misconduct. I must add that these men as Navy vets taught us a lot of real-world knowledge. Some archaic + some current. I haven't needed to use semaphore or Morse code but I still have a great knowledge of knots + how to build a survival site in the snow. As I said, these scoutmasters were the real deal + I feel very fortunate to have had that experience as a young man.

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As I said, these scoutmasters were the real deal + I feel very fortunate to have had that experience as a young man.

Yep. We had good leaders and 24 out of 25 boys in our troop earned their eagle scout award. I lived, breathed and ate scouting as a youth. Dutch oven cooking and camping was a big part of it.

It’s ironic that Logan Utah was mentioned as I am currently
living there/here as of a few months back.

I finally broke out a few of our Dutch ovens a few weeks back.
I have experimented with huckleberry cobbler. We picked a bunch
last year up in Idaho. Anyway, my wife mixed a large amount of
them with a yellow cake mix. The cobbler turned out great and I like
better than the peach.

I think I’ll make pot roast this weekend....

It's hard to beat a Dutch oven cobbler! And I swear that when doing a pot roast or stew, etc. There is nothing like the taste of the biscuits cooked on the lid. Damn, I can taste it now. Heaven is not just memories but tastes + smells as well!

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I have experimented with huckleberry cobbler.

Back in the day, Logan was one of the Dutch Oven capitals. I have had huckleberry pie from picking huckleberries from the north side of Mount St. Helens outside the 'red zone', all back in the day when I was in law school and after the mountain had blown a few months earlier. Huckleberries are the best! I can just imagine huckleberry cobbler! Logan is a favorite place of mine (I grew up in Orem) for fly fishing the Blacksmith's Fork, and for Hardware Ranch. It's one cold place in the Winter!

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Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:

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I have experimented with huckleberry cobbler.

Back in the day, Logan was one of the Dutch Oven capitals. I have had huckleberry pie from picking huckleberries from the north side of Mount St. Helens outside the 'red zone', all back in the day when I was in law school and after the mountain had blown a few months earlier. Huckleberries are the best! I can just imagine huckleberry cobbler! Logan is a favorite place of mine (I grew up in Orem) for fly fishing the Blacksmith's Fork, and for Hardware Ranch. It's one cold place in the Winter!

Logan is great, as is the entire valley. Unfortunately, so many others have found it as well.

I grew up fishing the Blacksmith Fork river. Great times for sure.....

I gave my wife a dutch oven last night
Had bad gas after too many onions.

For anyone interested, I found a set of 3 aluminum "Caldero"s at walmart for a little over $20 that were small and light enough for camping. Didn't get them because like most people here I already have too many dutch ovens and my favorite camping one is a pyrex one I bought at a second hand shop. However I was impressed with the lightness and quality of these for the price and also you get 3 sizes to figure out which is best for 1/2/3 person meals. The knob would need to be replaced but you can weld or buy a small threaded lifting ring and have a nice pot if you don't mind them being aluminum.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Imu...et-with-Lid/10730251

Funny that that cookware comes out of Columbia. I cook only with cast iron, mainly old Lodge, but about a year ago, I was shopping at Macy's for a gift for Mama, and as I was walking by housewares I saw they had a nice 12" cast iron skillet on sale for $19. It is Victoria brand from Columbia and I hate to admit it, but the quality and smoothness of the casting was far superior to the current Lodge products and after seasoning once, it has become my favorite pan! I liked it so much that I ordered a 10" version off Amazon. A very good product that is on the level with the old Lodge products from forty or more years ago. I need to get a good iron Dutch Oven for outdoor cooking soon. Question: for campfire use is the one with short legs any better than the flat bottom versions?

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I need to get a good iron Dutch Oven for outdoor cooking soon. Question: for campfire use is the one with short legs any better than the flat bottom versions?

The ones with the legs are nice because they set a little above the coals as they cook and also stay more level as the coals subside.

Our bowhunting group has a dutchoven cooking contest every year during our annual rendezvous. It's a lot of fun.

Not just Dutch ovens but I got most of my grandmothers cast iron cook wear when I moved out of my folks house many years ago. The saying; "they don't make it like they used to" is never so true as old cast iron cook wear. I've never seen anything made now that compares with it.