Dec 16, 2015 - Elaine
Very informative & had a lot of details I really hadnt thought of-but that's why i wanted to look up how to
buy a dutch oven, what features to look for & pros & cons of the 2 different types. Thanks so much. Im
not going camping with mine but i do have friends who do & will tell them about this site.
Jan 03, 2016 - LeAnn
Can an aluminum dutch oven be used for baking bread in a conventional oven at 450 degrees?
Thanks
Jan 14, 2016 - Dutch Oven Dude
@LeAnn - Yes, a dutch oven can be used inside a conventional
oven for pretty much any baking recipe.
Jan 15, 2016 - EthanAlpha
With our Boy Scout troop I have used our six cast iron Dutch ovens for years. They prepare all
the meals that we ask and the results are five star if the Scouts pay attention to the correct
temperature--they do and it's not hard. The only downside is weight--they don't go on our
treks. There is also a friendly ambiance with these Dutch ovens--sort of like a campfire. If you
want to go "old time" with excellent culinary results, cast iron DO are a way. That said, I have
no aluminum DO experience.
Feb 14, 2016 - Jim McKee
did you ever backpack with aluminum dutch oven and if so what did you cook?
Feb 24, 2016 - Jenn
I'm trying to make short ribs and the
recipe calls for 3 hours at 350 in the
oven in a Dutch oven. The Dutch oven I
have is aluminum. Do you think this will
change the cooking time?
Feb 24, 2016 - Dutch Oven Dude
@Jenn - No, it will be just the same time and temp.
Jun 07, 2016 - kim
The main issue I have against aluminum is the pitting that
results from high acid foods, particularly tomatoes. That
pitting means that aluminum is leaching into the food. If you
never use high acid foods, I imagine aluminum would be fine,
but we use a lot of tomatoes, tomato sauce, and so on, so we
stick with cast iron.
Aug 19, 2016 - D Robinson
I own and use both aluminum and cast iron DOs, our scout troop has back packed with the aluminum Do, one hiker carries the pot and some food another carries the lid and more food. we have cooked everything from pancakes to pot roast, you just have to prepare and plan ahead. Highly acidic foods have the same effect on cast iron as aluminum, it erodes the metal and on cast iron it also eats away the seasoning you try so hard to protect. I have an aluminum Do that is almost 15 years old and it shows no sign of pitting on the inside as I try to maintain a good seasoning finish on the inside and have cooked maybe a hundred gallons of tomatoes and tomato products in it with no noticeable damage or pitting. Acidic foods should be cooked rapidly and removed from the DO as soon as possible after cooking to minimalize the acidic effects on your pots. Cook anything and everything in a Dutch Oven, they can take it if you can make it.
Aug 30, 2016 - M Sanders
Cast iron and aluminum dutch ovens both work very well. As a
former river guide in the Pacific Northwest, I primarily used
aluminum ovens and the anodized aluminum ones seemed to work
the best. No seasoning required and anodized aluminum has
non-stick properties which made clean up a bit easier. The
reason we used aluminum was we were constantly operating in a
very wet environment and weight was at a premium. We also
saved time with washing and seasoning. Cast iron would rust
immediately in this environment. We did have to be careful
with wind however as the aluminum ovens seemed to cool off
faster in a breeze. On windy days we tried to set up near
high rocks or other features to block wind as our ovens were
often stacked 3 high to feed everyone.
Oct 06, 2016 - Joe
Has anyone used turkey roasting bags in a DO? I assume they can
handle the temperature but do they end up sticking to the seasoned
surface or anything? Seems like they might be a way to avoid
tomato based recipes from contacting the actual surface and cause
pitting while also making clean up easier?
Oct 06, 2016 - Dutch Oven Dude
@Joe - I'd never take the chance on the possibility of melting
the bag onto a hot spot of my dutch oven.
Oct 08, 2016 - Joe
Thanks Dude. I just made my first ever DO meal and it turned out
pretty good (not perfect but hey it was my first time so I'll take it).
And cleaning it up afterward wasn't nearly as hard as I was afraid it
might be, even with a little bit of burn from a hot spot. But now that
it's clean, I can't wait to get it dirty again! Love your site. Thx again.
Nov 07, 2016 - John Karnes
on Amazon, search for "dutch oven foil liners" - just got back
from a trip using these and they are fantastic - a little
pricey for what they are, but you can't beat the easy cleanup.
Also eliminates any concern over the seasoning and acidic
foods. Obviously if you are trying to minimize trash these may
not be for you, but it is hard to beat pulling the liner out,
folding it up into something about the size of a crushed soda
can, and being completely done with cleanup...
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