Dutch Oveners: Tips, advice for beginners to experienced

AirForceAngler wrote:
I have two DOs in my TT. For cooking on the ground, years ago I purchased a couple of the cheap, disposable grills from Wal-Mart. These came with a nice, thin metal base that I now use to hold the charcoal under my DO. The grills are about 14" in diameter or so, come with a small package of match-light type charcoal and have flimsy legs. I just threw away everything but the metal base and it makes a great cooking platform to keep charcoal off of the ground. I also have a campfire tripod but havne't used it yet.

Those are often the best set-ups; creative, cheap, and effective.

I have two DOs in my TT. For cooking on the ground, years ago I purchased a couple of the cheap, disposable grills from Wal-Mart. These came with a nice, thin metal base that I now use to hold the charcoal under my DO. The grills are about 14" in diameter or so, come with a small package of match-light type charcoal and have flimsy legs. I just threw away everything but the metal base and it makes a great cooking platform to keep charcoal off of the ground. I also have a campfire tripod but havne't used it yet.

They were Camping World closeouts, new in the box. I also bought 3 Cobbs, for similar price. They will be gifts for the kids.

I just got all the accessories for them, so they will have the complete "kitchen in a bag." I also bought one a little cheaper, because it didn't have the box, and one foot was missing.

Two Brothers Grillin' managed to get me a foot for it, so it is a new grill without the box.

I will not get accessories for that, since I have them for the one I use regularly. This way, I can have a couple of different things going at once if we have more people, or want to cook a couple of things that need to be cooked a little differently using a different accessories.

An example would be bacon and eggs in the fry pan of one, while baking biscuits in the other.

I also am in the market for a volcano, and like magnusfide all around the $120 range. Tell us where to get one for $49. Please!

Terry, you must be near a great place for discounts. I've yet to see a Volcano for less than $120. Good for you!

Last fall we purchased 2 Volcano IIs for $49 apiece. I am anxious to try them out with Dutch ovens. They should work fine right on the picnic table.

swtgran wrote:
Magnusfide, do you use your Dutch ovens on the ground, a Dutch oven table, or a Volcano grill? terry r.

In warm weather, Terry, I just put them in the firepit. In cold weather I've started using my Weber Jumbo Joe with the lid on. If there's no pit I'll probably use the Joe without the lid in warm weather. We really don't have enough room for a table. I wish we did because I like the working height of those.

Magnusfide, do you use your Dutch ovens on the ground, a Dutch oven table, or a Volcano grill? terry r.

SWMO wrote:
That's true. We often make cobbler in a DO here at the house during the summer. Beats turning the oven on. If you use a charcoal grill, we have a kettle, you can pull the grill and put the DO on the briquette grill and use the coals. We always have enough coals left for cobbler.
Another thing we sometimes do is cook baked beans in the same way. When they are done we remove them, they will stay hot, and put the grill on and cook the burgers or whatever meat we are having on the coals.

We're pretty much the same. Those DOs get used at every opportunity.

That's true. We often make cobbler in a DO here at the house during the summer. Beats turning the oven on. If you use a charcoal grill, we have a kettle, you can pull the grill and put the DO on the briquette grill and use the coals. We always have enough coals left for cobbler.
Another thing we sometimes do is cook baked beans in the same way. When they are done we remove them, they will stay hot, and put the grill on and cook the burgers or whatever meat we are having on the coals.