Cooking with Aluminum Ovens - Lone Star Dutch Oven Society

Recently, I acquired a set of aluminum Dutch ovens from Scott Manufacturing. Included in the set were a 12-inch Dutch oven, a 10-inch Dutch oven, one three-legged grille, and one set of lid pliers. The 10-inch oven has no legs, so it must be set on the grille to cook over coals. This is done so the entire set will nest together. You place the pliers and the grille inside the 10-inch oven and then place it inside the 12-inch oven.

The first impression on opening the box is; this oven is light. Then you realize the 10-inch pot and the accessories are all inside the 12-inch pot. Even packed like this, the 12 inch oven is still noticeably lighter than a cast iron oven. Inspection showed the castings are clean with very slight dimples over the legs on the 12-inch pot. The lid for the 10-inch oven rocked a little but a short session with valve grinding compound cured this. For some one with physical limitations the light weight would be very handy. This would also be nice if you were camping and had restrictions on the weight you could carry. It becomes apparent why river rafters and horseback campers or even backpack campers would like the aluminum ovens.

Since receiving these ovens, I have used them to cook a number of different meals. I have taken some care to use them just as I would cast iron ovens. In all cases, they have performed very well. I have cooked a number of main dishes in the 12-inch pot. I have mostly used the 10-inch oven to bake quick bread or to make desserts. (One night I put a cobbler in it and baked it in my kitchen oven. It worked to perfection.) These ovens take about the same number of coals as cast iron ovens to achieve temperature and do not seem to create noticeable hot spots. The one difference I have noted is that these pots do cool off more rapidly than an iron pot. You will have to allow for this to keep foods warm until ready to serve. However, you could use this to your advantage if preparing items that needed to cool more quickly.

As an acid test, the first thing I cooked in the 12-inch pot was a batch of biscuits. I figured if I didn't burn the biscuits, then everything would be OK. I rolled out biscuits, flipped them in a little oil and placed them right in the bottom of the oven. Using the Dinwiddie Ring method, I put one ring under the oven and 1 and 1/2 rings on top. Starting with a cool oven, in about 25 minutes I had beautiful golden brown biscuits. When I took them out of the oven, the bottoms were also as nicely colored as the tops. Needless to say, I was impressed.

On another occasion, I cooked a three-item meal in the two pots. I cooked carne guisada in the main oven and pan de campo in the 10-inch oven. After these two items were cooked, I dumped a peach cobbler into the 10-inch oven and used the remaining coals to cook it while consuming the main dish. All three dishes cooked well and had good flavor.

In summary, I would have to say the light weight is very handy and the pots cook well. You may have to adjust for the way they cool down but this can be to your advantage. It is definitely worth adding the lightweight pots to your collection. They pack easily and using them will make you a more confident cook.

Created May, 1999

Updated Oct, 2004

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