Dutch Oven on a Butane camp stove?

[Weesparky]

Anybody have experience using a dutch oven on a camp stove? If so, what type/style would work best for a single burner butane stove?

I've been "living" in my bedroom using the gear I purchased for my van to find out what else I want to include. I have a fridge/freezer combo, and the freezer space has plenty of room for frozen food, but I usually lean towards frozen foods that require baking. Not sure if I want to upgrade to a camp stove with oven, small electric oven (huge power hog),  or go with a collapsible solar over and only bake when boondocking.

I miss my pizza rolls and frozen burritos.

 

[WanderingRose]

My first concern would be the potential for a heavy Dutch oven to unbalance and tip over on a one burner butane stove, spilling the contents and possibly causing a fire.

If you used it outdoors, that would seem safer, to me.

There are Dutch Ovens out there of all sizes, and a size proportionate to your burner would be important.

A heat diffuser would help distribute burner heat along the bottom, particularly helpful if you are “baking” in it.

https://www.runnings.com/camp-chef-heat-diffuser-plate-for-dutch-ovens.html?v=2019.09.03

You could also learn to bake in a cast iron Dutch Oven using charcoal.

 

[XERTYX]

I use a butane stove primarily and as often as I can my modified outdoor grill/smoker.

I havent used a dutch oven with my butane stove just because I dont think I could bake very well with it as there wouldnt be any heat on top only on the bottom. I have used a pressure cooker on my stove and it works well but if I had it to do over again I would buy a smaller pressure cooker.

In regards to pizza rolls, frozen burritos, frozen pizzas, hot pockets, etc they can all be cooked in a skillet with a little butter or olive oil. The bacon flavor pizza rolls are FANTASTIC if you save a little bacon fat and fry them in that.

Idk where you are located but where I am kroger is a popular grocery chain. They sell frozen "3 minute" pizzas. They're pretty small pizzas and what I do with those is to pour a little olive oil into my smallest copper clad skillet and a little black pepper and maybe some chili paste and put the thawed pizza in with a lid and swirl it around from time to time and keep an eye on the bottom crust.

It makes a nice buttery crisp crust and the spices bam the flavor up a notch of that cheap $1 pizza crust and the lid makes sure the steam melts the cheese. No oven necessary.

I do things much the same for hot pockets burritos etc. I'd save the dutch oven for the campfire or grill to make biscuits. Especially as its gonna take a while to preheat the dutch oven and I have more wood than I can use already.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Note to self:

Camp near XERTYX.

 

[highdesertranger]

like XERTYX said how do you plan on getting heat from the top? also be very careful about the Dutch Oven overhanging the butane cartridge. highdesertranger

 

[B and C]

There are two types of dutch ovens, those with legs and those without. Those with legs are meant to be used in a campfire so coals can be placed underneath and on top for even cooking. The flat bottom dutch oven is meant to start on the cooktop and then transfer to the oven for finishing.

You would be better served with a large cast iron skillet with a trivet inside and a lid. The trivet is to hold your food up off the hot bottom. This turns the skillet with a lid into an oven as there is air circulation all around whatever it is that you are baking. You would then have a skillet to cook in. One item, double duty.

 

[tx2sturgis]

I never knew the name for that metal rack...trivet....ok.

I made my own for my dutch oven, I already had some.... 'holey metal'....

Works good!

 

[Almost There]

If you really want to stick to those food items that need baking then IMO, the best way to go is with a 2 burner propane stove and the Coleman folding oven.

The oven is too big to be used safely on top of the one burner butane stove, not because of tipping but because the oven would overhang the canister area creating a heat/explosion risk.

The problem I've found with baking in the Coleman oven is that when faced with anything higher than a soft breeze and/or temps below 60 that it is very difficult to get the oven up to temperature and then keep it there.

There are round ovens that would fit on the butane stove but I've only ever seen older versions, not sure if they're still available.

Also keep in mind the cost effectiveness of using an oven on the top of the butane stove - a 45 minute bake time would suck up butane like crazy. Cost is one reason I keep the butane stove for cooking inside and the propane for outdoor cooking.

 

[B and C]

That is why the cast iron frying pan method I described works so well. It retains the heat more like an oven than thin metal.

 

[VanFan]

Good points, all.  I've used a baby dutch oven stove top on a stable two burner propane, but 1) it takes too long to heat up; and 2) no top heat.  It has not earned a place on the island.  Cast iron skillet is much more versatile!

A little off topic:  I am experimenting with using a mini-roaster (electric).  Last night I roasted a chicken breast and baked small yellow potatoes.  Very tasty and easy!  Lately, we've been in developed sites with electric and I'd rather use that than our fuel.  Ye 'ole electric skillet has been a star, but not for baking.  (It's hard to believe I laughed my tail off the first time I saw an "electric" camp site!)

 

[B and C]

Electric skillet should do ok for baking if your food is raised above the bottom. Even wadded up tin foil works as a trivet.

 

[bonvanroulez]

You would be better served with a large cast iron skillet with a trivet inside and a lid.  The trivet is to hold your food up off the hot bottom.  This turns the skillet with a lid into an oven as there is air circulation all around whatever it is that you are baking.  You would then have a skillet to cook in.  One item, double duty.

I use the exact setup with great success. I ordered this Lodge meat rack/trivet:
 https://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L8DOT3-Meat-Rack-Trivet/dp/B001FSJOGW
and use it in my cast iron skillet with a lid. I wrap the trivet in aluminum foil and bake biscuits on it. Use it just like that to heat frozen burritos. I have cooked pot pies in it. I have a round cake tin which I cut down the top lip so there would be plenty of air space above it; I use it to bake cornbreads and cake mixes.

I have heard of using another iron skillet inverted as a lid. I would like to try this sometime, I think it would capture more heat and have better air circulation.

The only caution is that the heat for baking against a dry skillet will scorch away any seasoning, so the skillet I bake in is dedicated to that use.

 

[B and C]

As it starts to cool, add some oil and swirl around. A paper towel folded several times to spread the oil where it needs to go. No need to lose all the seasoning.

 

[VanFan]

Electric skillet should do ok for baking if your food is raised above the bottom.  Even wadded up tin foil works as a trivet.

I thought so, too, but the lid is pretty thin and my tests didn't go as well as I'd hoped.  The 'lil roaster has a thin lid, too, but also thick side walls that hold heat in about a 1" space .  I'd rather not carry both (in addition to the stove and skillet), so more experiments are in order.  With either one, I can cook a few things at once by subdividing the skillet with foil walls or using foil pans, small casseroles or squat canning jars sitting on their lids.  I'm getting spoiled!

 

[XERTYX]

Note to self:

Camp near XERTYX.

Haha thanks. 

I love to cook with wood. So I have lots and lots of it. Full disclosure ; I cheat and start my smoker with charcoal. But just a few lumps to start the kindling. I've thought of doing a review on the grill I use. Maybe I'll post that. With my modifications I can use charcoal, wood, or propane. I can grill, smoke, or bake with it. Not bad for $69.

 

[maki2]

Pizza rolls and frozen burritos. Getting them ready to eat does not require a dutch oven, a propane oven or doing any kind of a baking operation. Yes you can buy and enjoy them but you just need to break out of thinking that they must specifically be prepared according to the directions on the box where you take them out of the freezer and put them into an oven. You don't have to do it that way.

You can cook them in a much shorter amount of time by doing the following.
First thaw them out, do not try to cook them from the frozen state. If you start cooking them when frozen you will be wasting a lot of fuel. Butane fuel is somewhat costly and not always easy to come by.

Once they are completely thawed just use a skillet. Essentially all you need to do after they are thawed is turn them several times until heated through and the outside made a bit brown. No dutch over is needed, no baking is needed, fuel use is minimal, prep time is minimal.

 

[WalkaboutTed]

I also use my dutch oven with legs on my rv stove-it fits in perfectly level. Wish it wasn't so bloody heavy.

 

[eDJ_]

If you have a cast iron skillet with a domed cast iron lid it can serve as a Dutch Oven in numerous ways.  

In the Oven at home (if you have such)

or on the road with a folding Dutch Oven stand 

[img=300x175]https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91MDUBV88ZS.png[/img]

under the skillet if cooking in a camp fire with a Wok ring inverted over the cast iron lid

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For one or two people, a set up like this (with a used Wok ring & folding Dutch Oven stand) could extend the range of a cast iron skillet & lid
to be a lighter Dutch Oven outfit.   I often see Wok rings in flea markets and you can buy or make a stand.

Such a skillet & lid could be light enough to work with a butane burner provided it isn't a light weight "hiker's stove". 

A chart for the number of charcoal briquettes or coals to use below and above the DO to approximate baking temps. 

[img=500x700]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/77/1f/df/771fdf32941a28bb4b739f8d73d5fe7d.jpg[/img]

 

[ColdBrook]

I use cast iron on my butane stove all the time.  Biggest concern is it states on the butane stove pots can't be bigger than 8 inches in diameter. A bigger size can cause the butane container to overheat and explode.  So I got myself a smaller dutch oven.  I also have a little cast iron griddle I use on it too.  Everything will work fine as long as you don't get a bigger diameter pan.