Aussie Camp Oven

[tombear]

As I've failed to find a dealer in the UK a mate in Adelaide (where they are made) is sourcing me a

Small Aussie camp Oven

http://www.southern-metal-spinners.com.au/camping-page.html

I want something lighter and more robust than a cast dutch oven (either iron or Alu'). I've heard these spun steel ones are a bit trickier to use but that with a bit of practice they produce just as good results. Herself Amazonned me a copy of Jack and Reg Absaloms " Outback cooking in the camp oven" which is quite good at first glance.

Does anyone have any experiance with this type? I'll make myself a pair of short/light/bushy lifters and will see how well my U-diggit handles moving coals/ashes before I cobble something together for that task.

ATB

Tom

 

[anthonyyy]

I like the "camp oven mate" .

 

[tombear]

My Mate down under has got me one and its going in the post about now. Unfortunately due to the weight its coming surface so it will be a while before I get to play with it.

I thought about getting the Oven Mate but fianances ain't up to it and it looks quite a simple design to copy. Anyway it's for use with a fire I really want the thing for.

ATB

Tom

 

[ilan]

Take on old gas bottle 11 kg size fill it with water then cut the top off at the shouler remove the valve shield then the valve and block up the hole . with the bottom bolt or wield on three little legs and you now have a dutch oven (Putting the lid on inverted means you now have a little tray for some wood coals and the feet allow a good layer of coals underneath . ilan

 

[Ogri the trog]

Good suggestion Ilan,
I was going to say, try using something like a stainless steel trangia cooking pot or even a bog standard cake tin with a cover to see how that performs without breaking the bank.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[tombear]

Well after a long wait as the junk headed north from Oz the Camp Oven arrived just now and although I haven't had a chance to even degrease it or season it I must say that I am very impressed with it, especially the solidity of construction.

It weighs a good 6 pounds, inside dimensions are 9 inches diameter and 5 inches deep. Thats the small size so I'm glad I didn't order the large after all.

When my mate sourced it for me from the manufacturer (yup it was actually made in Oz, which suprised me) they told him that they were not being produced at the moment but a new version would be out soon. That wasback in July.

Does any kind soul feel like putting up a couple of pics for me?

ATB

Tom

 

[tombear]

Well, I've just had a e from my mate in Adelaide and that nice man has posted me one of the jumbo sized ovens! It was going to be a suprise Christmass present but despite sending it surface months ago he thinks it may arrive in the new year. Not that I'm fussed its a great prezzie whenever it arrives.

Pics and review when it arrives.

ATB

Tom

 

[tombear]

Much to my delight the jumbo oven has arrived despite only being posted on the 24th of November supposedly by sea! They must have bumped it up to air despite the 12.5 lb weight.

Its big, very big and as bomb proof as you could want. Inside dimensions are 14.5 inches diameter by 7 and a bit so how many pints would that hold?

Anyroad its big and shiny and lovely, and I can't wait to use it. It cost me mate 70 Oz dollars and 72 more to post to the UK .

Pics when I have them shrunk to fit.

I now need a 14inch wide trivet.

ATB

Tom

 

[tombear]

Big isn't it?

 

[tombear]

Just had a thought, until I can find something more robust I do believe if I invert a 14" pizza tray (with those holes in rhe bottom to crisp the base) that would do the job.

Damn but its big! It's encouraging me to think about using it for roasting really big lumps of meat and there will still be loads of space for veggies...

Its a real bugger theres 6 inches of soggy snow out there today...

Tom :-{D)

 

[Tony]

Looks like some good kit, don't let the snow stop you

 

[tombear]

If it had been decent snow I would have gone for it as with the schools closed I had 3 willing minions to dig, chop and keep the fire stoked up but its been sleeting half the day and it wasn't at all pleasant, all slushy!

First thing to do is clean of the packing oil and get it seasoned. I still need a case for the 9 inch job.

ATB

Tom

 

[tombear]

Should anyone else in the UK have a 14 inch job I discovered a Morrisons Double Coat Non-stick Crispy Bake Pizza Platter is a perfect fit (inverted to make a trivet) at 13 1/4" nominal diameter. If in use there isn't enough of a air gap or too few holes It will be easy enough to modify and I supose if the mood ever strikes I can always use it actually do a pizza on if I use a few rocks to lift it up....

ATB

Tom

 

[Toddy]

NIce kit, hope you enjoy a lot of meals out of it.

I've forgotten inches though, I couldn't work out how big it was until the photo with the Mora
That is big

cheers,
Toddy

 

[tombear]

The wife says I'm compensating for something ...

I probably won't be using it much until Easter and we start doing family stuff as its a tad big for owt else.

It's shame no one imports them into the UK or makes them here as I'm sure they would prove popular with groups.

I'm toying with liberating some of the kids Meccanno and working out a way of cooking 3 or 4 layers at once...

ATB

Tom

 

[tombear]

Since I failed to find what I wanted with regards to something to shovel coals and ash about I blew a whole two quid on a cheep and cheerful hearth shovel and cobbled together a handle from a piece of hawthorn I'd had laying about since 1990.

As you can see I didn't go mad on the finish as is my usual want but it should do! The T handle is just pegged on and will make it a bit easier to use.

ATB

Tom

 

[helixpteron]

Love that cookware, excellent kit, well worth the wait.

Nicely made handle on the spade {I could have said shovel, but I'll call a spade a spade (o:}

 

[tombear]

Cheers! I was working for the Newcastle Countryside Project near Stoke at the time and we were cleaning up after a hedging competion so there was lots of hawthorn and blackthorn laying about. I had a mate who was a goth and since he was into the whole Buffy vampire thing in a idol moment I carved him his very own steak as a joke. So underneath that shovel is a big pointy thing! Oddly enough it was almost a perfect fit and just needed pegging on and a bit of scraping to finish.

ATB

Tom

 

[tombear]

Since I am on a snow day I actualy got a bit of pottering in and made up the shelf for inside the 15 incher so I can do two trays of biscuits, pizza or anything else that doesn't rise more than 2 or 3 inches. Ok its a bit rough and ready but what the hay!? I was going to fit handles each side for lifting but it turned out with the air gap I wanted around the edgs if you shove it to one side you can easily get a gloved hand in so I left it as is.

Roll on a chance of using it. Unlike the smaller one theres plenty of space for storing materials inside. I'll have to find the biggest plastic mixing bowl that will fit inside (maybe a round washing up bowl?) to go with.

All the best

Tom

 

[tombear]

On the days with decent weather the lads and I have been learning to use the beeeg Aussie camp oven. So far we have been baking but we are steeling ourself to roast a lump of pork and some veg with it.

So far I'm dead impressed with it. I need to make a case for it as now its been oiled and heated up a few times it sweats grease a bit no matter how often I buff it up with a rag.

The kids love them anyway!

ATB

Tom