Dutch Oven Alternative?

[Chambers]

After looking about for a Dutch Oven in the shops (I didnt hold out much hope) Ive come across these at Tesco's

http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.204-1923.aspx

I thought they would be okay if I attached a chain to the handles

Does anyone have any experience of them?

 

[drewdunnrespect]

looks okay to me but i am no expert

 

[tommy the cat]

I guess youve looked in Ronnie Sunshines/
d

 

[Broch]

It depends how you want to use it. A Dutch Oven lid has a lip around it so that you can put hot coals on top as well as underneath (improves the oven like characteristics for baking etc.). If you did that with a normal casserole you'd end up with ash in the pot. If all you want is a big pot to cook stews and stuff in you don't necessarily need a dutch oven and there are suitable pots out there a lot cheaper than £35 but it won't be easy to really slow cook in them.

Having used a Dutch Oven for 3 weeks in Namibia in summer I wouldn't compromise; get the real thing!

Cheers,

Broch

 

[Shewie]

You could pick up a proper dutchie for that money so can't really see the point of modding the Tesco pot ....

http://www.dutchovens.co.uk/dutch-ovens.html?gclid=CJDfsp7qo6YCFcxO4QodkjVMZQ

 

[Chambers]

Its more the convenience thing also, I will also buy a Dutch eventually.

Ive just been out and picked one up and it seems fair enough and will pretty much just be used for stews etc. Should be ideal for use with the Scouts

 

[rik_uk3]

Cast iron is nice, its not the best conductor of heat but its OK although obviously heavy and comparatively high matainance.

Pots like this set will do a grand job, leave money in the bank and you can mod the handles with chain or wire if you want. Lighter weight, easy to clean, spread the heat, work well so whats not to like.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-SET-LARGE...1?pt=UK_BOI_Restaurant_RL&hash=item3f06144d37

I used similar to bake bread in on a bed of hot embers, hot coals on top, work just fine. Keep a look out on ebay, sets like this go for under £40 usually.

 

[santaman2000]

Actually cast irons greatest advantage is it's ability to conduct heat More to the point, to EVENLY conduct and hold heat) Proffessional chefs measure everything else against it. Second place is copper and last is stainless. Aluminum conducts well but not evenly and it doesn't hold heat well. If cast iron is propperly seasoned then care is a non issue

 

[shaggystu]

Actually cast irons greatest advantage is it's ability to conduct heat More to the point, to EVENLY conduct and hold heat) Proffessional chefs measure everything else against it. Second place is copper and last is stainless. Aluminum conducts well but not evenly and it doesn't hold heat well. If cast iron is propperly seasoned then care is a non issue

just out of curiosity where are you getting your information from on this? as far as i'm aware copper conducts heat somewhere round about 8 times more efficiently than cast iron does. i agree that stainless doesn't conduct heat as quickly as cast iron does (it's only marginally less efficient though) this is why you see so many stainless pans with copper bottoms.

quick google got this table

stuart

 

[shaggystu]

After looking about for a Dutch Oven in the shops (I didnt hold out much hope) Ive come across these at Tesco's

http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.204-1923.aspx

I thought they would be okay if I attached a chain to the handles

Does anyone have any experience of them?

if you could turn the lid upside to hold the coals i think that'd make a great dutch oven substitute, you might have to get busy with the angle grinder and take the handle off the lid and then maybe come up with some way of replacing it, but that would be pretty easy to do.

i use an old stainless kitchen pan that the handle fell off of (well that's the story i'm sticking too anyway), with the lid turned upside down to hold coals, as a mini dutch oven. it's a bit heavy for carrying in a rucksack but great for static camps. it fits a fray bentos tin quite nicely and turns out some pretty decent bannock.

i'd love a couple of decent sized dutch ovens but really can't justify the expense so i've tried a few things as substitutes, i'd say that if you've found something that you think will do the job then give it a go because you're probably right.

stuart

 

[santaman2000]

just out of curiosity where are you getting your information from on this? as far as i'm aware copper conducts heat somewhere round about 8 times more efficiently than cast iron does. i agree that stainless doesn't conduct heat as quickly as cast iron does (it's only marginally less efficient though) this is why you see so many stainless pans with copper bottoms.

quick google got this table

stuart

Actually my info is from varied sources: cooking courses, documentaries, Food Network, Boy Scout manuals, Military manuals, personal friends in the food industry and decades of personal experience (experience as an ameteur cook and professional metal worker). Stainless has a great popularity (especially with proffessionals who have to meet sanitary regulations) because of it's ease of cleaning and sterilization. Yes, the best have copper bottoms because it greatly improves the heat conduction but unfortunately not the heat retention. I might add that I worded my original statement poorly. I should have pointed out that heat conduction is of secondary importance to "even" heat conduction and to heat retention for propper (meaning consistent) cooking.