Great Dutch oven Tools for First Timers by:Gary House
If it's your first time to cook outside using your Dutch oven
, you might as well consider necessary tools that go with it. Here are cooking tools and utensils that you can add to your collection.
Coal Starter
Using coals for your Dutch oven is a little bit difficult so you really need to be patient. Thanks to this innovation, your coals can be heated in no time. This coal starter is basically made of copper or steel, cylindrical in shape with large perforations or vents. This is very easy to operate; you just need to put your coals inside the cylinder and place pieces of paper underneath the grate. At the bottom there are holes through which you can ignite the paper. In 10 to 15 minutes, your coals are ready to go.
Gloves
Comes with your Dutch oven should be a really good pair of gloves. This is really important for your safety and you don't want to burn yourself so this is a must when cooking with your Dutch oven. You may opt to wear simple work gloves but a pair of thick leather or barbeque gloves is far much better.
Lid Lifter
Make sure to have a lid lifter. Remember that with this cooking technique, coals are added on top of the lid. So you need a lid lifter when handling the lid to avoid dropping ash in your food. A three-toed foot lid lifter is the best kind because it reduces swaying when you pick up the lid.
Tongs or Shovel
This tool is necessary for picking up your hot coals when you need to remove or arrange them to regulate your heat. This is also for safety purposes as your hands can be kept away from the heat as far as possible.
Scoop and Fork
You need these utensils for serving once the food is already cooked. Two points when choosing your scoops and forks, no part should be made of plastic or anything that easily melts and they should be long-handled, of course. You need a long-handled ladle for your soup or stew or anything with liquid on it. You need a long-handled for large pieces of meat like when you are roasting.
Tripod
A tripod is the equipment used to keep your food warm in your Dutch oven. You can hang your Dutch oven at a desired height with an adjustable hook. You can adjust the hook to move your oven higher or lower so you can have the right amount of heat you want. The oven should not be too high so you won't be wasting your coal nor should it be too low so your food won't be overcooked.
Storage Bag
Storage bag is also useful to protect your oven when camping or traveling. There are also wooden boxes available for storing. Just make sure everything is cleaned before storing.
There are also common kitchen utensils that you have to keep in mind because these are sometimes forgotten. Examples are your vegetable peeler, matches, knives, bottle opener, can opener, hot pot holder, cutting board, cooking oil and soap. If you can afford to buy extras and you go for outdoor cooking every weekend, you might as well buy these things for exclusive camping use so you won't be hard up searching, packing and returning them for use in the kitchen.
There is no better way to enjoy your outdoor cooking than to make use of your Dutch oven. For more cooking tips and Dutch oven recipes, please visit our website at:
http://www.cooking-outdoors.comAbout the author
Gary House is the founder of Central California Dutch Oven Adventures and the host of Cooking-Outdoors.com who loves cooking outdoors with his Dutch oven for many years now. He has fun looking for innovative ways of outdoor cooking in what he calls "his adventures" and would love to share these adventures with everyone. For more information on product reviews, outdoor cooking recipes and techniques, please visit our website at:
http://www.cooking-outdoors.com
How to Cook Outdoors Using Dutch Ovens by:Gary House