# Campfire Dutch oven cooking station



## sleeps723 (Sep 10, 2006)

I have been looking to put in a permanent outdoor cooking station for my Dutch oven cooking, what do y'all use? Recommend? Ideas?


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## susieneddy (Sep 2, 2011)

We just use charcoal when cooking with our Dutch Ovens. We do have a tripod that we can use for hanging coffee pot, bean pots or Dutch Ovens over the fire. 
We have thought about setting up a cooking station like what you have above but we haven't yet. When we go camping we always take our DO's.


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## sleeps723 (Sep 10, 2006)

It's not mine, borrowed the picture. I'm wanting to build one and I don't want to have to do it three times. Looking for suggestions.


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## Bret (Oct 3, 2003)

I placed some field stones and broken concrete pieces near the old block milk house in the barnyard to make a hearth for dutch oven cooking. I make a fire in a woodstove in the milk house, now called the line shack. When I have coals I transport them with a little coal shovel to a waiting dutch oven. I would like to morter the pieces together to make it look a little more finished, but it works. One apple pie on each of the last two Sundays. Fun play.


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## Chambers (Sep 27, 2015)

Our small backyard firepit with grate works well for us but I am going to add a tripod or hanging rack like you have pictured one day.


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## farmrbrown (Jun 25, 2012)

You could probably make your own hanging station with black iron threaded pipe pretty cheap if you're not a talented blacksmith.
As far as cooking with the dutch oven, I've always set it right in the coals.


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

IMHO, you don't need any "cooking station" for a Dutch oven. When I use my DO as a pot (stews, chili, etc) i just place it on a bed of campfire coals. Depending on the cooking time, I may add more coals under the pot.

If I'm using the DO as an oven (bread, rolls, pies, pizza), I also place it on a bed of campfire coals and add more coals on the lid of the DO. 

If I were going to build anything for DO cooking, it would be a windshield to use when I'm baking in the DO on a windy day.


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## vicker (Jul 11, 2003)

I could see having a small, ringed pit that the DO sits on and stays just a hair above the coals.


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## CalicoPrairie (Nov 1, 2015)

Oooh, we have a small ringed pit that I can cook over! Great idea, Chambers!

Love the OPs setup too. We just moved and I'm all discombobulated when it comes to cooking outdoors. It's like I forgot how or something. LOL


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## ceresone (Oct 7, 2005)

i can tell none of you have ventured to the cast iron collectors site--they insist FIRE should never touch your cast iron--thats why I left.


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

ceresone said:


> i can tell none of you have ventured to the cast iron collectors site--they insist FIRE should never touch your cast iron--thats why I left.


I agree with the cast iron collectors. Never cook over campfire flames. Always cook using campfire coals.


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## CalicoPrairie (Nov 1, 2015)

I've always been intimidated to cook over fire. I like to use coals or firewood that has turned to embers.


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## maddy (Oct 30, 2010)

Is the flame hotter than coals? What other reason would there be for not cooking directly over a burning fire?


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## maddy (Oct 30, 2010)

Sleeps, have you ever used this hanging set-up for outdoor canning? That was my first thought when I saw it.


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## OffGridCooker (Jan 29, 2010)

maddy said:


> Is the flame hotter than coals? What other reason would there be for not cooking directly over a burning fire?


1-scorch- Heat spikes and heat focused on a small point can scorch, thick metal pots will only compensate for so much uneven heat. If you are cooking with hands full of wood and not logs, the amount of heat from a small flame lapping a cast iron pot should be ok.
2- soot- incomplete combustion, open flames can be fairly clean burning, but if the flames touch something cool first, it can cause incomplete sombustion, and deposit soot on the pot.

The problem I have with heavy cast iron pots and "tripod pot holders" is poor access to the pot. I like to be able to easily pull the pot off the fire to control heat spikes, and to be able to move the pot to diffrent spots, over or near the fire, to control the heat, After I quickly boiled the coffee water in a hot spot I like to place the pot of brewed coffee beside the fire to stay warm. It is easier to move the pot than move the fire, if you have the right equipment.
I also like to pull the pot, to inspect, stir or add ingredients, and to dispense/serve.
That is the reason I use thinner pots and " monopod pot holders"


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

maddy said:


> Is the flame hotter than coals? What other reason would there be for not cooking directly over a burning fire?


Absolutely flames are hotter than coals. Do you own test. Hold your hand 5" over coals and then 5" over flames.

To put campfire flames in perspective, just look at the volume of flames on your stove's rangetop set to the highest setting....not really a lot of flame compared to the flames from a burning campfire.


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## melvermont (May 14, 2016)

I built a little fire pit and just use coals. 
I love it. I cook outside as much as possible


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## Meinecke (Jun 30, 2017)

Cool pics...was fun to look at...
We made tripod with cable and hook to hold a rost or a cast iron pott over our fire pit
Pretty handy and strudy


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