We will be happy to answer your questions about Dutch ovens, Dutch oven accessories, Dutch oven cooking, or outdoor cooking generally. Simply send an e-mail with your question. We will reply via e-mail with your answer. Just try and stump us. If we don't know the answer we will get it for you. Listed below in no particular order (at this time anyway) are questions and answers about Dutch ovens and Dutch oven cooking.

Click here for a list of the items needed for Dutch Oven and Camp cooking. You can print out the checklist and check-off the items and your add them to your inventory of equipment.

Answer: Below is the procedure I use. You can also season one outdoors over charcoal. See Duane and Sandy's outdoor cooking booklet for instructions. Wash with hot, soapy water and a stiff brush. Rinse and dry completely. Dutch ovens are shipped with a coating of food grade wax. Place in hot oven for a few minutes to completely dry and drive all water out of the pores of the iron. Oil the cookware (inside and out) with MELTED solid vegetable shortening.

If food is badly burned and crusted in the pot, fill with very hot water and let sit for a few minutes. When excess is removed, then use hot water and a plastic scrubby or natural fiber brush to scrub clean the pot. Natural fiber brushes can be found at Asian stores and other places as well. Don't use soap to clean the pot as it will get into the seasoning and possibly be tasted in your next dish. Place back on heat and let dry thoroughly. Store with lid open in a dry place when cooled.

For Most Dutch Oven enthusiasts there are a few "DO NOTS" when is comes to cleaning a Dutch Oven. Do NOT use dish soap or detergent (it can leave a soapy taste in the oven that may transfer to the food.) For best results, Dutch Ovens should be cleaned immediately after they are used. If needed, you can put some hot water in the oven to let it soak while you finish your meal. With a little warm water and a dish cloth finish cleaning the inside of oven.

Every oven that Steelman builds is built to order. That means that you can get an oven that fits your need. From different sizes built to the nearest half-foot, to custom controls and configurations, Steelman will work to provide you with the best oven for your particular application. Steelman can build ovens from 2'w x 2'h x 2'd up to 12'w x 12'h x 30'd.

Dutch Ovens are most often heated with briquettes or the coals of a campfire. They can also be used on the BBQ grill, in the kitchen oven, over the fire or buried in a pit with coals.

When you first buy your Dutch Oven, you will want to inspect it for any defects and then wash in warm soapy water. Use a coarse scouring pad to make sure you get it clean. When Dutch Oven leave the factory, they are sprayed with a clear sealant to keep them from rusting while in stoarge and this sealant must come off completely prior to seasoning. Once clean, dry your Dutch Oven and lid well and cover both with a light coat of vegetable oil, inside and out.

Water and moist air can harm a Dutch Oven. Store it in a dry place where the air circulates. Tuck a paper towel inside to help absorb any moisture that may get into the Dutch Oven. Many people will even crack the lid so the air moves easily through the oven while in storage.

Yes, preheat the oven for 10 minutes before baking. This important step will help the cookies bake evenly.

If you find that there is an excessive amount of smoke while seasoning your Dutch Oven, you have most likely applied too much oil. Though this won't hurt the Dutch Oven, it may make a mess in your conventional oven. Make sure you wipe out your Dutch oven well before you store it away.

The first step is to determine how much lumber you’ll dry in a year. Then figure your average drying time for each of the species you’ll be drying, and you can calculate the size kiln you need from there. For example: you need to dry 500,000 board feet of oak per year. Fresh off the saw, oak takes about 28-30 days to dry, so you’ll be able to do 12 loads in a year. Each load will need to be 42,000 board feet to give you the 500,000 board feet you need for the year.

A standard kitchen oven is twenty-three (23) inches wide. A pig 20 lbs or less may be cooked in a standard oven, however, you may need to position it a certain way. We recommend moving the hind legs forward and tying them to the front legs. When done tightly, this causes the rear end of the pig to tuck under, thus shortening its length.

The best baking temperature for Dutch Ovens is 350 degrees. Keep your coals close to 350 unless otherwise noted in the recipe.

With a little know how and practice you can learn to effectively use wood as a heat source without cremating your meal. The best type of woods for cooking are hardwoods such as hickory, oak, mesquite and hard maple. Pecan, walnut, and Osage orange would also work. Not all hardwoods produce good coals. Soft woods such as pine, poplar, and cottonwood don't make good coals for Dutch oven cooking because they burn hot for a short period of time, and then burn out quickly.