Cast Iron Dutch Oven 4 Ltr capacity

This 4Ltr cast iron Dutch Oven is the main piece of equipment for all of our group cooking on courses, you will have seen them in action if you've joined us for a weekend, which I think proves the point that if we use them ourselves then they have to be good.

These are serious heavy duty pieces of kit, we like them because of the safety features on them, they are so versatile in that they can be used as a saucepan, oven, griddle, frying pan, roasting dish... the list is only limited to your imagination.

These particular ovens are crammed with safety features, including the thick walled pot with a carry handle, three legs for stability and a rimmed lid to enable you to place hot ashes all over the oven.

This oven holds 4 litres of water making it a neat, compact cast iron oven.

Dutch Oven Size:

• Weight: 5kg
• Width: 23cm
• Depth: 10cm

When you first recieve your dutch oven you will need to clean off the clear sealant that is sprayed on to it at the factory. You can do this using a sponge scourer and water.

In order to season it, once the sealant is removed all you need to do is coat it lightly with some vegetable oil all over and then, if you want to use an oven, place the dutch oven into a cold oven and then turn on the heat up to 500 degrees, and then bake it until the smoke clears.

Alternativly you can use a BBQ grill or the open fire but please do follow the manufacturers instructions to ensure this is done safely.

So what do our instructors think? Here Dan writes:

"These ovens are so versatile and are a favourite for our instructors at woodland ways. Anyone can make stew outside, but try a rabbit stew in these and the meat just falls of the bone due to the high temperatures that these ovens can get to... but when you are bored of stew do some roast vegetables with a hint of garlic and herbs in them... it certainly puts a smile on our customers faces on the woodland ways week course when they can have roast veg!"

Advantages: Without doubt the versatility of these ovens are there key selling feature, but also with this particular design they are safer to handle, cleaner to cook with, and more stable on the fire.

Disadvantages: As with all cast iron pieces they are prone to rust, pay special attention to seasoning them well at the start, and then just be sensible with them and they will last a lifetime though. We find when you go to store them just covering them with a little oil and placing some kitchen roll inside keeps the moisture out and the rust at bay.