Camping stoves and other cooking accessories have made it possible to cook most things outdoors, but baked goods have generally been out of the question. Until now, that is. Made of smooth aluminized steel, the Coleman camping oven lets you bake a batch of muffins, biscuits, or rolls right at the campsite.
The oven doesn't require electric or gas power to work. Instead, campers simply place the oven on top of a Coleman two- or three-burner stove, which provides all the heat you need to bake some of your favorite oven dishes. The oven also offers baking essentials such as an adjustable steel bake rack and an easy-to-read thermometer. And when you're finished baking, the oven folds flat for storage. Made in China, the Coleman camping oven measures 12 by 12 by 12 inches (W x H x D) when standing and weighs 7 pounds. As you can see, camp ovens have smaller interiors than home ovens, hence standard 9 by 13 inch rectangular pans will not fit inside a camp oven. Since you must use smaller dishes this requires recipes which produce a smaller amount. I recommend the following baking pans for use in a camp oven:
9 inch square pan
8 inch square pan
9 inch round cake pan
8 by 4 inch bread pan
9 inch pie plate
Round 2 quart casserole
At a cost of about $30, the Coleman oven makes a great addition to your camp kitchen.
Baking with a Coleman Camp Oven
Coleman ovens or other camping ovens fit over the burner of a camp stove or placed on a grate over a fire. The heat from the flame rises up into the oven and through a diffuser in the bottom of the oven. There is an adjustable rack inside the oven and a temperature gauge in the center front of the oven door which indicates the oven’s interior temperature. It will not however, allow you adjust the temperature. This is done by adjusting the flame below the oven. It takes a little practice to get the hang of it but it can be done. I burned the bottoms of several loaves of bread before I learned how to use this type of oven with any skill. Since the heat emanates from the bottom of the oven, the tops of most foods will not become as brown as they do in your home oven and the bottoms will have a tendency to brown quickly. You must therefore, keep an eye on them and adjust the temperature downward as necessary.
It is best to use your camp oven in an enclosed area, well protected from wind, as it will be less difficult to maintain a steady temperature. Exposure to wind can make many baked goods take longer to cook. Keep this in mind when setting up your oven and if you cook out in the open, then you may want to keep your baking for calmer days.
Contrary to most recommendations, I don't preheat my camp oven. I think it wastes fuel, and I haven't found any real difference in the resulting cooking or browning of the foods. First I prepare the bread, bar cookies, pie, or other treats. When the preparation is completely finished, I put the pan into the oven. Then I light the stove eye, and put the oven on top of the flame. Next, I adjust the flame to high and watch the temperature dial. When the desired temperature is reached, 350° for example, I turn the flame down very low. Usually the oven will maintain the temperature for the next 20 minutes or so, often long enough to finish the baking. When the temperature begins to drop by about 50 degrees, I turn up the flame again, until the temperature inside the oven has reached my desired temperature. Again, I turn the flame down to low and let the food continue baking if needed. For hotter temperatures, or for longer baking, I usually have to repeat this process several times. I have found that using this procedure produces fewer burnt bottoms on my bar cookies and bread loaves. As you can tell, camp ovens have to be “baby sat” a lot more than home ovens but the results are worth it.
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Tags: Camping, camping basics, camping equipment