Camp oven care

[AB]

Ok, well at the last forum meet up Roofy was absolutely disgusted by my rusty camp oven. It's a fair call because It's looking pretty sad these days...lol

To get it back to It's glory days should I just get the wire brush on the drill and take off all the rust and apply some cooking oil to stop it?

Any other ideas?

Also, what do others do for camp oven care or any sneaky tricks, etc???

[Maxhead]

Sorry mate, no tricks. I always clean it the next morning(usually too pi55ed that night) in the river with sand and rocks, and if I'm not going to use it for a while I try and get some oil on it....doesn't always happen but the thought is always there.....lol

Oh yeah. mine is a hesian bag all the time too

[Woof]

Try this site mate..http://www.aussiecampovencook.com/

[Sir Roofy]

Ok, well at the last forum meet up Roofy was absolutely disgusted by my rusty camp oven. It's a fair call because It's looking pretty sad these days...lol

To get it back to It's glory days should I just get the wire brush on the drill and take off all the rust and apply some cooking oil to stop it?

Any other ideas?

Also, what do others do for camp oven care or any sneaky tricks, etc???

WHAT TO DO ? Mmmmmmm WELL TO START WITH GET YOUR DRILL OUT AND DRILL FOUR DRAIN HOLES IN THE BOTTOM

NEXT GET SOME POTTING MIX AND PLANT SOME HERBS IN IT------OR JUST LEAVE I WHERE IT IS NOW BESIDE THE BUNGLELOW

AND BY A NEW ONE (ROOFYS EVIL LAUGH) AT B.C.F OR NICK AROUND TO PIRANHA

[AB]

WHAT TO DO ? Mmmmmmm WELL TO START WITH GET YOUR DRILL OUT AND DRILL FOUR DRAIN HOLES IN THE BOTTOM

NEXT GET SOME POTTING MIX AND PLANT SOME HERBS IN IT------OR JUST LEAVE I WHERE IT IS NOW BESIDE THE BUNGLELOW

AND BY A NEW ONE (ROOFYS EVIL LAUGH) AT B.C.F OR NICK AROUND TO PIRANHA

lol....It's still sitting beside the bungalow....How did you know!!!

[Maxhead]

WHAT TO DO ? Mmmmmmm WELL TO START WITH GET YOUR DRILL OUT AND DRILL FOUR DRAIN HOLES IN THE BOTTOM

NEXT GET SOME POTTING MIX AND PLANT SOME HERBS IN IT------OR JUST LEAVE I WHERE IT IS NOW BESIDE THE BUNGLELOW

AND BY A NEW ONE (ROOFYS EVIL LAUGH) AT B.C.F OR NICK AROUND TO PIRANHA


Hahahaha, didn't know where you were coming from drilling 4 holes Roofy.
Looks like Andys oven is way past it due date....lololol

GO AND GET A NEW ONE ANDY!!!!

[AB]

Hahahaha, didn't know where you were coming from drilling 4 holes Roofy.
Looks like Andys oven is way past it due date....lololol

GO AND GET A NEW ONE ANDY!!!!

Never, this has character, history and a decade of past cook ups and everytime It's fired up the history of cook ups come together as one...LMAO.

yeah yeah yeah....Might be time for a newbie....lol

[Sir Roofy]

lol....it's sitting beside the bungalow....how did you know!!!

because thats where you put it after toolangi the first time and was there when i was at your place for the next-lol

[Sir Roofy]

never, this has character, history and a decade of past cook ups and everytime it's fired up the history of cook ups come together as one...lmao.

Yeah yeah yeah....might be time for a newbie....lol

your right about that nothing like an iron tablet with your roast--pml

[Maxhead]

Never, this has character, history and a decade of past cook ups and everytime It's fired up the history of cook ups come together as one...LMAO.

yeah yeah yeah....Might be time for a newbie....lol


Ahhh, I understand. All flavours in one hmmmmm sounds good.
I reckon you'd be able to get it back with a little rubbing, scrubbing and polishing. After-all its castiron!!!!!!

[Sir Roofy]

ahhh, i understand. All flavours in one hmmmmm sounds good.
I reckon you'd be able to get it back with a little rubbing, scrubbing and polishing. After-all its castiron!!!!!!

wash in cold or warm water no soap until water comes reasonibly clean
cloth dry, oil straight away dont leave out side,have a cook up enjoy your meal empty out just wipe out and put away
wont rust this time

[belzi82]

wash in cold or warm water no soap until water comes reasonibly clean
cloth dry, oil straight away dont leave out side,have a cook up enjoy your meal empty out just wipe out and put away
wont rust this time

This is the exact advise I would use. I found an old rusty one at my grandparents and did this treatment a few times and now it is nearly as good as new

[belzi82]

wash in cold or warm water no soap until water comes reasonibly clean
cloth dry, oil straight away dont leave out side,have a cook up enjoy your meal empty out just wipe out and put away
wont rust this time

This is the exact advise I would use. I found an old rusty one at my grandparents and did this treatment a few times and now it is nearly as good as new

[wildgu6]

Ok, well at the last forum meet up Roofy was absolutely disgusted by my rusty camp oven. It's a fair call because It's looking pretty sad these days...lol

To get it back to It's glory days should I just get the wire brush on the drill and take off all the rust and apply some cooking oil to stop it?

Any other ideas?

Also, what do others do for camp oven care or any sneaky tricks, etc???

Not a 100% on camp ovens ?? but works great on bbqs and would prob do the same on camp oven,
the old wire wheel to rid the crud and a couple of coats of pot belly black (fire/heat res' paint) more like black water that stix

[Sir Roofy]

Not a 100% on camp ovens ?? but works great on bbqs and would prob do the same on camp oven,
the old wire wheel to rid the crud and a couple of coats of pot belly black (fire/heat res' paint) more like black water that stix

i wouldnt use this on the inside of the pot bit of elbow grease and she,l be like new

[frenzy]

Aha! I just did this to my camp oven earlier in the week! It did come out beautiful and black again. Like a bought one!

1 get rid of the rust with a wire brush and or scourer
2 if you have heaps of rust, fill it with water and bring it to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes and scour again
3 pre heat oven or bbq to 400 degrees.
4 wash with hot water and a stiff brush
5 rinse and dry
6 apply warm oil over the entire thing with a cloth. wipe off excess (it will burn off anyway)
7 place upside down on the grill (if doing this inside, line the oven with foil to catch the oil that burns off)
8 leave it for an hour and allow to cool
9 coat with oil again and reheat for another hour
10 you should have a good hard black surface now.

Cheers,

Steve

[AB]

Aha! I just did this to my camp oven earlier in the week! It did come out beautiful and black again. Like a bought one!

1 get rid of the rust with a wire brush and or scourer
2 if you have heaps of rust, fill it with water and bring it to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes and scour again
3 pre heat oven or bbq to 400 degrees.
4 wash with hot water and a stiff brush
5 rinse and dry
6 apply warm oil over the entire thing with a cloth. wipe off excess (it will burn off anyway)
7 place upside down on the grill (if doing this inside, line the oven with foil to catch the oil that burns off)
8 leave it for an hour and allow to cool
9 coat with oil again and reheat for another hour
10 you should have a good hard black surface now.

Cheers,

Steve

That sounds like good solid advice Steve, thanks for that...

[chester]

I put a couple of river rocks in mine,fill it with water and put back on the edge of fire.The boiling water moves the rocks around and takes most of the crap off.I then wipe it clean and coat with oil,works for me.

[PattyWgnOwen]

I found the easiest way to apply oil is a can of spray on cooking oil. Always spray it before it goes back in bag.

Inside is different - best way it to buy some real cheap bacon or snags cook till you have heaps of fat. Let it cool to a white sludge and using paper towel just spread it out and leave it. It will soak into the cast iron.

If it looks dry spray it. Leave the spray in the bag with the camp ovens.

We use cast iron pans in the kitchen at home. Once well seasoned you hardly ever have to wash them. Just scrape rinse wipe and put away most of the time.

[Tymeup]

I found the easiest way to apply oil is a can of spray on cooking oil. Always spray it before it goes back in bag.

Inside is different - best way it to buy some real cheap bacon or snags cook till you have heaps of fat. Let it cool to a white sludge and using paper towel just spread it out and leave it. It will soak into the cast iron.

If it looks dry spray it. Leave the spray in the bag with the camp ovens.

We use cast iron pans in the kitchen at home. Once well seasoned you hardly ever have to wash them. Just scrape rinse wipe and put away most of the time.

Yeah, couldn't agree more. I do the same. One of our camp ovens belonged to my grandfather's mother. It would be just over 100 years old, still going strong. It has three little legs on the bottom which can be a pain as they wear through what ever you store it in while traveling.

Some advice I was given was never to wash them too much. Oil n' grease etc. needs to build up in the iron over time, you end up with a non stick surface. Keep the oil up to them and your laughing.

My 2 bobz...

Ty.

[megatexture]

It has three little legs on the bottom which can be a pain as they wear through what ever you store it in while traveling.

i store mine in a canvas bag and at the bottom of the bag i have a 1" pollystyrene base and the legs just stab into it when u put it in so they dont touch the bottom of the bag . i also clean them out and spray with oil before i pack em up only for rust and only on the inside.

[Tymeup]

i store mine in a canvas bag and at the bottom of the bag i have a 1" pollystyrene base and the legs just stab into it when u put it in so they dont touch the bottom of the bag . i also clean them out and spray with oil before i pack em up only for rust and only on the inside.

Nice one, good idea. I didn't think there were that many around with the little legs.

[megatexture]

i think they are only on the nice big ones to help support it and not smother the coals you put it on

[the ferret]

Wire buff it Andy, just to get the scale off, then chuck it on the coals, get it hot enough so ya can't hold ya hand on it, get some fat from the butcher, and keep rubbing it inside the oven.
The fat that is.
Take it off the coals and keep rubbing the fat into it, as it cools wipe it clean and store it in a hessian bag.
Over heating camp ovens happens when ya piZZed and late at night, once ya burn em, it's a big job to restore them to their original glory.
Rusty outside is fine, inside should look black, smooth and oily and smell like roast lamb.
Cheers, the ferret.

[wouldnot]

I've tried many different ways to "season" a pan. It lasts for a while but I always have trouble to rust. The best thing is to not clean it that well, just leave some oil in it.

[Dougie80]

it must be a fine line between seasoning and burning but there is some great thoughts here im goinig to try some, i thought my oven was gone for ( it only rains over here about twice a year) because i left it out

[The BigFella]

Aha! I just did this to my camp oven earlier in the week! It did come out beautiful and black again. Like a bought one!

1 get rid of the rust with a wire brush and or scourer
2 if you have heaps of rust, fill it with water and bring it to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes and scour again
3 pre heat oven or bbq to 400 degrees.
4 wash with hot water and a stiff brush
5 rinse and dry
6 apply warm oil over the entire thing with a cloth. wipe off excess (it will burn off anyway)
7 place upside down on the grill (if doing this inside, line the oven with foil to catch the oil that burns off)
8 leave it for an hour and allow to cool
9 coat with oil again and reheat for another hour
10 you should have a good hard black surface now.

Cheers,

Steve


Awesome Steve, Ive been cooking with the same bunch of ovens for 20 years. At first I struggled with the cycle of clean the oven, wipe with oil, cook, clean next time you needed it,,,,,
Then an old bloke told me how to do it the proper way!
And Steve's directions are spot on.
My ovens look like new no matter how long since Ive used them.
One trick to remember is not to use too much oil the first time, if you give it a gentle rub with some oiled rags but not enough that its left pooling then all good!

[threedogs]

This is great for camp fire talk the amount of ppl who still have a scongie looking frypan thats non-stick,can't beat cast iron
But I love my 32kg monster, can never ever burn a roast as you can never get it hot enough, but what you do get is even heat for a long
period of time, Once heated you can take off the heat for 2.5 hrs and it fits heaps
cant find pic but my no8 chicken fryer is a favourite at camp,great for chips or similar

@ dougie the idea is to allow the cooking oil to impregnate the porous cast iron
cant beat cast iron IMO

[BigRAWesty]

Top looking handle you have there TD, were can I get one...

Kallen Westbrook
Owner of
Westy's Accessories (http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/showthread.php?15134-Westy-s-Accessories.-A-small-back-yard-builder.)

[threedogs]

Give bigfella a pm he sells them, Plus next issue of 4x4 Aust there will be a one page feature on them
Bloody handy date to late 1800s , Its called a Kitchen multi tool. its a tenderizer, lid lifter, trivet, candle holder and a few more I can"t think of ATM. great talking point around the fire , invented by a J thayer


Edit ,,,,,Butt scratcher, bottle opener