Almost afraid to ask............ Can I put a cast iron dutch oven with lid, inside the insert?

[woodsie8]

we have always made full meals in our cast iron dutch oven, in a fire pit in the ashes and flames. Set the dutch oven in the coals and fire, come back a hour or two later and wala...........
Would something bad happen if I tried that? Stoves are made out of cast iron.... seems like it would be ok

 

[Elfin]

Good question! I've actually just been doing some reading about this, although I'll be using my dutch oven on top of my stove, I've been reading dutch oven recipes and techniques for use. I think the problem might be too much heat inside an insert. Usually with dutch oven cooking, it is set on a bed of coals and also covered with a bed of coals. Inside an insert, the heat would be intense on all sides, and a much higher heat than what you'd get either on top of a woodstove or fire pit. I guess my concern would be that your food would cook at way too high a temp... but I'm curious to know what others have to say about this.

 

[Corey]

As far as physically - I think you'll be OK. I don't think there will be any reaction between the insert and your dutch oven.

As far as the culinary side - it might leave something to be desired. Most of the art of dutch oven cooking is in control of the heat. I have baked some mean cinnamon rolls, cakes, muffins, etc, but that uses about 6-8 charcoal briquette sized coals under the oven and about 13-15 on the top. Of course if you're doing stew or something, the heat might not be as critical. But it just seems like putting the dutch oven in any type of 'good' coal bed would probably incinerate the contents in short order.

Then there is the small issue of putting the oven in and getting it back out. Dutch ovens are designed to be lifted from the top and/or suspended over the fire, but the clearance in most inserts would prevent this, so you're probably going to have to grab the (possibly hot) oven by the sides and reach in over hot coals.

You might have better luck extracting a bucket full of coals from your insert, then firing up the dutch oven outside. If you do go for the inside bit, seems like you'd want to start with a decent bed of coals, rake them to one side - except for a small pile for the bottom of the dutch oven, set the oven in, then add a few more coals to the top. Or you may even get by with the coals all to one side, just heating up the insert like an oven on their own - you'd still have to turn the dutch oven for even heat, though.

 

[wellbuilt home]

I think if you keep the door open it would be ok .If you close the door you mite get a real funky taste from the smoke and the heat could burn the food .Ive used mine on top for years .If you used a small fire it could work.