I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have about Dutch ovens, Dutch oven accessories, Dutch oven cooking, or outdoor cooking in general.

Listed below are some of the most common questions and answers about Dutch ovens and Dutch oven cooking.

Q: What is a "Dutch Oven"?

A: The term "Dutch oven" designates a heavy metal, covered pot used for cooking. Dutch Ovens can be made of cast iron or of aluminum. They can be camp-style Dutch ovens or stovetop style. Camp style ovens have legs on the bottom of the oven to support the oven over the heat source and a rim around the lid to hold the coals. Most Dutch ovens today are the camp-style ovens. The lids of the Dutch Oven should fit tightly into the bottom of the Dutch Oven and provide a good seal. The Dutch Oven is the oroginal " pressure cooker".

Q: What is the best way to "Season" a Dutch oven before I use it? What does it mean to "Season" a Dutch Oven and how do I prepare the oven before using it the first time?

A:There are many variations on the process for seasoning a Dutch Oven. However, they all have the same basic approach. The objective is to bake onto the surface of the oven, a coating of oil, which fills in the pores of the metal and creates a smooth, non-stick surface and becomes almost like a lacquer finish. This surface helps prevent the metal from rusting and it helps add a subtle flavor to your cooking that is unmatched by other types of cookware.

Lodgeä Dutch Ovens come from the foundry with a thin waxy coating designed to prevent rusting until the oven can be properly seasoned. This coating will be washed off and any residue burned off in the seasoning process.

Most of the following instructions come directly from Lodgeä , with a few comments of our own.

1. Warm utensil - Peel off any labels.
2. Wash, rinse, & dry. Grease inside lightly with solid shortening, e.g. Crisco.
3. Bake at 300˚ in a conventional oven for one hour. [Don't be alarmed by the smoke that will come from your oven as the shortening is burned onto the metal surface of the Dutch Oven. Open the doors and windows and temporarily turn off the smoke alarm.]
4. After the oven has cooled, wipe out any excess grease and store with a paper towel in the Dutch Oven with the edges hanging out from under the lid to absorb any excess oils and to allow air to enter the oven.
5. It may be necessary to repeat this process if part of the oven did not season properly.

Over time your oven will develop a hard, smooth, black coating on the inside of the oven. When you reach this point you will truly have a "seasoned" oven that you will not want to part with.

Q: How do I clean my Dutch oven?

For Most Dutch Oven enthusiasts there are a few "DO NOTS" when is comes to cleaning a Dutch Oven.

A: The following chart will help you decide what size of Dutch Oven you will need to serve various group sizes.