Coleman oven

[Patrick w]

I dunno why I bought this thing, other than the fact that I might one day like to make cinininon rolls.
I considered the omnia, but the shape just didn't sit right with me.
At least I can use some of my smaller toaster pans.

Didn't tell the Boss yet...

 

[NMroamer]

Check out Lifestyle Overland on You Tube. Sarah makes the most of a Coleman oven.

 

[jmkay1]

Made this in my dutch oven. I've also made pizza, lasagna, and even a cake. It was a big hit and in my mind so worth it. My meal ideas expanded greatly just having an "oven" of some sort. In scouts we made a box oven. Essentially a big box wrapped in a thousand layers of aluminum foil. Surprised it worked, I pictured a flaming torch when we went to use it. So I say, go for it and take advantage of all the great meals you can make now in it. Hard part is to leave yourself enough time to cook.

 

[gladecreekwy]

Time to fire up the old oven thread. Used mine last trip to bake a pie. Homemade ice cream in our ice cream ball. https://www.popupportal.com/threads/colman-folding-oven.125601/

 

[Grandpa Don]

I dunno why I bought this thing, other than the fact that I might one day like to make cinininon rolls.
I considered the omnia, but the shape just didn't sit right with me.
At least I can use some of my smaller toaster pans.

Didn't tell the Boss yet...

Yep, I had one of those too. I ended up giving it away. I only wanted it to make biscuits for biscuits and gravy in the morning. I found out that I can make biscuits better on my small propane BBQ unit.

 

[jmkay1]

I found out that I can make biscuits better on my small propane BBQ unit.

Curious about your procedure with this? Do you do anything special or just throw in your pan and cook? This would save me a step if like you said just wanted to cook biscuits and not want to wait for charcoal to heat etc.

 

[Patrick w]

Ive done a batch in dutch oven. You heat both sides up, on the stove. You put your biscuits in, and lower the flame. You take the other side of the dutch oven and cover. Results were.. ok. Very easy to burn bottom. Top took too long to brown. I've heard of people doing it with a riser inside the dutch oven.

I was trying not to bring the dutch oven (weight, cleanup,etc).

 

[xxxapache]

I assume we are talking about a Coleman folding oven. If so, I used on before the TT. I tested mine head to head with my home electric oven. The Coleman baked a can of biscuits faster.

 

[Patrick w]

I assume we are talking about a Coleman folding oven. If so, I used on before the TT. I tested mine head to head with my home electric oven. The Coleman baked a can of biscuits faster.

Yes, one of the classics.. will make it's home on my 425d..

 

[F. Jake Glotz]

I love my little oven and use it like I would the oven at home. I bake desserts (brownies from a box work great) and biscuits for breakfast. I have even made a quiche. I set it up on the outside propane stove. When I’m in dinner mode I cook on my 1958 Coleman 413E which can get quite a bit hotter. I like the oven versus a Dutch oven because I can turn off the gas it in 10 minutes it’s cool enough to fold and put away and I don’t have to clean cast-iron pan. Light an compact, it is part of our basic load.

 

[Grandpa Don]

Curious about your procedure with this? Do you do anything special or just throw in your pan and cook? This would save me a step if like you said just wanted to cook biscuits and not want to wait for charcoal to heat etc.

I use a small BBQ that I got at WalMart. It has a temperature gauge on top and a second level grill inside. I put tinfoil down on the second upper grill and placed a stick, which I refer to as a 350 degree stick, under the lid to hold it open. That way I can regulate the temperature. I have a video on YouTube that shows my son and I on our last winter trip. At time marker 15:00 you can see the BBQ and the biscuits and gravy on the way. It works real well, but you do have to monitor the temperature closely. Sometimes you might have to raise the lid a bit more to get the temperature down a little. The gauge in the top of the lid is real important to regulating the temp.

 

[dbhost]

The more I use the Dutch oven, the less I use the Coleman oven. HOWEVER, the Coleman does make it super easy to make biscuits for biscuits and gravy in the morning.... Skillet biscuits take longer than oven, but can be done. I guess the tradeoff there is fuel and time. I honestly have rarely used the Coleman Oven, but I DO use it...

 

[jeepster04]

Ive found putting some bricks in the bottom of the stove helps regulate the heat. Otherwise, the bottom of whatever I was cooking always burnt. DONT USE ROCKS!

 

[theseus]

Ive found putting some bricks in the bottom of the stove helps regulate the heat. Otherwise, the bottom of whatever I was cooking always burnt. DONT USE ROCKS!

A tiny pizza stone would work better. Lighter too.

My TT has an oven and the only way to get things perfect is to use a pizza stone on the lowest rack and an oven thermometer inside. I have the Coleman oven and I use an oven thermometer inside it too. The one on the door is too iffy for me.

 

[dbhost]

Ive found putting some bricks in the bottom of the stove helps regulate the heat. Otherwise, the bottom of whatever I was cooking always burnt. DONT USE ROCKS!

I've got a Pizza stone from Amazon that lines the bottom of my Coleman oven. Without it the oven is more or less useless as it burns the bottom of anything and the tops are left uncooked... The stone REALLY helps even out heat distribution. I also wrap top, back and sides with foil to reduce heat loss through all those holes...

Honestly if I am out in camp for an extended period and want to do baking, winters in particular, the Coleman oven IS a nice item to have, but it is, fidgety...

 

[kitphantom]

I need to experiment with the Coleman oven a bit more, maybe on the next trip. I have a small pizza stone for it and the Therma-pop thermometer, with a probe that clips onto the shelf and works in the air, so I can keep tabs on the temperature. The thermometer on the door is notoriously less than useful. I do know that the Coleman oven can be sensitive to winds, as most stove top ovens are. I have seen mods using aluminum foil and/or welding blankets - too much bother for me.
In spite of the ring shape, so far, I've been impressed by baking in the Omnia and Wonder ovens. I intended to use the Therma-pop thermometer with those too, but mostly have judged the temperature by holding my hand close to the lid. It works for me, I guess I've baked long enough (50+ years) to have a good handle on what good baking temps feel like. I don't think I' would be as accurate with the Coleman, because of the box shape. The lid ont he others is closer to the baking food.
So far, I've used the Omnia or Wonder oven on the single burner LP Coleman and the 425 white gas camp stove. I'm not sure how well the Coleman oven would work on the single burner, I've yet to see how it fits on it. The Omnia works OK on the 425, but I think the larger 413 would be a better choice; it was more or less touching the wind wing on the 425. I think the 425 is what I used the Coleman oven on in the past, since I was cooking a huge pot of chili for the same meal.
The advantage of the Omnia and Wonder Pots is that I can use one inside, if the weather is bad, or if (for some unknown reason) I need two ovens for the same meal, since I could use one inside and the other outside.
Since we never have a campfire or charcoal fire, dutch ovens aren't in the mix for options while camping.

 

[Patrick w]

Dutch oven cooking is something I enjoy, but it takes too much time. The natives get restless. I have a single burner butane and a 413. i think with the 413 you can use the oven and still use a stove. Its a little tight on the 425.
I did get the square pizza stone as listed on amazon.

 

[neighbormike]

I use a small BBQ that I got at WalMart. It has a temperature gauge on top and a second level grill inside. I put tinfoil down on the second upper grill and placed a stick, which I refer to as a 350 degree stick, under the lid to hold it open. That way I can regulate the temperature. I have a video on YouTube that shows my son and I on our last winter trip. At time marker 15:00 you can see the BBQ and the biscuits and gravy on the way. It works real well, but you do have to monitor the temperature closely. Sometimes you might have to raise the lid a bit more to get the temperature down a little. The gauge in the top of the lid is real important to regulating the temp.

@Grandpa Don that looked like a trip to remember! I have a feeling I would have a lot of fun with you guys!

 

[Grandpa Don]

@Grandpa Don that looked like a trip to remember! I have a feeling I would have a lot of fun with you guys!

That was an interesting trip for sure. My son loves those mountains and has been going camping up there since he was in High School. He is 49 years-old now. He will only boondock and will not camp anywhere near other people. That particular spot in the video is one of his favorite sites. He often goes up there alone for a week at a time. Just him and his dog. He calls the spot "Arrowhead" because of the Indian Mortars in the nearby rocks. I started going with him 3 years ago when I got my popup camper. So far this year we have not be able to go camping more than just once back in June. It's been to hot and there are too many fires going on out here in California. It is starting to cool of though, and so far the area around arrowhead has not caught fire.

 

[dbhost]

Dutch oven cooking is something I enjoy, but it takes too much time. The natives get restless. I have a single burner butane and a 413. i think with the 413 you can use the oven and still use a stove. Its a little tight on the 425.
I did get the square pizza stone as listed on amazon.

Coleman folding oven + 424 is why I started looking at Dutch ovens in the first place. And I fully aggree. DO cooking is pretty slow.

FWIW, I tend to make biscuits and gravy with the Coleman oven, I make crumbled sausage for the sausage gravy on the stivem then pre heat the oven, once the biscuits are in, place the gravy pot on. By the time the gravy is coming off the heat, the biscuits are done.

Granted, the large liquid fuel stoves work WAY better for ovens, as does my coleman "classic" 2 burner propane stove. The hinge on the 424 and the 425 tend to get in the way...