The Outdoor Camp Oven from Camp Chef is exactly the kind of outdoor gear that we find is perfect for the serious car camper, as well as anyone who wants to be fully prepared for emergencies. Big enough to cook meals for the whole family outdoors, yet not so bulky that you’ll leave it at home on your next car camping trip.
Let’s face it – if you’re single and don’t mind eating dehydrated food out of a plastic bag (not knocking them, we love some of those meals), a compact stove with a one liter cup is fine. But if you have a family, and appreciate multi-course meals cooked in an oven and on a stove top, then the Outdoor Camp Oven is probably more your speed. Packed into a relatively small footprint (12.5″ x 21″ x 18″), this portable unit has a 3,000 BTU/hour oven with two racks, plus a pair of 7,500 BTU brass burners on top. Surprisingly, the whole thing only weighs 32 pounds. Both the burners and oven have fully adjustable controls. Max heat for the oven is 400°, which is plenty for most baking. Standard 9 x 13 pans fit perfectly too. It will run at 350° for up to 7 hours on a single 1 pound propane bottle (less than $3), making it very cost effective as well. For home use, or extended camping, it can be adapted to larger bulk tanks.
In speaking with the rep from Camp Chef, he mentioned using his Outdoor Camp Oven to cook lasagna on a recent camping trip. As he was telling us this, I could see Mrs. Outsider eyeing their pizza stone designed for it. Yes, this might be the very definition of “not roughing it”. So we made arrangements to get one for testing. As they are a local company, it showed up in a few days, and after a brief check of the gas fittings (please read those instructions!), we were ready to cook our first meal. Matchless ignition made starting it a snap. Crank it up to high, and watch the thermometer to see what that gets you. A little tinkering, and we managed to maintain a steady 375°, which seemed right for our pizzas, which were in pans, rather than on a stone. We rotated the pizzas top to bottom rack during the 15 minutes or so that it took them to bake, and they came out with a crisp crust, and gooey cheese. Perfect. I could see making a few in advance, and having a fresh pizza at some out of the way campsite, or even the local park for a family picnic. Over the course of our test period, we used it for a few different meals, with great results every time. Anything you can fit in a 9 x 13 or smaller pan is an ideal candidate for the Outdoor Camp Oven. We especially like that while the main course or dessert is heating in the oven, you can use the two burners for cooking. Things are a bit cozy when using both burners and the folding windscreens in place, so keep to pan frying, and skip the wok.
With a stainless steel exterior, and durable coatings throughout, our Outdoor Camp Oven was easy to keep clean, which is always appreciated by the real “camp chef”. But that doesn’t surprise us. The whole design appears to be well thought out. While the MSRP of $302.08 is very reasonable, you’ll be pleased at the actual retail price, so shop around. It’s worth it. campchef.com
– Brian & Mrs. Outsider
Disclosure of Material Connection: We received the Camp Chef Outdoor Camp Oven free from Camp Chef, in consideration for review publication
This looks pretty cool for the avid camper!