dogbowl camping oven

This experiment, like so many other of my harebrained pursuits, came as the result of wanting something but but being willing and/or able to pay retail for it. And sometimes things are rare on the used market. So we need what economists call a substitute good.

Stovetop camping ovens are expensive new and vanishly rare used. Enter the dogbowl oven (DBO hereafter):

DBO video at YT

my version

I made mine with relatively large outer bowls in order to hold a decent amount of stuff. All the bowls are stainless, made in India, and sold by Amazon vendor Van Ness:

I already have a small bit of grate that will work for the bottom spacer. Total cost $12.80. All the bowls and clips nest neatly when not in use.

Dogbowl recipes are over here

challenges

DBO cooking presents some special challenges and will require experimentation with any given setup.

temperature control

Getting the average temperature in the approximate range is addressable by regulating the heat source while using a BBQ or similar high-temperature thermometer to check temps (pic).

even temperature distribution

The larger issue is attenuating the intense heat focused on the bottom of the thin DBO materials.

external attenuation

A flame tamer (diffuser) or similar can help soften the impact of heat on the bottom of the DBO.

internal attenuation

The main tool for internal attenuation is spacing between the DBO bottom and the cooking pan. The spacer should either be non-thermally-conductive or have minimal surface area touching the cooking pan. A trangia-style cooking stand or DIY may be useful. This one is cheap but does not fold. This one costs a bit more but stores flat to preserve the DBO’s nested storage benefits.

A cooking pan with lower thermal conductivity (glass, insulated bakeware, etc) may also help.

further reading/viewing

Cooking like this in a stovetop oven is often called dry baking, so you might want to search that. I assume it’s called that to differentiate it from steaming, braising, etc.