It was a tough decision whether to add a Dutch oven to our product line or not. There are a few very popular brands that we all have and love, so we had to determine what would we could to do to separate us from the already existing options? This took us on an interesting and educational journey through the history of cast iron and Dutch oven cooking. What we found was an old company called "Griswold" that use to make the majority of DO's in the early 1900's. The Griswold style of oven is extremely high-quality and a very nice DO (see the image right). These DO's have a domed lid and were just a bit thinner than modern day castings. We determined that we would try to create our own DO based off of many of the features of the famed Griswolds.
This led us to improve upon the existing camp oven designs, by incorporating all of the best features from the both the old and new styles. The Volcano DO is very high-quality, with a slightly thinner cast than most modern DO's. We also chose to go with a domed lid. Domed lids create better air circulation and moisture control, but are not as popular in the camping world, due to the common practice of placing briquettes on top. So, we fixed that by adding a briquette ridge on the lid to allow for top heat placement and stacking.
In addition to the exterior stacking ring, the interior of the lid has basting rings to better distribute moisture, a thermometer access hole, and a much higher quality handle than other camp ovens. We chose to go with a 12", deep version initially and are looking to bring on a 10" later in 2013. So far, the reviews have been excellent. If you are a DO enthusiast, or just getting started; the Volcano Dutch oven is a great choice. They come pre-seasoned and ready to use. As expected, they fit perfectly in a Volcano Collapsible Stove.
