ExplorOz Team - David replied:

Grant,I have fixed the performance problems and multiple entries issue. Sorry for the inconvience - Could you please in future just drop me a very quick feedback and I am sure we can fix any problems. The error you were getting was to do with our mail server being conjested - I am now and using a different machine and this should fix the problems. I have this copy of your questions in the forum.Michelle's folks use the stainless steel camp ovens and have had no problems with warping. In fact during our last trip I cooked with one and had a very hot fire under it and it performed well. My only comment is that they do tend to get very hot as they are thinner than the cast ones and you can burn your food. We found that using less heat underneath and more on the top worked best with these ovens.David

Porl replied:

I have not seen the stainless steel camp oven but this is my two cents cause i cook a lot. The cast iron camp oven works so excellently because of the thickness of the iron and even distribution of heat due to the iron being the effective equivalent of insulation in an oven or a Le Crueset pot. A lighter and thinner stainless steel oven would mean the heat penetrates the pot far quicker thereby probably serving to burn different spots on the pot quicker than other areas, also the temperature would be more difficiult to control because of the instant transmission of the heat direclty through the stainless steel into the food as opposed to a cast iron pot where the heat would rather instead spread through the entire external surface of the iron pot before the diluted heat starts to penetrate thereby creating the "camp oven" type cooking method - i would liken the performance of a stainless steel camp oven to a pot on a stove - completely different style of cooking. Unless the stainless steel camp oven you saw actually had insulation in between the walls of the lid, bottom and side, don't even imagine it will give the same results as a cast iron.

Good luck.

Col replied:

There is also a great spun steel camp oven. I purchased one at this years Sydney 4WD show. It is fantastic. Best thing being that it weighs less than half of a cast iron oven, has a deep lid that can be used as a frying pan, can be used with a gas ring if required (cooking from the top). Works great with solid fuel (again on top), which can be a bonus when good firewood is impossible to find. Just can't remember the makers name. Col

John replied:

Agree with Col, have used a Bedourie oven for a couple of years with no problems. Does a great lamb roast!!

Darren replied:

Hi Grant, Col was right. The oven is made by a company called Hillbilly, and they come in 2 sorts. One is the Bushranger, and the Bushking. You can ring them on 03 97545053. They are at 23 Mt Morton Rd, South Belgrave VIC 3160. We saw them at the Sydney 4wd show, we will get one next year.