Cooking with cast iron cookware sets is a tradition handed down through generations, and cooking with a cast iron Dutch oven is almost an art, with recipes and tips guarded like state secrets. An essential ingredient for any good campfire cook and campfire meals is quality cookware, and for camp cooks that means castiron cookware. Using cheaply made or poorly maintained cookware can destroy the efforts of even the best cook. Good castiron cookware is so durable that it is not unusual for pieces to be passed down for generations. That enameled cast iron cookware that your mom gave to you may have come from her mother.

Most campfire cooks start their collections with cast iron griddles, or a cast iron skillet, and then add a Dutch oven or pan. For home cookware sets, enameled cast iron cookware can also add a splash of color. Buying cast iron cookware online not only gives you great choices, but in most cases the best prices too.

ps. There is a "How to season your Lodge Logic cast iron skillet" video at the bottom of this page.

Cast Iron Dutch Oven Cookware - essential for your campfire tools

From the birth of our nation, and pioneering of our early settlers, Dutch ovens have been an integral and versatile part of Americana. Next to his cast iron griddles, the Dutch oven is a one of a camp cook's greatest campfire tools and treasure. Although they can be found enameled, and without legs, any purist will tell you a true Dutch oven is black cast iron with a rimmed top and 3 legs to support it over the campfire coals. The 8 qt cast iron Dutch oven is typically the camp standard, but you can find them in sizes ranging from 3 to 12 qts.

Once you have decided to get a Dutch oven, the next decision is what size do you need? Although the number of campers you will be cooking for is a major factor in determining the best size Dutch oven for you, it is not the only consideration. You should also think about how the versatility of a Dutch oven can adapt it to other uses in your camp kitchen. You can use it for a lot more than the obvious:

• Turn the lid upside down, and it use it like regular cast iron griddles. This won't work the same as a real griddle of course, but it will work in a pinch. Maybe you have just a small "something" you need to heat or fry, you can use the lid instead of hauling out your camp griddle.
• Use the bottom as a skillet. Although the tall sides of the Dutch oven bottom will make it a little harder to work with than a regular skillet, the construction is similar in both pieces. For instance: you have a meat dish that calls for braising or browning a meat before it is used in the recipe, just use the Dutch oven bottom like a skillet.
• Use the bottom like a big pot or pan. Heating soup or hot water, or even as a small game scald pot - your cast iron Dutch oven pot will work just fine.
• Need a bucket? - of course it's heavy, but with it's sturdy bail handle and tall sides, it will work just fine as a bucket.
  
• Whomp a bear. - Here's where only good castiron cookware will do the job. If your meal preparations are interrupted by the intrusion of an inconsiderate brown bear*, just whomp him on the head with the lid. (* only works on brown bears - any other kind may take the lid from you and whomp you back)
  

Just as the heavy cast iron construction of a camp Dutch oven enhances its versatility, it also makes it a bit cumbersome to use if you are not prepared for it. Even though it is primarily designed, with its three stubby legs, to sit on campfire coals or briquettes, many of its other possible uses require different ways of using it over your campfire, and different campfire tools to use it safely. *(Campfire Safety is always important)

There may be times when you want to suspend it over the fire for soups and stews, or the like. This is when a sturdy tripod comes into play. With the weight of a Dutch oven you are not just going to hang it from a stick stuck in the ground. And the danger of an accident with a heavy Dutch oven full of scalding hot food is a very serious consideration. This is where the sturdy 1/2" bar steel tripod from Lodge comes in handy. Designed for use over roaring campfires, and strong enough to hold the weight of a food laden pot, this tripod is almost a must-have for frequent group camping.

And don't forget to include that handy iron Lid Lifter in your campfire tools.  Once again, as much for campfire safety as convenience, a strong sturdy iron lid lifter will make you wonder how you ever cooked without it.

The cast iron skillet is THE basic tool of every cook! From campfire cooking to stove-top magic, every good cook knows there are some things you can only do with a well-seasoned quality cast iron skillet. And many times it's a cast iron skillet that has been passed down from father to son, or mother to daughter. Usually the first piece of any cast iron cookware set, it is a cooking tool that can last generations. A good, well seasoned cast iron skillet will almost never wear out. The one passed down from your great grandparent will look, and cook, just like one that was bought last year. Cookware sets aren't complete without one.

Cast Iron Griddles are the next addition to your cast iron cookware set. Whether you doing campfire cooking, or burgers on the stove-top, a good quality griddle will make the task easier. From eggs and bacon, to burgers and steaks, a griddle will be your tool of choice for cooking for larger groups. The griddle's heavy cast iron construction transmits the heat evenly across the griddle's surface, giving you maximum cooking space. just pick a size for your cooking needs. A good quality griddle will also have a drip channel or groove around the outer edge to drain away grease and fats. Like all pieces in cast iron cookware sets, keeping your griddle well-seasoned is a top priority.

As your cast iron cookware set expands, a good quality heavy cast iron pot, or combo will be your next choice. Most combo pieces are made to interlock with each other to give a tight closure and seal between the two pieces. With the durability and even heat transfer of cast iron, your recipes will turn out just as you want them to. Made to last for generations,

The versatility of a cast iron combo makes it a valuable addition to your cast iron cookware sets.

Lodge Logic cast iron combo's a heavy-duty construction sets the standard for all other cast iron pots and pans try to live up to. And the way this combo interlocks can add to your campfire safety.