I went looking for a Bedourie camp oven the other day and i saw a few but have a few obvious questions just to be sure .

Southern Metal Spinners make both the Bedourie and the The Aussie Camp Oven, so they must be the same quality.

The only differance I can see is the Bedourie was packaged as "Dr. Livingstones "  as well as being not as deep as the Aussie.

So do people have both or why would you buy one over the other ??
My thoughts are maybe people in general are calling all the spun steel ovens Bedouries
So I'm leaning towards a 10" Aussie Camp Oven as it's deeper for roasts and it comes with a Trivit.

My reason for buying one is for some touring I hope to do . So as well as cutting down on space and weight , I can use the spun steel oven for a pot which water can be boiled and the lid for ...

exploroz wrote on Nov 22^nd, 2010 at 10:18pm:

My thoughts are maybe people in general are calling all the spun steel ovens Bedouries

Yep, a bit like many people calling all cast iron camp ovens "Furphy's"and we, well most of us know there are many different ones.
Just a thought but if you buy a 10" and a 12" one fits inside the other when travelling but also gives you the versatility to do two dishes at once like a casserole and vegies or a maybe a damper, just a thought.

pd

I'm not a big fan of the spun metal Camp Ovens.
Although Ivé never used one, I think they might be a little more touchy with the heat control.

Have you considered buying Cast Iron?

Mick.

To the purists there is a clear difference between a Bedourie and an Aussie Camp Oven (or a Hillbilly as well)

We appreciate the shape difference.

I use almost exclusively spun metal right now due to weight considerations and it has taken some time to get used to it.

Mick is absolutely right when he says that temperature is more touchy.  They are susceptible to breezes on the oven but if you are aware of this, it is certainly manageable.

As for LIVINGSTONES name, I understand there was a trademark or copyright issue with calling it a Bedourie.  Some older Bedourie style ovens were often made out of rolled sheet and riveted.  

To be perfectly honest, I would prefer cast iron, but I just cant handle the weight (and I don't want Castironitis, a disease many here are afflicted with).  Having said that I can cook up a storm in them!!

Oh, I have 2 spun metal ovens, A Bedourie and a 12" ACO (the Bedourie nest inside the ACO for packing).  I also swear by the Camp Oven Mate for when I cant have coals to cook with!  If I had to choose only one oven it would be the 12" Aussie Camp Oven for all round usage, but I would be lost without the Bedourie for the small second oven we all need at times.

The Bedtourie was my first oven.  PD gave me some good lifters but even with them I still couldnt seem to lift the lid balanced and a few meals had grit in them, maybe wood coals arent as nasty as the heat beads ash.

I dont handle the weight of cast iron too well and so I got an Aussie Camp Oven and Camp Oven Mate.  These are great when you cant light a fire but can use gas.  I also use the Aussie Camp Oven when I need a bit of extra height for bread as it is my deepest oven.  The other use I have for my Aussie Camp Oven is deep frying - again the height makes it safer to use.

I made a mess of seasoning these ovens but they work well for the purposes I use them.  I would buy the larger Camp Oven Mate if your thinking of getting one as you can fit a small oven in a big COM but not a larger camp oven into a small one  :D :D pretty obvious to most but it wasnt to me  :D but then I am just a senior female  ;D ;D

I must admit I havent used the COM.lately.but now the warm weather has arrived it will get more use with gas


Dave

Carolyn

Do you have a preference or do you think that the Volcano is more the go, or is it worth having
both seeing as Volcano have not had their gas fittings approved for use in Australia.

I have noticed Derek comment from time to time that he really likes the Bedourie, but haven't noticed his opinion on the spun steel campovens.  Maybe I should do a search on the forum.

I'm looking forward to the Thora COG where I will be checking out everyone's equipment for ideas.

Camp cooking equipment that is  ::)

As weight within reason is not a problem for us my preference generally to pack is the 12" Mulley (cast iron) and the Aussie Camp Oven (12" spun steel) a baby cast iron oven and the Volcano, Camp Chef Table plus my kitchen table.  OOOps the heat beads, starters, matches, chimney, Mair Lifters and lid stands.

Sparky felt he needed more gas for his Coleman Gas Oven (which folds flat and in future will probably take the big gas thingy which fits under the Camp Oven Mate (he likes this as well).  He likes his two tables and doesnt know why I need the above.  :(

Many feel I should learn to drive a 4WD and have my own set up  :D :D :D :D :D

For me its a matter of what I find easiest to use and the circumstances of fire bans etc.

The main use I can see for the Bedourie shape is if you buried it the overhang on the lid would probably keep anything out of it and for giving the dogs water in.

You can use any kind of camp oven in the camp oven mate, I bought the aussie camp oven for the higher sides, lip on the lid and lightness.  Mostly I only cook for two so I didnt give getting the larger size a consideration.  Many in here have large family/friend cook ups where the bigger sizes make more sense.  It has a good lip to hold the ashes and can be used as a fry pan similarly to the Bedourie.  I dont feel its as forgiving temperature wise but with practice should do all of the cooking others do in cast iron.

You couldnt use it on a plastic table like I can the Volcano but that is not really an issue of importance for most.

The COM packs reasonably small.  I hate using gas and thats probably a reason at home I would rather light up heat beads and use the volcano or my Camp Chef Table and cook in my cast iron.

Many swear by the Cobb but although I cooked all the regular things in mine I didnt enjoy using it and Sparky said the roasts werent hot enough and it "rattled".  It has a few new accessories now but mine lives under the staircase totally unused and unloved.  There were a lot more used at the last ct outing I went to.

The Volcano suits me in every way, it might not suit everyone, you are restricted to a 12" oven or smaller but it supposedly can take up to three 12" stacked and somewhere on the net is a photo of a rather substantially built male standing on one.  Again cooking small amounts with it is fine but for those who cook in 4 or more ovens around the fire it would be just one more thing to pack.

I like to cook away from the fire (cooler in summer) and at table height.  I was told by a few when camping that they had trouble getting oil hot enough to deep fry.  I used 25 beads and got exactly the temperature I wanted in Aussie Camp Oven in the Volcano.  It had better access to the pot than the COM.


THE SHORT STORY IS GET TO COGS AND COOKING COMPETITIONS - THINK ABOUT YOUR NUMBERS AND WHAT YOU WANT TO COOK - AND THE WEIGHT FOR LIFTING OR PULLING - THEN DECIDE - ALL CAN COOK THE SAME THINGS WITH PRACTICE

Get the 12 ACO if you are looking at the 10.

The 10"Aussie does not fit inside the 12ACO but the 10"Bedourie does fit inside the 12"ACO. They make a great pair.

Wil take a pic for you to show you and upload tomorrow.

If I have a caravan or trailer behind the Jeep (or whatever when weight is not an issue) then cast iron will be the pot in demand to cook in.  I have a fire/coals?  Cast iron wins every time.  However..... :-/

I have a trip to Wonangatta Station/Vic High Country on the go, I take the spun steel.  Weight is an issue.  I just have to be careful with my coals.....
Here is my $2.00 bag from a clearance sale.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k8/OzJeeper/DSC_0314.jpg

Its a dirty bag and remains that way for obvious reasons.  It has to deal with ash and other deritus form a campfire.  I can use gas as well..... ;D  Inside is;

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k8/OzJeeper/DSC_0315.jpg

Two of the "almost" best camp ovens that haven't grown legs.  One is inside the other, as you can see. These are both Dr Livingstones products.  :o

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k8/OzJeeper/DSC_0316.jpg

They fit together nicely and the smaller CO is space for a cut down bristle brush, two lid handles (for frypans) and a tea-towel or two.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k8/OzJeeper/DSC_0317.jpg

My defense rests m'lord.  If you need weight savings then spun steel is the required tool.  You just have to adjust the cooking technique to suit.  Hole in the ground is a good move with these with some pre-warming...They excel when protected from wind and have heat mainly below - or mainly above. (Bake or stew.  Recipe to suit)  But it's only a few days?????   ;)

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k8/OzJeeper/DSC_0319.jpg


Hope this helps.... :)

I just KNOW I will be pilloried, vilified and just plain whinged at - but - one of my favourite cooking implements to take away that has less weight and lotsa cooking power.

A Wok......flame suit on...... ;)

StevenM wrote on Nov 24^th, 2010 at 5:25pm:

The 10"Aussie does not fit inside the 12ACO but the 10"Bedourie does fit inside the 12"ACO. They make a great pair.

I don't dispute what you say Steve but I just bought a brand new 10" inside a 12" at the Bendigo swap meet. No idea what make but they look identical to OJs in the pics above.
Paid the princely sum of $40 and that included a nice canvas bag, two Heat Bead rings and a couple of tin trays, love a bargain.

pd

i can understand a bedourie if your carrying it on your back, but if your in a vehicle what difference does it make if you have a cast iron camp oven, or 2 or 3. a tank full of fuel weighs 80kgs or more, and a child maybe weighs more than a couple of heavy camp ovens

Code:

I will be checking out everyone's equipment

Let me know your final judgment Joan  ;)  ;)

Just watched a re-run of Malcolm Douglas and he cooked on Hillbillys and I was impressed with the depth of them.  

outback jack wrote on Nov 24^th, 2010 at 8:58pm:

i can understand a bedourie if your carrying it on your back, but if your in a vehicle what difference does it make if you have a cast iron camp oven, or 2 or 3. a tank full of fuel weighs 80kgs or more, and a child maybe weighs more than a couple of heavy camp ovens

It may not really seem much on it's own , but the accumilation of everything you carry adds up quickly .

Thanks for everybodys replies it has made good reading .
I was actually considering the 10 inch Aussie Camp Oven ( or Hillbilly if I've read correctly not just for the weight but also size. Since my family say I'm hard to buy for for Christmas I was thinking this would be great .  
The 10" should be right for a family of 5 only , as I notice people on here do cook for large numbers which might be why they suggest to go larger .  This should be a good start .
I can't see how people can bury the Bedourie though as they seem to be very shallow or is this once again a name thing.
The advantage of the Bedourie that I see is the lid is larger for a fry pan . Might have to go to a COG when there is one next for a faster education.

poddy dodger wrote on Nov 24^th, 2010 at 8:41pm:

StevenM wrote on Nov 24th, 2010 at 5:25pm: The 10"Aussie does not fit inside the 12ACO but the 10"Bedourie does fit inside the 12"ACO. They make a great pair. I don't dispute what you say Steve but I just bought a brand new 10" inside a 12" at the Bendigo swap meet. No idea what make but they look identical to OJs in the pics above. Paid the princely sum of $40 and that included a nice canvas bag, two Heat Bead rings and a couple of tin trays, love a bargain. pd

PD the above are Bedourie's

ExploreOz here are the pics as promised.

Ovens sit in a canvas bag

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s20/Hi-Yo/24112010017.jpg

Bag open showing 12" ACO

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s20/Hi-Yo/24112010018.jpg

Lid off ACO to find 10" Bedourie

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s20/Hi-Yo/24112010019.jpg

10" Bedourie sitting on top of ACO

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s20/Hi-Yo/24112010020.jpg

Lid off 10" Bedourie. Well hello sailor there is another oven in there. Little cast jobby.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s20/Hi-Yo/24112010021.jpg

Lid off the cast with unit still in the 10"

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s20/Hi-Yo/24112010022.jpg

And all laid out.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s20/Hi-Yo/24112010023.jpg

So you end up with 3 ovens, 3 fry pans, 3 saucepans in one bag all for the weight of one 9ct cast oven.

At the end of the day we all have our own needs and wants and it comes down to trial and error, seeing what others have done, what uses the ovens have and how YOU want to do it.

Bedouries are a good oven, and so are a comparable cast unit, I dont like do roast in them as they are too shallow for my needs. Even with say a 1.2kg chook for two people, they dont fit or cook properly unless you butterfly then.

Spun steel takes abit of getting used too, needs less heat, can cook quicker, but can be knocked around by wind. But you get used to it.

Hope this helps.

Yes Steve it does help thanks as I'm very much a visual type of person.I can only hope that my ovens get as much use as yours appear to have. Holidays for the kids almost upon us so time really to get something happening there.

In saying that the other week with the kerb side pick up off rubbish I picked up webber bbq which I thought might be good to use the camp ovens in on the veranda at home  :)

OzJeeper wrote on Nov 24^th, 2010 at 7:38pm:

A Wok......flame suit on...... ;)

A WOK?

Isn't dat the fing you fro at d' wabbit when you havn't got a wiffle?

:)Mick.

Exploroz if you are near me in Sydney and could pick it up your welcome to try my bedourie for the holidays but it is a 12".

Carolyn™ wrote on Nov 26^th, 2010 at 8:32am:

Exploroz if you are near me in Sydney and could pick it up your welcome to try my bedourie for the holidays but it is a 12".

Thanks Carolyn , But I'm Brisbane Northside.

Peter

exploroz wrote on Nov 26^th, 2010 at 6:10pm:

Carolyn™ wrote on Nov 26th, 2010 at 8:32am: Exploroz if you are near me in Sydney and could pick it up your welcome to try my bedourie for the holidays but it is a 12". Thanks Carolyn , But I'm Brisbane Northside. Peter

Hi peter

I'm in Joyner..what suburb are you..
If you feel like a coffee or beer..PM me

Aart

Thanks Aart  I will take you up on that some day .
Your number plate looks familar but then again there is alot out there  ;D

Well today I bought myself  10" ACO for my wife to give me for Christmas :)  now I have to wait until then to use it. :'(

Now Ineed to source a lifter / handle to use with the lid when useing it as a  fry pan.

I chose this one in the  end as it will suite my immediate needs and from I gather it won't be the last .  

The way I see it , a 4x4 to get you in the bush and the CO to enjoy the stay . So now to use them together .

outback jack wrote on Nov 24^th, 2010 at 8:58pm:

i can understand a bedourie if your carrying it on your back, but if your in a vehicle what difference does it make if you have a cast iron camp oven, or 2 or 3. a tank full of fuel weighs 80kgs or more, and a child maybe weighs more than a couple of heavy camp ovens

Jack,

In the caravan, every kilo counts for mass management.  25kg of excess camp oven is 25 litres of water or some food.  I am very careful about the mass on the van, and it does make a difference.  In the car, on its own not so much of an issue..

bob

exploroz wrote on Dec 2^nd, 2010 at 5:58pm:

Now Ineed to source a lifter / handle to use with the lid when useing it as a  fry pan. .

Multigrips do the job supurb

see the red and black handles in my pics  ;D

Well what a shocking start to the year with all this wet weather .
We are going to Double piont for the school Holidays and wanted to try out the ACO before we go , so tonight was the night . Forgetting everything I've read in the past I paniced a little as I only started the fire around 5pm and the camp oven was still in plastic from Christmas day. However just after I washed it in the sink for the first time , I thought what about seasoning   :'(  , well no time but I chucked it on the tripod with a little water in for about 10 minutes and then took it off dryed it and wiped a bit of oil on it and thankfully the paper towel was clean and not black . ::) good enough for me , I then browned a 1.5 kg of meat and threw it on the coals . As soon as I had done that I jumped on the forum for a quick tutorial  and low and behold Derek and Southern Metal Spinners recommend that the ACO have the coals on top  :o   .  Not to worry as I've seen how Tommo cooks , so I took the oven off the coals and put them on top  and 1hour and 40mins later i had a beautiflly cooked roast with sweet Pot , pot and pumkin. they were put in about 15mins after the roast went on  as I had to cut them up. The family enjoyed it and I was supprissed .

Anyway as you can see I have had a few wines , but just had to share that this forum is great , as i needed it tonight and it gave me what I needed . I did take photos but they won't be put on tonight .

Thanks again for the material on this site  :)

Peter

Carolyn mentioned a 12" Mulley camp oven. Google search doesnt find them.  I need a clue as to what they are comparable with.  
Currently considering getting 12" Aussie Camp oven (spun steel) and smaller caste iron oven to fit inside for ease of packing

Decisions, decisions...  :D :D :-/