Cardboard box oven

[sctmom]

My son and I made a cardboard box oven this weekend. Once the rain stopped, we gave it a try. Worked very well. We learned something very important -- smoke flavored chocolate chip cookies have an unique flavor.

 

 

 

[yaworski]

That's what Scouting is all about, having fun while learning!

[Double Eagle]

A new one for "Nestle", smoke chips. Right up there with potato chips dropped into saw dust: wood chips. Just stay away from buffalo chips, they are much too chewy and always seem to melt in you hands, mouth, and get all over. And for the tiger cubs: micro-chips.

[sctmom]

Yaworski,

That's what we thought too! But we seem to have more fun away from the troop. My son now wants to improve upon the oven by adding a door, not just sitting it over the coals. It's so cool to watch kids think like that.

 

[james_clegg]

It is amazing how cooking and doing things outdoors brings out the best in leaders and kids.

Some of my scouts favorite camp out was when we cooked eggs and bacon on a rock,

corn on the cob under the coals,

Biscuits on a stick,

and apple piece under the coals

The best part no dishes.

 

A Plug for a local event

November 16 2002 9:00 to Noon

At the UVSC (Utah Valley State College) Campus Gunther trades building. There is a going to be a great demonstration of outdoor cooking Ideas. this is part of the BYU UVSC pow wow. Cost for leaders = Free

 

I went last year and for 3 hours learned more about outdoor cooking. Even how to cook a turkey, corn on the cob, cakes in the box, and a lot more. It was a lot of fun.

[sctmom]

I enjoy my dutch oven. My son will try almost any kind of food that has been cooked outside, especially if cooked in some "odd" way. He may not like it, but he will try it and not go into a fit if it doesn't taste good.

 

Now I need some sort of metal thing to put on the ground when a fire pit is not allowed. I wonder if a flat grill will work, just no legs.

 

The cardboard box oven also taught another lesson - foil conducts heat. My son went to lift the oven off the coals with NO oven mitts. Yikes. No burns, just a lesson.

 

[james_clegg]

I found that a metal garbage can lid works

 

James

[Lippoeowl]

Sctmom: When you said:

"Now I need some sort of metal thing to put on the ground when a fire pit is not allowed. I wonder if a flat grill will work, just no legs."

Are you talking about a fire pan for Dutch oven cooking?

If so, we use the heavy duty aluminum cookie sheets available from Costco. They come 3 to a package and work great as a "Fire Pan" for Dutch oven cooking. I think the cost is somewhere between $13.00 to $16.00 per pack. In the past,we used 55 gal drum lids but they rusted out and were really a pain to carry around. The cookie sheets are still going strong and have other uses too. Each of our patrols gets two and the adult leaders have a half of dozen or so. Dutch ovens tables are also great but cost more and are harder to carry around.

Hope this helps. Steve

[sctmom]

Thanks for the suggestions. I will look for the cookie sheets at Costco. May also keep my eye out for them at yard sales, those cookie sheets with lots of "character" built up on them.

 

Since the cardboard box oven only needed 6 to 10 charcoal briquettes, I put them in a disposable pie plate.

 

[ScouterPaul]

sctmom

If you go to a local liquor store you should be able to pick up a liquor box that has been cut with a razor so that one side is only secured by one edge. This acts as a door. I prefer liquor boxes because they seem to be made out of heavier cardboard and last longer. I place a rock in front of the "oven door". This helps keep it in place and also tells everyone that he oven is hot. I also use cookie sheets they seem to work well. Our Cub Scouts love the cakes that they bake in tuna cans. Also english muffin pizzas go over well.

[LauraT7]

our troop uses two metal oil-drip pans for "no ground fires" camping -

 

you get them at an auto supply store - they are about 18-22' across and about 4-5" deep. - and they nest/ stack together for storage.

 

you can put a dutch oven comfortably in one - even build a small log fire for warmth in them and cook over them - a camfire grill fits very nicely over them, too.

 

last weekend, we turned one upside down on the end of a picnic table and set the other on top and started our coals in it - right on the table! We had the most delicious apple pie! and the table was unmarked!

[KoreaScouter]

The absolute best cardboard for a box oven is the military MRE box. The cardboard is almost like wood, but still light and malleable. Check a military surplus store -- they may give you the box without buying the MREs!

 

On your Dutch oven, if you have a 12" or smaller oven, you can use one of those round Weber "smokey joe" type grills...gets it off the ground and keeps the heat in very good. A 14" won't let enough air flow through to keep the bottom coals glowing. Kills 2 birds with one stone, too, 'cuz you can cook dinner on the grill, pull the wire part off the top, and drop your oven on it for dessert.

 

For troop camping when we have multiple ovens going, we use the dutch oven table with charcoal pans on it. A good solid base if you're stacking them.

 

KS

[evmori]

I have an ASM who has taken this to a new level! He has a removable 3 tier tray & an adjustable door! He also uses a liquor box because of the double wall design. Don't forget to have your foil shiny side up for the most reflective heat!

 

Ed Mori

Scoutmaster

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10