Have you ever seen that some cast iron dutch ovens have tiny legs on the bottom while others do not? Ever ponder the function of those tiny legs? Believe it or not, those tiny legs have a significant impact on how your cast iron dutch oven will cook.

If you’re unfamiliar with cast iron dutch ovens, you can choose between two models: ones with three legs and ones with a flat bottom and no legs. Because they may be used on your stovetop or in the oven, cast iron dutch ovens without legs are perfect for indoor cooking. These kinds of ovens can be used to prepare some extremely delectable dishes, such as roasted chicken and rice, roast beef and potatoes, and the perennially popular soups and stews. However, you may only use flat-bottom dutch ovens over a campfire if they are suspended from a tripod.

Now, what about those three-legged cast iron dutch ovens; what are they for, and how do I cook with them? To begin with, these ovens were designed and are most effective when used for cooking over campfires—or, to be more accurate, in campfires. Those three little legs serve as a buffer between the oven’s bottom and the smoldering coals it is placed over.

To help create a space for air movement to reach the coals, there is a space between the oven’s bottom and the coals.

In order to have enough space between the bottom of the oven and the coals so that air can circulate over the coals when using an oven with legs, you should either create a new fire pit for the oven to be placed in or allow your original campfire burn down to coals.

Now, depending on what you are cooking, you can use a flat-bottom dutch oven over a campfire, but you will need to set it on some rocks to prevent burning the bottom of the food within. However, there are times when finding a rock is more difficult said than done. For this reason, if you truly love cast iron dutch ovens and enjoy camping, an oven with three legs is useful.

There are a ton of delectable recipes you can prepare with your outdoor oven, just like there are for indoor ovens. The meals of choice the following time you go camping won’t be hot dogs and hamburgers. You now have a vast array of dinner options at your disposal thanks to your new cast iron dutch oven.

Everything from scrambled eggs for morning to a mouthwatering pot roast for dinner will be within your reach. Dessert is also important to remember; you can cook dishes like apple cobbler. Even a deep dish pizza can be made in a dutch oven, according to what I’ve read! That will be my next camp out. Dutch oven pizza and a campfire.

While camping always look up at the stars and think of the creator because he made that night just for you and your people with you.