- My tip to you is to make your selection in the following order.
- key points to remember when purchasing a cast iron new camp oven.
- What Type of Camp Oven should I buy?
- Cast Iron Camp Oven
- Pros
- cons
- Spun steel Camp Oven
- Pros
- cons
- Cast Iron Potjie
- Pros
- cons
- Cast Aluminium Camp Oven
- Pros
- cons
- What Brand of Camp Oven should I buy?
- What Size Camp Oven should I buy?
I’ve been promoting camp oven cooking for 10 years now, however, over the past few years, there has been a big rise in popularity for people wanting to get into camp oven cooking. I’ve seen this first hand in my Facebook group with people joining to ask questions.
This has led to many questions like:
- What Brand of Camp Oven should I buy?
- What Type of camp oven should I buy?
- What Size camp oven should I buy?
Choosing your first camp oven can be a hard choice, so I’m going to answer these questions below to help you make the best choice that fits your needs but ultimately any camp oven will be suitable as long as you look after it properly.
My tip to you is to make your selection in the following order.
- Choose what type first, Cast Iron, Spun Steel or Aluminium – View Types
- Choose what size next will suit your cooking needs.
- Then choose what brand, this one is not so important as all brands are really good.
key points to remember when purchasing a cast iron new camp oven.
- Make sure the lid fits well. – Due to the way camp ovens are manufactured, it is common for the lid to not to fit snug and it is important that they are a match.
- There are no defects or large holes. – Due to the sand casting of the camp ovens, the ovens can have dags or holes, and while it is okay, you don’t want too many.
- Is it already pre-seasoned? – A pre-seasoned camp oven is great as it is ready to use. Yet, we do recommend you give it a quick wash and a light coat of cooking oil.
- Does it have a lip on the lid? It is important if you are cooking with coals or briquettes that the camp oven has a lip to stop the coals falling off.
What Type of Camp Oven should I buy?
This defiantly comes down to personal choice, traditionally a camp oven is made of heavy cast iron, but we now have to steal camp and aluminium camp ovens which are much lighter than cast iron camp ovens.
Camp ovens come in 4 common types here in Australia
- Cast Iron Camp Ovens
- Spun Steel Camp Ovens
- Cast Iron Potjies
- Cast Aluminium Camp ovens
Here is a detailed list of all types of camp ovens and their pros and cons, to help you choose which one you would like to buy.

Cast Iron Camp Oven
Cast Iron Camp Ovens are the original and most popular camp ovens.
Pros
cons

Spun steel Camp Oven
Spun steel camp ovens are a versatile, robust and lightweight alternative to cast iron camp ovens.
Pros
cons

Cast Iron Potjie
A three-legged South African-style cast iron camp oven with a cauldron shape.
Pros
cons

Cast Aluminium Camp Oven
Cast aluminium is a lightweight alternative to a cast iron camp oven.
Pros
cons
What Brand of Camp Oven should I buy?
The most common brands of cast iron camp ovens you will find are Oztrail, Coleman, Camp Fire, Spinifex, Outdoor Connection and many more.
Don’t fixate on which brand is better as they are all good, any brand camp oven will be suitable as long as you look after it.
Mick – The Camp Oven Cook
Here is a list of camp oven brands you will find at your local camping store or online here in Australia:
Cast Iron Camp Oven Brands

Different brands are available in Australia of cast iron camp ovens.
Chinese Brands
Australian Brands
Spun steel Camp Oven

Different brands are available in Australia of Spun steel camp ovens.
Australian Brands
Cast Iron Potjie

Different brands are available in Australia of Potjies.
Potjie Brands
Cast Aluminium Camp Oven

Different brands are available in Australia of Cast aluminium.
Aluminium Brands
What Size Camp Oven should I buy?
I personally recommend that any one starting out should purchase a size that would be perfect to cook anything, from roast, dampers, cakes and more, i recomend a 9qt (12inch) camp oven they are a great all rounder size of camp oven. For a second oven i would recomend a 4qt (10inch) Camp oven, these are also good if you are only cooking for one or two people.

Cast iron vs Spun steel?
The answer to this question comes down to your personal preference, you need to make a decision based on your needs, because