Even though it’s heavier than most pots, a dutch oven is a great addition to your RV kitchen. And, thanks to its compatibility with a lot of meals, it’s even more incredibly useful when you’re out camping. Read on to know what may be the best dutch oven for camping among the wide selection you’ll find online.
There are lots of different RV essentials and camping essentials. But what both of these two have in common is a good dutch oven camping.
It’s basically inevitable to camp when you’re an RVer, but even for a casual camper, dutch oven cooking is one of the best ways to prepare meals for everyone in the family.
Its thickness helps with holding more heat and the types of food that can be cooked in it are flexible, making it one of the most practical things to have along camping.
Another perk of its ability to hold more heat is that it’s really useful for cooking over a fire. Even new campers can easily cook using this since its heat retention helps with even and slow cooking.
“But there’s a lot of options, which one should I get?”
We’ll help you figure that out with our list of the best brands, the highly rated and best quality dutch ovens for camping, and the best ones based on size/capacity, or material. So read on.
THIS ARTICLE MAY CONTAIN COMPENSATED LINKS. PLEASE READ OUR DISCLAIMER FOR MORE INFO. THIS POST WAS WRITTEN BY JILL GREISING-MURSCHEL, A FAMILY TRAVEL AND RV LIVING EXPERT.
Top Pick – Best Dutch Oven For Camping
If you don’t want to read all the details we’ve listed below, then just know that our conclusion for the best cast iron dutch oven for camping is undoubtedly the 5 quart pre-seasoned Lodge Camp Dutch Oven.
It’s a classic that everyone can use for meal preparation without difficulty, thanks to its great heat retention that helps in slow and even cooking.
Even better, you can use it inside your RV kitchen on the stovetop and in your oven if it’s big enough, because it’s oven safe (and fairly lightweight). A top product from a top brand.
It also has a 2 and 7 qt variant if you ever need one with a different capacity. The 2 quart would fit nicely in most RV ovens.
Click here to check on prices of our top pick.
Comparison Guide
Here are the best camping dutch ovens we’ve found, considering all kinds of preferences. For comparison, we’ve also listed their material, capacity, features, and lastly, the price.
Material
Dutch ovens can be made of different materials but all of the ones we listed here are made of Cast Iron. Although some of them have an enamel finish if you want to keep a certain aesthetic in your camp and want your dutch oven to be an easy to clean one.
Other materials dutch ovens can be made of include ceramic, stainless steel, and aluminum. However, dutch ovens made of these are scarce. Which is fine since, in our opinion, cast iron is the best material your dutch oven can be made of anyway.
Regular cast iron dutch ovens are perfect for outdoor camping while cast iron dutch ovens with enameled finish are NOT recommended for open fire and fit better for RV camping, as long as it fits in your RV oven.
Note that most of the products that made it to our list are cast iron dutch ovens for camping since they are more flexible (can be used indoors and outdoors).
Capacity
Most dutch oven companies offer products with 2 to 7 quarts capacity. Many of those you’ll find are available in 5 Qt. and 7 Qt.
“ What size dutch oven should I buy for camping? ”
For this, what works best for you depends on how you camp. Do you camp alone or with only one other person? Or do you camp with your whole family? The capacity you’ll need from your dutch oven will depend on the answer to these questions.
With that, let’s move on to our comparison chart.
Comparison Chart
|
Product |
Image |
Material |
Capacity | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 
|
Cast Iron |
2 Qt, 5 Qt, 7 Qt | $$ | |
| Camp Chef Seasoned Cast Iron Dutch Oven
|  
|
Cast Iron |
12 Qt |
$$$ |
 
|
Cast Iron with Enamel Finish |
6 Qt. |
$$ | |
 
|
Cast Iron |
6 Qt. |
$ | |
 
|
Cast Iron | 8 Qt. | $$$ |
If you’re looking for easy Dutch oven recipes to prepare in your RV, check out our 25 Easy RV Meals For The Road blog!
Top 11 Dutch Ovens for Camping
There are many dutch ovens available. That makes it kind of hard to browse through and find the right dutch oven for you.
To help, we’ve listed the best dutch ovens that we’ve found.
1. Lodge Camp Dutch Oven – 5 Qt
We’ve mentioned in our best RV gifts post before that one of the best items you can bring in camping is a pre-seasoned dutch oven. And this 12-inch dutch oven tops the list of the best ones you can find online.
The 5 quart pre-seasoned Lodge Camp Dutch Oven is a classic that can help you in making almost any camping meal out there. It’s oven-safe, very durable, and is one of the best products from the well-known Lodge Cast Iron brand.
Features:
- Dual Loop Handle
- Non-stick finish
- Oven safe
- 13 lbs.
2. Camp Chef Cast Iron Dutch Oven – 12 Qt Seasoned
Are you planning to cook big meals while camping? Then, this Camp Chef dutch oven may be just what you’re looking for.
Camp Chef 12 Qt Seasoned Cast Iron Dutch Oven comes with a lid that can be used separately as a frying pan. Since the lid has its own legs, it can be used as a skillet or grill while you use the actual dutch oven for other food.
It also comes with a built-in thermometer notch and a lid lifter.
Features:
- True Seasoned finish
- Comes with Lid lifter
- Built-in thermometer notch
- Lid as skillet/grill
- 24.9 lbs.
3. Overmont Camp Dutch Oven – 9 Qt
Do you like camping with a group of friends or do you have a large family? Then the Overmont Camp Dutch Oven may be perfect for you.
It has a capacity of 9 quarts and can be used to cook meals for 5 to 8 people. The flanged lid of the dutch oven can also be used as a griddle or a frying pan.
Features:
- Non-stick surface
- Oven safe
- With Lid Lifter
- Lid doubles as griddle and frying pan
- Durable handle (without holes)
- 20.6 lbs.
4. Lodge Deep Camp Dutch Oven – 8 Qt.
Lodge is really one of the best dutch oven brands out there, especially for outdoor cooking, and they are all made in the USA. So, this list features a lot of their products. A great find is this 8 Qt Lodge Camp dutch oven, another top pick.
Like most of the other dutch ovens on this list, it has a flanged lid that can be used as a griddle. A Cooking 101 cookbook even comes with the package!
Features:
- Pre-seasoned with 100% vegetable oil
- With Lid and Lid lifter
- Virtually non-stick surface
- Easy to clean
- 20 lbs.
5. Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Double Dutch Oven – 5 qt
The Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Double Dutch Oven comes with loop handles for secure control while in use. Its lid also doubles as a 10.25” skillet, perfect for roasts and non-knead bread recipes.
Features:
- Loop handles
- Pre-seasoned
- Oven safe
- Lid doubles as skillet
- 12.37 lbs.
6. Bruntmor Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Double Dutch Oven – 5 Qt
Bruntmor Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Double Dutch Oven is another pre-seasoned outdoor dutch oven with a lid that doubles as a skillet. The dutch oven body itself can be used as a fryer as well—what flexibility.
It also has a non-stick surface of enamel, so you won’t have to worry about scrubbing it clean afterward. This would be great for charcoal and ovens, but you may not want to use it over a fire with the enamel coating.
Features:
- Handles for both body and lid
- Oven safe
- Domed iron cover
- Lid doubles as skillet
- Dutch oven doubles as fryer
- Non-stick surface
- 12.98 lbs.
7. Lodge Enameled Dutch Oven – 6 Qt
What about the best dutch ovens for you who love to keep the aesthetics? We have the Lodge Enameled Dutch Oven for that.
Now, keep in mind that the enamel finish on this particular dutch oven allows you to marinate and refrigerate directly inside it. Unlike most dutch ovens, this one is not recommended to cook over an open flame or in a campfire. This would work well for a large RV oven or cooking over a gas-powered camping stovetop.
With a minimal design, the Lodge Enameled Dutch Oven still makes quite the impact with its enamel finish that comes in 11 colors.
Features:
- Oven safe
- Smooth glass surface
- Loop handles
- Easy to clean
- 15.71 lbs.
- Not for open fire
8. Bruntmor Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven – 6.5 Qt
Bruntmor Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven is another superior enameled cast iron dutch oven with great heat retention. It comes in 5 different cute colors and has a capacity of 6.5 quarts.
Its lid has self-basting condensation ridges to help keep your food moist and savory. With its enamel finish, it’s also super easy to clean. Again, remember that it’s best used on a stovetop or oven, not over the campfire.
Features:
- PFOA- and PTFE-free porcelain enamel surface
- Lid with stainless steel knob
- Self-basting condensation ridges on lid
- 16.13 lbs.
- Not for open fire
9. Puricon Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven – 5.5 Qt
Puricon 5.5 Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven is surprisingly lightweight at 6 lbs. Despite having a capacity of 5.5 quarts and being made of heavy-duty cast iron.
Features:
- Perfect fitting lid
- Wide loop handles
- Not dishwasher safe
- Lightweight (6 lbs.)
- Not for open fire
10. Uno Casa Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven – 6 Qt
Uno Casa Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven is a VERY attractive and heavy-duty enameled cast iron dutch oven that you’ll certainly like in your kitchen.
With the rainfall effect caused by its self-basting skewers under the lid, you’ll surely have moist and juicy meals waiting for you.
Features:
- Self-basting skewers on lid
- Chip-resistant
- Stainless steel- oven safe knob
- Compatible with all cooktops
- Oven safe
- 13 lbs.
- Not for open fire
11. Tramontina Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Tramontina Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven is the last enameled cast iron dutch oven on this list. And the smallest one.
With a capacity of 3.5 quarts this dutch oven is perfect if you’re only preparing a small meal for yourself or for two.
Features:
- Oven-safe up to 450°F (232°F)
- Not dishwasher-safe
- PFOA and PTFE-free porcelain enamel surface
- Gas, electric and ceramic glass cooktop compatible
- Easy to clean
- Cast stainless knob
- 7.88 lbs.
Best Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven for Camping (RV Indoor Kitchen)
Our best camping dutch oven for cooking in the RV Indoor Kitchen is another product from Lodge – the 3-quart Lodge Enameled dutch oven.
It has an enamel finish that comes in several colors, making it look really great inside a camper kitchen. It’s small enough to fit inside your small RV oven too.
It’s also oven safe, has loop handles, and a smooth glass surface that makes it easy to clean.
Best Small Dutch Oven for Camping
The best camp dutch ovens from Lodge actually has a 2 quarts variant that weighs only 2.2 lbs.
Despite being only used for small portions, like a meal for one or two people, appetizers, or a dessert, it’s really a great deal since it can be used for multiple purposes like simmering, searing, braising, sautéing, roasting, banking, and frying.
It’s also made of the same tough cast iron material that the bigger variants use so rest assured that it’s durable.
Did you see your ideal dutch oven from our list above? Then get ready to make the best meals and serve them on the best camping table you’re bringing with you.