A raised lip runs around the ridge of the lid preventing coals from rolling off the lid and ash from falling into your food.

Lightweight stainless steel cookware has its place, and mine has provided edible meals for years on backpacking trips across the country. Backpacking cookware is very limiting, though, and after savoring a few tasty dishes created by friends who have obviously spent time polishing their Ditch oven skills, I decided it was time I, too, upped my culinary offerings to those who camp with me throughout the seasons.

Being a newcomer to Dutch oven cooking, I was interested in the Browning Five Piece Cast Iron Cookware Set because it included the 12 inch Dutch oven I was looking for, plus all of the necessary accessories for Dutch oven cooking, and a 12 inch skillet to boot. Purchasing all these items individually would have cost me well over $120, so this was really a no brainer.

The set includes a handy lid lifting tool that allows you to lift and turn the hot, heavy cast iron lid during the cooking process. The heavy duty, long leather gloves allow you to lift and turn the entire oven without fear of being burned. (You'll need to turn the lid and Dutch oven 90 degrees every 15 minutes on recipes with cook times over 30 minutes for even distribution of heat and to avoid burning your meals.)

Grab the loop handle with the lid lifting tool to remove the heavy, hot lid.

While seasoning cast iron cookware isn't necessarily difficult, it was nice to be able to pull the cookware right out of the box and start cooking. In fact, my first time using the Dutch oven was a trial run at home; I made an apple crisp desert using a recipe I found online.  Since then, I've experimented with main dishes that I plan to whip up at deer camp this year.

The design of the Dutch oven is pretty standard. It has a tight fitting lid with a loop handle (rather than a tab handle); this loop allows you to use the lid lifting tool. A raised lip runs around the ridge of the lid, which prevents coals from rolling off the lid and ash from falling into your food. The lid, which also fits the 12 inch skillet, fits tightly on the Dutch oven to keep moisture from escaping.

The Browning Five Piece Cast Iron Cookware Set is a great way to dive into the world of cast iron cooking. When using charcoal and open flames, I've found cast iron to be much easier to cook with than stainless steel; cast iron doesn't heat as quickly as stainless steel, so food doesn't seem to burn as easily. Also, food doesn't stick to cast iron like it does to stainless steel. Best of all, the 12 inch (4 quart) size allows me to cook meals for larger groups, yet it's not so big that I can't whip up a smaller meal for two. 

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Browning® Five Piece 12' Cast Iron Cookware Set