View topic - reflector oven????????

It is currently March 19th, 2024, 1:12 am

All times are UTC - 5 hours





Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 15 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: reflector oven????????
PostPosted: May 6th, 2009, 6:39 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: June 26th, 2001, 7:00 pm
Posts: 688
Location: scarborugh, Ontario canada
Anyone have a good source for a reflector oven?
thanx
jim


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: May 6th, 2009, 7:00 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: June 20th, 2001, 7:00 pm
Posts: 948
Location: Langley, BC.
Jim, from the WCA site -

Swedish built reflector ovens for sale; $75 plus $5 shipping.
Clever design (photo available) offers the following advantages:
· lightweight (aluminum) and compact (collapsible) so easy to pack and carry
· quick and easy to set up due to the integral hinges
· fast baking, reflects towards the centre from all 7 sides, heats a relatively small volume space evenly
· fits standard 9" round or 8" square baking pans, a loaf tin or 6-muffin pan


Contact: Rob Stevens (in Hamilton) Tel: 905-383-1719 or Email.

it's this one - http://www.rutabaga.com/product.asp?pid=1006901

_________________

"There are no shortcuts to anyplace worth going"-unknown



Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: May 6th, 2009, 7:09 am 
Offline
CCR Assistant Administrator
User avatar

Joined: January 20th, 2003, 7:00 pm
Posts: 12120
Location: Simcoe County, Ontario
Build your own, from Rolf's plans:

http://www.blazingpaddles.ca/outdoor_co ... /index.htm




Barbara

_________________
I'm out of bed and I made it to the keyboard....what more do you want?


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: May 6th, 2009, 9:26 am 
Offline

Joined: August 26th, 2003, 2:07 pm
Posts: 941
smokey wrote:
Jim, from the WCA site -

Swedish built reflector ovens for sale; $75 plus $5 shipping.


Jim
I bought one of these a few years ago - it's a great little piece of gear.
FAR more compact than most of the others on the market. I've used it to bake birthday cakes, pizza, brownies, bread... fresh bread on day 8 of a 16 day trip ?!? Priceless !

Mike


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: May 6th, 2009, 1:48 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: June 26th, 2001, 7:00 pm
Posts: 688
Location: scarborugh, Ontario canada
thanx all..........I'll give him a ring a ding :wink:

jim


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: May 6th, 2009, 2:50 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: June 25th, 2001, 7:00 pm
Posts: 97
Location: Toronto, Ontario Canada
I built a reflector oven over the winter and finally had a chance to use it last weekend.

I must say I was very disappointed. I placed it about 12" away from a moderate fire and the internal thermometer didn't get above 150. Hard to say the size of the fire, but it was about 12" across and 10"-12" high. Outside air was around 2-7C.

Now there was a little gap in the back that probably compromised the effectiveness, but even so, I'm thinking that I'd need a rather large fire to make it work.

I know they work, so could anyone with experience in using a reflector oven please give me some guidelines as to how far they had to place their reflector and about how large the fire was, ambient air temperature, etc... Photos would be very helpful as well. I'll post a picture of the assemembled oven later.

Cheers


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: May 6th, 2009, 3:22 pm 
Offline

Joined: September 29th, 2005, 5:57 pm
Posts: 688
Hi Chard -

Hard to say exactly, but I think that the fire may have been a little small, and the oven a bit too far away.

Keewaydin probably generates most of the reflector oven specialists today - here is a link to their "traditional kitchen" page, with a picture of reflector ovens in use near the bottom.

http://www.ottertooth.com/Temagami/Trad ... eplace.htm

If no Keewaydin alumni respond to you here, you could maybe post your question on Ottertooth.com as well.

Reflector ovens are pretty wood-intensive, but they work very nicely if you get the setup right.

Happy baking.

-jmc


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: May 6th, 2009, 3:51 pm 
Offline

Joined: August 26th, 2003, 2:07 pm
Posts: 941
Chard wrote:
I must say I was very disappointed. I placed it about 12" away from a moderate fire and the internal thermometer didn't get above 150.


Definitely too far away from the fire.
I usually sit mine right at the edge of the fire, and adjust temperature as described below.
The rule of thumb for reflector oven cooking is:
Hold your hand directly in front of the oven - you shouldn't be able to hold your hand there very long. - Every second you can hold your hand at the opening of the reflector oven is equal to about 100 Fahrenheit - so, if you can only hold your hand in front of the oven for four seconds, your oven will be at about 400F.
If it's too hot, move it further away from the fire. Too cool, move it closer to the fire.

Another tip for reflector oven baking:
You want a 'high flame' type fire - not a bed of coals, as is desirable for most other campfire cooking.

It'll be trial and error for the first few times, but with a little practice, you'll be blown away with the results.

Mike


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: May 6th, 2009, 4:31 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: October 24th, 2007, 1:52 pm
Posts: 558
Location: Beaumont, AB
Mike M said:
Quote:
The rule of thumb for reflector oven cooking is:
Hold your hand directly in front of the oven - you shouldn't be able to hold your hand there very long. - Every second you can hold your hand at the opening of the reflector oven is equal to about 100 Fahrenheit - so, if you can only hold your hand in front of the oven for four seconds, your oven will be at about 400F.


I think that there is a gap in your logic Mike. If I can only hold my hand in front of the oven for 1 sec, your rule of thumb says the temp is about 100°F. But if I can hold my hand there for 4 sec, the temp is 400°F. Something is not quite right.

cheers
dave

_________________
Dave W
"Everyone must believe in something. I believe I'll go canoeing" - Henry David Thoreau


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: May 6th, 2009, 5:27 pm 
Offline

Joined: August 26th, 2003, 2:07 pm
Posts: 941
You're right - after re-reading that, it makes no sense... :doh:
Here's the explanation that I was trying for:
Hold your hand just in front of the oven:
If you can hold it there for seven to 10 seconds, the temperature is near 200 degrees; six seconds, 300 degrees; three to four seconds, 400 degrees; one to two seconds, 500 degrees.

... All I know, is when I can't hold my hand in front of the oven for more than 3 seconds, it's at prime baking temperature.

Just so you don't think I'm full of crap... here's a photo from a trip last summer: mouthwatering success!
Image

Mike


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: May 6th, 2009, 7:49 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: November 25th, 2006, 11:15 am
Posts: 424
Location: Grand Bend Ontario
I've built three reflectors to date, the swedish folding baker is slick, I made one this past winter from plans made available by the designer of the swedish oven Svante Freden.

http://waterwalker.ca/fireside/index.ph ... g10834#new

The best material I've read regarding design old vs. new and how to use them, placement etc. ( besides figuring it out on your own) is in a Gil Gilpatrick book called Building outdor gear,

http://gilgilpatrick.com/outdoor-gear.html

they're a lot of fun

_________________
"we are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best that we find in our travels is an honest friend." Robert Louis Stevenson


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: May 7th, 2009, 9:07 am 
Offline

Joined: February 21st, 2006, 6:20 pm
Posts: 255
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8wzpuSWWhE

Here is a link to a Kevin Callan you tube. He has switched from outback to reflector style ovens. I am sure he has more information available I just can't find it.

Ken


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: May 7th, 2009, 12:25 pm 
Offline

Joined: August 6th, 2007, 10:05 am
Posts: 52
Location: Hamilton, Ontario, CANADA
The picture Mike McIntosh posted is of Svante Freden's Swedish reflector oven.
Note, the photo is staged to show the resulting bakedgoods. This is not how you position the oven to bake.

I market those in Canada, and often in the U.S. too.
Don Kevilus from Four Dog Stove in Maine did a comparison bake-off using one of Svante's aluminum reflectors polished shiny vs one blackened with soot vs a copy made of stainless steel (more than twice as heavy, and more expensive).
The aluminum and stainless performed equally well, and it didn't make a difference if the surface was blackened. This seems counter intuitive to me ie. was the baking happening by convection as well as reflection? The aluminum definitely cools faster if you're baking your lunch bannock before setting off in the morning ie. and want to pack up your gear.

In any case, it may take a bit of trial and error to optimize your familiarity with reflector baking. On the one hand, a person who bought one of these from me, complained that everything he cooked was burnt. When I asked him to describe how he was using it, he was putting the baking pan directly on top of a bed of coals and covering it with the oven (!). This is not the same as a "Dutch oven".

Similarly to the temperature guide suggested above, I judge the temp around 350-400F if I have to remove my hand from in front of the oven in about 3 seconds.

For optimum baking, you need to feed the fire finger-diameter sticks to keep it flaming. Monitor the baking progress and rotate the pan if you need to even out how well done your fresh treat is baked. Beginner's tend either to burn (at least the corners) or undercook stuff (especially in the middle). Of course, the proper consistency of dough is good to start with. Not too moist, not too dry.
Warm, fresh baking can sure bouy the spirits on a long canoe trip! My favourite is cinammon buns with raisins.
But you can do other stuff beyond more standard baked goods eg. fish, pizza, "banana boats"etc.

The first time I tried mine was in the U.S. I baked blueberry muffins in a 6 muffin tin. The front corner got a little over done. But when I offered fresh, hot blueberry muffins to some other Canadians camping nearby, they asked, "Where did you find a Tim Horton's around here?" (This was before Timmy's expanded to the States)

Rob


Last edited by Rob Stevens on May 8th, 2009, 9:46 am, edited 1 time in total.

Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: May 7th, 2009, 2:07 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: June 26th, 2001, 7:00 pm
Posts: 688
Location: scarborugh, Ontario canada
..............I've ordered mine :) :)

jim


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: May 18th, 2009, 11:46 pm 
Offline

Joined: September 8th, 2006, 7:11 pm
Posts: 938
Location: winnipeg
This guy makes them, and they are the most sturdy, well-built models I have seen. I think they are cut by a CNC machine because it is all very precise. The Cadilac of reflector ovens, in my opinion.

The web-site is not complete, but has contact info. Matt is who you would address it to.

http://cloverdalefarm.ca/about


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 15 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group