Camp Chef Professional Outdoor Oven

Camp Chef Professional Outdoor Oven

By Cory McLaughlin

Follow us on INSTAGRAM @ireviewgear

Just the facts:

Enjoy the convenience of cooking on an oven and stove top, anywhere with the new Professional Outdoor Oven. Your new favorite camp oven now has thermostatic oven control and a higher (5,000 BTU/hr) internal oven output. Brew coffee at the campsite or cook asparagus in the Alps. Wherever you go, your camp oven is both dependable and durable for all conditions. While Camp Ovens are nothing new for Camp Chef, we’ve upgraded this unit to include thermostatic temperature settings to offer you appliance-like control. Purchase this for the campsite, tailgate, emergency preparedness, or the hunting cabin.

FEATURES

• Thermostatic controlled oven
• Two 9,000 BTUs/Hr. brass range burners
• 250 – 400° F oven power
• Fully adjustable heat-control dials
• Matchless ignition
• Removable oven racks
• Enamel stove top pot grates
• Stainless steel construction
• Insulated, efficient oven box
• Folding lid provides a three-sided windscreen
• Oven fits 9 in. x 13 in. pan
• Convenient carry handles
• Powered by a disposable 1 lb. propane bottle, bottle not included
• Adaptable for a bulk tank with the bulk tank hose adapter, not included

SPECIFICATIONS

• Oven Heat Output: 5,000 BTUs/Hr.
• Internal Oven Dimensions: 11 in. L x 16 in. W x 9 in. H
• Maximum Oven Heat: 400° F
• Range Burners: two 9,000 BTUs/Hr.
• Total Output: 23,000 BTUs/Hr.
• Main Body Dimensions: 12.5 in. L x 21 in. W x 20 in. H
• Dimensions with handles: 15 in. L x 25 in. W x 20 in. H
• Overall Weight: 32 lbs.
• Warranty: one year

My Story:

I have logged more hours camping than I could ever possibly count. Spending a significant amount of time in the outdoors means you are going to have to learn how to cook without the comforts of your home kitchen, well, at least it used to. Camp Chef has been doing their absolute best to bridge the gap between the home and camp kitchens for years, and I must say they have been killing it!

While at the Summer Outdoor Retail show I met with Camp Chef and one of the first items that I saw was the Camp Chef Professional Outdoor Oven. I was instantly hooked and knew I needed to test this thing out. I had visions of being the hero at elk camp making the perfect biscuits and whatever else I could think to bake. I arranged for a sample oven to be sent and I went home to eagerly await its arrival.

When the oven arrived I was really excited to try it out, so without a second thought, I tore it open and set it up on my back porch. After a quick trip to the store for cake mix I was ready to bake a cake. I am not much of a baker but the instructions on the box were easy enough and after a searching for the correct size pan and mixing the batter there was nothing left to do but wait. The cake came out looking perfect. I set it on the counter to cool and set about frosting it once it was ready. To my surprise it was pretty OK. There was a corner of the cake that was a bit dry but overall it was good.

Deer/elk season seemed to come quicker than expected this year. It’s not that the dates changed but more that I was just so busy it crept up on me. I loaded all my gear and hauled it up to the mountain. I was pretty pumped to show off the new addition to the camp kitchen this year. The Professional Outdoor Oven took its place on the table and on the morning after our first hunt, it got it’s first taste of camp cooking. 

The name is a bit misleading as this is not just an oven. The Camp Chef Professional Outdoor Oven is a whole stove/oven combo and is capable of making coffee, bacon and biscuits at the same time! I think we can all agree that is something any outdoors enthusiast can get excited about.

My deer/elk camp was set up for 3 weeks. We used the Camp Chef Professional Outdoor Oven to cook everything from steaks to gravy and bake cupcakes and rolls. I even finished off a nice venison roast in the oven. There was not a day that went by that we did not use this great oven/stove and it was the second most popular item at camp, the first being the Camp Chef Pursuit 20 Portable Grill, which I will be reviewing later.

I am sure you want to know if I had any issues with this oven. To be honest there was a bit of a heat issue. I did not put a thermometer into the oven while I was up hunting so I cannot speak to how true it is to the listed temp. Honestly, I like the rustic feel of the unknown and while it can be frustrating to burn your dinner I think with a keen eye and just a bit of practice you will have no worries with this product. I found that the temp adjustment knob was simple to use and when set to the listed temperature, and for the recommended amount of time on the products I baked, there was minimal issue. The back right corner of the oven did seem to get a bit hotter than the rest but it was not a huge concern.

The cook top is pretty basic and should be familiar to anybody that has used a propane stove in the past. The included striker makes starting the burner very easy. The only thing that I do not love is that the flame output is a bit weak. The flame is easily disrupted by wind and can even blow out under relatively mild conditions. The cook top will do it’s job and we prepared dozens of meals on it but the wind is certainly a factor. I would like to see the burner kick out a bit more pressure in future models.

Overall I have cooked about 30 meals with this oven/stove and made at least that many pots of coffee. I found this to be a worthy addition to my camp and the rest of the guys agree. Camp Chef has put out another quality product and though it has a few issues, outdoor cooking is always going to be burdened with some amount of unknown. I believe that this oven will a great addition to any cooking kit, be it backyard BBQ stations or backcountry camp kitchens. Fine job once again Camp Chef!

Find it Here:

https://www.campchef.com/portable-ovens/outdoor-ovens/covent.html

What can be done better?

I would like to see the top burners put out a bit more pressure or have a better wind screen. The oven seems to function as it should but it can have a small heating issue with the back corner heating unevenly. This may have to do with cooking outdoor and wind coming into the ventilation but it is noteworthy no matter the cause. Overall this is a very unique product that I had a great time testing. I think you will be happy with this purchase.

Note: The only review on the Camp Chef site is a bit misleading. This oven is only 32LBS and while it is not feather weight it is certainly not horrible to move. My 11 YO daughter was able to carry it. Also, the same review is up under different names which I feel gives the star rating an unfair grade.

I give the Camp Chef Professional Outdoor Oven a 4.25 star rating as there is a bit of room for improvement but it is a great product overall.