Coleman Camp Oven Review: Is it worth $50?

Falling under one of my 3 pillars of successful overland travel, “good food”, the Coleman Camp Oven may be the next item we add to our Overland loadout.

The other 2 pillars are “comfortable sleep” and “epic locations” if anyone was curious. Anyhow, back to “good food”. With the limited space available in our FJ Cruiser, any additional gear needs to be worth the space and weight it occupies.

Fortunately, the Coleman Camp Oven folds flat and doesn’t weigh much. At least for vehicular-dependent travel. I would never suggest packing this in a backpack.

Coleman Camp Oven Video:

We actually saw this camp oven being used in an Overland Youtube Video with success. And with a generally low purchase price, decided to give it a whirl. Initial testing was a simple Pillsbury Cinnamon roll. Since this is something we bake at home semi-regularly, we figured it would make for a good comparison in there field. Here’s what we found.

The set-up is easy as all the walls, top and bottom are connected with hinges. It’s just a matter of unfolding the unit and latching the top and bottom in place. The only “loose” piece is the oven rack itself. which can be installed in the oven at 3 different heights. For the cinnamon rolls, we used the bottom rack.

But will probably use the middle setting next time based on our results. Placed atop our Cook Partner stove, the oven had some trouble preheating to the prescribed 375F. This was mainly due to winds that constantly disrupted the airflow around and under the oven. Keeping the burner and oven shielded from wind seems critical.

Noticing the door-mounted thermometer would spike up and down with the gusts of wind, we decided to just put the rolls in the oven and see what happens. The indicated temps were fluctuating between 325-350F despite cook time on the packaging requiring 13-17 min at 375F.

Even with the gusty wind and lower oven temperatures, the rolls appeared done at the 10-minute mark. The tops were actually a little more browned than what we typically see at home in a conventional oven. Which meant the bottoms of the rolls would also be a bit overcooked. But not burnt, just crisp. After adding the icing, the cinnamon rolls were still a delicious addition to our breakfast.

Features

• Bake up rolls, cinnamon rolls, cornbread and other treats at the campsite.
• Keep your cooking warm until your group gets back.
• Warms up over Coleman camp stoves.
• 10 sq. in. (64.52 sq. cm) rack adjusts to three cooking heights.
• Folds flat for convenient, space-saving storage.
• Easy-to-read thermometer.
• Smooth and easy to clean, corrosion-resistant aluminized steel finish also resists scuffs.
• 13.5 in. x 12.9 in. x 3.3 in. (34.3 cm x 32.7 cm x 8.3 cm).
• Not recommended for use on grills.
• 1-year limited warranty.
• MSRP $49.99

Final thoughts:

Although we’ve only used the Coleman Camp Oven on one occasion, I can say with confidence that reliable baking is fully possible in the field. If I find anything on the contrary in the future, I’ll be sure to post an update. At less than $50, it’s not terribly expensive in the grand scheme of what we typically bring to cook food. Packability is important and the weight and space needed are very acceptable. Set-up and operation couldn’t be easier.

However, wind seems to adversely affect the performance of the oven. So shielding the burner on your stove as best you can is critical. Cook times seem shorter than recommended on packaging so check your food as it bakes. We noticed the coating on the bottom of the oven “baked off” upon first use. I can’t imagine this will adversely affect anything other than possibly clean-up. Because of this, I recommend placing the oven on your stove prior to cooking food to “season” the aluminum.