I'm curious about the Volcano stove. Has anybody used one, and what's your opinion? I'm looking for a way to bake bread and have come up with three options: a dutch oven in the campfire or fireplace, an Amish-made oven that sits over the gas burners of my stovetop, or a Volcano stove. I'd really like some input from those of you who've tried any of these methods...I've got to make up my mind soon - going to Lehman's next week!

-- Jill (jdance@mindspring.com), July 28, 1999

Answers

I,ve got a friend who bought one about 2 years ago. He routinely cooks meals on his. The dutch oven routine works exceptionally well for baking bread. He also got the draft ring which allows him to stack the ovens. As a bye the way he also smokes killer Rainbow trout and chickens using a Brinkman smoker. It fits right in the top of the Volcano. And the claims about the economy of charcoal use are correct. He can cook an entire meal on about 15 bricquets.

-- nine (nine_fingers@hotmail.com), July 28, 1999.

I've cooked a meal on 9 briquets in a Pyromid, using the oven attachment, and could have done it with 6. ("I can cook that meal on THREE briquets!" "Ok, COOK THAT MEAL!") The pyromid oven works well, cools off fast, and the whole thing folds to 12x12x1 inches.

Haven't baked bread in the oven, yet.

The Pyromid also works with Sterno or AlcoBrite (I highly recommend AlcoBrite), and that lets you cook indoors. Pretty neat.

-- bw (home@puget.sound), July 28, 1999.

Strongly recommend the Coleman oven and/or the Amish version at Lehman's. we used a coleman oven on our alpaca (I call it a hassock stove) with some success (brownies YUM!)

Chuck (make sure you go early on a saturday and see the flea market across the street. They all go home by 2:30)

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), July 29, 1999.