Camp Chef COVEN12

Well made unit with a nice finish, this is the only camp stove I have found that has an oven. It is rather bulky and will take up as much space as a cooler. It has two 7500 BTU top burners and a 3000 BTU oven burner and uses standard one pound propane cylinders.

I picked up a Camp Chef COVEN12 in very lightly used condition. This is a smart looking unit that has two range burners and a two shelf oven that will accomodate a  pair of 13x9" pans. Having years of experience with the Coleman 2 burner folding range, the usual learning curve of cooking on propane at camp was gone, and these burners were actually easier to get the much used med-high heat that most breakfast requires.

Here are some quick specs:

• Range: 7,500 BTU per burner
• Oven: 3,000 BTU
• Top burner dimensions: 12" x 21"
• Inside Oven dimensions: 16" W x  8.5" H x  10" L  
• Top oven heat: 400 degrees
• Weight: 40 lbs.

It uses piezo electric start on all burners and ignition lit almost always on the first try when you turn the knobs at the right speed. From the dimensions listed you realize this item is a bit bulky. Performance was as good as any propane range I have ever used.

So how did it do? With no leg levelers I had to use a small stick to level the unit. I was able to cook sausage without burning it, eggs to perfection and cinnamon rolls that turned out slightly dark on the bottom on the back edge. Corn bread fairs the same, and I'm undecided if opening the door to rotate it (which would cause the burner to still run as the rest cools off) would be a good solution.

So who is this oven for? It's definitely at home in the park tent camping scenario, if you have the extra space. Think SUV or two cars for weekend camping. Preppers might also like one of these back-up kitchens for when the lights are out for an extended period.

The reason I have used a two burner folding range so many times is they store very small, where this simply does not. The RV crowd may like this even though they have built in ovens because it takes the heat out of the RV. 

No longer in production, these originally sold at CostCo, though I'm not sure at what price point. They are also were well reviewed by others. Look for a non-stick griddle to be included, which mine was missing. This oven is kind of a "big duck in a small pond" but is a very attractive and functional unit.