THE HISTORY OF THE ULTIMATE DUTCH OVEN

It all started in 1991 when Dent Sorensen was tired of the old method of dutch oven cooking where you have to sit right by the fire so you can pull the oven off the fire every few minutes to stir the food. He read an advertisement about a frying pan that worked like a circulation oven and wondered why a dutch oven couldn't use those same principles of cooking with hot air rather than cooking everything in fat, grease or oil.

Dent went to Newel Hatch a welder in Aurora Utah and explained that he wanted him to cut a hole in the center of this dutch oven and then insert a cone in it. Newel told him that cutting and welding on his cast iron dutch oven just was not going to work. But Newel told him to give him a few days and he would see what he could come up with. They scratched there heads for a few days and came up with the idea of using a 15 inch tire rim and cut out the ring of the lugs out and welding in a solid metal piece in the bottom. They fashioned a cone out of a piece of iron strapping and welded it into the bottom of the tire rim. Using the other half of the rim for a lid it looked like they had something that was going to work.

With their new invention they began experimenting on recipes. They found that they could cook in this oven without having to stir to prevent burning, and they didn't have to use any cooking oil. They also found they could cook several dishes such as chicken, vegetables, and biscuits on different layers in the same oven all at the same time very little heat. It worked well on a stove top or in a conventional oven surprising them on every turn with its performance. Since it out performed the regular dutch ovens so much and the possibilities were unlimited, they decided they ought to do something with it. That led to quite a patent on the Ultimate Dutch Oven.

After they received the patent on the Ultimate Dutch Oven they spent a couple of years test marketing the oven around the Salt Lake City area. They had two versions of the oven available one made in cast aluminum and the other in cast iron. They soon found that the cast aluminum cooked just as well as the cast iron and it had many more benefits over the cast iron model. The public also saw this and it was not long until the aluminum version was out selling the cast iron version 10 to 1. The aluminum sold so well that they discontinued the production of the cast iron model. Just a couple of the advantages the aluminum version offers is: 1) a lighter weight and 2) easier cleanup with soap and water compared to the painstaking oil and salt method used on cast iron ovens.

After years of pushing the ovens Dent and Newel were tired of the whole mess and wanted to get back to retirement. In 1996 three of Dent's children Craig Sorensen, Eddie Sorensen and Denene Torgenson bought them out and created the Ultimate Dutch Oven, Inc. Since then, the three of them have been spearheading the production, sales and marketing of the Ultimate Dutch Oven. They do demonstrations to introduce their oven and cooking method at retail stores and special events. Additionally, they have sold them to people all over the country. They have sold the Ultimate Dutch Oven to all different kinds of people from the Back Country Horsemen of California to the Cano and Kiyackers in Canada they have even sold an oven to a catering business in Provo, Utah. The owner bought one and loved it so much that he later came back for seven more. "The more experienced the cook, the more advantage they see." Craig observes. "You can do everything with them as the conventional [Dutch] oven plus a million more.

Their latest adventure has brought Ultimate Dutch Oven Inc. to partner with Camp Chef out of Logan Utah. They are one of the largest manufactures of outdoor cooking products in the country. With their help Ultimate Dutch Oven Inc has been able to significantly lower the price of the oven and greatly increase the availability of the Ultimate Dutch Oven making it easier for everyone to have one. They have also been able to bring back the cast iron version of the Ultimate Dutch Oven.

The 1997 Utah State Legislature passed resolution designating the 'Dutch Oven' as the official cooking pot for the state. The interest in dutch oven and outdoor cooking has been increasing steadily for years and with this type of support it will only continue to grow.