Is the Omnia Oven for you?  This could be the gear you didn't know you needed!

We started out camping in a remodeled pop up camper.  It had a two burner gas stove that I used to cook most of our meals.  I quickly learned that a little creativity would go a long way.  I still love to cook outdoors and use a Coleman Camp Stove to cook many meals.  Using a gas burner stove to convert to an oven cooking environment will change your cooking game at the campground!  What is the best way to do this?

Everything packs into a handy little case!  This holds everything and weighs next to nothing!

Why the Omnia is a Great Stovetop Oven Choice

Several months ago, I stumbled upon a social media post about the Omnia Stovetop Oven.  This Swedish made cooking vessel is lightweight and compact.  It can be placed over a gas burner to create a baking environment to expand your cooking options at the campground.  

This is a perfect piece of camping gear for any camper that enjoys cooking.  From tent and pop up campers to travel trailers, this option can work for anyone.  While I have an oven our RV, I still prefer to cook outdoors.  And this cooking tool fits the bill for the type of cooking we do.  

These brownies turned out perfectly.  One side got a little brown but barely noticeable.

Omnia Set Up

The Omnia oven is a circular oven that fits directly over a gas burner.  You can use a little rack and a silicone ring for cooking inside.  The lid fits over and holds heat.  To monitor and control the temperature, add a small thermometer that attaches to the lid to display the internal cooking temperature. 

When not in use, everything fits inside and stores in a little zippered bag.  I like the overall size and how compact everything is for this set up.  Overall, it is just simple and works.  Nothing overly complicated.  I also think it takes a little practice to get a handle on how to really control the heat.  

The thermometer is a great tool to help you control the internal cooking temperature.

Cooking Tips

You will need a gas camp stove for using your Omnia oven.  I have a Coleman Camp Stove.  You can certainly use a single eye burner  and other gas cooking options where you place the oven on the top.  You don't have to get too fancy here.  Use what you have.

I allow the oven to preheat over the oven to get started.  Just know that like opening your stovetop oven is just like opening a home oven.  When you open up, you release heat and decrease the internal cooking temp.  So, limit disruptions to cooking.

The silicone cooking ring is non stick.  However, consider that silicone can be floppy and is not the best heat conductor.  I have also achieved good results when cooking inside of our Omnia oven.  In my opinion, much of the results come down to timing and watching your food to ensure even cooking.

These cinnamon rolls cooked easily.  I used canned cinnamon rolls and poured heavy cream around them while cooking.  They were soft and delicious.

Here are some tips to help you get the best results from your oven:

1. Place your rack underneath your silicone ring where you are going to be cooking.  This allows for heat to circulate both under and over your food that is cooking.
2. No need to grease your silicone ring.  It is already non-stick.
3. Depending on what you are cooking in your oven, you are most likely going to need to pour or place what you are cooking into the silicone ring with it being in place.  It is hard to fill and transfer.  
4. I have experienced good results baking brownies and cinnamon rolls in my oven.  
5. You may need to adjust cooking times.  Start with the suggested time and adjust up or down by 5 minutes as you cook.  I would use a timer to keep track of the time.
6. I also rotate my oven a little over the burner by turning a quarter turn about every 5 minutes just to avoid hot spots.  For things that require longer cooking times, you could rotate less often.  

Dolly's Duncan Hines boxed brownies are a great place to start with your new oven.

Advantages

So what are the real advantages here?  Especially if you have an oven in your RV?  Well, for me it is just the ability to cook and be outside without being stuck indoors cooking.  Plus, in the summer, I don't really want to heat up my RV with extra heat from my oven.  It is all about convenience for me!  However, if you are in a tent or pop up camper, this tool gives you the ability to bake items with litter effort and practically the same effort of a home oven.  

Plus, let's be real here, it is a lot less work than a Dutch Oven.  I used to bake primarily in a Dutch Oven when we first started camping in our pop up.  I still love and use my Dutch oven.  But, it is a process.  It will certainly cook a larger quantity of food and get super hot.  It also requires me heating and tending to charcoal.  And a Dutch oven is large a bulky.  The Omnia Oven is just an easier lift over all.  No pun intended here!

I am also torn here.  I owned a Coleman Camp Oven in our pop up camper days.  I loved this piece of gear and sold it with my pop up.  The Coleman Camp Oven folds down flat and stores easily.  It is also requires compact bake ware.  So it means more gear.  While I felt like the Coleman Camp Oven controlled heat easier and was more like a traditional home oven, wind could be an issue.  And it also had its little quirks.  Depending on the time of year and the weather, the Coleman Camp Oven was not always the best due to height affected by wind and cold temperatures in the winter.

Bottom line, the Omnia is a one piece deal that is going to make outdoor cooking a breeze.  For most campers, this piece is going to give you a baking vessel that is lightweight and easy to use for simple meals and cooking where you would want an oven.  It stores in one compact piece and cleans up easily.  For the price, size, weight and versatility, it is a solid yes for me.  If you are revamping your gear or evaluating what you need to expand your cooking options, this is it.  It checks all the right boxes.

I prepared my batter then poured it into the silicone ring while it was already in place inside of the oven.

Getting Started

If you think the Omni is right for you, do it.  They are not crazy expensive.  And, this could also make a great gift for your favorite camper or campground chef!  

Start small when it comes to cooking. I started with a simple batch of box brownies for our first try.  It was an easy thing to make that turned out great.  Also, I recommend the Dolly's brownies from Duncan Hines.  I haven't made a box mix brownie in a minute, but these were great!

Breakfast tends to be my go to for baking on the road.  Cinnamon rolls, biscuits and muffins are also easy second contenders to use in your oven.  Think low key items that you can't really mess up.  This will give you a feel for how to control the temperature  and heat as you cook.  Then, branch out from there.  The key to successful cooking in something new like the Omnia oven is to start small, get the feel of it and then do bigger and more complicated items.

I don't know what I'll do next, but I'm a pretty adventurous cook.  So, I'm sure you will see more content on my social media pages surrounding this tool.  If you have tried the Omnia oven, I would love to hear feedback from you.  Or, drop me a line if you have questions.  

Thank you for following our journey along!  Until next time...happy camping!

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