Hi Mike,
I use my many Dutch Ovens (Regular and Camp Stove) all the time. Comparing the two, the standard Dutch Oven is essential a great Cast Iron Pot for sticking in or over a heat source like a fire, grill or oven. The Camp Stove is more of a standalone cooking device because of its legs underneath and a lipped top which is meant to hold direct coals. The Camps legs give you the room to place coals underneath and the lip on the top holds the coals from rolling off. This top-bottom heat source allows you to make/bake anything from Breads and cake, to Stews and roasts without using anything but coals and the Camp Dutch Oven. A Regular Dutch Oven can do much of the same, but it needs outside support. It does not have the legs to allow unstable coals to be placed underneath, something has to hold it up (Like a Grill Grate) The regular DO typically has a rounded lid that just wouldn't cut it when trying to hold charcoal on top. My Regular Dutch Ovens work great when suspended over a fire, or placed on a Grill Grate, or even thrown in or on a regular indoor Stove (Heats oil for fried chicken like nothing else out there). My Camp Dutch Ovens work great when I go camping or to an event with nothing more than some charcoal and the oven itself. I did a
Mac-n-Cheese day at work just a few weeks ago. It was great. See the pics in the Photo Gallery
If you plan on using your DO in a smoker, on a grill, or even in the house, I would recommend the regular Dutch Oven. Especially indoors, as John mentioned above, the legs of a Camp do not like indoor stove tops very much and even though you can set Camp legs through a Grill Grate, they won't be sliding out of the way when needed. However, if you never plan on bringing that DO indoors, and you think you might get into the wonders of Dutch Oven cooking (without the grill), then a Camp Dutch Oven might be the way to go.
In my personal opinion and circumstance, my Camp Ovens never see anything except coals (Typically 8 brikets under, 16 on top). They don't go in my grills or in my smoker, ever. Whenever I ever put something on my grills, it is a regular Dutch Oven. Everyone will be different, but if I were planning to use a Dutch Oven in a smoker, I would recommend looking at the regular Dutch Ovens.
Ok, enough about that. Lets talk size. For a Regular Dutch Oven, I love my 10 1/4 dia with a spiral bail, but John above makes a great point for the loop handles. I'll let you decide that on your own. The main point is the 10in size. Any bigger and you may have too much space. Any smaller and many recipes run out of room. Now, for my Camp Oven, I use my 12in more than any others. The 14 is too big and requires most recipes to be doubled or more. The 10 just doesn't have enough room (For a Camp). In regards to Camps, I judge it with a boxed cake mix. Open the box, mix it up, and bake. With a 10in Camp, it's WAY too tall. With a 14in Camp, it's way too thin. 12in Camp, and the cake comes out perfect.
Most cases, I would recommend looking hard at the 10 1/4 - 5 qt Regular Dutch Oven. Unless you have a REALLY BIG family, then jumbo size it with the 12in - 7qt.
HOWEVER, for you (On a budget), do you already have a Cast Iron Skillet? Lodge has a nifty option called the
'Double Dutch Oven'. It's a 10in 5qt Regular Dutch Oven, but the lid 'Doubles' as a 10in Skillet. You get not only the perfect size Dutch Oven, but also a great size Skillet for using on the Grill. If you are looking to break into the wonderful world of CI, this might be the best 2 in 1 option for you. (Looks like Morgan beat me to the post. He even included a picture of the 'Double'. Nice work!!)
