It was bound to happen sooner or later, the great Pole and Paddle Reflector Oven Bakeoff. We spent a week up on The West Branch of the Penobscot River and baked almost every day. We purposely took both ovens so we could test them side by side. We constantly get questions about which one is better. The answer was and still is, that depends.

The first difference, of course, is the size. Count the rolls in the picture and it will pretty well define the difference.

The second difference is the materials they are made from. The small oven will rust if it is not cleaned and dried and it should be oiled once in awhile, especially before storage. Put away your motor oil and try vegetable oil or PAM.

The third difference is the top opens on the large oven but not the small. It makes it really easy to check things and rotate the pan. You don't need to pull it away from the heat. On the flip side it doesn't have a handle so when you do have to pull it away from the heat it takes both hands.

The last difference and maybe the most important is cooking time. The small oven, hands down, is the fastest cooking. If you compare the rolls in the picture you'll see how far ahead the rolls are in the small oven compared to the rolls in the large oven. They were prepared at the same time and placed in front of the fire at the same time.

Both ovens worked perfectly and we wouldn't hesitate to take either one of them one a trip. If we were taking a large party and cooking time might be precious or firewood in short supply, we might take two of the small ovens instead of one of the large ovens.