Petromax Feuertopf ft12 planer Boden

Petromax sells its fire pot in seven sizes from ft1 to ft18, each available with feet or with a flat base. This review covers the ft12 with a flat base, which the manufacturer lists as the ft12-t, so the second-largest model in the range in the version without feet. On Amazon it costs approx. €105 (as of September 2026). In our Grill Accessories category it is one of three Dutch ovens.

The basis is Petromax’s product page, the 2025 catalogue, the care instructions for cast iron and the warranty terms, all retrieved on 1 October 2026, plus the Amazon catalogue entry of 24 September 2026. We have not had the pot in our hands. Where we calculate or draw conclusions, the sentence says so.

Cast iron, a stainless steel bail, a lid with a rim

Pot and lid are cast iron, according to Petromax with a high share of scrap iron and without a coating such as Teflon or PFA that could flake off. For the fire pot range, the 2025 catalogue gives an even wall thickness of 5 mm, drawn on the cross-section of a pot with feet.

The warranty terms describe the handle as a stainless steel handle. In the product photo it is a wire bail sitting in two small lugs on the pot wall, and according to the catalogue it has a notch for hanging.

The lid can do more than cover. Its rim is raised so that coals and briquettes stay on top, and the top side has feet: turned over, it stands on them as a pan or griddle that holds 2.0 litres. According to the catalogue this applies to both base versions, so the ft12-t also gets the lid with feet. Through a thermometer port you slide a probe inside without lifting off the lid together with the embers. Petromax describes the fit between pot and lid as exact, so the heat stays enclosed.

The detailed dimensions: 10.8 litres maximum capacity, 141 mm pot height, 136 mm inside height, 370 mm diameter at the top rim and 292.22 mm at the base. The lid is 68.5 mm high and 38 mm deep inside, and its base measures 332.24 mm. The data sheet gives an overall size of 20 x 36.8 x 42 cm (height, width, depth). The photo shows that the pot is round; in our reading the 42 cm comes from the lugs and the bail, which protrude at the sides. For cupboard and car boot, this is the figure to plan with.

The weight of both parts together: 13.91 kg, 14.28 kg packed. Amazon lists the item at 33 pounds (converted 15.0 kg) and 36.5 x 36.5 x 17.0 cm, which matches no Petromax figure; we work with the manufacturer’s values. According to the catalogue, several fire pots can be stacked on top of each other.

What Petromax does not state

None of the sources mentioned give:

• the country where the pot is cast (the company headquarters in Magdeburg is named)
• a maximum temperature; the “MAX °C” symbol in the instructions carries no number
• separate weights for pot and lid
• whether the rim and base diameters are measured inside or outside
• the load capacity of the handle in kilograms
• the width of the thermometer port and which probes fit through it
• heat-up time, burn time of a briquette load and consumption per hour
• a minimum size of cooking zone on the hob
• whether the pot fits in a standard kitchen oven
• the scrap iron share in per cent
• whether lid or handle are available individually as spare parts

In detail: embers below, briquettes on top, and how many of them

Outdoors, a Dutch oven has two heat sources. Embers or briquettes under the pot heat the base, on which the food sits. Briquettes on the lid add heat from above, comparable to the top heat in a kitchen oven; the care instructions call this the oven function. Only with both sources does a bread or a bake also brown on top.

How many briquettes go where is tabulated in the 2025 catalogue by pot size, and according to the table header the row for size 12 applies to both versions. For 160 to 180 °C you put 17 standard briquettes on the lid and 11 underneath; for 200 to 225 °C it is 25 on top and 13 below. With Petromax’s Cabix Plus, fewer are needed: 14 on top and 9 below in the lower range, 20 and 11 in the higher one.

Added up, 28 to 38 standard briquettes are therefore working at the same time, and in all four rows 61 to 66 per cent of them sit on the lid. Our reading: the base is in direct contact with the food, so that is where something burns first if there are too many embers underneath. The lid does not touch the food; it passes on its heat through radiation and the air in the pot, and so tolerates more embers.

On the product page, Petromax calculates in weight rather than pieces. For a large 12 litre Dutch oven, about 2 kg of charcoal would be needed, and the ft12-t holds somewhat less. As a rough frame for this size class, the figure is still useful. As fuel, Petromax recommends charcoal and counts briquettes, chunks and coconut briquettes as such.

Flat base or feet: the same size in two versions

Petromax assigns the base shapes itself: feet for the open fire, flat base for hob, grill and induction. In the Petromax shop both versions of size 12 cost the same, and capacity and inside height are identical.

The difference is underneath. With feet, the overall height is 24 instead of 20 cm, the pot alone measures 181 instead of 141 mm, and the 40 mm difference is probably the feet. Petromax gives the base diameter of the version with feet as 317 mm, and its weight as 13.86 kg. The ft12-t is thus 50 grams heavier.

In the catalogue, Petromax lists where the fire pot is used: in the fire, over the fire, in the manufacturer’s Atago grill, in the oven, on the grill, and without feet even on all types of hob. For the flat base, the Amazon listing gives one example: on a grill grate the pot sits closer to the heat source.

In embers, physics argues against it. Coal glows as long as air reaches it, and where a flat pot base sits on it, it covers the coals. The care instructions nonetheless state generally that the cast iron pot can be used on coal as well as on briquettes, and the briquette table above places briquettes underneath for the ft12-t too. We would stand the flat base on a grill grate above the lower briquettes so that the embers keep their air. With the other version, according to the catalogue, the feet take care of that; they keep a distance from coals or embers.

On the hob, the mass first has to be heated. Petromax says the cast iron stores heat and releases it calmly and evenly, with no hot spots at all. A rough calculation of ours, in each case from 20 to 100 °C: the 13.91 kg of cast iron need about 0.14 kWh at a specific heat of around 0.46 kJ per kilogram and kelvin. The contents demand about seven times that, around 1 kWh when filled to the brim with water, and that applies to any vessel of this capacity. A 2 kW cooking zone would need around 35 minutes for both together, calculated without any heat loss. The iron alone accounts for a good four minutes of that; the long wait comes from the contents.

Are 10.8 litres enough for 20 guests?

According to Petromax’s figure yes, but only just. The manufacturer states 14 to 20 people and adds an asterisk: a “can” figure that depends on appetite. Filled to the brim and spread over 20 guests, that works out at 0.54 litres per head, and for 14 guests a good 0.77 litres.

We would not plan on filling it to the brim, because room under the rim must remain for stirring and simmering, and whether the stew is the main dish or stands next to grilled food shifts the calculation considerably. For the second case, our guide Planning a Barbecue Party has quantities per person. The 2.0 litres in the lid do little for a main dish; turned over, it is a flat pan for a side dish.

For larger groups or larger dishes, Petromax itself advises pots from 7.5 litres. That includes the next smaller size, the ft9: 7.5 litres in the pot and 1.5 in the lid, according to the manufacturer for 8 to 14 people, weighing 9.43 kg with a flat base and measuring 19.2 x 31.5 x 36.4 cm. In the Petromax shop the ft9-t costs €99.90, €20 less than the ft12-t in the same shop. For 3.3 litres more pot capacity, you carry 4.48 kg more with the ft12-t.

Above that there is only the ft18 with 16.1 litres in the pot, according to Petromax for more than 20 people, weighing 16.9 kg with a flat base and available in the Petromax shop for €174.90, €55 more than the ft12-t there. Per kilogram of extra weight you gain more capacity here than between ft9 and ft12, namely 5.3 litres for 2.99 kg. For the lid of the ft18, Petromax’s own figures contradict each other: 2 litres in the shop, 2.7 in the size table and catalogue.

Two Dutch ovens and a tripod for comparison

The table shows the two other Dutch ovens in our category and a tripod from which a fire pot can be hung.

Prices and ratings come from our individual reviews; the prices are guide values and fluctuate. The rating is our editorial assessment; nothing was measured for it. The details in the second column come from the pages of Petromax, BBQ-Toro and Grillfürst.

When the ft12-t fits and when another pot does

The first threshold is the number of diners. For up to eight people the ft6 from the table is enough; going by the table prices it costs €30 less and weighs almost 5 kg less. For 8 to 14 people the ft9 matches the manufacturer’s figure more closely, for more than 20 the ft18.

The second is the heat source: if the pot mostly stands in embers or at the campfire, take the ft12 with feet. If you want to hang it, you need a frame such as the Grillfürst tripod from the table; ft12-t and tripod together come to around €190 going by the table prices.

Then the weight. Anyone who has to lift the pot alone from the hob into the oven or to the table is lifting almost 14 kg of iron plus contents. If that is too much for you, take the ft9 at a good 9 kg, even though it holds less.

For the budget, add accessories: with the ftdh lid lifter and the care paste from the Petromax shop you end up at around €132 including the pot.

Scope of delivery and accessories for size 12

According to Petromax, the scope of delivery is one ft12 fire pot with a flat base, so pot and lid. The prices in this section come from the Petromax shop as of 1 October 2026.

For removing the lid, the care instructions name two tools, the ftdh lid lifter and the ftplus professional lid lifter. The ftdh is 32 cm long and costs €11.99, the professional lid lifter €24.90, and according to Petromax both fit fire pots of any size. The ft-pflege care paste costs €14.99 for 200 ml.

For the trip to the party there is the FT-TA-XL polyester carry bag, which Petromax intends for the ft12 and the Atago grill: 450 x 450 x 240 mm, 1,300 g, €44.90. With the pot inside you carry 15.21 kg.

Two items are side notes. According to Petromax, you can also fit the €34.90 plug-in windshield on the lids of ft6 to ft12. The pro-ft lid holder for ft4.5 to ft12 is still in the shop for €22.90, but already listed in the 2025 catalogue as a discontinued item.

Care, safety and warranty according to Petromax

Petromax has one set of care instructions for all cast iron products, and it also applies to the ft12-t. You do not have to season it before first use; it comes with a seasoned finish, that is, treated at the factory. You remove the packaging, rinse the pot with hot water and then with cold, and dry it well. Elsewhere, however, the instructions say that cast iron has to be seasoned or oiled often so that its non-stick properties improve.

After cooking you let the pot cool, rinse it by hand with hot water only, dry it thoroughly and grease it. You can grease it with the ft-pflege care paste, with a neutral oil such as rapeseed or pumpkin seed oil, or with vegetable fat; the instructions rule out olive oil because it cannot be heated as strongly as other fats. You do not use washing-up liquid, and according to the symbols page the pot is not dishwasher safe either. Abrasive or caustic agents and metal pot scourers are likewise excluded; against crusts Petromax recommends the os or os-z scrapers and the scrub or scrub-xl ring cleaners. With an exclamation mark the instructions warn not to drop the pot and not to pour cold liquid onto cast iron that is still hot, because the brittle material can crack. With correct care the cast iron lasts for generations, it says there.

You never store the pot wet and untreated. First dry it thoroughly, then grease it thinly with care paste and store it dry; to let air into the inside, you place thin cardboard, a piece of wood or Petromax’s silicone trivet between pot and lid. According to the instructions, you brush off light rust with a wire brush, grease again with the care paste and re-season the pot. The section on seasoning describes the same for when the patina needs renewing: remove rust with a steel wire brush, then season. The new patina is often not black afterwards but brownish or grey; it must not be sticky.

Because heated oil can produce smoke and odours, the seasoning instructions require a well-ventilated room, for example with an open window or a fan. They recommend the oven with an extractor or the grill in the garden, make the choice depend on the size of the product, and send you outdoors if your oven is not connected to an extractor. For the oven, chapter 8.1 describes its own procedure, and for that the ft12-t with its 36.8 x 42 cm footprint according to the overall dimensions has to fit upside down on the oven rack. On the grill it goes like this according to chapter 8.2.1:

1. Preheat the grill to a high temperature; the grill surface must be clean and free of residues.
2. Thinly brush the cleaned and dried pot with rapeseed or pumpkin seed oil or with the care paste, inside and outside.
3. Place it upside down on the grill grate, stable and level.
4. Leave it on the hot, ventilated grill for about 30 to 60 minutes and close any grill lid.
5. Switch the grill off and let the pot cool slowly.

For seasoning outdoors, chapter 8.2 also sets out these rules:

• choose a well-ventilated spot, not near easily flammable materials or structures
• avoid excessively windy areas so the fire does not get out of control
• place the pot on a stable, fireproof surface, such as a grill, bricks or a metal stand
• keep a fire extinguisher, fire blanket or another suitable extinguishing agent nearby
• keep a distance from the pot and make sure no children or pets are nearby
• wear heat-resistant gloves and, if necessary, an apron against hot splashes
• handle hot oil carefully and do not splash or spill anything
• keep an eye on the pot and be careful when taking it out of the fire or moving it
• let it cool down completely before touching or cleaning it

Safety

Cast iron cookware gets very hot in use, the instructions warn. Chapter 3 specifically requires:

• work with care and only when in good condition; tiredness, illness, alcohol consumption and the influence of medication and drugs count as irresponsible
• check the pot for damage before use and do not use damaged cookware
• replace a defective part before the next use
• choose the optimal hob size
• observe the load capacity given by the manufacturer of your grill or hob, and match it to the cookware
• on delicate surfaces, mind the weight, do not drop the pot but set it down carefully, and do not push heavy cookware
• do not heat it empty, because it could overheat
• do not leave it unattended on a heat source when hot
• do not extinguish burning fat with water, but cut off the oxygen supply with a lid or blanket and remove the ignition source
• in the case of burns, give first aid and seek professional medical help
• use cooking utensils made of wood, heat-resistant plastic or silicone instead of metal
• do not cut with a knife directly in the pot
• keep children and animals away
• protect your hands with a heat-resistant cloth or protective gloves and use a lid lifter

The section on operation also says that the handles can get very hot; you should only touch the pot with fireproof gloves or pot holders. The symbols page rules out the microwave and freezer, as well as use as a cutting board.

What the warranty covers

The warranty period for fire pots is 25 years. Petromax grants the warranty voluntarily for material and workmanship defects, for products made entirely of cast iron with a stainless steel handle, and the terms expressly name the fire pots as an example (as of July 2026). The pot must bear the Petromax brand logo and have been sold on or after 1 February 2026 to an end customer in Germany or Austria, and the warranty applies only in those two countries. It must have been bought through the official Petromax website or a Petromax retailer, proven by purchase date, retailer details and proof of purchase. A further requirement is use as intended according to the operating and care instructions. In a warranty case Petromax repairs or replaces with an equivalent; a refund of the purchase price is excluded. The period begins with the first sale to an end customer and continues after repair or replacement; the seller’s statutory warranty rights remain unaffected.

The sequence matters in the process. Before any return, the terms always require contact: a description of the defect in text form that is as precise as possible, plus reliable evidence such as photos or videos. The shipping label is issued only after Petromax has given approval. Making a claim is free of charge, and on this route the manufacturer bears the costs of handling, including shipping there and back within Germany and Austria. For products sent in unrequested, however, Petromax pays no shipping costs; you would then pay the postage yourself for the pot, which weighs 14.28 kg packed. If the requirements are wholly or partly missing, Petromax reserves the right to reject the claim.

Whether Amazon counts as a Petromax retailer is not answered by the terms, and none of the Petromax pages we checked links to an Amazon listing. If the warranty matters to you, ask Petromax before buying or order directly from them.

Excluded according to the terms are:

• improper use and normal wear
• defects due to commercial use, if Petromax does not expressly advertise it
• failure to follow the operating and care instructions
• usual signs of use such as scratches, rust, discolouration and soot
• damage from falls, impacts, force or misuse
• damage from extreme temperatures or weather, storage not protected from the weather, or direct sun
• damage from chemical or abrasive substances or acids
• visual impairments that do not affect function
• improper care or cleaning and neglected care
• improperly carried out repairs
• spare parts that do not meet the original standard
• fading and colour damage such as flaking, as long as function does not suffer
• other reasons that are not a material or workmanship defect

Who is it for?

The Amazon listing text has celebrations with family and friends in mind, and a meal for the whole camp, at home, in the garden or on trips. In the title of the listing, all types of hob, gas grill, oven, gas stove and open fire are named as heat sources. The care instructions also name camping stoves as a possible outdoor cooking spot. Their rule on load capacity from the safety section applies there just the same: whatever the stove manufacturer gives as the load limit must withstand the filled pot.

It is the wrong choice for anyone who cooks large quantities of acidic food, with a lot of tomato or vinegar. Petromax approves the pot for watery, alcoholic and fatty foods as well as dairy products, except acidic ones. The care instructions require you to avoid acidic foods, and state in the same section that cast iron can rust and needs special care to remain food safe. Because these instructions apply to all Petromax cast iron products, a different size does not solve the problem either. For chilli with tomatoes in club quantities, we consider a pot with an enamelled interior the better choice, because the glaze keeps the acid away from the iron.