Oven Reviews

This large French oven is heavy. If you have difficulty lifting heavy objects into and out of the oven then you will want to consider whether this is the right item for you. That, however, is the only caveat. Otherwise, this is an outstanding piece of kitchen equipment which will enhance everything you cook in it. The larger base of this pot (in comparison with smaller capacity Le Creuset French ovens- which are indeed wonderful) allows you to cook large roasts. Last night, for example, I prepared a beef brisket. I seared the meat on the stovetop, and then finished it in the oven for 4 hours. The gravy it produced was, quite honestly, superior to the result I achieved using the same recipe in a lesser-quality dutch oven. I've had a similar experience with soups; they just taste better cooked in Le Creuset than in stainless steel. Perhaps this is because the enamelled cast iron heats evenly and retains its heat while cooking. Also, this oven is *not* non-stick, which allows you to create a beautiful "de-glazable" fond when cooking meats. Yet the pot cleans up easily- just soak it in some hot, sudsy water and it practically cleans itself. I found that although it is rather large (and, again, heavy) it rests nicely between the center "hump" and outer edge of my double sink, making it easy to lift in and out- a smaller oven would have to be placed down on, and lifted out of, the basin which actually would be a bit more challenging. Overall, I cannot rate Le Creuset highly enough. Don't hesitate to purchase this large oven; it will become the pinnacle of your cookware ensemble.

This pot is great for roasts especially pot roasts, where a cover and moist heat are desired. The iron holds the heat, and the enamel is easy to clean--almost non-stick. But enamel, being a glass-like substance, can scratch, so soak this pot afterwards and don't use steel wool pads or other scratchy tools or powders to clean it. And remember that enamel chips. If you avoid misuse, this should last decades. I have a soup post similar to this and I prefer cooking in it to my steel pots because it heats evenly and can be held on the lowest setting without burning the food on the bottom.

If you make gravy by straining and skimming drippings (removing the fat) and then washing up the cooked-on bits from the pan, you need to have a pan that can go on the stove and in the oven to roast. The Creuset enamel iron pot can do that easily. The only problem is this pot is heavy and pouring off the gravy is difficult if your wrists are weak. Making gravy without skimming leaves too much fat in for my tastes, so this is a slight disadvantage. But it's outweighed by the other good qualities of this pot.

Like all Lodge products this one is wonderful... however, I do believe you are in error in most of your catalog photos. I believe Lodge Dutch Ovens with odd number of quarts are legless and those with even number of quarts are CAMP Dutch ovens with legs... and your photos do not reflect this. This makes a great deal of difference to those doing the buying. Also you seem to have the 10 inch (note 10 on lid in pics) pictured in most of your Camp Dutch Oven pictures... really do wish you had a Lodge Product number and all the correct sizes and styles pictured correctly... I am sitting in South Carolina, hoping you got a lot of the photos mixed up or the person putting up the site didn't know exactly what to do... putting up a site is always hard when you do not work with the material every day... again my thanks for checking

steve

This is the best for making chili or stew. Also great for braising. An excellent size for a family of four. This is heavy and will last forever. Cleaning is also a breeze.

This would be a great pot to subsitute for a dutch oven for a single person or couple because of it's smaller size. We are a family of 4 and it is the perfect size for side dishes like baked beans also. When you don't need the bigger 5 quart dutch oven, this pan gets the job done. As always, LOVE the pre-seansoning!

This dutch oven is great! If you love cooking with cast iron, the quality of this cast iron is excellent.

I have been grilling for years and had developed a fairly accurate "feel" for it. However when I did not stay alert I would over cook some really nice cuts of meat. This product WORKS. I have learned just how fast meat goes from rare to mediuum to well done. It takes awhile for meat temperature to reach 100 degree's but just a few miniutes to move toward the 140 to 170 mark. Meat also tends to continue to cook after it is removed from the grill so for those 145 degree fillets I take them off at 140.

After having tried all types of poppers, this one is the one our family chooses above them all. It is the easiest, cleanest, most efficient popper we have ever tried. With oil or without, the kernals are light and tasty and all popped! We highly recommend it to those who enjoy pop corn as much and as often as we do.

I've had this stone about a month, and I'm completely satisfied. It's nice & sturdy, about 1/2 inch thick with ridges on the bottom that hold it up another 1/2 inch. I've used it to make pizza and bread a few times now, and the results are so much better than any pan or sheet I've tried. Honestly, I think it's possible to make pizza that equals or betters most take-out if you use a stone, and we've been more than happy with the results we've gotten. It takes a bit of practice to use a peel properly, but I put the stone on the bottom rack on it's lowest setting, so I can pull the rack out, which facilitates putting a pizza on the stone. So far it cleans very easily, and it's just been a tremendous amount of fun to experiment with. I almost went with the 14x16 model, but decided that the round surface better suited my needs. Highly recommended!!

I received one of these for Christmas and could not believe what a big improvement it is over a regular oven mitt. It is easy to wear and very flexible, gives a much better grip on hot pans. I have since sent some to my parents and am getting more for home (an extra by the stove and one for the backyard BBQ). Like any other mitt, don't use it when wet (causes steam to form where the wet mitt meets the hot pan).