Dutch Oven Reviews

Kiss that Teflon coated cookware good bye. Get yourself a Lodge cast iron Dutch oven for the kitchen and tell me this isn't the best cookware you have ever owned.

I have been using my 5 quart Dutch oven for about two years now and despite it's weight, my food turns out better, tastier and clean-up is a breeze. In addition, cast iron can last a lifetime unlike Teflon coated pots and pans which can and will flake and apparently if in your food, it is unhealthy.

This pot has been used on electrical and gas stoves and with almost identical results. The pot does not require special heat coils or other "technology" to evenly distribute heat, it's built in its structure, it's cast iron. In addition, it can easily go from stovetop to oven for casseroles and other such items. One or two less items to clean at the end of the meal.

I highly recommend cast iron and as time goes on all my Teflon pots and pans will be completely replaced by cast iron.

Sometimes old becomes new again and I foresee that people will look more towards cast iron as their everyday cookware that is relatively inexpensive compared to "professional" cookware currently on the market. You really can't beat something that will outlast even you if you give it tender loving care.

Like a fine old watch, cast iron cookware appeals to the senses in ways beyond it's practicality. It heats evenly, retains heat forever, allowing fine finishing touches in cooking to continue after being removed from the heat source and cleans like Teflon if seasoned properly. But unlike commercial, non-stick surfaces, each use with cast iron adds flavor, enhances it's non-stick surface and leaves the legacy of blackening the cast iron piece by degree, each use, a shade of the past. Functional anywhere, stove top, grill, oven, campfire, even plain charcol brickets, cast iron and any heat source provide an elegant and functional complete technology for cooking. If this review seems excessive, it is because I am a romantic by nature and feel cooking is spiritual labor. This cookware appeals to my sense of the past and future. My children have laid claim to individual pieces at my demise (although ownership of the Dutch oven still remains in question due to it's versatility)and transfer of ownership will be conditional upon agreement to pass these pieces on to their children. My favorite fry pan, belonged to my grandmother. If you cook for the purpose of filling your stomach, microwave, if you cook to re-create, try cast iron.

I own three pieces of cast iron cookware, and this item is one of them... and among my favorite cooking implements, period. Cast iron is not a quickie-cooking component (it takes time for the iron to heat, and it takes experience to gauge the iron's "perfect temperature" for sensitive dishes), but for dishes requiring steady, even heat and for cooks who require durable cookware with easy clean-up, cast iron CANNOT be beat!

This pot is going to last forever. Its care is easy: I scrub it with hot water only, and dry it with an old rag and apply a thin layer of vegetable oil while the iron is still hot... a year and a half later, it's still rust-free and delivering the reliable service I have come to expect and admire. No scratches interfere with its performance, as is the case with my allegedly-long-lasting Wearever nonstick cookware set (what a waste of money THAT was!). Heck, I even use my cast-iron skillet for CREPES, and that's saying something! Despite the pan's weight, it's an immeasurably better nonstick crepe-cooker than teflon. In fact, I use my cast iron cookware for everything from french fries to spaghetti sauce to eggs and bacon to french toast! It's a dependable griddle, skillet, grill, and pot, and it goes right from the stovetop and into the oven for maximum versatility.

I am an avid home-chef, and I can say without exception that my cast-iron cookware is the best kitchen investment I've ever made.

(as an addendum to my previous review)

As some other reviewers have noted, the pots will break if dropped. This is particualarly true if you have a tile or concrete floor in your kitchen. I've dropped pots onto linoleum and wood with no problems (except for a dent in the linoleum). Some pots are also more prone to breakage than others - the oval french ovens will crack through if dropped on the "long" side, rendering them unusable. The rounded soup pots, however, seem to be almost indestructable.

The enamel will scratch and chip, even by such seemingly innocuous things as a dishwasher prong that has the rubber coating worn off (I totally trashed the inside bottom of a small soup pot this way). Banging a metal spoon on the rim of the pot to clean it off is a no-no (though wood is fine). You also can't deep fry in the white-enamel-lined le Creuset, though you can in the black-lined pieces, and the older grey (glissimal) ones.

Nevertheless, as a proud owner of naked Wagner cast iron, All-Clad, Kitchenaid, and le Creuset, my choice for stews, soups, spaghetti sauce and rice is still le Creuset.

In the dictionary, next to "dutch oven," is a picture of a le Creuset pot.

This 5.5 quart version is sized to fit typical casserole, soup, and stew recipes, and big enough for a large chicken or pot roast. It will fit on an average-height refrigerator shelf (you may need to replace the lid with a dinner plate), and will heat evenly on a standard sized burner (though, given the heat distribution of the cast iron, it would heat evenly on a birthday candle). This is the size the cooking shows use - if you've ever watched over Emeril's shoulder as he arranged stuff in the pot, you know that this is just the right size and shape.

My only complaint is that le Creuset recently stopped smoothing and under-glazing the rims of their pots, and is now leaving them rough and "rust-proofing" them instead. For my older (heirloom) pots, I invert the lids for stacking and storage. I haven't been able to bring myself to do this with my newest pot, however, because if I do the rough unglazed rim will scratch up the lid. (ecoutez-vous le Creuset?!)

This pot has the character to get you into the kitchen and start cooking. It heats up great and really holds it. Slow simmers are fantastic and you don't have to worry about burning. I am convinced that this pot has made the difference in my tomato sauces. I also make roasts and a delicious pork shoulder in this pot. It cleans with a quick soak and an easy scrub. I highly recommend Le Creuset and this pot specifically.

A pleasure to use: great heat distribution, nice looks and it cleans easily. It's actually inspiring better food! A piece of advice, though. Handle it almost with the care you would use on non-stick surfaces, and it will reward you with easy-cleaning interior for years (mine is 2-years old, and heavily used). Scratch the coating on top of the enamel and food will start to stick to it, even though the scratches won't be visible. If food seems stuck to the surface (after a good roast in the oven), let it soak a bit and stuff comes out. Just don't try scrubbing it too hard. Another tidbit: the upper lip is not coated (the cast iron is exposed), and it may show rust if left wet for too long. Season that edge with a bit of oil, as with any other cast iron pan, and this won;t be a problem anymore. Or simply make it a habit of drying it quickly after use.

I recently purchased this incredible piece of Le Creuset cookware and, I have to say, I am very pleased and rather impressed by it. Just removing it from its package, with its heavy weight and gorgeous colour, told me that this was a quality made product. But the proof has been in the cooking..
Thus far I have made a delicious chicken and vegetable dish and cooked preserves for canning. Everything has turned out perfectly. Cleanup was easy after some soaking with warm soapy water. This is my first, but not last, piece or Le Creuset for certain!

I've made everything from braised short ribs to homemade Mole in this and I can truly say it is fabulous. Goes from stovetop to oven perfectly and retains heat better than any cookware I've used. Cannot reccomend it highly enough.