Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Dutch Oven with Bail Handle, 5 Quart

I have been a fan of the French made enameled cast iron (Le Creuset) for years, and I almost completely forgot about good ol' American made cast iron from Lodge. Some dishes, of course, I'll prefer the enameled cast iron over the rawness of cast iron (and iron transfer), but there are some dishes like beans, chili, stew and soups that cast iron can't be beat. I know I'll be getting a 5-6 qt Le Creuset round French oven (I do not like Lodge quality with their enameled cast iron, and manufacturing in china does not match to the French made standards), so I didn't want the traditional Dutch oven setup in cast iron. I wanted a Dutch oven that will work great both indoors and outdoors. I love the wire handle!!! This piece is solid. Last night, I made a simple chicken soup in this Dutch oven. For flavoring, I only added a little dill weed, savory, thyme, sea salt, cayenne & fresh ground pepper. The flavor was delicate and outstanding...the iron truly finished it off. I made the soup the same as I would in any other pot (including even a Lodge enameled cast iron Dutch oven that I've borrowed/tested from family). I'm already loving this Dutch oven. First use...impressed. I'll be using this often. Highly recommended; even to Le Creuset fans. Also, if on the fence between getting enameled cast iron and cast iron, get the cast iron first...regardless of budget. If you are on a budget, forget the enameled cast iron, you will not find true quality at an inexpensive price (the closest I've seen and used; to even come close to Le Creuset on quality, craftsmanship, durability & such "at a budget price" are Kirkland - made in France). Save your money to invest in only quality. Lodge cast iron is high quality at an affordable price...you will be pleased with the results. Cheap enameled cast iron only chips, unevenly distributes heat & you'll end up tossing them into landfills after a few years. This Lodge Dutch oven will last long enough to hand down. Edit: forgot to add...the lid also fits the 10.25 skillet/fry pan perfectly. Lodge L8SK3 Cast Iron Skillet, Pre-Seasoned, 10.25-inch

I bought the 9 qt because it was cheaper than the 7 qt (why is that???). I really did not know how big it would be until it was in front of me. This is awesome. Ok, that was wimpy...This Is AWESOME!!! Yep, much better. I have had no problem with any Lodge product. I have a few pieces, and am working on replacing most of my cookware with cast iron. This...wow, such a great size, and so versatile. I cooked a whole chicken in it, placed on a rack inside, and piled high with veggies, with a ton of space to spare. It cooked evenly, no burning of ANYTHING, and that's been almost impossible with any of the other cookware I have (stainless steel and the dreaded teflon). Yes, these are pre-seasoned at the factory, but I suggest doing your own seasoning as well before you cook with it, especially on the underside of the lid. My aunt (who is a cast iron seasoning killer) used it before I had a chance to do the seasoning, and the lid's underside rusted in areas...this was with doing a pot roast, and sealed most of the time it cooked (hours). I cleaned it off and seasoned it. I have used it since, and not a speck of rust is to be seen. This is heavy, but really, it's not that bad, if you think about it. I like that i can put it on the stove, and it DOES NOT MOVE. I always worried about the lighter-weight stock pots moving or sliding off the burner if it gets bumped. I have a cheap gas stove (I rent) and the burner wires are slick. I hate them, but, hey, I didn't pay for it, so I can't complain. This sits solidly on the burner without any wobble.

Just love this cast iron dutch oven! I received stainless steel cookware as a wedding gift years ago, added various other pots, pans you name it over the last forty years...but my cast iron experience was limited to a small fry pan that I used to fry taco shells...but for some reason I never used cast iron other than a few LeCreuset pieces (an au gratin pan, large fry pan, huge dutch oven)which of course have a porcelain finish and after years and years of use the porcelain was wearing thin. My daughter, also a foodie, raved about cast iron, but really I thought maybe she just liked it because it didn't require "cleaning" on the other hand my Mother had been totally compulsive about her Lo-Heat stainless and cleaned it with KleenKing after every use for 60 years...it still looked like new but what a hassle! I'm an inveterate fan of dishwashers and yet just rinsing out a pan after using it and putting on the stove to dry sounded "iffy"...I knew I'd end up throwing it in the dishwasher and endlessly re-seasoning and watching it rust. Incidentally I did do that every time I used the small cast iron fry pan that I've fried thousands of taco shells in but hey, it worked, never rusted and has a lovely patina but then again I'd never used it for anything other than putting corn oil in it and frying corn tortillas...it was re-seasoned every time I used it! So while throwing it into the dishwasher was my "guilty secret". My 90 plus year old Mother passed away two years ago and while I kept her stainless for sentimental reasons, I re-discovered her 70+ year old collection of cast iron the source of countless roasts, fried chicken, stews and hamburgers. These pans were fantastic (of course they'd had 70 years of seasoning and love) after trying these cast iron "beauties" and discovering they were great...and no big deal to clean, I decided when I needed a new wok to try a cast iron wok...worked GREAT! Then I had a great recipe for no-knead bread and really thought I should try this dutch oven again just GREAT. I don't throw them into the dishwasher but I do gently swish them in a little mild dish soap, rinse them, dry them by putting them over a low flame on the stove to dry and "shine them" with a tiny film of oil and I mean really just the least amount possible it needs to disappear leaving nothing behind but the shine. So if you are looking at a relatively inexpensive pot that can become a cherished heirloom, is virtually indestructible, tolerates high temperature both oven and stove top and, while heavy, does a super job with very little effort I'd definitely recommend one of these healthy cast iron beauties.

This has been so good to me. Cooks anything. I use it for candy making mostly, cause it’s heavy duty. Iam glad I got it.

There are so few "cons" to this pot, it's hard to write a review that doesn't sound sappy. I have a full set of Ultrex, a snappy modern line sold by a company that makes pans for many big names found in department stores. 55 year warranty, they work fine... But they're non-stick and I've started to worry about that. Not long ago, a study came out that suggested eating foods cooked in Teflon pans left molecules of something or other floating around in the person's blood for FOUR YEARS. I thought twice about this and decided it was time to look into other pans. It might turn out to be benign - but what if it isn't? I was addicted to good browning, was used to it from Cuisinart pans and Ultrex. I tried Calphalon hard-anodized aluminum. One burning incident and that pan was RUINED, totally ruined, nothing would clean it. I've cooked in this Lodge Logic pre-seasoned for a dozen meals now, meat and fish, vegetables too. I've used all types of fats - olive oil, butter, corn oil. Tonight it made a gravy to die for - using heavy cream and mushrooms. You do have to get used to its different heating cycle. It heats up slower than some other materials. It cools off slower too. But it is fuel efficient and you can do a lot of cooking on Low. My #1 demand was that it brown meat well. It does that SPLENDIDLY. Really beautiful. Heat the pan for 5 minutes on near High. Throw in two tablespoons of olive oil, throw in stew meat and it will brown in four minutes, magazine picture perfect. Stir with a wooden spoon. Throw in vegetables once the meat's browned. A few cups of water, put the lid on, turn it down to Medium for 15 minutes, Low for another 15 minutes -- it will look like a magazine cover stew. Browning a roast is even easier -- and you can put it into the oven after browning. If I had to complain of anything, it would be that cast iron is heavy. I'm not sure how much of a problem this will be. This is still a small enough pot to handle for most people. You can roast a whole chicken in it so if that's the quantity you cook, buy this right NOW, you can't go wrong.

I love cast iron. One of my skillets was my grandfather's camp skillet. (I am 63, and my father remembers its use in his youth.) I had long pined for a large Dutch oven for big batches, roasts, and whole birds. Finally last Christmas I treated myself to the 9-Quart Lodge pre-seasoned version. Absolutely no regrets. I will say that I re-seasoned it when I got it. But that is just me, I can't say I couldn't have just used it out of the box. No rust or bad spots. That said, I have baked, browned, roasted, braised, stewed, and just plain cooked in it ever since. I have not taken it camping, but my son borrowed it and gave good reports. The only caution beyond its weight (expectedly heavy) is the drip-teat lid. The teats serve a very useful purpose...allowing condensate to drip back on the center of the cooking area instead of streaming down the edges. But they require special attention to avoid rust, and will tear a paper towel to shreds trying to dry them. I recommend half and hour in a low oven and a quick shot of cooking spray. Just remember the lid is heavy too and use a mitt rather than a hot pad to hold. In fact, I recommend a pair of mitts for safer general handling. The wire bale handle is also handy, especially for moving around on a stovetop. But if you had trouble putting the pot in the oven one-handed, I would recommend using two mitted hands on the side wings rather than risking a tip when the pot comes off the oven rack. There is a lip handle on the front to stabilize with the off hand when using the wire handle. Use it. Again, two mitts. General cast iron handling tips apply: remember it holds heat, don't wash with soap without complete re-seasoning, keep it dry and lightly oiled, avoid cooking acidic product in it, etc. My only regret is that I waited so long to treat myself to this great cooking tool.

The only thing stopping me from rating this a 5 star product is because of the weight! It cooks fabulously. Made a pork butt roast in it and it fell off the bone. The only thing I didn't take into consideration before purchasing it was the weight, my stamina and my age. At a whopping 17 lbs empty weight, by the time you add roast, potatoes, liquid, and whatever, it really does need wheels to move it. As I was placing it in the oven, I realized I may have made a little error in judgement. It thunked on the shelf, the shelf shook, and I wondered who I could call to help me remove it. (I was beginning to think it would make a lovely planter.) After tasting the results, I am not willing to set it aside, so I have decided it will be a stove top dutch oven. I am now ordering one slightly less weighty. The service was excellent, the product great,clean-up was a breeze, and if you're not 60 years old and you work out regularly, you should have no trouble with this product.

Bought for my daughter for Christmas and she loved !! She loves to cook. Sturdy it’s Lodge great brand and price was great. Looked great and easy to use with handle.

I have become a convert to cast iron cookware and all my skillets have come from Lodge via Amazon. I wanted to venture further into out dooor cooking but didn't want to take my beautifully seasoned pots outside just yet, so i ordered a cheaper brand of pot again through Amazon from Big-BBQ. Unfortunately it did not survive the journey and became undeliverable according to the tracker. I contacted Amazon who explained the situation very patiently, refunded my payment and took an order for the Lodge 9 quart pot. That was Thursday evening. The following Saturday early morning my pot was delivered to my door. Now unboxed and sitting on my stove with its fellow pots and skillets. The thumbnail picture does not do it justice . It is reassuringly heavy and sits well over the *wok" ring. Looking forward now to cooking my first pot roast in it. High five stars to Amazon I cant thank them enough for turning a disappointment into a happy ending

Fantastic. Love to cook in this

Amazing acquisition, super happy with this monstrous Dutch oven. Made Beef Stew which was finger licking good. Extremely well built, rugged and built to last a life time if easy to follow instructions are followed. Though its pre seasoned it is a good investment of time to season your case iron cookware 2-3 times or more before use. No soap, no scrubber but just use hand or nylon brush and hot water to clean after use and dry with a lint fee paper / cloth towel and heat it till it smokes and you are all set. Set for a lifetime of delightful cooking experience.

First of all this is made in the USA and of pure cast iron, no adulteration with chemicals or other metals. This is one of the reasons I chose Lodge, it's top quality and worth every penny. I've had this for a few days and so far I love it The first thing I made in it was a loaf of crusty bread and it came out beautifully, soft inside and crisp outside with a beautiful light brown crust. The pot must be put cold into a cold oven then gradually warmed to 450 F before the loaf goes in. Using parchment paper to line it just before the loaf goes in ensures nothing sticks - doubt it would anyway. Even the handle is oven proof. After the loaf or other food is taken out, allow the pot to cool gradually as the oven cools Today I used it outdoors in the snow to make a Tuscan stew. I bought their outdoor Sportsman Grill at the same time and used this right on top of it. It worked beautifully.I thought it might crack in colder weather but it was fine. I lit it, let the embers glow down and put the stew-pot on top of it. It finished cooking once the embers went out with its own heat from the iron. You can also put this pot directly on a campfire of smoldering coals. I have a glass-topped stove but the manufacturer's instructions say its safe if you don't slide the pot around on it and let the pot and burner heat up together. I tried it and it was fine. Tomorrow I am roasting a chicken in it, in its own juices. The underside of the pot lid has protuberances in that press into the top of the roast to cook and sear the top and baste it. Amazing feature. The manufacturer says not to cook tomato-based dishes in it right away but after several uses and more oil seasoning it's fine; this is to make sure the acid in tomatoes doesn't react with the raw iron. The pot is heavy so be careful; it can weigh a ton when full. I have arthritis in my wrists but managed no problem which was a surprise. I'm certain i'll find many more uses for this and will edit my review to include them; I'm delighted with this. I bought their medium skillet as well and an omelette didn't stick even on first use. This skillet can also be used on top of the grill, and the Dutch oven lid fits the skillet perfectly and is interchangeable. Perfect.

Super Teil für Lagerfeuer und Elektroherd. Wenn man ihn entsprechend -wie für Gußeisen üblich- pflegt -also immer auf die Patina achtet und ihn immer leicht eingeölt lagert, eine Anschaffung für's Leben! Die Lodge-Produkte zeichnen sich generell durch ihre hohe Qualität und Useability aus. Dieser Topf macht da definitiv keine Ausnahme! Ich habe auch den dafür erhältlichen Lodge-Fritierkorb dazu gekauft und nutze ihn oft zum Fritieren. Top Ware! Einzig die mitunter geradezu absurd hohen Preise trüben das Bild. Hier lohnt es sich, händlerübergreifend scharf zu vergleichen. Mal bei Amazon USA nach dem Artikel zu schauen. Ich habe diesen Topf für unter 100 Euro erworben.