Reviews for Lodge 5 Quart Cast Iron Dutch Oven. Pre Seasoned Cast Iron Pot and Lid with Wire Bail for Camp Cooking

People say Lodge is really similar to Le Creuset.

5.0

Great Quality Cast Iron Dutch Oven

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'... Read More

5.0

You'll say "The Pledge of Allegiance" whenever you use this beautiful piece of American Awesome

I debated over a non-enameled Lodge and Le Creuset for quite a while, then I got off my duff and did a side-by-side comparison. Over several weeks, I prepared the several dishes (stew, chili, braised meat) on a friend's Lodge 5 quart Dutch oven (smaller than the 9qt item reviewed here) AND a Le Creuset Dutch oven. Here's what I found: 1) Both are great and work equally well. The Lodge is heavier and has a rustic look vs. the fancy/refined look of the LC. I can't pick out anything "bad" about either. 2) The 5qt Lodge I borrowed would not accommodate large roasts or large whole chickens 3) The Lodge needs to be coated lightly with spray PAM or veggie oil after cleaning, before storing. Nothing new here... 4) Food in the Lodge stays hot longer than in the LC after removal from the burner. This may or may not be important to you. Go with the LC if you're willing to spend another $200+ for the same functionality and for ooh's and ah's from your friends. I'd prefer to spend the money on meat or other things. My 9qt Lodge arrived in 2 days. What a tank! I have not cooked with it yet, but based on a close examination I believe it will perform just as well as my two Lodge skillets. Thickness is consistent throughout the pot (I checked with calipers) and the handle is very sturdy. The picture in the Amazon ad would lead you to believe the lid is glossy black, but it has the same matte iron finish/appearance as the pot and any other Lodge pan.

5.0

Dutch oven

I am so glad I bought this item. I think the size is just right for my family of four. It is easy to clean and fun to cook in. I was originally looking to buy a Le Creuset but was hesitant to spend the amount they wanted. After trying this product I am very pleased.

5.0

I can't believe I didn't buy this sooner

The Lodge dutch oven is a fantastic pan, I really cannot believe I have been cooking for 15 years without one. The lid fits perfectly, providing a leak-free covering for long-simmering stews. I was a bit skeptical about the pre-seasoning, but it was perfectly done, the pan was ready for use right out of the box, I just wiped it a bit in case there was any dust. Because of its solid construction, it is a very heavy pan. I am glad that I did not buy the 7-quart, as it would have been too unwieldy once filled with food. I was considering an enameled dutch oven by Le Creuset, but cannot see spending three times as much as the Lodge cast iron oven. Care must be taken to make sure that the pan is perfectly dry when put away to avoid rust, but such is the nature of all cast iron cookware, and is not specific to this item.

4.0

Super Large and Super Heavy!

Okay, I really love the size of this dutch oven and it does a fantastic job, as all Lodge products manage to accomplish! I own many (12-15 Lodge products). I bought it to replace a 20 year old Le Creuset 9 qt. that had worn out! Yes, these $350 Le Creuset pans do wear out! What happens, according to a few dealers I've spoken with is if you use them a lot (imagine a person actually using these expensive pretty Le Creuset pots), which I did, then the porcelain starts to pit and then it starts to stain and only gets worse over time. I tried a variety of methods including bleach (recommended) to remove some of the stains. The bleach worked the best but when you looked at the surface closely you can see the deterioration of the porcelain in the bottom. I decided I was not going to continue to use it often except maybe bake large loaves of bread, or maybe never again, and replace it with a reliable Lodge cast iron pan of the same size and save myself almost $270 dollars! This Lodge 9 qt. Dutch Oven is SUPER HEAVY so moving it around requires strength and when hot some really good pot holders. I'm not a big fan of the wire bail handle because it is actually more of an annoyance than a help. When this pot is filled then it becomes even HEAVIER, very HOT and trying to lift it out of a hot oven can be difficult especially when using the wire bail. The two side handles (?) that the wire bail attaches to are almost insignificant but workable so unless you need a 9 quart dutch oven go fo... Read More