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Lodge 3 qt. Dutch oven
MON 14JUL08 1) am not a professional food preparation person, nor am I exactly "chef material"--if you get my drift. 2) know what I like; own some Calphalon, Le Creuset, et al. "high-end" cookware. 3) like to compare/contrast/look around--from time-to-time, in re: new/other products. 4) Lodge appears to be a viable product. 5) the difference between a sharp knife & a dull one isn't much--in terms of metal, but is a lot in terms of efficacy. You pay a lot more for just a little more; but it's that "little more" than can achieve the results that you like so much. With these thoughts, please proceed. Rec'd Lodge 3 qt. enameled Dutch oven today. My "issue" is that the lid does not fit tightly--& that's by design--something no previous review indicated. The lid has three cast ~1/16" standoffs @ "noon", "4" & "8" which are designed to allow the hot cooking gases, vapors & liquids to escape freely, rather than build-up until enough pressure is generated to lift the cast-iron lid--or to "surprise" the lid-liftee; that is, unless the cook is tuned-in to what is happening, i.e. cooking, & actually tends to her/his business. Personally, I want to have control over those things under my control. I do NOT want to be protected from myself. Le Creuset French (Dutch?) ovens have FLAT rims & recesses. Yes, just like on your car radiator, the temperature will increase w/ the pressure & it is easier to scorch & burn--but also faster to cook (as in a pressure cooker) when the interior pressure is elevated. For me, a tight-fitting lid is what I want. Lodge has a higher-end line (maybe more than one). Not taking the time this yr. to purchase, use & review. Oh yes, & BTW: Le Creuset does not make a 3 qt. enameled cast iron oven. No disrespect to Lodge, but it looks like I've talked myself into a Le Creuset purchase--again. Sadly Disappointed Prior to purchasing this item I went to the Lodge website to research the product as the Amazon information on it is quite sparse. The Lodge site is very informative on the construction of their cast-iron product line. They even proffered that the paint used on their enameled products was imported from France, begging a comparison with Le Crueset, of course. Imagine my disappointment when I discovered that the Dutch Oven had actually been manufactured in CHINA. I feel that Lodge is somewhat disingenuous in their promotion of the enameled product line by not stating that they do not make these products here in the U.S. (Amazon shares some blame here also) The Dutch Oven is an attractive piece of cookware, but concerns about what additives the Chinese may use in the painting process exist. I would like to see an independent labratory analysis of this cookware to prove that the enameling process is lead-free. We love it! My wife has made several dishes in our dutch oven, and everything seems to come out great in it. Several people have mentioned the issue where there is a temperature limit for putting this pot in the oven because of the plastic cover handle, but we've yet to encounter a recipe where we'd need to go over the limit anyway. If I ever do want to, I'll just remove the handle and make my own. This is a great product to get into using a Dutch oven from a great manufacturer without spending a ton of money. Lodging my Opinion The 3-quart Lodge Enamel Dutch Oven is a welcome addition to our kitchen. We got a larger one at Christmas--and like it. However, this smaller model gives us flexibility that my wife Carolyn and I enjoy. We use it often! island spice cutie!! (and inexpensive!!) this is just about the cutest thing i have in my kitchen! it's a beautiful color (i also have the larger 6qt dutch oven in blue, and as beautiful as that is, the island spice is even prettier!), and it's much smaller than your ordinary gonzo dutch oven. i've used it for small batches of pasta sauce, and making risotto (PERFECT for risotto, where you want really even heat control--since we're cooking on electric, risotto really needs enamel cast iron!). would also be really good for smaller braises, e.g. cutting recipes in half! and, seriously, the price cannot be beat. i cannot BELIEVE that they are offering enamel cast iron at this price. it works amazingly well, and frankly how many of us can afford le creuset? i am lucky to have DRU enamel pieces handed down from my grandmother, but the collection is not complete, and i needed to add my own dutch ovens. also, i plan to buy a casserole from lodge, but having already spent $80 on these two pieces i must wait responsibly for a while. (But, $80 for two enamel CI pieces is just incredible!!) | |
