Review of Lodge Color Dutch Oven

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List Price: $118.00
Sale Price: $59.99
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Enamel on cast iron cookware like this, was, until recently, only available from makers like Le Creuset. Lately, several lower cost makers have come on the scene, like Target and Innova. The new budget priced Lodge cookware is in the same price range as the low cost alternatives but completely out performs them.

I have all of the brands I have mentioned. The Lodge is the same weight as the Le Creuset which is much heavier than the other budget models. The ridge where the lid and sides meet is a matt black porcelain on the Lodge and Le Creuset but is just exposed cast iron for the other budget models (which leads to rusting if you are not careful). The porcelain resists staining (even tomato sauces) in the Lodge and Le Creuset but the other budget models stain very easily. And finally, the Lodge and Le Creuset maintain a very polished interior finish that resists sticking which others do not. So, I see no performance differences at all between the Le Creuset and the Lodge whereas the comparably priced budget models are certainly inferior.

If you plan of using these pots very heavily (every day for example) you might want to upgrade to the higher priced Lodge product. It has 4 coatings of enamel as opposed to 2 in this model. But if you use them once or twice a week I dont think you will need the added wear resistance.

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This is a terrific value. The quality and performance match my Le Creuset pieces at a fraction of the price. The only slight design flaw I have found is that the rounded bottom makes browning large pieces of meat awkward. Other than that I have no complaints. Even heating. Easy clean up. I use it several times a week.

UPDATE: I found a second minor problem. The inside rim of the lid has a couple of raised spots which prevent the lid from seating tightly. This causes steam to escape much faster than I would like during a long braise or stew.

Update 2: Three years in I am dropping my rating to three stars. It's still a decent pot at a bargain price, but it will not be an heirloom piece like my Le Creuset. The loose fitting lid turns out to be a manufacturing shortcut. The lids and pot rims on the Le Creuset are machined flat so the lid fits tightly. The lid on this (and other inexpensive enameled cast iron pieces I have looked at) is cast with three raised spots which allow the lid to sit "flat" (like a tripod) on the pot without the extra machining step. This shortcut, unfortunately, makes it impossible for the lid to seal tightly. This makes the pot unsuitable for some tasks unless I make a foil gasket for a tight seal. Secondly, I now have several small chips in the enamel (on the lid and outside) on this pot. My Le Creuset pieces, which I have had much longer and use just as often, have no chipping.

Bottom line: the quality you get is the quality you pay for.

Update 3: I am informed in some of the comments that the products shipping in 2011 have a smooth rimmed lid rather than the "tripod" design. I cannot confirm this, but it would remove one problem I have described above. Meanwhile I am sending this pot to Goodwill and have replaced it with a French made oven from Costco.

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I purchased this from Amazon around mid-December and have been using it probably 3-4 times/week since then. It is as well constructed as my mother's Le Creuset french ovens, but at a much more reasonable price. I find Lodge products to be a good value, although this piece represents a departure for them as it is not made in the USA, but rather China. Nonetheless, it is very well constructed, with details like the black porcelain enameled rim of the pot and the lid setting it apart from some of the other inexpensive alternatives. I have used mine for mussels in white wine, no-knead bread (more on this below), stew, and various other dishes, and it has held up very well thus far. In another 20 or 30 years I should have a better idea of whether it will hold up as well as my mother's LC pots, but the materials appear to be suitable for the long haul. At one-sixth the price of Le Creuset, I'm willing to take that bet.

One aspect of the pot which I found wanting was the knob. The black phenolic knob completes the Le Creuset lookalike styling, but as with the LC product, it is not heat-safe to 500 degrees. I preheat the vessels for my bread baking at 500-550 degrees for 30-60 minutes, and the knob would not survive. Therefore, I went to the local hardware store and bought a substantial chrome-steel knob of the same base diameter as the included knob, with matching screw, and have used it ever since. For $9 total, the unit is now safe to 550 degrees F and beyond. Net cost: $59.

Great value and I recommend it highly.

Honest reviews on Lodge Color Dutch Oven

I called Lodge Mfg. They e-mailed me a report showing the testing that they have had done on their enamel coated cookware. All of their non enamel cookware is made here in the U.S. The enamel coated cookware is made in China but has been tested for lead content. That set my mind at ease and thought this review would help others too.

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This Dutch oven is absolutely gorgeous! An incredible value in the world of enameled cast iron these days, I have a Le Creuset dutch oven that I love, but wanted another piece that was smaller and to be completely honest, wanted to to test one of Lodge's new enameled cast iron pieces that are more price friendly. I have other lodge pieces which I love and thought it was worth a try. I have to admit I was lured by the beautiful red color. Now that I have received it and see it, the picture does not do it justice! It is so pretty, but it cooks superbly like my other lodge pieces, but clean up is so much easier and I don't have to oil each time. I can also cook dishes that are acidic that I can't in the regular cast iron. You also can cook at almost half the normal temps in the oven because it retains the heat so well, which is great with the price of electricity and gas right now! I really think these are going to take off with their affordable prices on these. They have the Lodge name security backing them and hopefully they have not sold their name to produce these like a lot of other companies these days, but I doubt it. But for under $50 for a 6 quart dutch oven, it is worth a try! I am very happy and showing all my friends and family. Do give these a try!