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.

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.

What can I say Lodge is one of the best products out there so can't go wrong get it while it's on sale though. It was much more at a store near me

As expected

Heavy, big for large families. But rusts so easily.

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.

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.

5 quart is perfect size for roasting typical grocery store size whole chickens and roasts. Spiral bail handle is handy, good quality and sturdy. Taking care to always preheat a bit before using and immediately washing, drying and oiling after use helps keep it naturally non-stick and quick to clean - important as this is not a light pot! The 10CL Lodge camp Dutch oven lid would put this over the top perfect.

J'ai acheté cette marmite pour l'anniversaire de mon ami qui adore cuisiner au barbecue et il en est ravi! La qualité est excellente; nous l'utilisons régulièrement depuis 1 an pour faire mijoter nos plats, que ce soit sur un barbecue à charbon ou sur notre plaque à induction. Le contenant est suffisant pour 6 personnes. Il faut acheter la taille au dessus pour plus de convives. Je recommande vivement cette marmite qui est d'un excellent rapport qualité-prix à tous les adeptes et passionnés de plats mijotés!