Fireplace Reviews

Although I have a cast iron skillet from another manufacturer that is used primarily for cornbread, this was my first piece of Lodge cookware. I absolutely love this piece. At 28 lbs., it's a little big and heavy for frequent dishes that can be made in a smaller DO for just our family. However, until our 12" comes in, I've learned to modify the coal arrangement to use the 14" deep for breakfast casseroles, home made pizza, cobblers, chicken & dumplings, etc... The size makes it excellent for doing racks of ribs and whole chickens. I'm looking forward to winter camp cooking when it will be filled with chili and stews. Based on our experience with this one piece of cookware, we ordered a 12" for the camper and I just ordered 3 skillets for the house. I'm throwing out all of my "nonstick" skillets and replacing them with Lodge cast iron. Clean-up is a breeze. Even cheesey home-made pizza wipes out with just a paper towel. The pre-seasoning is an added bonus.

Years ago, my parents insisted that I have at least one piece of cast iron cookware. I can't believe I waited 16 years to purchase more!

There is an ongoing and eternal debate among dutch oven users as to what is the best brand available. For years I have held that Lodge was the best but the difference in quality wasn't worth the difference in price. Of course at that time I didn't even own a Lodge. Well I heard about this one an sale and had been wanting a 14" deep so I ordered it (the free shipping didn't hurt, either). It arrived within two weeks, was already seasoned from the factory (seasoning is a pain, but very necessary), and when I started using it I found out why so many people will only buy Lodge ovens. It really DOES cook better! I highly recomend this oven for anyone who needs a large D.O.
Seriously.

A dutch oven is one of the most versatile items you can find. Many people I know are intimidated by cooking with dutch ovens, but when you take a few minutes to learn how, you can use it to cook anything! It can be used with variety of foods: stews, cakes, cobblers, breads, poultry, vegetables (basically anything you make in a conventional oven). If you happen to forget to pack your skillet when you go camping, turn over the lid and put it back on the dutch oven. Voila! Instant skillet-type cooking surface! Additionally, this smaller dutch oven stacks well with the 12-inch version, so you can cook more than one course at a time!

Having used a variety of dutch ovens in my life, I can tell you for sure, Lodge dutch ovens are the best. They are durable and well-crafted. If you have ever had the experience of cooking with a dutch oven that was not a Lodge, you will know what I mean.

You should look for a dutch oven that has a lip on the lid for keeping coals on, and sturdy legs, to keep from crushing the coals. Lodge dutch ovens have these features, and are made of quality cast iron. Lodge also has many accessories for cooking, such as lid lifters and lid rests, inserts for muffins, etc.

Dutch ovens make a great gift for the camper in your life. Highly reccommended!

The 8" Lodge Camp Dutch Oven is currently the smallest that Lodge offers. The 2 Quart oven is the perfect size to cook dinner for one or two people. Ever popular with canoe and river rafters this oven works well in a camp fire or with charcoal brickettes.

Quality made in the USA the iron casting is smooth and uniform, the lid fits without rocking or binding -- providing a good seal. Properly cared for this oven will last a lifetime.

In my opinion you can't go wrong buying Lodge, high quality at a modest price.

If you're reading this, you probably already know about camp dutch ovens. I've been a Boy Scout my whole life, and a Scoutmaster and adult leader for several years now... (and an avid camper and outdoor cook to boot.) I have owned 5 or 6 dutch ovens in my life, and I'm now convinced that there is no match for the quality of LODGE dutch ovens. They are worth paying a little extra for. The others aren't really worth buying-- the cheaper ones don't keep a finish like the LODGE ovens do.

I've bought the original finish and now this one with the LOGIC factory forged finish. I LOVE the pre-seasoned cookware. It isn't the finish that you'll get after years of seasoning, cooking and taking care of an oven, BUT you'll love that you will be able to cook on this oven RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX. So, if you're into instant gratification (with no downside-- they season perfectly as you use them) this is the oven choice for you.

This is the classic size that is used by scouts, chuck wagon cooks, and outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds. It is a #12 which is the "standard" size most commonly used, but there are dozens of sizes bigger and smaller. This one holds 8 quarts, measuring 12" in diameter by 5" tall. It has the tripod legs and a recessed lid best suited for cooking in coals. You can flip this lid over and use it as a skillet if you need to. I also have the dutch oven with no legs and a domed lid for use in a home oven. You can do it all with a Dutch Oven - cobblers, stews, beans, roasts, dumplings, you name it.
QUALITY: There is a reason you can find old cast iron pans in antique stores, it lasts forever. I have quite a few pans and stuff inherited from family members and even some garage sale finds. While my fancy and expensive non-stick cookware seems to last no more than a few years before replacement in my kitchen, but this stuff can easily last many decades of daily use. It has a life time warranty! I love to cook with cast iron even at home, it is so durable, but I can take it camping too. Easy to clean up, the only drawback being it is heavy. Cast iron takes a bit longer to heat up, but the heat transfers evenly without hot spots and it retains its heat for a long time. I am not sure why, but people swear things taste better in cast iron. It just seems that cast iron only improves with use instead of wearing out like other pans.

CLEANING: A couple of tips on caring for your oven, they say you should not use soap but this is not exactly sanitary. If you use soap be sure it is mild. One trick is to boil hot water in it and scrub it with a long handle brush. Use a plastic brush or plastic scrubber, but never a metal scrubber or brush. For the most part, cast iron is non-stick as long as it is seasoned. The trick is to clean it right away and not to leave it in the water too long or let it dry with food in it. Do not use it at temperatures higher than 500 degrees, as it can crack. An old Boy Scout trick to keep the outside clean if used on a fire, is to wipe the outside with some wet soap and let it dry before using. This will make the coal soot just wipe right off when you clean up.

SEASONING FINISH: Seasoning does not refer to flavor, but the finish, a kind of glaze on the pan. The modern version sold here is pre-seasoned and ready to cook in, but we used to have to season these ourselves in the old days. It needs to stay black and a bit shiny inside to stay seasoned. If you do lose your seasoning due to rust or an overaggressive cleaning, simply wipe it with vegetable oil inside and out and place it in a hot oven for about 20 minutes or so. Let it cool naturally. It also helps to wipe it with a paper towel of vegetable oil after washing and drying, or spray it with cooking oil and wipe. If it gets rusty, scrub it up good and re-season it, you can get it like new again. DO NOT cook on it without re-seasoning though.

ACCESSORIES: There are plenty of terrific Dutch oven cook books here at Amazon.com. You can also get videos like the one with Cee Dub. You can get affordable accessories too such as Dutch oven tote bag, tongs, lid lifter, lid stand, and gloves. To be safe if cooking on coals or fire, use the lid lifter accessory, it will keep you from getting burned. Enjoy your cobbler!

In more than a decade of outdoor cooking experience, I have learned one valuable lesson: always trust anything from Lodge. This rule has been tested on everything from a simple skillet to the monster dutch ovens crafted to feed an army. In all those years, Lodge has never failed me.
I tried to save money by using cast iron utensils from other firms, and have paid dearly for it. No body has the durability, the skill, or the quality of Lodge. There is something magic about the Lodge method of manufacturing, and that magic is worth every penny that you pay for. When you purchase from Lodge, you aren't simply buying a pot or skillet, you're acquring a lifelong companion that your children will be using when you are gone.
I have 5 dutch ovens of various sizes, numerous skillets and griddles, and all of them bear the Lodge name and logo, and all of them still perform just like they did when I first got them, although they have improved with age because the taste and the smell of the food that comes from them says it all.
Trust me, friends: you can save money by buying another brand, but you will be making a grave mistake. Don't try to be cheap, buy Lodge and prepare yourself for a quality product that will last for a long, long time.

Perfect size for cornbread or rolls and being pre-seasoned you can use it straight out of the box!

People seem to either love, hate, or have total disinterest in cast iron cookware. I love it. It seems to have a lot more soul than "modern" utensils.

I've been reading "Little House on the Prarie" to my daughter and she enjoyed hearing how the Ingalls used a pot just like daddy has.

This dutch oven is quite versitile. I can use it with campfire coals, with charcoal, over my Coleman campstove, or in the oven at home. The legs are too long to use on my rangetop at home (without risking damage to the range surface).

Dutch oven cooking is an acquired skill (on top of the general cast iron learning curve), but I've had no problems so far. I have mostly used it to make chicken or beef stew when camping.

Once you get hooked on dutch ovens, then you start wanting accessories. I use a charcoal chimney to start the coals, a pair of metal tongs to move the coals around, and a metal oil drain pan to contain the coals. I've just ordered a Lodge lid lifter, lid rack, and leather gloves to make the whole process a bit easier and safer.

I'm also already thinking of my next dutch oven. It will be the "deep" 8 quart. The 4 quart being reviewed here is 10" diameter at the lid and 3-1/2" deep. The "deep" 8 quart is 12" at the lid and 5" deep. (The standard depth 12" oven is 6 quarts, the standard depth 8 quart is 14" diameter). For soup or stew I like to leave some space below the rim so I probably only get 3 quarts in the 4 quart model, while the deeper 8 quart model would allow a greater percentage of the volume to be used. I imagine for bisquits or other baked goods the standard depth is probably fine.

I purchased this dutch oven to use with my Cub Scout pack. It is fantastic! I have used it twice to make biscuits and they were wonderful. I also purchased the 8 quart dutch oven and made deer stew for the entire pack . The pots were very easy to clean up . I highly recommend this item and I am considering purchasing an additional one to use for making dessert.

My husband has been cooking up a storm. He would like it better if the inside had a smoother finish.

I already have a 4-quart dutch oven and wanted a larger one, which could be used to bake a chicken or simply for cooking for a larger group of people. So, my wife purchased the Lewis & Clark dutch oven for my birthday, which fits the bill--partly because it is a deep 12" (8 quarts) and partly because it looks so good. I baked a whole chicken (with vegetables) in it last night and it worked perfect. I even managed to toast the top of the chicken without scorcing the bottom. The food looked like it was ready for a photo shoot. The oven worked great!

The pre-seasoned cast iron was new to me. At first I was concerned because out of the box the surface of the pot was rough to the touch. However, after I used it last night I noticed that the pre-seasoning had smoothed out and now looks like a piece of cast iron cookware that has been in use for years! Amazing.

Now if I can somehow figure out how to justify buying Lodge's 2-quart camp dutch oven, I'll be a happy cook.

Jack