Customer Reviews

Lodge Pro Logic 4-Quart Cast Iron Dutch Oven, Black

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

What is not to like? I love to crank my heat up and get things going, splash the wine, sear the meat, try it with teflon and you end up with chemical soup.
This is good old fashioned safe cooking, from the stove top to the oven, no melted handles, easy clean up, will last longer than a life time. I feel more comfortable using the little handles to take the pan out of the oven, have not tried the swinging handle version.
This is a great product at a great price, I could not find it cheaper anywhere else but Amazon.

A small correction maybe, but it is still an important correction. This is not a Lodge "Logic" Dutch Oven as the title suggests, rather it is a Lodge "Pro-Logic" Dutch Oven. This is important because the Pro-Logic line is the newer ergonomic and stylish cookware. I bought this as part of the 4-for-3 program, so I only paid ~$28 for it. My Pro-Logic Dutch Oven is easy to care for and it cooks well for a wide variety of foods. I also own the original Logic design. While my Logic Dutch Oven is great, this Pro-Logic one is slightly better. Specifically, I like the two changes in the Pro-Logic cookware. First, the edge of the Pro-Logic Dutch oven rises up from the bottom at a smoother/rounder angle, so it is easier to stir with a spoon. Second, the handles are made larger, so they are much easier to hold onto. This is especially important when using potholders or oven mitts. The cover is also different. In the Logic version, the lid has drip spikes. In this Pro-Lodge version, the lid has a circular ridge. Both designs are to help evaporated liquid to condense and to effectively drip back to the pot. I have upload some pictures to show these features.

One thing which I do not like about Lodge Dutch Ovens is that they are preseasoned but done so poorly. I wish they either do a good job or simply oil the cookware and let the buyers season the cookware themselves, much like how typical carbon steel woks are sold. In my case, the original seasoned surface had an bubbled area. This indicates the surface underneath has rusted and indeed it was when I inspected it. I had to baked off the original seasoning surface, scrubbed it with a stainless steel brush, oiled it, wiped it clean, scrubbed it with salt and oil, cleaned it again with oil, and then finally applied bacon fat to season it on the stove top and then moved to the oven. The factory seasoned surface is sometime done incorrectly and removing the original surface takes some works. That being said and all, I am giving this Dutch Oven a 5-star rating. It is a solid cookware with good designs, inexpensive and high performance. The seasoning part did not bother me too much because I know how to do it, but I wish Lodge would offer a non-seasoned line of cookware

***Why bare cast iron Dutch oven over Enameled cast iron Dutch Oven***
I used to use enameled cast iron Dutch Ovens, but now I am a bare/regular cast iron Dutch Oven person. Enameled cast iron Dutch Ovens have their advantages, but I believe one of the advantages is overstated, that is: enameled cast iron Dutch Overns are easier to clean. Yes, if I am limited to a soft sponge to clean, then it is easier to clean an enameled cast iron Dutch Oven. However, I can clean a bare cast iron Dutch Oven more aggressively than an enameled one. I can scrub the bare cast iron Dutch Oven with a metal brush or scrap it with stainless steel spatula without permanently damaging it. I do not have that option for an enamleded cast iron Dutch Oven. I have to be extremely careful with the enameled surface. In practice, I find it much easier and faster to clean a bare cast iron Dutch Oven.

*Edit on 08SEP10* I have just noticed that Amazon has changed the main photo and the description for this item. Now it looks like a campfire dutch oven, which is not what I bought.

excellent product. use it for nyt no-knead bread. the lid fits snuggly, no sticking, no flaking, no problem. love it!

(THREE AND A HALF STARS) First of all let me say I love cast iron! I have two skillets that were handed down from my husband's Mother and they have been seasoned for probably 30 years so maybe that has spoiled me. Slick as a whistle!!
Of course I did not expect a new preseasoned pot to match those lovely heirloom pans that have cooked thousands of country meals. That being said, in my opinion, the "preseasoning" on this new Dutch oven is a little too rough (as in bumpy sprayed on) for my liking, and the lid was BADLY mottled on the underneath side. The lid was also not quite black and did not match the pot. For the price I expected a little better. I am now reseasoning it in my oven and I'm sure it will be great after some of the "roughness" goes away. I have used it three times so far and I have had no problem with sticking but I will definately work towards smoothing it out. Can't complain one bit about how great it cooks, BUT it seems to me that a smoother surface will result in better nonstick abilities. Therefore I am reseasoning the pot. Something to note as well is that after purchasing this 4 quart I noticed that the 5 quart here on Amazon is A LOT less expensive. I would have gone with that one had I done my homework properly. I can see how this 4 quart will be good for a lot of things, but is it worth the extra $$ and couldn't a gal (or guy) do the same thing in a 5 quart if you don't mind the extra weight?
Bottom line: I would buy the regular old unseasoned pot and season it myself if I could. Cook's Illustrated said that Lodge no longer makes the non preseasoned pans because more people like the pre-seasoned. NOT ME! Call me "old fashioned". I did read a review on another Lodge pan here on Amazon where the lady said to run it through the oven on the self cleaning cycle to remove the "factory" finish and start over.

We originally bought this because we wanted a "pan" that is deeper for stir-frying. Instead of the chicken frier that is 3 inch deep, we picked this 4-inch deep model. And just like every other cast iron owner, we ended up using it for almost everything. Indeed, within a shortly one month period, it has already become our favorite cooking device, replacing a top-of-the-line calphanon non-stick and an claded stainless steel for all kinds of food: meat, eggs, tofu, vegetables, you name it. I didn't know cast iron can be soooo good.

Bought this little DO primarily to make the NYT "no-knead" artisan style bread. Since I've been hanging around planet Earth for almost 70 years, the pre-seasoning didn't look like it was nearly what I thought it should be, comparing it to my old cast iron skillets. That said.........I followed the instructions and did my own seasoning by brushing vegetable oil on it and placing in a 350 degree oven for an hour. Now, it looks like it's seasoned properly. Lodge make stuff that ENDURES!

I purchased the Lodge Logic Pre-seasoned Cast Iron 4-Quart Dutch Oven for for Christmas. This Dutch Oven is a high quality product. My wife loves it for making pot roast. She says that it is superior to our stainless Farberware for roasting. The pre-seasoning is a great feature. It is great to see that there are quality products available, that are USA made. The cheaper Chinese products do not compare in quality. The Lodge item should last a lifetime. It is a good investment.

I asked for this four-quart dutch oven for Christmas because I wanted it for no-knead bread baking. I chose this pot because of its handsome design, and I am pleased with its looks and its ease of use: it is nicely proportioned, with an indentation for the lid handle and large easily-grabbed side handles. The interior is smoothly sloped. I was not pleased with the quality of the pre-seasoning; like other buyers, I needed to thoroughly scrub off the residues and re-season the pot and lid. Having done that, I am happy to have this pot for bread baking. My bread does not stick at all to the pot, and I can just wipe it out with an oiled paper towel to clean it. The surface both inside and out is a bit rough, but it seems to work fine. I prefer plain cast iron to enameled cast iron because I need not worry about scratching or chipping it. The pot should last forever, improving as it is used.

I had this imported to the UK because I could not find a cast iron casserole that was not enameled on the inside over here. This pot is fantastic, it cooks amazingly and there is really nothing I can fault except the pre-seasoning. On first use the food was covered in little black flakes which meant the food went in the bin. I then scrubbed off the seasoning and seasoned it myself with oil in the oven which worked fine and left a great non stick finish. I hope to use this dish for the rest of my life now! It completes my cast iron collection. I would not cook with anything else. Fantastic.

First, this a great piece of kitchen equipment to have. I love cast iron, and will buy more from this company. But the inside of this pot is a little rough and I think I might sand it down. The preseasoning seemed fine to me. I baked a dutch baby in it this morning and it came right out, no sticking whatsoever. I love the way it looks, with the curved handles. I also think these are better than the enameled versions, which always chip. This is a big dutch oven, big enough for a whole chicken I think.