Customer Reviews

Lodge Logic Dutch Oven with Loop Handles

5 star:		(265)
4 star:		(47)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

When I saw the price,free shipping, and factory pre-seasoning, this dutch oven proved irresistable. The size is great and the black color was attractive.Sadly, the factory pre-seasoning did not meet expectations! I learned to cook using cast iron, and I still own several "original finish" cast iron skillets, griddles and specialty pans (tri-ply stainless steel is wonderful, but some things just cook more evenly with cast iron). While cast iron is not difficult to season,it was just an added bonus to order a dutch oven that I thought would have an even, well applied finish to begin the seasoning process (properly seasoned cast iron pans only get better over the years). When the dutch oven arrived, I was surprised by what seemed to be a discoloration under the finish on the inner surface of the pot lid. I used the dutch oven for the first time to make chili. The steam from the chili caused the "pre-seasoning" on the inner surface of the lid to mottle badly, and the area that had initially appeared discolored was revealed to be covered with rust. A tell-tale metallic smell was also present (usually a sign that your pan might need to be seasoned again). Needless to say, I was disapointed. This pan proved to be MORE effort than the original finish pans since I had to scrub down the lid to remove the remaining mottled pre-seasoning, and to remove the rust. I then just seasoned the lid properly the old-fashion way in my oven. All in all, the Dutch oven is well worth $25 (and the saved $12.66 in shipping charges is also appreciated), but the Lodge Cast Iron Manufacturing Co. has a reputation for quality that this finish did not meet. I contacted the company to express my concerns (ie, did I need to take additional steps to remove all of the factory applied finish) and to ask if this problem was evident in other pans in the pre-seasoned line.The Lodge Co. has not responded to my email. Bottom line, before paying full price plus shipping, for anything in the pre-seasoned line, I would compare the cost to the original finish, or to the beautiful new Lodge enamel cast iron items.

Short review. This will become one of the most important pieces in your kitchen. I like the handles better than the other lodges, and NOTHING compares to cast iron.

Alton Brown raves about this thing and for good reason. He also writes of a casserole pot, don't get it unless you are a chef. This works everywhere that one does. An excellent buy.

My only word of caution. I love the loop handles, but IF you are one of the rare people who still cook with a campfire, get the other 5qt lodge.

First off I enjoy quality kitchen tools. I never minded paying for a quality tool. But when you get prenium quality at a rock bottom price, well it just doesn't get any better than that. Also any of the cast iron products from Lodge will easily last a lifetime or two, with minimal care. I previously owned a 7 quart duch oven and loved it. But my daughter finally has moved out, and it's just the wife and I at home now, so I downsized to a 5 quart dutch oven. I was happy to see Lodge offer a dutch oven with side handles instead of a wire bail, because we do most of our cooking at home in our oven, not at a campfire. The 5 quart dutch oven and 10 inch skillet would be a perfect gift for someone just starting out in life. They probably would not realize the value of what they recieved, until they are cooking a pot roast or a pot of chili for their grandchildren thirty years later. Update May 2011. I just purchased another Lodge 5qt. dutch oven to give to my daughter's boyfriend as a birthday gift. We gave him a 12" Lodge cast iron skillet a few months back, and he loves it! Our daughter tells us he uses it every single day. So we thought we would add to his cast iron collection, by giving him a 5qt. dutch oven. At the very least he can learn to make chili and pot roast. By the way, I got an exception deal on this dutch oven on Amazon.com. The lowest price I have ever seen on this item, and free shipping too. I hope he learns to love this Lodge 5 qt. dutch oven as much as he does his Lodge 12" skillet. Once you learn to use your cast iron dutch oven, your crock pot will never get used again. Our grandparents knew something that many people today don't know. Cast Iron cookware works well, and works for the long run.

The dutch overn itself is just what I expected: sturdy and indestructible cast iron. The pre-seasoning was blotchy. I removed it with detergent and water, then re-seasoned using the directions in the old Joy of Cooking: coat generously with grease/oil, place in 450 degree F. oven for 30 minutes. Much better.

Short and to the point:
I agree with everyone who has complained about the poor pre-seasoning of this awesome iron dutch oven. Mine came with a spot of rust, and within the first cooking the pre-seasoning was coming off and all over the food, giving chicken a most unpleasant grey coloring. A simple cleaning (by the book) wiped off more of the pre-seasoning! Re-seasoning over their shoddy job doesn't work either, so you're left with scrubbing all of the pre-seasoning off first and then reseasoning it correctly. It is a big pain that shouldn't have been required. However it only needs to be done once.

Now that being said, this still receives 5 stars. I started using iron cookware a couple of years ago as Teflon when heated emits particles that can cause breathing problems. My German friend calls it the Teflon-flu, and I've unfortunately experienced its negative effects. Using iron cookware is much healthier for you also as it naturally adds some iron into your food without distorting the taste and avoids the Teflon-flu.

Specifically, my experiences with this dutch oven have been wonderful (aside from the pre-seasoning fiasco). I have never tasted juicier chicken or beef before in my life - even when using other slow-cookers. It heats evenly over a stove-top and its heavy lid locks in the flavor. This is my third Iron Lodge item and I'm very happy with all of them.

I purchased the Lodge Logic 5 quart Dutch oven along with the 12" skillet and lid, and have found cast iron cooking to be a revelation. These pots and pans are naturally no stick, heat evenly, and cook beautifully every time. With a minimal amount of care they will last a lifetime and beyond. I am a student of traditional regional American cooking, and was always frustrated when rice dishes such as Louisiana Jambalaya and Low Country Pilau didn't turn out as well as expected. The rice often burned on the bottom and was too crunchy on top. Not anymore. With cast iron, you can produce authentic and delicious results every time, due to the even conduction of heat in these pots. They are also fantastic for frying, and work great for slow cooked stews and roasts. They are highly versatile: You can use them on top of the stove or in the oven. These pots have taken over our kitchen: we now use them for most of our cooking needs. I have come to the conclusion that cast iron is the best kept secret in cooking. Why other, often more expensive and less effective kinds of pots have replaced this traditional American cookware is beyond me.

A cast iron dutch oven is a fantastic way to cook for those wishing to avoid Teflon, to obtain the most even heating without breaking the bank, and to support American-made products. There's also a rich tradition and history behind cast iron cookware. What's not to like?

Now I can't say I am a seasoned cast iron owner (pun intended). However, I am no newbie, either. I've owned a pre-seasoned cast iron aebleskiver pan manufactured by Nordicware for over five years and never had any problem with it. That's why I was so thoroughly unprepared for the rough start I got off to with this purchase. The problem? Rust. Rust without use. Rust without abuse. Rust right out of the heavy cardboard box (which might be the problem -- the packaging appears to stifle air flow).

At first I made multiple trips to the store to see if I could find a more satisfactory replacement. But whether it was a bad batch or bad luck, I didn't find one that had no evidence either of outright rust or mottled areas under the lid, which another astute Amazon reviewer pointed out may be evidence of rust having been covered over by the 25 coats of factory-applied Kosher Soy Oil. So it was clear that some re-seasoning was in order to get my dutch oven ready for use. Enter the second problem: Lodge's idea of product documentation is virtually nothing.

Lodge asks customers to "call or email for instructions" in the event rust or a metallic odor develops. And unlike the "Lodge Cast Iron Cooking for Dummies Cookbook", the documentation that ships with this dutch oven doesn't say anything whatsoever about avoiding acidic foods and high-sugar cooking the first couple of times (if at all). So the long and the short of it is, the new cast iron owner cannot expect to learn the fundamentals of owning and caring for cast iron using the included documentation. I found what I needed online, but to expect customers who have already paid for a product to buy a book, spend hours on the Internet, await for a reply to an email or get in line on a voicemail system in order to obtain the missing info. isn't my idea of adequate documentation. Cast iron cooking may be old hat to those who have been cooking with cast iron handed down through the generations, but the reality is new products are often purchased by new customers. Consequently, the first rule of writing, particularly the technical variety is "Presume nothing, spell out everything." The "Use and Care for Loge Logic" instruction card simply doesn't accomplish that. And unlike my foreign-made bread maker, slow cooker and just about every other kitchen item I own, there were no sample recipes included with this dutch oven, either. To make matters worse, when I went searching here on Amazon for cookbooks geared toward dutch oven cooking with cast iron indoors I came up empty handed. The reviewers indicate that most are geared toward the outdoors, and the balance are aimed at cooking in a cast iron skillet.

Why the two-star rating, you ask? Answer: If, had I not had to return to the store so many times in search of a dutch oven without rust, I would have given this dutch oven another star. Not having to spend an entire week using my oven to build back up the seasoning I had to remove with steel wool on account of the rust would have counted for a fourth star, and better documentation on the part of the manufacturer would have earned this Lodge Logic 5-Quart Dutch Oven a five-star rating.

Bottom line? This was not the most simple and straightforward purchase I have made. However, it could have been a lot more of a hassle had I purchased this product online. For this reason, I cannot recommend ordering this type of product sight unseen. In the event there is a problem, whether it is the faulty seasoning some reviewers report or the broken handles some of the 7-quart buyers have reported, it becomes expensive to ship something of this weight back, wait for an exchange and hope that the replacement is better off than the first. There's no doubt that cast iron cooking has its merits, and its showing on store shelves at the likes of Target and Walmart, among others, is evidence to its gaining popularity. Hopefully the reader will not experience what I did, and my experience is only reflective upon a bad batch and not intrinsic to the cast iron experience.

I have been contemplating getting cast iron cookware for sometime, especially after reading how toxic non-stick cookware are. My only regret was that i didn't take this step sooner. The dutch oven was perfectly seasoned and ready to use. I was worried that food would get stuck, but so far so good. I have decided to replace all my cookware with Lodge cast iron cookware. Don't hesitate if you are concidering this product.

I love Le Creuset enamelled cookware, and have a growing collection of that, but sometimes the thought of dropping a bundle every time I want a cast iron pan is just depressing. I got this dutch oven at a fantastic price through Amazon and am very impressed. Yes, it doesn't have the enamel coating to prevent a reaction with acidic foods, but with my other cast iron I've found that the more seasoned they are, the less they seem to react to tomatoes or wine. It's a very convenient size for a small family, and you can even use it outside.

I have used this for just about every kind of cooking imaginable and it has passed with flying colors. I have made soups, pasta sauces, roasts, chicken, done deep frying, you name it. Together with my cast iron skillet this forms the main tools in my cooking toolbox. Highly recommended.