Side by Side Comparison of: Lodge

Im new to the cooking world having come from the land of “peel film back and set microwave to 5 minutes”. But age and health concerns have required I know exactly what is in my food and in what quantities. As I progressed in my journey into cooking it became clear I was lacking some of the necessary tools including a Dutch oven and a good cast iron skillet. Meanwhile I still have the tiny kitchen I said I did not care about because I only use the sink, freezer and microwave anyhow. Space is a big issue for me so in the words of Alton Brown “There should only be one unitasker in the kitchen.” I also don’t want any junk in my kitchen so as I did my research all roads were leading me back to Lodge and I was thrilled to find they had a Dutch oven whose lid doubled as a skillet. Multitasker!I have had a good chance to use both several times now and can say that I can’t imagine being without either anymore. I use mine on the glass top electric range and electric oven without any issues what so ever. Neither have scratched up the glass top that I can see and Im admittedly not all that carful. Both have done exceedingly well with the cooking on the electric range I have. From stews to braising chicken. Frying up fish or baking jalapeno cornbread. Both the Dutch oven and the skillet have performed so much better than I thought they would.I admit, I was fully expecting that when I fried up the fish for the first time in the skillet that it was going to permanently fuse itself to the pan. But following Lodge’s caring for cast iron instructions, not to mention following Alton Browns instructions for cooking fish in a skillet, I was genuinely amazed how stick free it is. And it continues to be. Cornbread just dropped right out. Stew residue rinses away in hot water and a little scrubby I keep for just the cast iron. (OK so it’s a unitasker but it is small. Alton forgive me.)Last, let me say that the Lodge cast iron appears to be on the low end of the price market but is definitely the high end of the quality market. How the others stay in business is a mystery at $150 and up for a single cast iron Dutch oven. Maybe some uber-chef out there will proclaim that the $300 “La Fancy de Costly” brand is better in some way but I’m not buying it. Literally or figuratively. With the very basic care that Lodge and others on the internet advise I am 100% sure this Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven and its skillet/lid will last me the rest of my life and then some.Photos: I tried to get every angle on both the pot and lid/skillet plus a couple of food shots. Hope they give a good idea of the look and feel of these.

This is a great pot!! And, to have a lid that can be used as a fry pan, makes it even better. The pot heats evenly and I use it covered to bake bread. It helps bake bread with a nice crust. The size is good, too. It can be used at the highest oven temperature and it will last forever. Even if it rusts, one can easily clean it and season it to restore it for use. I plan on explaining this to my children so they keep it. I didn't realize that cast iron does not wear out like the stuff we have today.

This is my fourth Lodge cast iron purchase. Love this double dutch oven for baking bread. I use it two ways for making bread. I use the deeper part with full parchment paper under the dough.. parchment acts as handles to lift the dough into the pre-heated hot cast iron bottom. I also use the shallow part as the bottom for the loaf when I want to do fancy scoring (last photo). Using the top as the bottom for bread makes scoring the loaf much easier. I place a square of parchment paper under the dough when using the top as the base. I use parchment because I don't like to use corn meal under dough (flys around, messy). This cast iron double dutch oven was delivered nicely packaged and the cast iron had been seasoned (smooth finish no sharp edges). However, I seasoned it again (very very very light coat of canola oil wiped off then baked in a 250 F oven for 3 to 4 hours).... beautiful finish. I use a no knead bread recipe for these loaves. Highly recommend Lodge's cast iron products. I paid full price for this item. Update: 4/22/17 I find I am using the lid for personal size pizzas (with my home made dough). outstanding!

I use this primarily to bake bread, and I love it! It's great construction, and I love the fact that the lid is also a skillet. When I use it to bake bread, I flip it upside down and bake the bread on the skillet lid. It makes it easier to remove the loaf after baking, and it lets the steam out right away so I get a nice rustic crust! I've always wanted Le Creuset cookware, but couldn't bring myself to spend hundreds of dollars on it...then I saw this for $35. Sure, it's not a pretty as the colorful Creuset cookware, but I can use it upside down! And I get a 3-in-1 cookware piece that is essential for a kitchen that is short on space. Whenever I cook with it, I offset the handles so I can separate the pieces easily, and always remember to keep your cast iron treated. My sourdough loaves bake into 1.5 lb loaves, and I've also cooked a whole chicken in this thing. You really can't go wrong with this Dutch Oven.Here's some helpful dimensions:Pot--4.5 inches tall, 9.5 inches diameter at the lip, 8.75 inches at the baseSkillet--1.75 inches tall, 9.5 inches diameter at the lip, 8 inches diameter at the base5-quart

This is a must have in the kitchen! I was a little intimidated by the fact that it's deeper and I knew the upkeep requirement, but it's so easy! I did the recommended seasoning again before my first use. Yesterday was my first time using the full Dutch with the top and my whole chicken came out awesome! My family loved it. I have used the top several times already and it's great for side dishes like veggies or if you are making something fir 2 or two people. Together they are heavy but this baby keeps your food got. The top is not so heavy but I've been cooking with Lodges 12" before this so of course it feels lighter! I have friends who love their enamel Dutch ovens, but I went with raw cast iron so I wouldn't have to deal with possible chipping of enamel in the future and I like the versatility of the double Dutch! This was definitely worth my money and it's cheaper than those pretty enameled ones but I think this looks lovely.

I have been cooking with Lodge cast iron for about 7 years and own 8 pieces from their inventory. The Double Dutch Oven is my favorite Lodge cookware due to its versatility.When using a dutch oven, I usually sear the meat first to add flavor. Usually, this requires searing the meat in several batches. The best part about the Double Dutch is that you can sear the meat in the big pot and in the lid simultaneously, thus reducing the time needed to brown the meat by half. Since the lid is then used for the braising step (after deglazing), you're not increasing the number of items to be cleaned later.I like the lid so much that I often use it by itself for pan frying. Due to the smallish size (about 10 inches in diameter) and the inherent properties of cast iron, the lid can get incredibly hot if you want it to. Perfect for cooking a steak (it puts on a better crust vs my 12" Lodge skillet). I've even used it as a pie pan in a pinch. When properly seasoned, the lid also works great for cooking eggs without them sticking. A seasoned cast iron pan is the original nonstick and will outlast any synthetic-coated nonstick pan in the market (and without the toxic fumes).When used as a Dutch Oven, it works like it should. It retains heat well and cooks evenly. There is very little steam that escapes. The smaller 5qt capacity (vs a 7qt Dutch Oven, which I use less now that I've got this one) is also better for cooking moderate amounts of food. Generally, you want little empty space when using a Dutch oven.In response to the reviewer who has problems getting the lid off, I suggest the following. When setting the lid on the pot, don't align the handles of the two. This will allow you to remove the lid easily, without having to worry about injuries. I've owned another Lodge 5qt Dutch Ovenwith a more traditional handle - I don't miss that one at all...nor do I miss not having a standalone 10" skillet.UPDATE (December 2010):I've been using this thing for over two years now, several times per week. It is still my favorite, but ever more so. Here's one more thing that you can use this for: Baking super awesome bread that rivals anything you can get at your bakery. One of the secrets of making great rustic breads with a thick chewy/crunchy crust and great oven spring is to use a lot of steam for the first 10 minutes of baking. Bakeries use a steam-injected oven. For us at home, using a covered pot, such as this one, is the easiest way to replicate the effects of a steam oven. After shaping a boule, I place it on the lid, cover it with the main pot and let it proof (so the whole pot is upside down). When the dough is ready, I score it and place the covered pot on a preheated stone in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Then I remove the lid and let the top crust brown while the interior reaches the proper temperature. Depending on your oven, you might have to remove the bread from the lid halfway though cooking so the bottom doesn't burn - I usually put it on a cool baking tray on a rack without a stone. It's a minor inconvenience, but it's easier than trying to steam an oven with boiling water, ices cubes, mister, etc. And the results can't be beat!

Did a lot of looking for deep pans and ended up getting these. My only wish was that the deep pan was a little bigger but then it may be too heavy to lift. They are great quality and expect them to last my whole life. Originally purchased thinking we wouldn't really use the small pan but have used them both pretty equally. Definitely recommend buying the silicone handle covers for both handles because these get HOT and are HEAVY so you will need to hold both handles at once to pour contents out of the pot.

One of the best kitchen investments I've made! Perfect size for 2 people. My clear glass lids to other pots I have fit this perfect. (10" lids FYI)3 pans for the space of 2! I use the "lid" saute pan the most. It's best to do your research on how to properly care for cast iron. Lodge's website has all the info you need for that. Don't forget that tomato and bean based dishes strip the seasoning. At least until they are very, very, VERY well seasoned.

This is a fantastic bargain and multi use.I have always wanted a Dutch oven and as my "non" stick pans died off one by one I started looking for cast iron.This is a fry pan, a Dutch oven, and deep pot for big recipes. Home or camping it's awesome quality.I also got the insert grate that raises up your meats and poultry so they dont sit in grease.The price is great. I plan to buy this for wedding gifts. Maybe put a few home recipes inside.My son goes camping often and if it's missing from my stove top, I just look in his gear.It doesn't have feet for camp fire but that makes it perfect for the stove.I am buying the fire grate for it. I love it.

I gave this as a Christmas gift to my husband last year because he has always wanted a cast iron skillet. I was even proud to tell him that I didn't get him just a skillet but a pot too and that it doubles as a dutch oven!The skillet has been his go-to pan since then and he really enjoys making our meals with it. We can't wait to take these two things on a camping trip!They seem to be of great quality but then again this is our first cast iron set so we'll see. So far we love it!

If you don't know how to cook and are entering the world of cooking (or if you are just a college student, or you live in an apartment the size of a prison cell) this is the set you should have.Pros:InexpensiveCan stop a bullet if you need it toCan be used as an effective self defense weaponCan go into any oven, regardless of tempBrown's like nobody's businessIf taken good care of, will be something you can pass down to your grandkidsThe combo makes for different cooking configurations (which I'll list below)Cons:HeavyMight rust if you don't know how to take care of itTakes a while to get to tempYour wife can't lift itThis is the set I have, this is the set I recommend in my videos on youtube, and this is the set you should have.First, let's talk about the material, cast iron, the original cookware material is right up there with clay and rock as a solid material to cook on. No need to worry about getting Alzheimer's because you are cooking on aluminum, no need to worry about getting cancer because you are cooking on non-stick, no need to worry about difficulties of cleanup because you are cooking on stainless. When correctly seasoned and cured, it's more non-stick than non-stick pans. My cleanup is all of 10 seconds, with pretty much no heavy scrubbing. Cast iron heats slowly, but heats evenly. There are micro-pores in the metal (because it's casted into shape, thus the name cast iron) the micro pores do a lot. First, when filled with a light amount of oil, the pores get filled up, and then when heated, get carbonized, and so a correctly seasoned pan actually has a layer of almost pure carbon on top, making for a very non-stick surface. Cast iron is ALL IRON, meaning the worst that can happen when you eat food off of cast iron is you get more iron in your diet. No harm, no fowl. Cast Iron can hold up to extreme heats, and so that means on the camp fire straight on the coals is just fine, or in the broiler or in the oven, none of it is a problem for cast iron. Cast iron also browns food; something non-stick pans don't really do. That means steaks and other meats get a nice sear on them, locks in the flavor and browns well to give you a nice crispy outside while holding the moisture in.This set comes with two pieces; a shallow skillet, and a deep, near dutch oven skillet.Let me start with the shallow skillet.The shallow skillet is what you want to wake up in the morning to. Eggs taste A LOT BETTER cooked on this. I usually heat a few pieces of tortilla and a little cheese in the middle, and you got yourself a breakfast quesadilla. Just remember to let the pan heat up, put just a dab of oil, and get a nice quality egg on it. Delicious. I also make toast on it, and of course, heating bacon and sausage.I also cook steaks on the shallow skillet. It's basically just like any other skillet, only food tastes much better cooked on it.What about the deep skillet?Get yourself a oil thermometer, and now it's fryer. We fry chicken, veges, anything you can name in this. Stews and stoups and soups are no problem in this. Want to make a one pot dinner? For 1~2 people? This is perfect. From the stove to the oven, without breaking a sweat.What about it in combination?With the shallow skillet on the bottom, I do some of the best chicken in the world in it.Preheat the oven to 325F. Take two whole chicken legs, get them to room temp, rub a little bit of olive oil between the skin and the meat as well as on the skin. Pour a little bit of old bay in between the skin and the meat, as well as on top of the skin. Cover it up with the deep skillet, into the oven it goes! 1 hour later. PERFECT chicken. The skin as a little bit of crisp, and the meat is juicy and flavorful!What about in reverse, with the deep skillet on the bottom?Chop up some hard veges in 1 inch sizes (carrots, onions, celery) toss them in a bit of olive oil and a bit of old bay (yes, old bay makes everything taste great!) throw it into the deep skillet at 325F for 20 minutes and you are done. If you like them soft, leave the lid on, if you like them browned on top, leave the lid off. If you like them in between, cook in the oven for 15 minutes with the lid off, then last 5 minutes, with the lid on.Cleanup is easy. Most people complain about cast iron because they don't understand that carbonized oil __IS__ the non-stick, so they don't take the time to learn how to take care of cast iron. It's not more work than other pans, in fact, out of all the pans I have, all my cast iron is easier to clean up than my regular plans. They simply are non-stick! Make sure you have a well seasoned patina on it. Do a search and you will find dozens of websites teaching you how to do this. When you cook, make sure the pan is hot, then put oil in, then put in ROOM TEMPERATURE FOOD into it. The biggest mistake I see people making is they take food from the fridge (or worse yet, from the freezer!!) and put it directly into the pan. That's a no-no, by the time it is up to temp, all your food has lost moisture. You want to get every piece of food you are about to cook to room temp before you cook it. Remember, heat your pan for about 5 minutes, pour oil, let it heat for 5~10 seconds, (but don't let it smoke) and the put your food in. If you do that, your pan should be non-stick!Cleanup? Hot running water, and a stiff brush, 10 seconds, done! Dry it with a paper towel, and then wipe a thin coat of oil on it. That's it!If you take care of this set, it will take care of you. Great product, highly recommended.

To preface, I'm trying really hard to be a "good cook" but don't have a lot of experience, and I can't justify spending thousands of dollars on a budding hobby. So, when it came to replacing my flaking non-stick cookware, I researched for months before deciding on a hybrid set of copper-core stainless and Lodge cast iron. I read dozens of reviews and was intimidated by the extra care required by cast iron (I'm a wash-and-wear type). But, Lodge is so cheap comparatively and still really respected as an industry standard, that it's hard to overlook.I initially purchased the combo cooker, a 5qt dutch oven, and a variety of skillets. The cookers arrived in their Lodge packaging and were quite secure, but the skillets definitely were shipped loose. Fortunately they survived the jumbled journey fine, but I can see what other reviewers suffered with regards to skillets scraping each other or breaking out of their boxes - they are only a few steps shy of being insufficiently packaged. Free shipping is a great offer though.The pieces were just what I expected after having read the reviews - heavy, uneven in color/preseasoning application, and rough like sandpaper. Several reviewers I read were upset by sticking of initial cooking attempts, specifically because of the cat's tongue-like feel of the basin surface (which Lodge's website says is a normal condition). Responders suggested a few home seasonings prior to cooking, but I was impatient and followed one piece of advice spefically: go to my local bulk goods store, buy ten pounds of ground beef, and cook it in my new cast iron. I ended up also getting four pounds of bacon for good measure, and spent three hours cooking batch after batch of ground beef and bacon in every piece I'd purchased.The plan worked perfectly - by the time I had finished cooking, drained the oil and scraps, rinsed the pieces with hot water, and towel dried, the insides of the skillets were smooth as satin. The beef fat had left a gray film that made the skillets look instantly "used", which is a benefit I'll have to get used to (not being able to polish them back to a "new" looking state). The bacon stained the cooking surface a bit worse - in bacon-shaped shaddows, but I saved the bacon grease and used it for weeks to brush on the pans prior to use. I've cooked on the cast iron many times since (just dislodged a perfect batch of cornbread this morning), without any sticking during or after cooking. The several weeks of bacon grease was unhealthy, sure, but a great patina starter - I now use a spray or a light brush with butter with no problems.More Pros:- The skillets keep food hot for more than an hour, but yet are not dangerously hot to handle from the oven or stove. I'm going to purchase the handle pads now, but so far I've been using those old loom-woven potholders I made at summer camp with no added discomfort relative to other pans.- The skillets are so versatile! I heat them on the stove to melt butter, toss in some whole garlic cloves, pop in the oven to roast, and bring right to the table for a hot appetizer on toast. They have a vintage-y, industrial charm that allows them to mix and match smartly with existing serveware, and I love the stove-to-oven/broiler convenience.- Food cooked on cast iron really does taste better. I was skeptical because all food tastes good to me, but a few friends and I conducted a "Test Kitchen" on Aebleskiver pans, pitting a teflon against a cast iron. My friends' husbands consistently chose the cast iron-cooked pancake balls citing their crust and flavor to be preferable.- Lodge designed their lines efficiently. The 10.25" lid fits the 3qt Combo Cooker base, for example, allowing me to purchase one lid for several skillets.Cons:- Duh, they're heavy. I'm talking two-hands-heavy. It's a drawback for sure, but nothing's perfect and I know the heaviness is directly related to all the reasons I really like my cast iron.- They're quirky - cast iron doesn't like soap, doesn't like sudden temperature changes, and likes to stay very dry. But, like good table silver, the more the cast iron is put to use, the more forgiving and less tempermental it becomes.I'm back to purchase more pieces, because Lodge cast iron has exceeded my expectations and caused me to take a sentimental approach to cooking - how many Thanksgivings will I reach for this dutch oven?, I wonder. A cook with cast iron in his or her hand is at once an intimidating force to be reckoned with, and a comforting vision of timeless domesticity. Thanks to Lodge (and Amazon!), I can live up to that image with few qualifications and little effort.

I haven't had a chance to cook in it yet. I'm waiting for hubby to finish grinding the insides smooth. This isn't your grandma's cast iron. In the old days manufacturers machined the insides smooth so you could get a reasonable non stick surface in a short amount of time. These pots have a textured pebbling inside making it much harder to get the seasoning reasonably non stick. Reviews I've read say it can take over a year of regular use to get to that point with these pots. I don't have that kind of patience lol but I'm sure my new pot will work great once my hubby is done with them and I get them seasoned. I've saved up lots of bacon grease - I can't wait!

Very happy with the product. My only issue is I would recommend that you preseason it before you use it, I fryed up some bacon and heated it then it worked perfect in the campfire.

This made a great pot of chili! The beans cooked up great in it! Really thick. I love that I can use the lid as a frying pan. I've cooked eggs, pancakes, and hamburgers in it without a problem. The coating sprayed on by the company came off when I first used it but that was okay as it's simple to re-season it.

I like the notion of the double functionality, but it doesn't quite reach its potential.The pots are of decent quality: Pre-seasoned and relatively smooth. I will probably end up further polishing the internal surfaces with a drill and metal brush and then re-season them. I have a number of Lodge skillets, and they're all the same quality: A little rougher than I'd like, but fully functional for most purposes.The idea of using the skillet as a lid is nice, but not practical. Given that lids will catch a lot of moisture, you end up eroding the seasoning away and introducing rust to the lid/skillet as well as your meal. Nothing inherently wrong with that, but it does not exactly keep the lid functional as a skillet. You'll end up using as either a lid OR a skillet, but likely not both.That said, if you don't mind cleaning rust spots a lot, and having to season the skillet constantly, you'll be fine. I've resorted to using it as an emergency lid only - meaning I'll use it briefly to trap heat (when frying up steak for example), but not for slow cooking (chili, stews, etc). Avoiding prolonged exposure to heated moisture at all times.As far as the pots themselves go: I've used the big pot for chili and bread-making, and the skillet/lid for cooking and baking (eggs, meat, quiches). They work great - just like I would expect from any Lodge cookware.

I have not used the dutch oven yet as I am in the process of continuing to seasoning it. I always do this, even if it has been preseasoned. This prevents any flaking of the preseasoning that may occur, which can often happen with preseasoned cast iron. I will update the condition of this dutch oven after I have used it multiple times and under various conditions.The product was well packed and arrived safely. Upon inspecting the dutch oven, I found no flaws: no flaking, scratches, or rust. The lid fits well and is secure. Yes, it's somewhat heavy, but that's what makes using cast iron to bake and cook in so preferable: cast iron holds heat very well and evenly. I'm looking forward to making my first loaf of bread in it. As above, update to follow after use. I only gave a 4-star rating since I have not baked or cooked in it yet.

I have a wide selection of Lodge pans and find that I use many of them more frequently than my All-Clad, Viking, Le Creuset or other commercial cookware. I would give every one of these Lodge pans 5 STARS. I recently purchased this Dutch Oven primarily to bake bread in since I have larger Le Creuset dutch ovens for food/stews. I found the inside of this pan to be grainy/rough and not as smooth as my frying pans hence the 4 star rating. Maybe I received a pan that escaped their QC process - not sure since every piece of Lodge I have purchased in the past has been smooth inside and out. I also tried cooking some beans in it but it set to rust quickly so I transferred them to myLe Creuset. I then cleaned, oiled well and put on the fire to try to "blacken" further to seal the pores. This process works on cast iron just like seasoning a wok, even on older pans that develop rust spots if water is left to dry on them. All of that being said, I have used it once so far to bake bread which was my original intent anyway and I liked the results so much that I have ordered another one so I can bake two loaves at the same time. If I find the second pot is smooth on the inside I will post an addendum to this review. Great pans and this dutch oven will serve my original intent perfectly even if it is a bit rough on the inside.

There were some cosmetic nicks and dents. It is not stick proof. It takes more maintenance to clean and maintain by seasoning which is something you don't need to do with steel or teflon for obvious reasons. However, food does taste great and this set is a great price for everything you get. I use it at least once a week. I've made cornbread, naan bread, paella, fried meat, fried plantains, made pancakes, baked chicken with potatoes in the oven, and so much more. So these pieces are very versatile. I recommend it for first time cast iron users and for those on a budget or those who love a great deal

These are Lodge pots - what more can I say. Lodge always had good quality. These will last longer than I will.Be sure to follow instructions on use. Buy a cover for the handles - they do get hot. They are heavy, so if your arm strength is low do not buy. Easy to clean and season again. If you like cast iron you will like or love these. Remember some foods can not be cooked in these pots.

I need to start working out again in order to lift these iron pans! LOL They are heavy but they are great! They required a commitment to season them (oil the inside of the pan to prevent rusting and to help with sticking) after every use or they will start to rust a bit. DONT LEAVE WATER SOAKING IN THEM!!

These are not pre seasoned, at least not properly. I tried to use it with just some oil straight out of the box and it did not work. I put the lid/frying pan portion in the oven, coated with oil for about 2 hours on 500 degrees. This created a fantastic non stick surface! I love cooking eggs in it!

I purchased this set after reading reviews, and I must say it's a great set. I use this with my Camp Chef 2 Burner Camp Stove (See Review under "Camp Cooking Made Easy: Camp Chef 2 Burner Stove"). It's perfect for cooking an assortment of foods; however, if you are cooking some types of meats, ensure the pan is well oiled and hot. If you do not, then the food may stick. I'm still trying to perfect pancakes using this set; my pancakes keep sticking. The great thing about these items are the Pre-seasoned coating and the duel function skillet to lid. Now it's just simply maintaining the product. Clean up was easy afterwards. I suggest not using soap on these items and after use keep it away from moisture. It will rust if you do not keep a light coat of oil on it. I made the mistake on the 3rd night of camping to leave it out over night instead of putting it in my plastic container of kitchen items. The dew settled on it and by the next afternoon I could see little specks of rust starting to form. So you must take care of this product. This product should give me years of camping or in-home cooking enjoyment.Happy CamperRaleigh, NC

I purchased this with the 8-inch skillet. I use the lid part a lot to stair fry and to grill. I cooked fish, veggies, burgers, pancake, and more, all turned delicious! For the first use, the food got stuck on the surface, but after that, I haven't had any problem. If you find the food stuck, let the pan cool down a little, then slowly scrape it off. It works for me.My favorite food was fried potatoes. Wash well and cut potatoes with skin on, cook slow with a plenty of oil (but not deep frying amount), season with salt, pepper, and any desired dried herbs... yummy... a big difference compared to frozen french fries!I was scared of using cast iron pans coz I have a glass stove top. So far, I have no problem with a caution. I usually like to shake the skillet when I stair fry, but cast iron pans are too heavy to do so in anyways... This is why I omitted one star ☆.

It's a great pot but my cast iron pot did not have a cast iron pan for a top... which is part of the reason I even ordered this item... too bad :(

I purchased this as a Christmas gift for myself. I had been wanting a new cast iron dutch oven and thought that getting one with an additional frying pan without taking up more room in my cabinets would be good. Unfortunately, the "pan" (that also serves as the top of the dutch oven) is very small, and not very deep. When I think of a cast iron pan, I think of something that can be used for frying--this just doesn't allow for that because it is so shallow.

I love mine, but when I cook with the lid part oil leaks out. I found the hole and there is no way to repair it. So I just use it as a lid. oh well. I would submit a photo, but I have it stored away.

I am giving this item 3 stars because the lid does not sit on the dutch oven properly and all the steam/liquid escaped. I burned food that was supposed to be braising in liquid when all the liquid evaporated. I did not give it 1 star because the quality is great and I suppose I can still use it to cook items that don't require liquid, although I purchased it for specific recipes that don't work. It also seems that this may be specific to my item and not across the board.

This is an acceptable pot and a good price with easy availability. It is a poor pot when I compare it to my existing collection because the inside is so rough. All my other older hand me down cast iron has very smooth presumably machined inside that is much easier to wipe clean and oil than this. This has a very rough texture inside and out. Being cast iron it is vastly superior to aluminum and treated pans like teflon, and somewhat supperior to stainless steel but in my opinion is at the very bottom of the range of quality cast iron.

I really like cooking in this dutch oven because food comes out tasting very delicious. However, I used it two times, took all precautions when washing but it became rusted very quickly. I will re-season it, not a big deal. BUT I also noticed that food on the right half of the dutch oven was always half raw. Weird. I don't even know what the cause could be. I've tried cooking on different stove burners what the result is always the same: half of food on the right side of this cookware doesn't get cooked through. That is the major reason why I'm disappointed...

I really love cooking with cast iron, however the fry pan (cover of the cooker) seems to have a very poor baked seasoning on it. It looks like there is a flaw in the baked on seasoning We season after each use, but one area of the pan always sticks. I'll contact Lodge to see if they have suggestions.Other that this issue, the cast iron pans work fine, except for the sticking part of the pan.

It's a good average product, the price was cheap, it comes pre seasoned. This kind of pan demands work on cleaning and maintaining cares, any brand will demand it. It's a good first iron pan to have.

Texture is a bit pronounced, more so than other lodge products. This causes things to stick more frequently unfortunately. Otherwise a solid product and great quality especially if using for soups and liquids. I would never ever attempts eggs of any kind in this Pan just due to the texture.!

Neither the pan or the lid, which doubles as a frying pan, have a smooth bottom. They have a pebbled finish. I tried to fry eggs in the lid, with poor results. Even with plenty of oil they stuck, and with the rough finish it was impossible to slide a spatula under without scrambling them.

My son was so excited to get these as a wedding gift, but ... his eggs always stick. He has tried all the many "cures", but I guess there is a difference between old cast iron and the new pre-seasoned. It's just not the same.

The deep skillet is fabulous BUT the lid portion has an area about 4" in diameter in the center that gets MUCH hotter than the rest and will burn items and is MOST difficult to clean without soaking and a lot of elbow grease........very disappointed in the lack of versatility of the set

After the first use it is so rusty.

Not pre seasoned as stated - major rust issue.

Bought for bread making, but the product arrived with significant blemishes, rust, surface imperfections. The blemishes are in the metal (independent of the black stuff bubbling and flaking of outside syrface, which, from other reviews, seems to be the factory seasoning). Looks previously used but sold as new (Amazon is the seller). I am returning this.Never used it, but it is not too heavy (in a good way). The cooking surfaces are very rough in texture (not smooth like other pots/pans). One reviewer recommended sanding the surfaces and then re-seasoning the oven, but for the price I would expect a finished surface.Will use my enameled Dutch oven(purchased from Costco) for bread baking.

I am used to Le Creuset but thought I would try this since it was so inexpensive. It is so much harder to take care of than enamel cast iron and it weighs a ton! I'm sure it would be fine for the serious cook who wants to extra time cleaning it and seasoning it.

Nice to look at brand new but too much time needed to keep it up for frequent use.

I'm giving this guy two stars because of my first experience with the pot. I had read that it was "pre-seasoned" and ready to go. I did not notice that there was an interdiction against cooking beans on the first use of the pot. I did that and the resulting product exhibited a strong emetic bouquet. My fault. I guess. It could be argued.Second outing after seasoning it myself...a whole chicken...was edible but still tasted a little like a chemistry set.Reseasoned again and made a carbonade. Still better..but still a slight touch of road surfacing material(I'm not sure I want to know exactly what they used at the factory, whether here or in China.)Well,I will keep the thing because it is supposed to be a more healthful (when finally all the chemicals are cooked off) way to cook and I will keep reseasoning it until the cows come home...or, at least, taste like cow.

still turns food black even after being cured

it says it was pre-seasoned. well, my first loaf pretty much glued itself to the pan even with a little cornmeal between the dough and the pan. so after a lot of work cleaning off the stuck pieces, i had to re-season it. Did about five rounds with flax oil, and high heat. now that it's properly seasoned, it works the way it's supposed to. So in conclusion, the one i got wasn't seasoned properly, and i had to do extra work to save it and season it properly.

Item arrived with chips and damage but not enough to return the item.

Had piting in it and damage to the item when it arrived at my door.

Oddly enough does not compare to my other Lodge cast iron pans. Food sticks to these incredibly fast as the finish is a bit more rigid than my other pans. It will take a lot more "seasoning" than them as well to make fully functional.

Not as good as the old ones. The preseason comes off and makes black spots on food.

Arrived with major defects - returning. 😔

my experience with this cast iron dutch oven has been terrible. I followed all the instructions closely, only washed it with gentle soap in the sink, dried thoroughly. also I've tried to season it more. but it rusts terribly even from cooking in it. and it's been impossible to get the rust out completely. no matter how much we scrub, there's a yellow residue on the paper towel :(((

I've ordered and returned two of these so far. BOTH have arrived with defective coating on the dutch oven portion.

i bought this thinking it would last forever. I've used it and cleaned and stored it just as instructed. Today i go to use it to find out it's falling apart. The inside of the dutch oven is falling apart, the top layer of the inside of the pot is tearing away. What a huge disappointment.

I just got it today---the lid has a hole clear through it--it is small, but it makes it impossible to use as a skillet as any fluids, including oil, would leak, making it dangerous. So now I have to return the thing, and get a refund. I don't want a refund, I want the lid replaced!! I bought it on sale and can't buy another one for what I paid for it. Bummer!!!

Perfect design for baking sourdough boules. Luckily I line it with parchment so the VERY ROUGH finish works for bread, but I couldn't cook anything else in it without having it ground down considerably. Not at all like my inherited Griswold pans, which are smooth as glass and easy to season. I'd prefer they charge me an extra $10 and make the pan usable! As it is now, it's a VERY expensive bread pan.I'd planned to use the lid as a breakfast fry pan. That's out the window.Does anyone have suggestions regarding how to get it smoothed out without doubling the price? I can't afford to ship it back from Hawaii.Added comment: Itʻs now nearly 3 years since I bought this pan. Iʻve seasoned it with coconut oil, cook with coconut oil and still it sounds like an rough emery boards when I use a spatula in it. Another iron pan, which I bought 2 years later seasoned to perfection. Beware.

This item was shipped to me twice because the preseasoning was poorly done near the handles. Becuase of the shipping hassle I decided to keep the second shipment and just reseason it myself. Good product but I would not buy it for the pre-seasoning characteristic, you'll have to re-do it yourself.

Too heavy, has given me carpal tunnel

I received it but it already has damaged. Even new products received after return are also damaged.

i dont know how this is possible but my cast iron pan came broken the handle was seperate in the box lie it was snapped off..how does cast iron snap?

Handle came broke off.

Arrived with a broken handle. Returned never used and was unable to get a replacement at the same price. Would have preferred an exchange.