Lodge L10DO3PLT Solid Iron Dutch Oven, 7 Quart, Black

PERFECT
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.

This is HUGE
9 Quarts. Nine. That’s around twice what a normal enamel dutch oven holds, which average around 4 or 5.This thing is big enough to cook almost anything you want. It can replace an entire set of pots and pans for one-pot/one-pan meals. It’s wide enough to use as a skillet, it’s got enough capacity to use as a stock pot. It can be thrown in the oven or into hot coals. You can probably even use it like a griddle and put short handled pots or pans into it, though I haven’t tried this. If you have enough space I don’t doubt you could broil in this thing as well. I’m pretty sure it can fit a whole bird, so if you throw a trivet in you won’t need a special purpose pan for the holidays either.But that also is a downside. It’s big, it’s heavy, you need a lot of space to clean it. If your sink is wide and deep enough, no problem. But if you have a small apartment sink? It can be a little tough. The actual methods and ease of cleaning is the same as any cast iron. And the handle is a great one with a wire bail for grip and (stovetop only) insulation.If you want to meal prep, this can do it. If you’re cooking for a family, this will handle it. If you do potlucks, you’ll make enough for everyone. With a large pot comes the ability to process large amounts of food, so if you’re being frugal this can save effort as you’re not having to cook in small batches.Anything bigger and you’re outside the territory of a normal domestic kitchen, and into the realm of outdoor cooking or high end huge ovens.

Campfire or stove top. For stew rice pizza roast. Make sure you season it right and never wash with soap.

Very good quality oven, cooks lamb shanks to perfection on my kamado.The finish is as expected, comes already seasoned, I lightly coat with oil after every use and its still like new. This is going to get a lot of use over the winter.