Le Crueset on the egg

Have one but wife would kill me, use my old CI Dutch oven and had no metallic taste at all.

I have a 7.25qt french oven from le creuset and use it weekly on the egg. most guys on here put it on the ceramic plate setter separated by a few loose 1/2'' nuts or so. the debate on a light coat of soap on outside of DO is thrown around and you can peel it off after cook. my do looks like the day i bought it and use it on the egg alot. 

I'm still sleeping on the couch:)

FWIW - Tramontina DO's were rated by Cooks Illustrated as a best buy several years back, and are a fraction of the cost of LC. You could use it as a dedicated egg DO, without fear of damaging your fancy one. 

I use my 9-qt on the Egg when making chili or baked beans.  I just use two big sheets of foil and wrap them over the edges into the pot.

I don't think it's the taste, I believe it is just that you lose the seasoning on cast iron with acidic cooks. I mix hot water, oxy-clean, orange clean and dish soap and give my enameled stuff a good soak. They clean right up.

Little Steven said:

I don't think it's the taste, I believe it is just that you lose the seasoning on cast iron with acidic cooks. I mix hot water, oxy-clean, orange clean and dish soap and give my enameled stuff a good soak. They clean right up.

It can be both. If you build up a good seasoning, acidic foods will strip some of it if given long enough without flavor alteration. For example, in a pan with thinner seasoning(like my Lodge, which I barely use), one's significant other may or may not make a meat sauce for pasta and leave it simmering for hours while waiting for me to get home. That night for dinner, one may feel like Count Dracula when said meat sauce has an iron-y, blood-like flavor. Similar to wet-aged meat.

i use my lecrusett but at camp have a couple of inexpensive enameled knockoffs, look in places like marshals, target etc, you should be able to buy a 6 or 7 quart for under 50. i dont like chili cooked in a regular castiron but i use alot of tomatoes in chili. some get that metalic taste, others it doesnt seem to effect

Costco has them every now and then for a reasonable price, if that's what will float your boat, spin your prop...

I like the regular "no condom" experience. Hence, Lodge. YMMV.

)

Ikea sells CI Dutch ovens for much less than la crueset

caliking said:

FWIW - Tramontina DO's were rated by Cooks Illustrated as a best buy several years back, and are a fraction of the cost of LC. You could use it as a dedicated egg DO, without fear of damaging your fancy one. 

I have that same Tramontina and it's been fantastic. Can't beat it or the Lodge for the price.

Cymbaline65 said:

I have that same Tramontina and it's been fantastic. Can't beat it or the Lodge for the price.

I have had mine for several years. Enamel looks good. I swapped out the phenolic knob on the lid for a metal cabinet knob initially, for higher heat tolerance. Recently swapped that out for a Le Creuset knob ($12 on Amazon) because I was feeling fancy.