Skool me on Dutch Ovens

Tier1Terrier

Alright, So I think I'm in the market for a Dutch oven. Help me decide what I need. I'm a believer in buying once & crying once so I don't mind spending a little extra up front to ensure long term satisfaction. That said, I have no interest in spending 'Le Cruiset' kind of money. We are a family of 4 and enjoy having plenty of leftovers. I see there are quite a few Lodge models including enamel coated. What's the benefit of enamel coating? What size should I get? I have an XL BGE. Thanks in advance!

blasting

If you are cooking a lot of tomato based, or acidic things, then an enameled one is the way to go.  

For normal cooking / deep frying then a lodge 5 or 7 quart would be the way to go.  There is a 3$ difference between the sizes.  A 5 quart lid fits a 10" fry pan, and a 7 quart fits a 12"  fry pan, in case that figures in to your decision.  If unsure, I'd go 7 quart.  Link below.

BTW, I mention deep frying because these babies make terrific deep fryers when paired with a portable induction burner.

http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L8DOL3-Pre-Seasoned-Cast-Iron-Handles/dp/B00063RWYI/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1451876735&sr=1-2&keywords=lodge+dutch+oven

Grillnugget

I'm right there with you but I have a Lg egg.  My wife has a 'le cruiset' but won't let me touch the egg with it so I've started looking for myself. I'm thinking enamel coated CI is easier to clean and makes "seasoning" a non issue. I'll definitely be watching this thread for advice. 

SoCalTim

I just bought a 5 qt CI DO from WalMart over Christmas for $35 dollars, if CI is the route you go, you'll need to season it before you cook in it.

I covered it inside and out with Crisco put in on the egg for 2 hrs @ 300 degrees, though a one time seasoning is adequate, I did this three times.

I proceeded to make the best 'pulled pork baked beans' I've ever eaten, the picture(s) attached does not do this meal justice.

250 degrees for 1.5 hrs uncovered (on the egg), then an additional 1.5 with cover on ... Magic!

northGAcock

Grillnugget said:

I'm right there with you but I have a Lg egg.  My wife has a 'le cruiset' but won't let me touch the egg with it so I've started looking for myself. I'm thinking enamel coated CI is easier to clean and makes "seasoning" a non issue. I'll definitely be watching this thread for advice. 

You will find the straight up Cast Iron better for egging (my opinion). You want worry near as much about the grease from the grill impacting the finish. Cast Iron requires a little effort to maintain, but if you take care of it, it will take care of you. There are way more cooking / serving pieces with the traditional compared to the coated pans. At the end of the day, you can't go wrong. 

onedbguru

We just found 5qt Wolfgang Puck on sale at Marshall's for $50. (blue/white enameled).  I have not used it in the egg yet, but have done several Roast Beast w/potatoes/carrots etc in the oven and it works very well. 

td66snrf

I have both enameled and non both have their place. One thing you want to  watch for is the wife came home with an enameled Martha Stewart brand. It said " no stove top cooking".  I said " WTF". She took it back.

SGH

The old black iron, no matter the brand, is better than no iron at all. I have some Lodge, Camp Chef, and even some Bayou Classic that I picked up at a real bargain. They all do the same thing when it comes to cooking. As far as size goes, just use your better judgement on the amounts that you will be cooking and buy accordingly. When it comes to smokers, I always say that the bigger the better. But this doesn't apply to pots or pans that you will be trying to sling around when hot and full of food. A real big Dutch oven can heavy real fast when loaded up. With that said, a 7-9 quart will usually cover most cooking needs and still be pretty easy to handle when full. For your grill or smoker, skip the fancy enameled stuff. You will ultimately ruin it and it offers little if any advantage for outdoor cooking. Now if your forte is making creams and sauces indoors on the stove, then yeah I could see justifying the extra cost of the enameled. But for rough outdoor use, the old bare iron is the way to go. Just to show the durability of well seasoned cast iron, here is a larding pot that stays outdoors year around. This pot has stayed outdoors and been used since the early 60's over burning firewood. It takes a knocking and keeps on rocking. Pay no attention to the lid. That is homemade out of 1/2 thick plate. It weighs 3 times what the pot does. It's used solely to keep predators and varmits out of the pot. Not cooking. 

SciAggie

Some good advice as been offered. As stated earlier, if you are cooking acidic foods then enamel is the way to go. I think seasoned CI is good for the rest. Just to muddy the water, I also use Dutch ovens designed for camp cooking (with legs). I set them on the platesetter. That's probably not what you're looking for based on your post, but it adds information. I use both 10" and 12" ovens on a large. 

fishlessman

im a fan of enameled cast iron, have both. number one reason is it goes into the fridge or is left stovetop with food in it, you cant do that with the regular cast. made 7 quarts chili this weekend, ate from the lodge enameled pot and when there was just a quart left, added beans sauce, a log of jimmy dean, more spice and theres enough for this weeks lunches. so basically 6 quarts no beans, then 5 quarts with beans, 1 pot to clean

bettysnephew

America's Test Kitchen rated the enameled Tramontina as a best buy, but the model they tested was discontinued. The new model looks the same to me but I don't know if it is. The Tramontina is readily available at Sam's Club for a reasonable price. The Lodge enameled products are now their best buy. If using raw cast iron, I would stay with American or Euro models as there have been reports that Asian units were being cast from old engine blocks which had lead added to the alloy for free machining properties when the blocks were initially cast by automakers. The seasoning will likely prevent lead contamination but I like to be safe if possible.

luckyboy

You definitely need to purchase one, there are many to choose from, since you're just starting get a lodge brand. One that fits your budget. It won't be your last, during your life you'll end up with a collection. 

YukonRon

We have an old 7 qt we make camp stew with when we hit the outdoors. Used it on my XL to do some roasted carrots in a bourbon cream sauce. Perfect.

SmokeyPitt

I got the 6.5 qt Tramontina from Sam's for Xmas.  It was $40 so that price is hard to beat.  I haven't used it yet and only time will tell, but all the reviews I have read are positive.  It has a lifetime warranty as well.   If you want to try out the enameled dutch oven I think it would be a good choice.  At $40 nobody cares if it gets discolored in the egg. 

I also have a regular lodge 5 qt like @Blasting showed above.  I love cooking on this as well; but there have been a couple of things I opted not to cook because I though they were too acidic or I was making a pan sauce. 

Legume

I have the same one from Sam's and I really like it.  I've made chili and a few other tough on cookware dishes and it always cleans up really well.  I usually make chili a day or two ahead of time so I can let it sit in the fridge - easy with this pot - stove to fridge and back to stove without any issues and it still just wipes clean.

sumoconnell

I'm sure there is a forum for dutch ovens, including recipes using # kinsgford briquettes per hour in certain locations (top/bottom), etc.  I've had a hatch green chili pork on a camp cook that took 6+ hours and was the best chili I've had yet.  I never got the recipe, but I imagine an 8 hour canoe paddle ahead of it really helped the flavor!!