Dutch oven

EggYeti

brand new egg head here - what is the best Dutch oven to purchase for chili?

GrateEggspectations

Anything by Lodge is good. Le Creuset is also nice, though the spot tends to accumulate on the exterior. Your biggest consideration should be size. Your options will be restricted as a function of the size of your Egg. 

GrateEggspectations

*soot*

blasting

Enameled you have to be kind of careful with.  Once it chips it tends to rust.

 I've got several dutch ovens and I'd say the one that gets the most use is a 5 quart, non enameled.   It's a good size for a batch of chili, or stew.  It also is a good size for deep frying or baking bread or cobbler.
 

SoCalTim

Go to your nearest WalMart, I paid $33 dollars for a Lodge 5qt ...

nolaegghead

I thought it was when you farted under the covers in your bed.  Boy am I wrong.

bettysnephew

For the most versatility look up the Lodge 5 qt. Double Dutch. You get the deep pan, a frying pan and a Dutch oven in one combo.

saluki2007

Agree with everyone else in that Lodge is your best bet.  Check out Wal-Mart or if you have a TJ Max near by check them out too.  

SmokeyPitt

I like my lodge 5 qt but sometimes I wish it were a little bigger.  If you have a large egg you can fit a bigger dutch oven.  The 5 quart fits on my small egg.  Just my $.02 but I would go with a 7 qt.  

If you do decide to go with the 5 qt you might consider this one:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LEXR0K/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1944687542&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000SOM5XS&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0VC4VTHH3BR7GHXNB3BE

The top doubles as a skillet which would come in handy.  The price is a little high right now on Amazon (I have seem them in the $35 range).  

fishlessman

im a fan of the enameled type, have both though. i dont like chili with tomatoes cooked in a seasoned one but real chili has no tomatoes in it and that type is fine in a seasoned dutch. with the enameled ones you can keep the food in it in the fridge, seasoned ones you need to remove the food after cooking to store it. with the enameled ones you can leave the soot on the exterior or work like a fool to remove it for some reason pot roast cooks better in a seasoned dutch. enameled lodge,  lecrueset, and the cheap marshalls brand all cook the same in an egg so dont get caught up with the expensive better heat transfers of the lecrueset over the others, it makes no difference in the egg. big is better but i find i always fill to the top and im eating chili for a week

bgebrent

bettysnephew said:

For the most versatility look up the Lodge 5 qt. Double Dutch. You get the deep pan, a frying pan and a Dutch oven in one combo.

This is what I use and it works very well.

nolaegghead

I concur with what fishlessperson said, although I want to comment the heat transfer of cast iron is very bad, not that it makes a difference.  Cast iron is a great material to store heat and release it slowly.  For that reason, it's not a good material to heat unevenly and expect the heat distributed well. 

You can do this experiment at home - take a big cast iron pan.  Sprinkle flour thinly and evenly over the entire bottom.  But it on the smallest burner on your stove and crank it on full blast.   You will see the flour burns in a pattern matching your burner flame.  Do this with an aluminum or ss pan and the pattern will be more distributed.

fishlessman

nolaegghead said:

I concur with what fishlessperson said, although I want to comment the heat transfer of cast iron is very bad, not that it makes a difference.  Cast iron is a great material to store heat and release it slowly.  For that reason, it's not a good material to heat unevenly and expect the heat distributed well. 

You can do this experiment at home - take a big cast iron pan.  Sprinkle flour thinly and evenly over the entire bottom.  But it on the smallest burner on your stove and crank it on full blast.   You will see the flour burns in a pattern matching your burner flame.  Do this with an aluminum or ss pan and the pattern will be more distributed.

i should have worded the heat transfer with the lecrueset is better if your cooking on a 16 thousand dollar aga hob thats where it would shine

RAC

Welcome aboard!

XC242

fishlessman said:

i should have worded the heat transfer with the lecrueset is better if your cooking on a 16 thousand dollar aga hob thats where it would shine

@fishlessman it's payday tomorrow, where can I get me one of these aga hob thingies?

NonaScott

fishlessman said:

im a fan of the enameled type, have both though. i dont like chili with tomatoes cooked in a seasoned one but real chili has no tomatoes in it and that type is fine in a seasoned dutch. with the enameled ones you can keep the food in it in the fridge, seasoned ones you need to remove the food after cooking to store it. with the enameled ones you can leave the soot on the exterior or work like a fool to remove it for some reason pot roast cooks better in a seasoned dutch. enameled lodge,  lecrueset, and the cheap marshalls brand all cook the same in an egg so dont get caught up with the expensive better heat transfers of the lecrueset over the others, it makes no difference in the egg. big is better but i find i always fill to the top and im eating chili for a week

Many years ago before I new much about cookware, I made a big pot of marinara sauce that I was going to serve for a dinner party along with some homemade Italian sausage. My ex had taken all the stainless cookware and I was left with a cast iron set. So out came the cast iron Dutch oven. I labored all day over that sauce only to realize as dinner approached that my sauce tasted like metal. I will never cook anything with tomato in a non enameled cast iron pot again and that includes chili.

YukonRon

Went down in our basement, did some searching and found a cast iron Dutch oven, I had totally forgotten we had.
It is about to get real now.

nolaegghead

@NonaScott. It wasn't fully seasoned, or clean of rust, of that happened to you.  I use mine for tomato based dishes all the time and don't have that problem.  Tomatoes aren't even close to the most acidic foods.

fishlessman

nolaegghead said:

@NonaScott. It wasn't fully seasoned, or clean of rust, of that happened to you.  I use mine for tomato based dishes all the time and don't have that problem.  Tomatoes aren't even close to the most acidic foods.

i think the ones having problems are the ones doing long simmers, sauce takes me 8 hours then the brasciole, sausage, and meatballs go in for another couple hours ive had to sand the ruined seasoning out of a well used preseasoned pan once, the seasoning just kept lifting regardless what i cooked in it til i took a grinder to it. ive also been known to do half the cook one day, leave it stove top, and finish it the next, enameled just works better for me

NonaScott

nolaegghead said:

@NonaScott. It wasn't fully seasoned, or clean of rust, of that happened to you.  I use mine for tomato based dishes all the time and don't have that problem.  Tomatoes aren't even close to the most acidic foods.

You are probably right about the seasoning. I had seen loads of pictures of people cooking all sorts of things over the campfire in a cast iron pot so I was shocked at the result. I just never cared to take that chance again.

Ladeback69

I have a 5 qt Lodge and love it.  I could have easily gotten a bigger one for my Xl and wish I would have, but it was a gift and has been very handy.
http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L8DD3-Casserole-Skillet-5-Quart/dp/B000LEXR0K/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1461789926&sr=8-6&keywords=5+quart+dutch+oven

Check out Amazon to see which one works for you and see who has the best price.  I do like the enameled ones as well, but out of my price range. 

DieselkW

I find yard sales, estate sales, Craig's List is the best place to buy iron cookware. Most people don't know how to take care of it, or don't want to, so they sell it off for way less than its value.

My favorite dutch was a 7 quart for $35 at an estate sale. I stick it right on top of the lump and it is indestructible.

blasting

DieselkW said:

I find yard sales, estate sales, Craig's List is the best place to buy iron cookware. Most people don't know how to take care of it, or don't want to, so they sell it off for way less than its value.

Agreed.  I just added 16 new pieces to my collection on Saturday.  It was a weird deal.  They had tried three fry pans, and clearly didn't know how to clean and store them.  The rest was all brand spanking new - including the Lodge wok that I've been wanting for a while.

pgprescott

Bar keepers friend works great for cleaning up enamel cast iron pieces. No elbow grease. Wipes clean. 

NonaScott

pgprescott said:

Bar keepers friend works great for cleaning up enamel cast iron pieces. No elbow grease. Wipes clean. 

That stuff is great. Shines up the stainless on my Weber Genesis no matter how much crud is baked on it

smbishop

I have the 5qt double Dutch.  I love that it fits on both the small and the large.  Works great for my needs...

stevoman88

I like the BGE Dutch oven personally Works great. 

westernbbq

SmokeyPitt said:

I like my lodge 5 qt but sometimes I wish it were a little bigger.  If you have a large egg you can fit a bigger dutch oven.  The 5 quart fits on my small egg.  Just my $.02 but I would go with a 7 qt.  

If you do decide to go with the 5 qt you might consider this one:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LEXR0K/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1944687542&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000SOM5XS&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0VC4VTHH3BR7GHXNB3BE

The top doubles as a skillet which would come in handy.  The price is a little high right now on Amazon (I have seem them in the $35 range).  

double dutch is the way to go. I got the 5q as it fits in minimax (with lid on need to use cgs mm woo) but the pan fits on fire ring topped grate.  I put picts of it here somewhere.  It is greatnfor searing steaks and burgers