Lodge Pre-Seasoned Dutch Oven With Loop Handles And Cast Iron Cover, 7 Quart, Black
The Lodge Pre-Seasoned Dutch Oven is a great choice for those who want a pre-seasoned oven with loop handles and cast iron cover. It has outstanding heat retention and even heating, making it perfect for all your cooking needs. The self-basting tips make it easy to get your food cooked perfectly every time, and the 100% natural vegetable oil makes it easy to keep your oven looking and performing its best.
POSITIVES
- One Lodge Pre-Seasoned 7 Quart Cast Iron Dutch Oven
- Loop Handles For Secure Control
- Cast Iron Cover Features Self-Basting Tips
- Unparalleled Heat Retention And Even Heating
- Pre-Seasoned With 100% Natural Vegetable Oil.Item Shape Round
NEGATIVES
Looking for a cast iron dutch oven that is pre-seasoned and has loop handles? Look no further than the Lodge Pre-Seasoned Dutch Oven! This oven is perfect for cooking your favorite meals, and its self-basting tips make it even more convenient.
Best Dutch Ovens
What We Did
According to the dictionary, a Dutch oven is “a large heavy, heavy cooking vessel with a lid”. However, you can also find them made of aluminum, ceramic or enameled. We chose enameled cast iron Dutch ovens for their durability and suitability for slow and low cooking. Cast iron is able to hold more heat than any other material. Cast iron is ideal for braising. Braising involves heating the meat slowly over time.
It’s easier than cleaning bare cast-iron pans with an enamel coating. An enamel coating also offers a smooth surface that allows food to be quickly released for quick cleanup and deglazing. It is however not the same as Teflon. We had previously tested a few pots with dark interiors. Now we chose to concentrate on those that have light enamel interiors. This allows us to better monitor the amount of brown bits in the pan that form the base of flavorful sauces.
Dutch ovens can come in various sizes. You will find mini cocottes for one or even a full 13 quart Dutch oven. Our tests were limited to 5 1/2 and 6 1/2 quart ovens. This allows us to find a good balance that is suitable for all types of recipes. Cooking large pieces of meat will not be possible in any smaller ovens. It may also prove difficult to transport a larger oven once it is full. (If you need something bigger, Lodge offers models up to 7 1/2 quarts , and Le Creuset goes all the way up to a 13 1/4 -quart oven, which serves 10 people.) Because their walls are shorter, they allow steam to escape more easily than taller and deeper pots. This makes it much easier to cook stews and chili. A larger pot will save you time as it can brown more meat in one go without crowding.
Oval ovens have become quite popular, so we focused our testing on round models. Round ovens fit best over a regular stove-top burner. (We did try one oval model because that was the exclusive Dutch oven offered by Great Jones). An oval Dutch oven is a good choice if you cook narrow, long items such as pork belly slabs. However, it works best when used on an oval range.
The best Dutch ovens have lids that rest securely on the pot but that still let out some steam, so soups and stews can reduce and thicken. Staub is one of the few companies that put bumps and ridges under their lids. This allegedly allows for evaporated moisture back to the pot in order to baste any food inside. Our 2015 testing showed that the Staub pot fitted with a nubby cover retained more moisture when braising. This could be due to the tighter lid, but in the end we prefer the condensed stews produced by ovens that release more liquid. The 2020 test didn’t include any ovens equipped with nubby caps.
Dutch ovens use a translucent cooking surface like the ones in this picks to make it easier for you to watch what’s happening during cooking. Photo: Michael Hession In our 2020 update, the team looked into any new models by Lodge, Le Creuset, Staub,and Dank as well as those from other companies, like Milo and Great Jones. We looked at the top-selling models sold by Amazon and other retailers. Also, we analyzed reviews by readers and chose 2 new ovens after considering 17 other models.
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Our pick
Lodge 6-Quart Cast Iron Dutch Oven Enameled Cast Iron The Best Dutch Oven This Dutch oven is a great value and performs well in all tests.
Amazon, $80 at Walmart, $80 at Home Depot and $80 on Wayfair. The Lodge 6-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven offers the best value for money. It is as easy to use as any other Dutch ovens and cooks the same food as those we have tested. For ease of use, grip the big handles. A whisk or spoon reaches easily into the Lodge’s rounded corners to prevent foods from getting stuck when you deglaze the pan. Light-colored enameled inside makes the Lodge easy to spot your food’s browning. The Lodge, unlike other enameled ovens is very easy clean.
The performance of the more expensive European Dutch brands, such as those made by Staub or Le Creuset, is not much different than the less costly ovens like Lodge. The Dutch ovens that we tested were equally good at all tasks. Our 2015 first test showed that no oven scorched rice and that the lids held enough moisture to prevent the grains drying out. In 2020, however, none of the pots but Le Creusets’ oven burned rice. But this might be due to other stoves. They all brown onions well in 2015, and they also made delicious loaves of bread in 2020 testing.
The ovens that we tested all made tender beef stews. However we were able to notice differences in the amount of time each stew took in the oven. Because the Lodge had a lid, enough air was allowed to evaporate so that any cooking liquid left behind could be filtered out. The lodge stew that we cooked in 2015 lost 15 3/4% of the weight when it was finished cooking. However, the stew prepared in Staub’s Dutch-oven oven only lost 6 percent. The result was more bland and watery and had a thin texture. The Lodge reached the perfect temperature for evaporation to create a rich and delicious stew. Le Creuset was more costly, but yielded an identical concentrated stew, losing 14 percent. We don’t believe it is worth it for its cooking performance.
Shopping Options
Amazon.com $360 Wayfair.com The Signature Enameled Cast Iron 5-1/2-Quart Round Dutch Oven by Le Creuset is one of the most dependable Dutch ovens you will find. It’s the most durable oven we’ve tested, and we think it’s the best option for cooks who want a heritage piece of cookware. Le Creuset’s oven is great for cooking delicious meals every time. Le Creuset’s oven has one of the smallest handles and is lightest, making it easy to handle and clean. Le Creuset’s pots have a durable enamel coating with a smooth finish for even cooking that’s backed by a lifetime warranty. Le Creuset’s oven may be costly, but if you purchase it, you will invest in its durability. We didn’t test it and found that it cooks as well or better than the Lodge. However, our experiences have shown that its enamel is more durable.
Le Creuset’s oven is slightly bigger than that of the Lodge. It also has more straight sides and a wider cooking area. Le Creuset’s oven is a bit more difficult to work with because food can get trapped around its edges. We were able, however, to lift a whisk deep enough into the corners and remove any remaining bits from the pan. We got a great sear on meat, too, since there was a little more room on the bottom. Le Creuset’s oven was the best at cooking food evenly. However, the differences in results were very minor. The oven produced perfectly caramelized onions and bread with a crispy crust. In our 2020 tests, it was the only pot that didn’t scorch rice, although none of the pots burned rice in our 2015 tests (this discrepancy may be due to using different stoves). The Le Creuset oven was used for braising. We found that the lid allowed for a good amount of air to evaporate, resulting in a concentrated, flavorful beef stew, comparable with one made at the Lodge.
We prefer the roomier handles of Le Creuset’s oven, even over the Lodge’s generously sized ones. You can easily grip the oven’s handles with your hands using mitts and towels. This allows for seamless transition from the stove into the oven. A stainless-steel knob is included with the lid. It’s safe for use at all temperatures. A phenolic (a heat-proof type of plastic knob) is also available. Winnie Yang, Wirecutter’s supervising editor, told us the knob of her Le Creuset vintage melted while she baked bread. However we haven’t experienced any issues with baking bread and braising food using the phenolic option for newer pots. At 11.9 pounds, Le Creuset’s oven is one of the lightest we tested (it’s 3 pounds less than the Lodge), making it the easiest to lift even when full. Le Creuset produces ovens in more sizes and colors that Lodge. The company also makes unique pots in whimsical shapes, like hearts, but we don’t recommend those from a practical standpoint.
At the time of this writing, Le Creuset’s oven costs nearly five times as much as the Lodge oven. The oven’s lifetime warranty and durability may make this an attractive option for home chefs who are looking to get the very best pot. The company will usually replace your damaged pot for 75 percent of the retail price, even though it is not your fault, as Christine Cyr Clisset, Wirecutter deputy editor, discovered after she sent her damaged pot to Le Creuset’s warranty department. The brand is beloved by professional and home cooks alike, and in our experience these pots can last for decades. We’ve used these ovens for years in our test kitchen, and the enamel hasn’t discolored or flaked. Winnie shared with us her experience using the ovens she has had since 2007. Winnie said that she uses her ovens at least twice per week and that they are all still going strong. “I look forward to giving them to my children,” she stated.
These Are the Top 10 Dutch Ovens for Every Home Cook in 2021
Lodge Enameled Dutch Oven.
Double Dutch Oven in Cast Iron Double Pre-Seasoned Lodge
It can be costly to buy such an versatile pot, but you have options. Although they might seem expensive, Dutch ovens can be a great investment. In fact, they’re built to last for years , and some can even last a lifetime.
When determining the right Dutch oven for your needs, you’ll want to consider what types of meals you’ll be using it for. For a small family, you might be able to use a 5-quart model. A 6-quart or 7-quart version is better for smaller families. Dutch ovens offer a wide range of options, and many designs and colors are available. You can read on for details about these 10 Dutch ovens made by the top manufacturers such as Lodge and Zwilling. You’ll be amazed at how it quickly becomes the best piece of kitchenware you own.
Best Value: Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Double Dutch Oven
This Dutch oven does both. The 2-in-1 Dutch oven includes both a 5-quart cast-iron pot and a lid. It can also double as an in-oven Dutch oven. This Dutch oven is one of most cost-effective on the market and provides twice as much value. The oven has received a 5 star rating from nearly 9,000 customers. This product is a “must-have for the kitchen” according to one consumer. While another one said it is “the most important purchase they made” on Amazon.
To buy: $50 (originally $64);
Which are the Top 5 Dutch Ovens of All Time?
Our Top Dutch Oven Picks: Best Overall: Lodge 6-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven. Crock Pot 5-Quart Dutch Oven – Best for Budget. Le Creuset 5 1/2-Quart Round Dutch Oven, is the most classic. Best Splurge: Staub Cast Iron Round Wide 6-Quart Cocotte.Sep 29, 2020
Which Dutch Oven Size Is the Most Usable?
Home cooks should consider a Dutch-oven of at least 5-7 quarts. This Dutch oven is ideal for cooking four persons (often with leftovers). Representatives from both Staub and Le Creuset tell us that their most popular size is 5 1/2-quarts, and that’s the size most Epi editors have at home, as well.Jul 29, 2019
What are the Best Dutch Ovens?
You will get years of use out of the oven if you buy it at the highest quality. The oven should feel heavy when you hold it, with a thick walls and an equally thick bottom. December 9, 2010
What Dutch Oven Are Chefs using?
Staub 6-Quart Dutch Oven Cast Iron Round Dutch Oven, Enameled 6 Quart Staub
.Best Dutch Ovens
