Lodge 5 Quart Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Dutch Oven with Lid - Wire Bail Handle for Easy Transfer from Cooking Surface to Table - Use in the Oven, on the Stove, on the Grill or over the Campfire - Black

I'm thrilled with this purchase. I purchased a 5qt Lodge Dutch Oven which I love. But, I wanted something that would fit a large roast or meal because I like cooking for my whole family. Even if it's just the two of us, I like cooking extra so I can freeze some. I've been looking specifically at this pan & wanted to buy it when the price was around $60. But, I needed other things at the time. This was a want, not a necessity. Then the price started going up to over $70. I found this offered by Amazon for $42 because the original packaging was damaged. But, the pan is brand new. It arrived & the Lodge box was in one piece but had been taped in several places. The pan was in perfect condition. I took the chance because Amazon would take the pan back if I wasn't happy with it. The pan is well made as are my other Lodge pans. I like using this brand because it is made in the US & I don't have to worry about questionable metals being used. The handle really makes it easy to lift the cover. I'm still getting used to cooking with cast iron. But, having this size pan will make it possible to cook larger items or large one pan meals. The pan is quite heavy. I'm 60 yrs old, female, & not in the best shape of my life right now. But, I can still lift the pan to use it. Of course, it will be even heavier when full. Still, I'm sure I'll be able to lift it. Just be aware that if you don't have arm strength, you might find this a bit difficult to maneuver. That said, it'll be worth it. I cooked fried chicken in it the other day. My chicken came out perfect & the pan cleaned up in a breeze. I've slowly been purchasing different Lodge cast iron pans as I have found that many things I cook come out better in the cast iron pans. Also, even though the pans are preseasoned, I season them 2 more times just to be safe. Foods rarely stick to the pans. When they do, I use the small scraper & brush that come in the Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Care Kit Red Hot Handle Holder. I also use a cast iron chainmail cleaner. The pans are so much easier to clean than my expensive hard anodized nonstick Circulon pans or my stainless steel pans w/ copper bottoms. My daughter, son-in-law, & 2 grandkids love to go camping. They love using cast iron to cook over a campfire. My son-in-law was amazed at the price I paid for this pan on Amazon. It retails on the Lodge website for $120. Guess I'll watch for another bargain price on this & buy one as a Christmas gift for them.

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.

Wonderful old time quality. Use it for making chili and soups. Great for placing on my pellet grill giving the chili that wonderful smoke aroma and flavor. While it comes pre seasoned we followed their instructions for seasoning the Dutch oven in the oven at 400 degrees and now it’s protected and a thing of beauty. Easy to clean after every use. Can’t wait to try it over a camp fire.

Perfect size, it is very heavy, but great cookware, love cast iron a whole chicken with veggies cooked beautifle

Can't go wrong with Lodge cast iron Dutch oven. Retains heat very well Cooks evenly just a great cast iron Dutch oven. Just know that this is heavy if you have problems lifting you might think about it. On the other hand for all those who love cooking with cast iron this is the product! You can make cobblers, stews, beans, stewed apples, just a wonderful cook pot. Do yourself a favor by yourself one, by a friend or family member one of these. You will not be disappointed. Be sure after you have washed and dried this pot that you keep it oiled and you don't want to wash it with a lot of harsh chemicals or soap nor do you want to soak it in water for very long. After you've washed it you can put it on the burner and dry it that way turn your burner off and then take some oil while your pan is still warm and season your skillet or your Dutch oven or what other cast iron you're using. Maintaining cast iron Dutch oven. Lodge is my go-to for cast iron cookware.

I have been a fan of the French made enameled cast iron (Le Creuset) for years, and I almost completely forgot about good ol' American made cast iron from Lodge. Some dishes, of course, I'll prefer the enameled cast iron over the rawness of cast iron (and iron transfer), but there are some dishes like beans, chili, stew and soups that cast iron can't be beat. I know I'll be getting a 5-6 qt Le Creuset round French oven (I do not like Lodge quality with their enameled cast iron, and manufacturing in china does not match to the French made standards), so I didn't want the traditional Dutch oven setup in cast iron. I wanted a Dutch oven that will work great both indoors and outdoors. I love the wire handle!!! This piece is solid. Last night, I made a simple chicken soup in this Dutch oven. For flavoring, I only added a little dill weed, savory, thyme, sea salt, cayenne & fresh ground pepper. The flavor was delicate and outstanding...the iron truly finished it off. I made the soup the same as I would in any other pot (including even a Lodge enameled cast iron Dutch oven that I've borrowed/tested from family). I'm already loving this Dutch oven. First use...impressed. I'll be using this often. Highly recommended; even to Le Creuset fans. Also, if on the fence between getting enameled cast iron and cast iron, get the cast iron first...regardless of budget. If you are on a budget, forget the enameled cast iron, you will not find true quality at an inexpensive price (the closest I've seen and used; to even come close to Le Creuset on quality, craftsmanship, durability & such "at a budget price" are Kirkland - made in France). Save your money to invest in only quality. Lodge cast iron is high quality at an affordable price...you will be pleased with the results. Cheap enameled cast iron only chips, unevenly distributes heat & you'll end up tossing them into landfills after a few years. This Lodge Dutch oven will last long enough to hand down. Edit: forgot to add...the lid also fits the 10.25 skillet/fry pan perfectly. Lodge L8SK3 Cast Iron Skillet, Pre-Seasoned, 10.25-inch

Okay, I really love the size of this dutch oven and it does a fantastic job, as all Lodge products manage to accomplish! I own many (12-15 Lodge products). I bought it to replace a 20 year old Le Creuset 9 qt. that had worn out! Yes, these $350 Le Creuset pans do wear out! What happens, according to a few dealers I've spoken with is if you use them a lot (imagine a person actually using these expensive pretty Le Creuset pots), which I did, then the porcelain starts to pit and then it starts to stain and only gets worse over time. I tried a variety of methods including bleach (recommended) to remove some of the stains. The bleach worked the best but when you looked at the surface closely you can see the deterioration of the porcelain in the bottom. I decided I was not going to continue to use it often except maybe bake large loaves of bread, or maybe never again, and replace it with a reliable Lodge cast iron pan of the same size and save myself almost $270 dollars! This Lodge 9 qt. Dutch Oven is SUPER HEAVY so moving it around requires strength and when hot some really good pot holders. I'm not a big fan of the wire bail handle because it is actually more of an annoyance than a help. When this pot is filled then it becomes even HEAVIER, very HOT and trying to lift it out of a hot oven can be difficult especially when using the wire bail. The two side handles (?) that the wire bail attaches to are almost insignificant but workable so unless you need a 9 quart dutch oven go for the 7 quart with the side handles - much more easy to muscle around. What they really need to do, I know they probably don't read these reviews, is either make the bail handles a bit wider or add additional handles (there is a small one you can see on the front) so you have the option of two strong easily manageable handles rather than using the bail handle. Maybe some people can lift this pot holding with one hand the wire bail and steady the pot with the small lip on the front but I can't do that because of the weight. Two hands necessary to heft this baby when full and especially when hot! Pan cleaned well, just scrub with hot water, dry well either with a paper towel or on the stove, oil lightly with a dry paper towel and store. You will get an amount of black that rubs off on the paper towel which is the seasoning (food safe) after rubbing with oil but this won't harm anything. Just make sure you don't put any cast iron pans away wet or damp or you are liable to see rust the next time you want to use it. Care for it properly and it will last a life time!

This is the most reliable and best quality dutch oven out there, without all the bling blather.