Lodge7.5 Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven with Lid – Dual Handles – Oven Safe up to 500° F or on Stovetop - Use to Marinate, Cook, Bake, Refrigerate and Serve – Island Spice Red

While watching some of the segments of Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street show, I decided to purchase an enameled cast iron pot. While volunteering in the Boy Scout program I cooked, cleaned, and enjoyed outdoor Dutch oven cooking. The Roman Braised Beef recipe finally motivated me to buy an enameled cast iron Dutch oven.For several years I have read about the Le Creuset, Staub, and Lodge enameled Dutch ovens, and felt that at 1/6 the price the Lodge product would have to be inferior and I would regret my purchase. But when I realized I could purchase a new Dutch oven every three years over a 20 year period and have six new Dutch ovens for the same price as one Le Creuset or Staub, I bought the Lodge product.It is a beautiful blue color with a steel handle on the lid and two big handles on the pot, weighing a hefty 23 pounds. After two months of cooking, I have no chips, cracks, defects and it looks new. I have braised beef, pork, sautéed my own rice-a-roni, made stews and soups and it is perfect. I cannot compare it to the other models, but for my $67 dollars for a beautiful blue 7.5 quart Dutch oven I am pleased with my purchase. It has only been two months, but I have used it over 8 times, and the Milk Street recipes have had me put the Dutch oven in the oven for 3.5 hours at a time.Maybe I have been fortunate, but this Dutch oven is perfect. It may not be a “family heirloom” I give my children, but it helps create wonderful meals we enjoy together.

Very nice! Seems it was shipped from Manufacturer so it was very well packed with zero shipping damage. We cook a 6.5lb roast with fixings for Christmas and it was the perfect size. It is very heavy and large as expected. Consider what you want to cook and pick the appropriate size. It's easy to clean and still looks brand new. It's a USA made brand. We also have the 5qt size.

I have been thinking about getting this oven for several years now and was always worried about the questionable quality that has been described in the review section. After contemplating it for that time, I decided that at less than $80 I would take a chance, especially considering the only other option in the enameled cast iron market that doesn't have a good amount of bad reviews is the LeCrusset and I wasn't going to spend $350 on that one.I received it double boxed; the original box inside an Amazon box. I carefully took the box apart and inspected it for any signs of bad enamel, whether it be from manufacturing to poor shipping and after looking at it found it free of any discernible defects. The enamel was perfect, the stainless steel handle tight, and everything looked perfect.The main reason I got this because I cannot used acidic foods in my cast iron as it tends to strip the carbon thereby ruining the very purpose for having cast iron in the first place. I also prefer cast iron dutch ovens over their aluminum or steel counterparts as they heat more evenly and tend to be less prone to burning the food at the bottom of the pot and therefore have easier clean up. The size is also a bonus; there aren't any recipes that I use that can't be swallowed up by this 7.5 QT pot.The first meal I cooked in this bad boy is a great goulash recipe that is a big hit with the family. Super rich and hearty and bursting with beef and tomato flavors; it puts a smile on everyone's face and is an easy weeknight recipe that is big enough to feed a family of four and still have leftovers. Every other pot I ever used was bursting it's edges as this is a big recipe, but the 7.5 Lodge swallowed it up with room to spare. After putting the leftovers away for another night I used my Lodge plastic scraper to get the small amount of food that was stuck to the bottom and then scrubbed it with soap and checked it for cleanliness. It still had a very light residue on the bottom that could barely be seen, so I took some baking soda and used that with a sponge and it came out perfectly clean just as if it had never been used. Since then I have cooked a few other dishes in it including homemade marinara and baked beans. Both dishes worked perfectly and it still looks brand new.I have high hopes that I won't run into issues with the enamel breaking down and will update at a later if and when it does, but assume this; if you don't hear back from me, then it's working perfectly. If you want a good, cheap alternative to the more expensive European enameled cast iron, this is your best bet.EDIT: Six months in and I'm still loving this thing. I have used it at least a a half dozen times for goulash, bean and ham soup, jambalaya, and more and it performs flawlessly and cleans up like new. Assuming you get it to your house without any shipping damage, you will be glad you got this thing.

After spending some time learning how to cook, I decided it was time to try out a dutch oven. It was really worth it. I have been using the 7.5 qt one for a couple of weeks now and I am not disappointed at all. It cooks quite well and is a good size. It can be quite heavy, but all dutch ovens are. I have not seen peeling or scraping of the enamel and the color is quite nice. As long as you are careful with the product it should last quite a long time, without the price tag of a Le Creuset.Cleaning this dutch oven is quite easy! I have burnt stuff in the dutch oven and it came off easily without any of the enamel coating being scraped off. Enamel is glass that adheres to the cast iron at a high temperature at around 1200-1400. I would still recommend using plastic and silicone whisks and spatulas to not scratch it.( Lodge also recommends this)For the size when it comes to cooking, I highly recommend the 7.5 qt, since you can cook almost all recipes in it without a problem. Just remember the size difference when it comes to being fit in the oven, and the weight is bigger than the smaller ones. Just remember the whole thing is cast iron and that means every part of it will be hot! Be Careful!When it comes to comparison to the Le Creuset, I believe it holds its ground quite well. We actually know someone who gets a discount for them and we were able to get a Le Creuset cheap and it was a smaller one though (3.5 qt). I believe they are quite similar, although the warranty from Le Creuset is awesome, from what I can tell from the construction, they are extremely similar. If you are just starting out, I would recommend buying this one and you should not be disappointed. I have not had the chance to compare it over the long term, but so far it is quite good.