Which D. O. to buy..... Review of the New D.O. 7/9/12

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daveomak

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Omak,Washington,U.S.A.
I'm looking to get another D. O.... I have one that is enameled and oval..... the lid doesn't seal... it's like a rocking horse on steroids...  

I think I want a round one without the enamel ..... the one we have, I bought used, and the enamel is scratched......

There are ovens with bail handles.....

regular handles....

ones with the dimples on the lid for "self basting",  "or so they say".....

I will be using it on the stove top for browning and then putting it in the oven for slow cooking re-fried beans, hocks and beans, pot roasts etc.... 

I'm thinking of a Lodge D. O.... Since they are pre-seasoned, and made in the U.S.A....

would you recommend re-seasoning in the oven on the "clean cycle" and then the "upside down" with a light coat of oil....

 http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/116840/re-seasoning-and-maintaining-seasoning-on-cast-iron

"Oils that have a high iodine number are "drying oils", they polymerize to form the hardest most durable seasoning". DiggingDogFarm

Any personal experiences would be appreciated.... pros or cons....   

And I'm looking at a 7 - 9 quart size....  we vac-pack and freeze lots of leftovers for quick meals....  

Dave
 
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The Lodge is the best Value on the market and although pretty  I have not seen the need or added benefit to spending $300 on a similar sized Enamel DO...JJ
 
I have a 12 Qt Lodge Camp Dutch Oven (got it for $25.00 at a store going out of business and since I don't take it camping and wanted it for the stove, oven and propane burner the BF ground the legs off for me, I know bad bad bad) and a 7 Qt Dutch Oven...non enameled. Read some reviews about them and while Lodge is US Made, the enameled ones are imported from China.

I think they are all pre-seasoned but seasoning again is recommended on their website. I use the 12 qt to make swiss steak, shrimp creole and frying chicken, but it's heavy! The 7 qt I use for soup, etc. Love them both.
 
Dave..I have been a D.O. user for many years...Ya dont need the pre seasoned... season it yourself..

Get one with the flat top so you can take it camping or do some outdoor cooking..I make some stuff with coals in my fire ring here at home.

Sometimes ya gotta dig a little to get to Byrons site...http://papadutch.home.comcast.net/~papadutch/

Look at the Macscouter page too..lots of D.O.info out there...  Heres a souffle I made a few years ago..and ya dont need a fancy schmansy lid lifter either..A claw hammer has many uses camping...

Here's 
cb308715_souflee.jpg
 
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The Lodge is the best Value on the market and although pretty  I have not seen the need or added benefit to spending $300 on a similar sized Enamel DO...JJ
JJ, Our DO is a La Cruset I got for $55... I can see no value in enamel although the orange color is pretty... and the inside is almost worn out...
I have a 12 Qt Lodge Camp Dutch Oven (got it for $25.00 at a store going out of business and since I don't take it camping and wanted it for the stove, oven and propane burner the BF ground the legs off for me, I know bad bad bad) and a 7 Qt Dutch Oven...non enameled. Read some reviews about them and while Lodge is US Made, the enameled ones are imported from China.

I think they are all pre-seasoned but seasoning again is recommended on their website. I use the 12 qt to make swiss steak, shrimp creole and frying chicken, but it's heavy! The 7 qt I use for soup, etc. Love them both.
Alesia, I should delete this post before Craig sees it... Oooopps... I think he saw it.....

 
Dave..I have been a D.O. user for many years...Ya dont need the pre seasoned... season it yourself..

Get one with the flat top so you can take it camping or do some outdoor cooking..I make some stuff with coals in my fire ring here at home.

Sometimes ya gotta dig a little to get to Byrons site...http://papadutch.home.comcast.net/~papadutch/

Look at the Macscouter page too..lots of D.O.info out there...  Heres a souffle I made a few years ago..and ya dont need a fancy schmansy lid lifter either..A claw hammer has many uses camping...

Here's 
cb308715_souflee.jpg
Craig, Do you live a State Park ?? Looks like the fire pits when bride and I were volunteers for 3 years....   

I do like the multi-tasker for a lid lifter.... AB would be proud......  Souffle for 8..or..10... there must be a dozen eggs in there....

The closest I ever come to a souffle is a Fritatta.... I s'pose you could make a fritatta in there too....      
 
Sounds like you could possibly do some camping.  The bail works really well when camping and using a tripod.  I have used it inside as well and is not as easy to get out of the oven as my one with bigger looped handles .  My lodge with the three feet is only used on the grill or at camp with coals on top & bottom like pictured above (I have also made note of the claw lid lifter).  It doesn't work so well on the stove top.



This red Lodge seals as well as you would want, and is easy to operate on top of or in the oven.  I wouldn't use it on my grills though.
 
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Randy, morning....  thanks for the tips on use..... It looks like you use the DO as a warming oven too....  Dave
 
I AM IMPRESSED !!!!

Thank you one and all for the great information about Cast Iron Dutch Ovens.....

I got the Lodge 9 qt... It has a 12 cast into the bottom and drip points on the lid..... $50 something on a special with free ship thru amazon.....    I used flax seed oil to cure it.... . 4 trips thru the 500 deg oven.....    

Here is it's first opportunity to perform....  Beans and Shanks....    It was on the stove top with a trivet under to reduce the hot spot.. I can't adjust the lowest heat burner any lower and it is too hot unless the Cast Iron trivet is on it.....   

The food was superb.....  

bcf82708_Whatwascooking.jpg


So bride stored the left overs and said "clean the D.O.".......    Here are the results.......

10 seconds to wipe out the residue with a paper towel....   20 seconds to rinse with hot tap water and use a plastic handle brush to give a little scrub of anything that was stuck on... (wasn't necessary).... and 10 seconds to wipe the excess water.... and onto the stove top to dry.... 

Now, I have cleaned my share of cookware in the very few years I have been on the planet and this thing was AWESOME ....

Nothing was stuck.... Nada... Not on the rim... outside... anywhere..... The lid is just as clean......    I have used other oils to cure cookware and none have performed as well as flax oil.... IMHO.... 

Here is a pic after the tap water/brush/paper towel wipe....... Looks better than new....

Shanks and beans have never cleaned up so easily......   thank you for the help and making this "one great D.O."

db39f722_Clean.jpg


I learn something new on this forum daily.......Dave
 
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Dave..here's another scouting tip..

Put a piece of burlap between the lid and the bottom when storing..it keeps things nice and dry.

Just a small chunk to keep the lid open some.

5cd60625_summercamp.jpg
 
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Dave..here's another scouting tip..

Put a piece of burlap between the lid and the bottom when storing..it keeps things nice and dry.

Just a small chunk to keep the lid open some.
Thanks for the tip.....   I will be doing that....   Dave
 
Looks like a great score Dave.  I have 5 different Le Creuset pans that I got at the outlet store when they sold seconds. All of them were in the $50 range and we use them all the time. That pan will last you a lifetime and then some  
 
Dave , I don't know how much they are and if you have a place that sells them, but as you know a little curing and any will do, heavyness will tell quality.

I've got several I found at Garage sales and such, most people don't know what they have...

Just sayin'

have fun and...
 
Mornin' Dave,

Looks like all the above input is right on the mark, especially that which came from old Scouters.

The OLD Scouters of today were Boy Scouts long ago when their Old Scouters had actually had to live the lessons they were passing on.

Today that wealth of knowledge is starting to die out and the Scouting organization is more focused on relationships and touchy-feely crap.

It's for that reason that I am very happy to see good men learn the basics of our shared frontier heritage; cast iron cooking, and I will commit to aiding that process as I am able.

Ok now, I feel better.

Dave, nice choice in DO. Always get the pots with legs and the rim on the lid. Always!

I scour the countryside looking for yard sale cast iron and have come up with some real treasures for very little cash.

I also cook daily on my great grandma's frying pan.

Last note: My very best cast iron fry pan was made in Japan and was machined smooth on the inside.
Some Boy Scout used it to pound tent stakes and put a bow in the center. Cooks even better now but regular American cast iron would have cracked in half. Go figure.

Tom
 
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Another thing you can do with the Lodge. Turn the DO upside down place coals on the bottom, turn the lid upside down on the legs and use the inside of the lid as griddle.
 
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