LodgeL8DD3 4.73 litre / 5 quart Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Double Dutch Oven (with Loop Handles), Black

I have wanted one of these for a while but waited for a good price as (like most items on Amazon) it can vary quite a bit! I mostly use the pan as a Dutch oven for bread but it can be used for so many other recipes if used and cleaned properly. Some reviews here gave it 1 star for quality but mine was fine. There should not be any sharp edges but several reviews commented on the seasoning being chipped. This is a heavy pan and lid that is shipped from the USA. It has likely travelled a long way and may get the odd mark to the seasoning exposing the iron beneath. This is very easily remedied by seasoning the pan yourself and I would advise the following for any cast iron cookware you buy anyway. 1. Give it a really good clean with hot soapy water (yes soapy but this time only!) To get any dust, dirt oil or manufacturing residue off the pan. Put it in your oven as hot as it will go to ensure it is 100% dry. Leave to cool then apply oil (I use sunflower as not a fan off the smell of "vegetable oil") to the inside surfaces including the lid using some paper towel. Put it back in the oven at a high heat to bake the oil into the cast iron and give it a protective surface. This will repair any scuff marks from shipping. When baking bread I use the pan upside down so the bread sits on the inside of the lid. The handles being on the side means that it sits flat. I also don't align the handles of the lid and pan so they are easier to lift separately. Some will say that you can't cook "acidic" food like tomatoe sauce in a cast iron pan but as long as it is seasoned well this is 100% OK! After baking bread a wipe with a damp cloth removes any flour and I have never had any major sticking issues. If you do then it might need another season. Clean (no soap), dry, add oil, heat to high heat (normally the smoke point of the oil you are using) and leave to cool and you are good to go! It might sound like a lot of work but it really isn't and these pans will out last anything else in your kitchen including you!

Perfect for baking sourdough bread. I have also used this for frying up chicken and steaks and stewing in the oven. It arrived with a little rust mark on the handle but that has disappeared with seasoning and everyday use. I am really pleased with this Dutch oven and highly recommend it.This is a from the Lodge website for anyone who may have read some of the negative comments and who may be concerned about spots on their newly purchased Dutch oven from Lodge.My new Lodge seasoned castiron cookware has a spot ormark that looks unfinished.What is this?When you get a new piece of Lodge cookware, you might notice a small spot or mark that looks unfinished or rusty. This is all a part of the process that makes cast iron special! We season our cookware with oil on a hanging conveyor, which sometimes causes a small spot or bubble to form around the edge of the skillet or on the support handle where the skillet was hung. The seasoning process is all-natural and makes your cookware ready to use as soon as you get it home. This variation might chip away, revealing a brown color. Don’t worry! This isn’t rust and it’s perfectly safe—it’s simply oil that has not fully carbonized. With regular care and use, this spot will disappear. It’s a testament to cast iron’s ability to roll with the punches and get better with age.

Perfectly sized Dutch Oven pot with twin handled skillet-shaped lid. If I'm being honest, I bought this because it was the only way I could obtain a skillet which had been proving impossible to buy in the UK. The Lodge cast iron pans are simply the best on the market to my mind, and I have many different sizes of their products, which once properly seasoned are just bombproof.I wanted to get the skillet as I regularly use my cast iron cookware outside on our Big Green Egg kamado oven and anything with a long handle sticking out makes it a challenge to fill the griddle up and to be able to shut the lid easily. The small twin handles on this Dutch oven pot lid are just perfect and allows me to move the skillet from the hob to oven without any difficulty.Once you've given the ironware a couple of decent seasoning coats, the ease with which you can clean the pans is something that always amazes our friends when they see how quick and easy it is to simply scrub it under a hot running tap using a metal scrunchy. A quick wipe with a very lightly oiled kitchen paper and it's a good job well done!I haven't yet needed to use the actual 5 quart pot, as it is really the lid that gets my daily attention, but suffice to say, I am 100% pleased with my purchase.

Ok first time lodge owner,I have cooked with cast iron (French)This is the first real cast iron item I have ever bought. I wanted real old school, keen home cook and the heritage was a important thing for me as well as performance.So build qualityAmazing!!!!!! Very well made, its cast iron cast in sand so that reflects in the finish and its not a problem at all.Heat retention Amazing buy this and energy bills must come down it cooks well on very low heat once it up to temp really good.Really easy to look after, just remember dry after washing and a wee rub of oil and thats it.Ok lodge say ready to use out of the box!!!!!! Disagree most definitely , it was Christmas eve and I was making soup for Christmas day , things going well it came to the first taste and thought WTF yes my friends metallic could have cried. I have a far bit of lodge all bought at the same time and its how I want to cook .Back to the soup. Sat down and thought hope this can be sorted or its going to be devastating.Good News,Read on the Internet for a solution,Season Season seasonI seasoned it 4 time and I was so happy this now kicks ass the best thing I have ever purchased and its for life.So buy with confidence season it at least 3 times before use and your sorted.Happy cooking!!!!!