Looking for an inexpensive yet good Dutch Oven

[bicentennial_baby]

Hi all! :hi:

It seems that every other recipe I want to make involves a Dutch Oven, so I need to break down and buy one. Not looking for anything crazy expensive, but want good quality.

Suggestions? :)

[calico1]

1. Amazon has a nice looking Lodge

enamel coated Dutch oven for $39.99 ( on sale). Good reviews too. If they had come out with this before I got my Le Crueset I would definitely have gotten this instead. Just do a search for "Lodge Dutch oven" and it should come up. Lodge is a good brand and I think the price is pretty good.

[Dora]

2. Ask H2S for a copy of the CI no-knead bread recipe

The article has a sidebar with CI's recommendations for inexpensive dutch ovens, but for the life of me I don't remember what brands they suggested.

[grasswire]

3. I finally bought a Lodge.

Made in Tennessee at a very old American company. Found it at my local Kroger supermarket. $39. It is just fine.

[NMDemDist2]

4. if you and sniffa go camping get a cast iron, if not, spring for enamel coated

Lodge is a great company and made in USA so I echo the advice above


I have one like this (8 qt)



http://cgi.ebay.com/Griswold-8-Cast-Iron-Dutch-Oven-Covered-Pot_W0QQitemZ260225558983QQihZ016QQcategoryZ976QQtcZphotoQQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

and one like this (4 qt)

[kestrel91316]

6. Is that enamel one a Lodge, Le Creuset, or other?

[NMDemDist2]

7. it's an old DescoWare made in Belgium. La Cruset bought them out in the 80s

it's a really nice piece

:hi:

you can still find DescoWare on ebay and it can be a great alternative to LaCruset

http://search.ebay.com/DescoWare_W0QQ_trksidZm37QQcatrefZC6QQdfspZ11QQfromZR40QQfrtsZ24QQfsooZ1QQfsopZ11QQftrtZ1QQftrvZ1QQsabfmtsZ1QQsacatZQ2d1

[Blue Gardener]

9. I think the enamel cookware is made in China

I was looking at Lodge cookware one day and I believe the enamel stuff is made in China. Cast Iron is still made in the USA.

[NMDemDist2]

10. even Calaphon is made in China these days... n/t

[hippywife]

15. Yep.

Even says so on their website:

https://secure.lodgemfg.com/storefront/products1.asp?idDept=1408&menu=enamel

Most of them are these days.

[Shakespeare]

5. I got the $40 cheapie from Target a few years ago.

I use the heck out of it, and it's GREAT. Some people here reported problems with the enamel chipping, but I've got nary a chip out of mine.

[Warpy]

8. Chipping is just something you have to watch out for

since it's part of the beast with enameled cast iron. Just handle it carefully, don't bang it around, and don't drop it on concrete (or granite) and you should be OK.

I got my Le Creuset from Caplan-Duval in Canada before the exchange rate went wacko. They now have a competitor's stuff that looks really good and is about half the price. Alas, they don't have the same flame color I love from Le Creuset.

[Duer 157099]

12. I have that one too, and staining is my biggest issue with it

I don't know what causes the staining, but I can't get it out even with BarKeepers Friend, and have also tried dilute bleach, which works somewhat but not completely

:shrug:

[Shakespeare]

13. Cooks Illustrated recently did a piece on how to bleach out stained enamel.

The short version: Use a stronger bleach solution, and it won't hurt the enamel (I think they ended up using a 25% bleach solution).

Mine's not really stained (sort of more off-white than it was when I got it)....yet. :-)

[Duer 157099]

14. OK, I'll try that, thanks

I also have a smaller blue one, the Rachel Ray one that they had at Costco around Christmas time, and it has not stained at all, so I think it has a different quality or depth of the enamel. And what's really nice is that the lid fits on my #6 Griswold fry pan that I found at a thrift store recently. Ah the pleasures of cast iron... :D

[hippywife]

11. The one my husband just bought me

at Target for $60 is a Tramontina. They list it as a casserole but it's an enameled Dutch Oven. He didn't know it when he bought it but it was CI's lower cost recommendation with their almost no-knead bread recipe. I've been using it with other bread recipes with success. The NYT and CI recipes lack in flavor, IMO. Not enough yeast and even the beer in the CI recipe doesn't quite make up for it, I don't think.

Edited to add: You do need to swap out the knob on top for either a ceramic or metal cabinet knob for the high heat the bread recipes call for. Inexpensive modification, no biggie.

[Warpy]

17. The recipes don't lack yeast

because that 18-24 hour rising time ensures that the yeast multiplies and is all the way through the original sponge. There's plenty of yeast in there.

I find the NYT recipe to be very flavorful, but I've been on a low salt diet since I was ten. Perhaps you'd need to add more salt or throw some barley malt syrup into the sponge as a flavor enhancer and extra yeast food. You could also throw in some melted salted butter to enrich the final product.

[hippywife]

18. I didn't prefer the flavor.

But you're the expert so to each his/her own, I guess.

[hippywife]

20. Warpy...

I just re-read my response to this from last night and wow! That sounded terribly snarky and I want to apologize to you. I didn't realize until I read that again what a grouch I musta been last night!

I hope you will accept this apology and forgive me for being so offensive. I really am sorry. :hug:

[Warpy]

21. It's OK

Since you didn't get blasted right back, you know I figured as much.

Do try the suggestions I gave, though, to boost the flavor. It's not the yeast, so it's got to be something else.

[hippywife]

22. Thank you! n/t

[fudge stripe cookays]

16. You can get some good deals on...

Le Creuset ones if you have any TJ Maxx or Marshall's Home Goods stores, or sometimes at Tuesday Morning, if you can find one near you.

reprehensor got me one for my birthday last year online, but I know he paid too much. He was just too lazy to go to one of those places, even after I suggested them.

[bicentennial_baby]

19. Oooh! I have a Tuesday Morning close by! I'll check there first!

:yourock:

[yy4me]

23. Sunny weekends are due. Head North over the bridge to

Lynn. Flea market at Bldg 19 Saturday and Sunday all year. Never know what you'll find but I see all kinds of Iron and Enamel Dutch Ovens every time I go. Now that the good weather is hopefully coming, the flea markets and yard sales will offer up all kinds of good stuff. Be patient, everything shows up sooner or later. And you have fun looking for other treasures.