Lodge Cast Iron Double Dutch Oven 5 Quart - Pre-Seasoned 2-in-1 Cast Iron Cookware - Pot & Skillet Combo - Even Heat Retention - Oven-Safe, Versatile Pot

I have been cooking with Lodge cast iron for about 7 years and own 8 pieces from their inventory. The Double Dutch Oven is my favorite Lodge cookware due to its versatility. When using a dutch oven, I usually sear the meat first to add flavor. Usually, this requires searing the meat in several batches. The best part about the Double Dutch is that you can sear the meat in the big pot and in the lid simultaneously, thus reducing the time needed to brown the meat by half. Since the lid is then used for the braising step (after deglazing), you're not increasing the number of items to be cleaned later. I like the lid so much that I often use it by itself for pan frying. Due to the smallish size (about 10 inches in diameter) and the inherent properties of cast iron, the lid can get incredibly hot if you want it to. Perfect for cooking a steak (it puts on a better crust vs my 12" Lodge skillet). I've even used it as a pie pan in a pinch. When properly seasoned, the lid also works great for cooking eggs without them sticking. A seasoned cast iron pan is the original nonstick and will outlast any synthetic-coated nonstick pan in the market (and without the toxic fumes). When used as a Dutch Oven, it works like it should. It retains heat well and cooks evenly. There is very little steam that escapes. The smaller 5qt capacity (vs a 7qt Dutch Oven, which I use less now that I've got this one) is also better for cooking moderate amounts of food. Generally, you want little empty space when using a Dutch oven. In response to the reviewer who has problems getting the lid off, I suggest the following. When setting the lid on the pot, don't align the handles of the two. This will allow you to remove the lid easily, without having to worry about injuries. I've owned another Lodge 5qt Dutch Oven with a more traditional handle - I don't miss that one at all...nor do I miss not having a standalone 10" skillet. UPDATE (December 2010): I've been using this thing for over two years now, several times per week. It is still my favorite, but ever more so. Here's one more thing that you can use this for: Baking super awesome bread that rivals anything you can get at your bakery. One of the secrets of making great rustic breads with a thick chewy/crunchy crust and great oven spring is to use a lot of steam for the first 10 minutes of baking. Bakeries use a steam-injected oven. For us at home, using a covered pot, such as this one, is the easiest way to replicate the effects of a steam oven. After shaping a boule, I place it on the lid, cover it with the main pot and let it proof (so the whole pot is upside down). When the dough is ready, I score it and place the covered pot on a preheated stone in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Then I remove the lid and let the top crust brown while the interior reaches the proper temperature. Depending on your oven, you might have to remove the bread from the lid halfway though cooking so the bottom doesn't burn - I usually put it on a cool baking tray on a rack without a stone. It's a minor inconvenience, but it's easier than trying to steam an oven with boiling water, ices cubes, mister, etc. And the results can't be beat!

The Little Pot That Could Do It All I've always been a bit intimidated by cast iron. It seemed like something only seasoned chefs or rugged outdoorsmen used, requiring special care and a level of culinary expertise I wasn't sure I possessed. But I kept hearing about the magic of cast iron – the incredible heat retention, the way it can go from stovetop to oven, the promise of food cooked to perfection. I finally decided to dip my toes in the cast iron waters, and this Lodge 2 Quart Dutch Oven was my entry point. Let me tell you, it's completely won me over. This little pot is a powerhouse. Don't let the 2-quart size fool you; it's perfect for cooking for one or two people, or for making smaller batches of sauces, sides, or desserts. The pre-seasoning was a huge plus for a cast iron beginner like me. It meant I could start using it right away after a quick rinse. And they weren't kidding – the more I use it, the better that natural, easy-release surface gets. It's incredibly satisfying to see it develop. The heat distribution and retention are truly impressive. It heats up evenly and stays hot, which is fantastic for searing meats or simmering stews. I've used it on my gas stovetop, in the oven for baking small loaves of bread and cobblers, and I even took it camping once to cook beans over a fire (it handled it like a champ!). The tight-fitting lid is a game-changer for keeping moisture in, resulting in incredibly tender pot roasts and flavorful stews. Taking care of it is much simpler than I anticipated. A quick hand wash with hot water and a stiff brush (no soap needed most of the time!), a thorough drying, and a thin coat of oil keeps it happy. It's a small ritual that feels like caring for a valued tool. Knowing that Lodge is a family-owned company that's been making cast iron in the USA since 1896 also adds to the appeal. There's a sense of history and quality craftsmanship that you can feel when you use it. If you've been curious about cast iron but felt intimidated, or if you're looking for a versatile and durable small pot that can handle everything from searing to baking, this Lodge 2 Quart Dutch Oven is an excellent choice. It's a little pot that truly can do it all, and it's made me a cast iron convert.

Excellent product. We ordered the 7 quart which was perfect for roasting a large chicken. This would also be an important peice of survival equipment as It can be used on electric, gas and coal/fire to cook nutritious meals. The cover also doubles as a frying pan. The beauty of the Dutch oven as it heats from above and below, eliminating the need for roasting bags or aluminum foil.

I got this with an amazon gift card about 2 years ago. The skillet lid, 5 quart pot and dutch oven combo make this an excellent value. It's worth giving as a gift to anyone who truly loves to cook and these pieces only get better with time due to the seasoning process. I've simply stopped using most of my other pots and pans, except when my lodge items are in use and I'm desperate in the kitchen. I've made everything from soups, stews, roasts, chicken & dumplings, cornbread, chili, bacon and eggs... the list goes on. Makes the best crackling cornbread ever in the skillet if you preheat the pan before pouring the cornbread mixture in it! Also makes the best pot roasts and chili we've ever tasted. I use it on the stove, in the oven and have even taken it camping. It's so durable that it's perfect for outdoor cooking. The weight of the lid locks in the flavors & juices and liquid when using them together and actually speeds the cooking time. The heat distribution can't be beat and the cast iron heats quickly and evenly. The other thing I like, and this is important to me, is that the food stays nice and hot for a long period of time when you are done cooking if you use them together as a dutch oven and keep the lid on. I took chicken and dumplings to our friends' home 30 minutes away and the food was still piping hot and ready to serve when I arrived. It keeps food hot throughout an entire meal without reheating, even to go back for seconds and thirds! I wash it with a metal stainless steel scrubber and water and dry with paper towels. I ONLY USE A BIT OF SOAP with my stainless steel scrubber if I make dish with a thick gravy or strong taste like chili or curry stew. I re-season it after washing & drying with a bit of bacon grease (which I save in a container just for my lodge items) or a bit of oil if no bacon grease is on hand. These are steps most people are to lazy to do, but I assure you is well worth it if you love good home cooking. Any rust can be easily scrubbed away and is minimized by the re-seasoning after washing and drying. This will last my ENTIRE lifetime and I'm handing it down to one of my children. It's become so valuable to me in the kitchen, I'm not sure who I'm gonna give it to yet as my kids all love to cook! My only regret is that I did not buy this years ago! In service, quality and value it stands up to my kitchen aid mixer and Japanese MAC knife set. The only con that I can possibly think of is that these pieces get extremely hot when cooking and you need to handle it with great care. They are also very weighty so I would not teach younger children to cook with these items, they could get hurt. Nor would I recommend this item to a feeble person. My teen and preteen use them just fine, as they are very experienced in the kitchen. My nine year old hasn't cooked with them yet. I've looked over all the lodge logic items and this piece is by far their best value, in my opinion.

I was looking for a good cast iron dutch oven to do my sourdough loaves in. I went back and forth over the 5 quart and the 6 quart, and I'm glad that I decided to go with this one (the 5 quart). It's the perfect size for my loaves. My husband already had two of the larger, camping dutch ovens, but they were heavy and cumbersome when I was trying to get them in and out of the oven, especially when they were hot after use. This one has worked much better for my sourdough and normal kitchen usage! I also like the fact that the lid can be used as a small skillet if I decide to do that. Since it is a Lodge, I know that it is well made and higher quality, and overall I'm very happy with this purchase!

Couldn't be happier with this dutch oven. Would be nice to have longer handles, but these work. It is already seasoned and ready for use. Makes great sourdough bread. Very sturdy and heavy. Lodge quality has not changed through the years. Almost went for a colorful ceramic coated dutch oven, but glad I stayed with regular iron - no staining or chipping!

Only one complaint. So far, Its a good dutch iron. Heavy duty cast iron, appears and feels to be good quality. Works on the induction. The pre seasoning looks perfect. The lid and pot fit well together. Ive only used it for the last week, in the oven, to bake a few loaves of bread. I invert the dutch oven, bake the bread on the lid and cover with the pot, and for this double dutch works perfect EXCEPT the size of the handles. The handles line up perfectly, and you can just spin the top to misalign the handles and lift the lid BUT trying to place the top back on when handling a preheated 500 deg F with pot holders is a big challenge because the handles are small and you get the holders pinched between the lid and pot. Probably solved with good heat gloves... IF you can find a good pair of those. I love this double dutch.

****EDITED BELOW**** I am so very happy with this Dutch Oven. Just so you know where I'm coming from, my mom used a cast iron skillet when I was growing up. When I started on my own I also used a cast iron skillet and was very happy with it. Years ago I was in an accident which forced me to close up my apartment and move back home. I gave away all my cookware and focused on physical rehab. When I was patched up and ready to get back in the rat race I bought all T-Fal cookware which I've used for years. My reasons for going with Teflon was because the Teflon was ready to use right away so I could hit the ground running. It didn't require seasoning which was something I didn't want to be bothered with at that time. Using it has been okay but I truly missed my cast iron pan. You could do anything to that pan and it would still love you the next day. I've read people talking on here about the arduous task of having to re season cast iron regularly. I don't know what those people are talking about. All you have to do is keep using it, it seasons itself. You could even get one bland in the mail and not season it at all. Just start cooking on it and deal with strangely burnt food for a while till eventually it becomes seasoned with regular use. Even my Teflon pans became seasoned after years of using it on a regular basis. Seriously, cast iron is ridiculously low maintenance and that is one of my strongest reasons for upgrading to it. And now they come pre seasoned! BONUS! This wasn't the case when I bought one years ago. All I've used in the past were skillets. This time around I decided to convert ALL of my cookware to cast iron. I went with this Dutch oven because it was eligible for the 4 for 3 deal here at Amazon and the other model I looked at wasn't. I was afraid of how heavy it would be. The Dutch oven really isn't all that bad weight wise. My electric slow cooker seems heavier by comparison. This is my first time using a cast iron Dutch oven and when I finally got it I was so excited I decided to start cooking on it right away. The fact that it comes pre seasoned bothered me a little because I didn't get to choose the kind of oil I wanted since it was already predetermined. Nobody is really selling unseasoned cast iron these days though so I decided to go with the Lodge brand made right here in America. I was really distracted by the concept of pre seasoning but now that the Dutch oven is here my misgivings about it are completely gone. The pre seasoning is not sticky or gross, it wasn't thick like it could chip off and there was no funny smell to it at all - all things I was paranoid about. Compared to the worries about Teflon and the fumes from it though, the pre seasoning of cast iron is the least of my concerns. They were clean, ready to use and I loved being able to dig it right out of the box and start using it as soon as it arrived. It was only received yesterday and so far I've used it twice to cook vegetables and once I've used the lid to fry bacon as suggested by another reviewer. FABULOUS! I will add that I didn't stir anything in these pots. I just set the food in and let it cook in there. Nothing stuck to the Dutch. When everything was done and the pot cooled I simply hosed it off with water and a soapy sponge, then dried it up. Splendid! Paper towels shed in this pot however. It might be better to use a cloth or a rag of some sort that wont leave lint behind. The lid does not have a knob on the top like most lids you see on a Dutch oven. When I put this lid on the Dutch oven I'm sure not to line up the side handles to the handles on the Dutch so that it's easier to remove the lid for stirring, adding ingredients and peeking in to see how things are coming. The lid seems to fit the same way on the pot no matter which direction you put it on so there's no qualitative reason to line up the handles. Just make sure you protect your hands with oven mitts because this thing does get very hot. I just ordered another lid for it. It's not something I really *need* to do, the present lid works just fine. I just thought it might be nice to have one of those lids with the spiky interior for even distribution of condensation back in to the food as it cooks. The lid that comes with it is smooth inside which is handy for using it as a skillet. In all honesty I'm purchasing this other lid simply because I know it exists, the present lid is perfectly fine so far. I just like having other options and I'm hoping the spike lid I just bought will also fit on the Dutch oven lid. Wouldn't that be cool? Don't be afraid of this Dutch oven. It's a keeper! I'm really pleased with my purchase. EDIT: I finally got the other lid and it fits perfectly with no problems. I'm glad I bought this particular Dutch however and not the other. The lid that comes with this Dutch is ideal for the way I use it. I make short ribs but instead of braising them beforehand I put them in the hot liquid straight from the freezer. The ribs pile up high in the Dutch. The new lid would not fit on top of the meat but the depth of the original lid makes it fit right over it with no problems. I've searched and you can't buy this lid separately, it only comes with this particular Dutch. I'm thrilled with the other lid too but I'm REALLY glad I have this one. Options are A+ in my book. Purchase a steel brush with this pot. I've bought a couple of Lodge cast iron products and they do tend to develope rust. I scrubbed them with a Quickie steel brush and reseasoned them a few times which solved the rust problem. You DO need to season these yourself though. The preseasoning is just a quick dressing to get you started.

Mucho mejor que el teflón, no necesitas nada más

Muy buena olla

القدر فنانه ومايلصق فيه شي بس مررررره يبغاله عنايه فائقه لانه بسرعه يصدي لازم بعد كل استخدام يتنشف مزبوط ويندهن زيت ويدخل الفرن ساعه علشان تحافظين عليه من الصدر يبغاله طوله بال الا حجمه مررررره حلو والغطا تقدرين تستخدمينه طاوه فيه محاسن كثير والاكل فيه طعمه حلو بس عيبه الصدا

Great combo cooker - retains heat and looks great

Coating layer was exfoliating and I didn't cook anything acidic also seasoned after using it. I used a few times. always the same. After a few day at shelf, it totally rusted. also every time you get rusty taste from meals. Horrible product. I have other cast iron cookware and never had such issues. I'm returning it now.