Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Yes, we all see the celebrity chefs using the $300 LC French version of these and let me tell you, this is every bit as good as the higher priced French version! I have had one of the expensive ones in a larger size for years, and yes, I love it, but LOVE this just as much, if not more! This one is smaller than my other one, so I can see myself using it for so many more things, almost daily. I have already used it to make a small stew, a pot of chili, some glazed carrots and an Indian lentil dish called dal. It delivered beautiful results in all cases. I also used it to caramelize onions and to brown ground meat and it cleaned up just perfectly with minimal effort! You really can't go wrong with this, and even though the enameled line is done in China, Lodge is still a trusted old American company and they stand behind their top quality products all the way.
The blue color is vibrant and gorgeous. I also bought the blue three quart covered casserole and will be writing a review of that soon.
As for the lid knob being heat-safe only to 400*f, you can get around that two ways. The easiest is to wrap the knob in several layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil. I do this with skillets that have rubber handles all the time and have never had a handle damaged. The other more permanent method is to replace the knob with a stainless steel drawer/cupboard knob from your local hardware store for less than $5. I prefer the tinfoil method because I like the fact that the existing knob doesn't get hot on the stove top where I use it most often.
Also, don't forget, you would be hard-pressed to find a need to put these in an oven much higher than 400*f, since they distribute heat so well they are really best utilized at med-high heat. Dutch ovens were the inspiration for "slow-cookers" such as the Crock-Pot, after all!
Again, I want to drive home the ease of clean-up. I have heard complaints in the past about how difficult these are to clean... all I can think is that those people don't do their dishes until the next day? I seriously have never had to scrub or soak any of my enamel-cast and I have sadly burned a couple things so there was BLACK crud covering the bottom, and it was as easy as adding a couple cups of water to the pot while still over low heat and "deglazing" the char with a wooden spoon or heat-resistant rubber spatula. Super easy, took a couple minutes. Usually it's as easy as a hot water quick rinse, swirl with a soapy (no-scratch) scrubby sponge, and a final rinse. NOTE: Do not use metal scrubbers, green scrubbers or steel wool to remove burnt-on "stains" or you will ruin the finish on your enamel and then it WILL be a huge pain to clean forevermore.
If you are considering an expensive French model, forget it! For the price of one of those you can get the three-piece set here! The 3qt Dutch oven, the 3qt covered casserole and the 6qt Dutch oven. Start with one, you'll definitely be back for more! I was, and I am actually thinking about buying one more still!
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