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Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Anna Stockwell
When I first sewage into cooking, I thought having — and knowing really to usage — a Dutch oven was nan pinnacle of home-chefdom. I ever wanted to get 1 erstwhile I was successful assemblage but ne'er pulled nan trigger, mostly because I couldn’t warrant taking money retired of nan Cheap Beer Fund to ammunition retired for an uber-pricey Le Creuset aliases Staub model. It wasn’t until good aft I graduated that I recovered nan Lodge 6-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven. At first, I thought its debased value constituent meant it wasn’t arsenic bully arsenic nan Le Creusets and Staubs of nan world, but aft immoderate cursory research, I realized that Lodge was conscionable arsenic overmuch of a practice brand, and their high-quality, made-in-the-USA construction would past a lifetime. So, I snagged nan 6-quart exemplary and ne'er looked back.
Three years later (besides my trusty nonstick frying pan), my Dutch oven is nan most-used portion of cookware successful my room arsenal. It’s besides my favourite portion of cookware — and not conscionable because it looks gorgeous connected my stovetop, wherever it lives 24/7. I emotion it because it’s truthful versatile: I usage it for soups, stock, stew, baking bread, braises, searing proteins, making sauce, and overmuch more. If I were stuck connected a godforsaken land pinch 1 portion of cookware for nan remainder of my life, it would beryllium this $80 room workhorse. Let’s excavation into why.
A Quick Look At Lodge 6-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
- Made from high-quality formed robust that’s built to last
- Uses an enamel coating that’s awesome for searing
- Stovetop-safe and oven-safe up to 500°F
- Has a tight-fitting lid for sealing successful moisture
- Easy to cleanable and dishwasher-safe (though hand-washing is recommended)
- Features superior power distribution and retention
- Made pinch non-toxic, PFOA- and PTFE-free material
Design Features That Stand Out
This Dutch oven is available successful 24 striking hues pinch a stainless-steel lid knob, truthful you tin lucifer it to immoderate and each room aesthetics. (Mine usually lives connected my stove erstwhile not successful use, because I deliberation it’s truthful cool-looking.) One of my favourite aspects astir nan creation is that the walls of nan Dutch oven are ace high, which is cleanable for braises, heavy frying, and soups, since you’ll trim splatter and person much room connected your stovetop for making broadside dishes astatine nan aforesaid time. The heat retention and moreover heating are earnestly high-quality, too, and you tin safely bring this consecutive to nan table, since it doubles arsenic its ain serving tray and stays lukewarm for a agelong time.
I’ve utilized this Dutch oven for beautiful overmuch everything it’s advertised arsenic being tin of — and overmuch more. I’ve made soups, stews, bread, cakes (not very bully ones, but still), and much braised dishes than I tin count. I’ve besides utilized it to heavy fry wings, make stock, and overmuch more. I’m a full evangelist for this portion of cooking equipment, and actually effort to person my friends and family to make what I deliberation is nan champion $80 finance retired location erstwhile it comes to outfitting your kitchen. Honestly, if you conscionable person a Dutch oven, you tin beautiful overmuch navigator thing and everything you could deliberation of — though breaking it retired each clip you want to fry an ovum mightiness beryllium a hassle. Plus, since it’s truthful affordable (as Dutch ovens go) I’ve put this point done nan ringer. I’ve dropped nan lid from astir 12 inches, I’m ne'er gentle astir plopping it connected nan stovetop, and I’ve moreover accidentally near an full information lasagna wrong of it — unrefrigerated — for 10 days while I was connected picnic successful Ireland. (When I came home, I scraped it retired and cleaned it pinch virtually nary hassle.) If you asked maine if there’s 1 portion of cookware that I wholeheartedly guidelines behind, it’s nan Lodge 6-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven.
- Incredible Versatility: In lawsuit you haven’t been reading, you tin beautiful overmuch navigator thing successful 1 of these bad boys.
- Easy-to-Clean Surface: The enameled formed robust releases burnt-on bits and dried condiment ace easily, and I’ve ne'er had an rumor pinch cleaning this Dutch oven by manus successful nan 3 years I’ve utilized it.
- Looks Great and Retains Heat: It’s a gorgeous portion of cookware that I consciousness wholly proud to bring to nan array arsenic its ain serving dish. Plus, since it stays hot, cipher has to eat acold food.
- Searing Ability Is Top-Notch: If you’re looking to crisp america proteins, look nary further — erstwhile this point gets hot, it’s a unit to beryllium reckoned pinch erstwhile it comes to searing meats and processing aureate crusts.
Like astir cast-iron cookware, it’s beautiful dense (about 15 pounds), truthful if you don’t consciousness comfortable handling that magnitude of weight, this mightiness not beryllium for you. And, while nan extracurricular of excavation looks arsenic bully arsenic nan time I sewage it, there’s been immoderate staining on nan wrong rim and connected nan bottom, but a) things for illustration Bar Keeper’s Friend should get nan stains out, b) it doesn’t effect cooking, and c) I’ve ne'er really tried to get nan stains out, truthful it mightiness conscionable beryllium personification error.
Should YOU Buy nan Lodge 6-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Everyone should ain this Dutch oven, but peculiarly if you:
- Cook often
- Love braises, soups, stews, aliases different bosom dishes
- Bake breadstuff
- Make large-format meals
- Want to put successful cookware that lasts
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