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Dutch ovens, Lodge or Fontignac?

Mike

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Kentucky
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Looking to purchase a 5 - 6 quart dutch oven. I'd prefer to buy an enameled cast iron dutch oven and have been eyeing the Lodge 6qt and Fontignac 5.5qt dutch ovens and was curious if any of you guys happened to have any experience with either of them.
 

w_r_ranch

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Lodge is the only cast iron pot/pans that I have ever owned. I wouldn't touch French or Chinese cast iron, even with someone else's money.
 

Mike

Might know the answer
Messages
977
Location
Kentucky
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6b
Lodge is the only cast iron pot/pans that I have ever owned. I wouldn't touch French or Chinese cast iron, even with someone else's money.
Unfortunately only the bare cast iron dutch ovens are made in the USA. Lodges enameled cast irons are made in China.
 

Mike

Might know the answer
Messages
977
Location
Kentucky
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6b
Get a 5 or 7 quart plain cast iron & you will be able to pass it on for generations.

Enamel is highly overrated IMO... Cleaning plain cast with easy using a brush & plain water, then dry & wipe with oil before putting it away.
Yeah I've got 2 plain cast iron pots myself I use when cooking chili or bean soup over the fire pit and love them. The wife on the other hand wants enameled for the kitchen. ;)
 

RLwhaler

Well-Known Member
Messages
488
Location
Cypress,Texas
Planting Zone
8b
Looking to purchase a 5 - 6 quart dutch oven. I'd prefer to buy an enameled cast iron dutch oven and have been eyeing the Lodge 6qt and Fontignac 5.5qt dutch ovens and was curious if any of you guys happened to have any experience with either of them.

Mike: There's a really good sale on this brand (Le Creuset) at Cosco, saw it the week right before Thanksgiving.From what I gathered they're suppose to be good. I live right by an outlet that carries them.Walked in there one day to check out the prices? I must've cursed in three different languages.
 
M

Mr_Yan

Guest
For enameled cast iron I have a 2 qt Le Creuset Dutch Oven, a 5 qt Le Creuset Braiser (like a skillet but with two small loop handles), and a 6 qt Cuisinart dutch oven.

I love the Le Creuset. My mom loves her Le Creuset pieces. My brother loves his Le Creuset pieces.

The Cuisinart piece I have is just better than junk. The enamel stains and holds colours terribly - even after just one pot of beans. This is also much harder to clean off nicely than the Le Creuset. I have called Cuisinart customer service and they said this is not uncommon though we have never seen it in the Le Creuset. The customer service rep didn't really like when I mentioned the Le Creuset didn't stain like this one.

I have never knowingly used enameled Lodge. When I first saw it my initial impressions were they're just trying to copy Le Creuset.

You will pay much more for the Le Creuset but they have a life time warranty on them. This summer my mom's 5 qt braiser developed a blister in the enamel just about in the center of the cook surface. This pan was bought in about July 1976 and has been used several times a week since then. She had to pay to ship it to Le Creuset USA in South Carolina. After they reviewed the pan they called to to ask what colour she wanted and they shipped her a whole new piece.

When I have to replace my Cuisinart dutch oven I will replace it with a Le Creuset. I will never have to replace my Le Creuset pieces.

As an aside I would not use Amazon for this type of thing. Counterfeits are way too common on there and when I drop this much money I want to know I am getting what I expect.
 

Mike

Might know the answer
Messages
977
Location
Kentucky
Planting Zone
6b
Thanks guys for the help. I'll stop by Costco tomorrow after work and see what they have to offer.
 

RLwhaler

Well-Known Member
Messages
488
Location
Cypress,Texas
Planting Zone
8b
For enameled cast iron I have a 2 qt Le Creuset Dutch Oven, a 5 qt Le Creuset Braiser (like a skillet but with two small loop handles), and a 6 qt Cuisinart dutch oven.

I love the Le Creuset. My mom loves her Le Creuset pieces. My brother loves his Le Creuset pieces.

The Cuisinart piece I have is just better than junk. The enamel stains and holds colours terribly - even after just one pot of beans. This is also much harder to clean off nicely than the Le Creuset. I have called Cuisinart customer service and they said this is not uncommon though we have never seen it in the Le Creuset. The customer service rep didn't really like when I mentioned the Le Creuset didn't stain like this one.

I have never knowingly used enameled Lodge. When I first saw it my initial impressions were they're just trying to copy Le Creuset.

You will pay much more for the Le Creuset but they have a life time warranty on them. This summer my mom's 5 qt braiser developed a blister in the enamel just about in the center of the cook surface. This pan was bought in about July 1976 and has been used several times a week since then. She had to pay to ship it to Le Creuset USA in South Carolina. After they reviewed the pan they called to to ask what colour she wanted and they shipped her a whole new piece.

When I have to replace my Cuisinart dutch oven I will replace it with a Le Creuset. I will never have to replace my Le Creuset pieces.

As an aside I would not use Amazon for this type of thing. Counterfeits are way too common on there and when I drop this much money I want to know I am getting what I expect.

Mr. Yan: " As an aside I would not use Amazon for this type of thing. Counterfeits are way too common on there " That's exactly what I mean...Them Chinese will counterfeit anything..Even fake rice or eggs!!

I'm curious Mr. Yan, does the enamels in the Le Creuset chips off if one drops it or mis handles it?
 
M

Mr_Yan

Guest
We don`t baby the Le Creuset but we don`t abuse it either. Mine don`t have any chips in the enamel. I can`t speak to my mom's that are decades old though I don`t think they have chips. My 5 year old Cuisinart dutch oven does have chips in the external enamel.

I think both of my Le Creuset were bought at factory outlet stores so they`re seconds from production.

I have used my 2 qt Le Creuset on the stove top, in the oven, and on my kettle grill with no problems. The grill did leave a coating on the enamel that is slowly cleaning off but that was operator error and a wood fire after burgers.

I will tell you that the oak floor will give before the enamel or dutch oven does when you drop it from a typical height. I have a dent in a 3/4" solid red oak floor to attest to this.
 
M

Mr_Yan

Guest
That's exactly what I mean...Them Chinese will counterfeit anything..Even fake rice or eggs!!

Beyond just that the Chinese will conterfeit anything Amazon distribution aides there efforts . The distribution center will mix sources of like goods so true product lots are contaminated with direct imports from China. Then Amazon's effort to combat counterfeit is weak at best, non-existant in most cases.

Mean while we've been Prime members for something like 5 years and I am typing this on an Amazon Fire tablet.
 

RLwhaler

Well-Known Member
Messages
488
Location
Cypress,Texas
Planting Zone
8b
Beyond just that the Chinese will conterfeit anything Amazon distribution aides there efforts . The distribution center will mix sources of like goods so true product lots are contaminated with direct imports from China. Then Amazon's effort to combat counterfeit is weak at best, non-existant in most cases.

Mean while we've been Prime members for something like 5 years and I am typing this on an Amazon Fire tablet.

Amazing.... I thought Amazon( An American Comp.) would extremely curb all the Chicomm knock off stuff.

I wouldn't recommend you to Alibaba's... LOL!
 
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