Lodge L8DD3 4.73 litre / 5 quart Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Double Dutch Oven (with Loop Handles), Black

I bought this pot for principally for baking bread in. My first loaf has been a total success. I got a good oven spring and the bread came out of the pot very easily. It''s the perfect size for a round loaf. What I hadn't considered is how versatile it is. I've also used it for a slow cook curry which again worked very well. Cleaning it is easy, just soap and water. But the surface, although "seasoned" is slightly rough, so it took a little gentle scrubbing to removed baked in curry sauce (hence only 4 stars for Easy to Clean). You can tell that even with minimal care, it will last a lifetime. Only thing to consider, is that it is quite heavy, you really do need to hold it with both hands. So wouldn't be something to recommend for someone who is frail. But overall extremely pleased with it.

Perfect for baking sourdough bread. I have also used this for frying up chicken and steaks and stewing in the oven. It arrived with a little rust mark on the handle but that has disappeared with seasoning and everyday use. I am really pleased with this Dutch oven and highly recommend it.This is a from the Lodge website for anyone who may have read some of the negative comments and who may be concerned about spots on their newly purchased Dutch oven from Lodge.My new Lodge seasoned castiron cookware has a spot ormark that looks unfinished.What is this?When you get a new piece of Lodge cookware, you might notice a small spot or mark that looks unfinished or rusty. This is all a part of the process that makes cast iron special! We season our cookware with oil on a hanging conveyor, which sometimes causes a small spot or bubble to form around the edge of the skillet or on the support handle where the skillet was hung. The seasoning process is all-natural and makes your cookware ready to use as soon as you get it home. This variation might chip away, revealing a brown color. Don’t worry! This isn’t rust and it’s perfectly safe—it’s simply oil that has not fully carbonized. With regular care and use, this spot will disappear. It’s a testament to cast iron’s ability to roll with the punches and get better with age.

My mother had one as I was growing up. And seeing as I'm official an adult with a husband and children and a home, I thought it was time to complete my adulting transformation and get one myself. We have used it several times now and could not be happier. The braised lamb was unbelievably tender and moist. The roast beef was the most flavourful roast beef I have ever cooked. I even used it to make some sourdough bread. The crust came out exactly as you would want it to- cripsy without being tough or rubbery and browned to perfection. The craftsmanship is impeccable. Extremely high quality and perfect in every way. It's a bit spendy but absolutely worth it for the quality and versatility of use.

I have wanted one of these for a while but waited for a good price as (like most items on Amazon) it can vary quite a bit! I mostly use the pan as a Dutch oven for bread but it can be used for so many other recipes if used and cleaned properly. Some reviews here gave it 1 star for quality but mine was fine. There should not be any sharp edges but several reviews commented on the seasoning being chipped. This is a heavy pan and lid that is shipped from the USA. It has likely travelled a long way and may get the odd mark to the seasoning exposing the iron beneath. This is very easily remedied by seasoning the pan yourself and I would advise the following for any cast iron cookware you buy anyway. 1. Give it a really good clean with hot soapy water (yes soapy but this time only!) To get any dust, dirt oil or manufacturing residue off the pan. Put it in your oven as hot as it will go to ensure it is 100% dry. Leave to cool then apply oil (I use sunflower as not a fan off the smell of "vegetable oil") to the inside surfaces including the lid using some paper towel. Put it back in the oven at a high heat to bake the oil into the cast iron and give it a protective surface. This will repair any scuff marks from shipping. When baking bread I use the pan upside down so the bread sits on the inside of the lid. The handles being on the side means that it sits flat. I also don't align the handles of the lid and pan so they are easier to lift separately. Some will say that you can't cook "acidic" food like tomatoe sauce in a cast iron pan but as long as it is seasoned well this is 100% OK! After baking bread a wipe with a damp cloth removes any flour and I have never had any major sticking issues. If you do then it might need another season. Clean (no soap), dry, add oil, heat to high heat (normally the smoke point of the oil you are using) and leave to cool and you are good to go! It might sound like a lot of work but it really isn't and these pans will out last anything else in your kitchen including you!

I first made a sourdough loaf in the oven, just on a tray and it came out very flat with no oven spring.This dutch oven is perfect for creating good bread with a good oven spring and nice crust.I needed to send the first one back, the quality is good but i think the quality control is poor, therefore the first one had some rust and a few chipped areas. The second one is fine.Worth the cost and wouldn't use anything else to bake bread. The size is good up to about 500 g loaf (small/ medium). I tend to bake two loafs one at a time.