Lodge Essential Enamel Cast Iron Dutch Oven, 6 Quart, Island Spice Red

Heavy! In a GOOD way. Beautiful, All things typically Lodge in great quality. Of course, cleans easily and fits on my Lodge stand as not only functional and practical, but also lovely.

I bought this Dutch oven because I wanted to start making sourdough, and since I’d never owned one before, I didn’t want to spend a ton of money. I’m so glad I went with this one. It’s super sturdy, feels really well made, and has worked perfectly for every loaf I’ve baked so far. It’s also easy to clean, which I wasn’t expecting with something this heavy. The only thing I’d mention is that the color is a little more gray in person than it looked online, but I still really like it. For the price, I honestly don’t think you can beat it. It fits perfectly in my oven, and the quality is way better than I expected. I’d definitely buy it again, and I already know this is going to be one of my go-to gifts for friends or family who want to get into sourdough.

This is an easy product to like.! I have been a user and a fan of cast iron cookware for a long time. We used it 50 - 60 years ago while I was growing up and I continue to use it today. There are several good manufacturers of cast iron cookware on the market today. And there are even more if you consider the ones from the not-so-distant past.! But most of them were of the standard "black" or "grey" iron construction. It is only in the more recent past (say maybe the last ten or fifteen years..) that enameled porcelain has been used as a surface treatment for cast iron cookware. The advantages are many, but for me ease of maintenance and the ability to cook acid ingredients without damaging the pot or causing off-tastes in the food are what make me give these "new-fangled" cast iron pots a try. Lodge is one of the names that almost everyone has heard of (in the cast iron cookware business..). I am very happy to see that they have now decided to join the growing trend toward coated cast iron. The Lodge name on this pot was enough to make my decision for me. I have wondered about these pots for several years..... now I know the answer. I guess it doesn't matter too much which brand you choose, these coated pots are FAR better than the older style CI pots for cooking stews or soups or anything that contains tomatoes or other acid ingredients. For these tasks, these coated pots are perfect. I decided to make the purchase when I discovered that Lodge had seemingly broken through the price barrier and their pots were available at a much better price point than other brands (which I won't mention here..). I was pleased to see this addition to the Lodge line and jumped at the possibility to own one of these pots without raiding my 401K or seeing a banker for a loan.!! If you base your buying decision on performance alone, you will have a difficult decision. There are several brands available... all of which are top quality products. It is when you factor in VALUE that the Lodge line seems to rise to the top. This is a top quality product, beautifully made and finished, that cooks like pots that cost double or triple the amount. I made my decision based on value. I bought this pot because I wanted one... and I could justify the expense of THIS one. It does the job perfectly. It cooks just like you would expect a Lodge pot to cook. And it looks beautiful as well. The bottom line was price. Since I chose this Lodge pot, I can now afford to buy a second one of a different size.!! Yay.!! Give one of these a try. Top quality + Decent price = VALUE. Highly recommended. You cannot go wrong with this.

Amending my previous review, Lodge was amazing to work with and is replacing my dutch oven. It's so nice to have good customer service, I'll be a Lodge customer for life! Technically I loved the function of this Dutch oven. It worked perfectly and was easy to clean. My issue is that I've had it for a few years, and I don't use it that often, and despite taking excellent care of it, never using metal utensils and making sure to use the bumpers for the lid, I have enamel flaking off everywhere. It's not safe to use anymore and I'm just so disappointed because it obviously cost a lot of money and was an investment piece for my kitchen. I plan on reaching out to Lodge to see if there's anything they can do.

I absolutely have loved this Dutch Oven! If you are looking for a more affordable option, the Lodge Dutch Oven is extremely nice and works super well, for a lower price point than some of the fancier brands. I use it mainly for baking sourdough bread, and it is both beautiful and functional! Highly recommend.

I've always wanted a Lodge Dutch oven to add to my slowly growing cast iron collection, so I decided I'd get myself one this year for my birthday. I chose the color Lagoon. When it arrived, I quickly took it out of the box. I got the 6qt. It is weighty. That's to be expected. Feels really sturdy. The color seems a little more greenish and darker to me, but Maybe it's just different lightning that makes it appear different. Still a beautiful color though. I love it. I didn't find any chips, flaws, or cracks. I hope to enjoy this piece for a very long time.

This is a well made heavy dutch oven. Love the color. I like to cook brisket in mine and it turns out wonderfully every time. Very easy clean up. Will last a lifetime.

Nice size weight and quality! Definitely cast iron with beautiful cream coating !! Lid is functional and weighty

Well made.

Got a little sketched out initially by people claiming their enamel was chipping but thankfully after getting mine I can chalk that up to people trying to get a refund for a pot they ruined. I've baked at 500, seared and simmered soup in this thing so far and it looks 100% as good as new. Super heavy and holds heat great. I do have criticisms - the bottom is a bit too rounded and shrinks the cooking area a bit too much for me - but the enamel isn't one of them and for $100, who cares? Don't use metal, buy a non-scratch sponge and use a plastic scraper for stubborn bits and this thing will give you a good life. Cannot reccomend enough for others like me who want a dutch oven that lasts but can't swing the $400 for LC. Also worth mentioning - for whatever reason the pot's colour gets way darker when it's hot. I don't know if that's intended but it always goes back to normal once it cools so I'm not stressed about it but be aware that's a thing that happens. Actually kinda handy so you know when it's dangerous to grab. Edit: A few months after writing this my pot sponatneously chipped while it was being preheated. I've been regularly baking bread in it requiring 500 degree temps for hours and was searing in it so I think it was thermal shock that did it. Contacted Lodge and they asked a few questions immediately offered to replace it - seems like as long as you don't admit to absolutely abusing the pot they're pretty happy to send you another one. I've had that one for about a year now and it's great. Again this is essentially a budget version of another product (LC) so I'm not expecting perfection and a lifetime of use, and the company offering to send me a new one at no charge is all I could really ask for. For stovetop use I still think this pot is absolutely 5 stars, but maybe avoid for bread baking unless that's the only thing you plan on using it for. I still use the old chipped one for baking and it's great for that. Overall a little disappointed at the lack of flexibility but in terms of value for price I'll still happily call this 5 stars.

I have a cheap stove, so it's not easily possible to stew things at lower temperature with regular pots. The heat dissipates too quickly, so it just stops simmering. Not with this pot: It has amazing heat retention, so it has become indispensable since I bought it. It is extremely heavy though, which is to be expected by such a large mass of cast iron. Maybe it can double as a makeshift bomb shelter in a pinch. I guess any dutch oven has to measure up to Le Creuset, which I don't personally have any experience with. However, I can see that the Le Creuset costs at least twice as much on Amazon. I doubt that it can be twice as good because this pot is damn near perfect. At 6 liters, it is a bit too big for two people, but that's hardly Lodge's fault. Only disadvantage to me is that the lid edges are kind of rough so they feel like unglazed terra cotta. That means that putting the lid on, taking it off, or moving it makes a scraping sound which I personally hate more than nails on a chalkboard. Fortunately, the lid is very heavy as well so it's not like you move it around too much. I'm kind of blindly rating its taste though. I have not tried eating it because I find cast iron too hard to chew, but I have to assume it's delicious.

Finally bought a big enamel dutch oven that's affordable, well made and very good looking! I put 3 whole chicken leg (about 300gm each), 4 thighs (about 600gm), 4 chicken wings (about 600gm), 2 onions, and 4 packets of brown shimeiji mushrooms into the 6-quart dutch oven and baked them in an oven. The meat turned out really well. They were soft and juicy and the whole family loved it. The next time I cook this dish, I will experiment with shorter baking time & lower temperature.

Very high quality cast iron