Lodge Enameled Cast-Iron 3-Quart Dutch Oven, Caribbean Blue

Comment: I love the heat retaining properties of cast iron! This dutch oven is a flexible size for someone cooking for 1 or 2 people with leftovers. Compared to the 6 quart dutch oven it's soooo much lighter but performs the same. Remember though use lower temperatures than you do on your non-cast iron. My favorite things to make in my dutch oven? Soups and stews. Yum. It's not hard to clean but cleaning cast iron - even enameled - is different than your stainless steel. Just read the instructions that come with it... use a non-stick spray (like Pam) or a tidge of olive oil... use low heat.. and cleaning will be a snap. This is not meant for fast cooking... it's meant to cook slowly and allow all the flavors to blend... Now, my 6 quart rarely comes out unless I'm entertaining... Oh and the carribbean blue color is beautiful!

Comment: I've had this Dutch Oven for about 8 months, use it maybe 3 times weekly. No problems whatsoever. It's a great size, not too heavy, cleans up beautifully (my very expensive Le Creuset stains horribly). I grew up cooking in cast iron and absolutely love the even heat and control you have when using it. Some of my soup recipes have had to be altered to fit this smaller size, but since I'm only usually feeding two, that's ok. I'd buy again.

Comment: It seems like the Lodge product itself is a little hit or miss in terms of quality. My Dutch oven wasn't cracked or chipped, but the lid wasn't level. I was able to return it no problem for a full refund and free shipping.

Comment: A great pot to cook different things. A little heavy especially when full but does well if you leave it on the burner until all of the stew is served. Great for stews, pot roast, spare ribs, pasta fagiole- any slow cooked meal.

Comment: I have recently been getting deep into cast-iron cooking, and am truly falling in love with it. I started off with some pre-seasoned pieces, and quickly started searching for some of the enameled sets to cook the high-acidity foods which aren't well suited for the raw (seasoned) cast iron. After deciding that spending multiple hundreds of dollars for a Le Creuset just was not for me, I happily turned to the Lodge products.

I have used my 3 QT pot now for multiple phases of food prep. It worked like a dream for deep frying a small batch of breaded shrimp, and the cast iron helped keep the oil temperature steady and stable. My clip on thermometer had no issues with the roundness of this pot, and everything came out wonderfully. We also cooked up a small-ish batch of chunky marinara sauce in the 3 QT pot, and we just loved the way the hefty lid didn't rattle during the high simmer phase. I didn't realize how delightful it was to not hear that annoying sound while the sauce is simmering away!

One complaint I have is the knob. The plastic knob is temp-rated far lower than the pot itself, therefore limiting its versatility. We fixed this issue with a 2" Le Creuset Replacement Knob in stainless steel, available for purchase here on Amazon for around $10 or less. Add to this small annoyance a few bumps in the enamel, and that would sum up my minor complaints about the product (thus the 4-star rating). Other than that, I adore it.

A quick note on cast-iron cooking: Use lower stove-top temps, and let the piece fully heat up before you fiddle with the heat. As a general rule, you don't want to set your stove-top on high for cast iron. The heat transfer and retention allow you to use lower temps to get the job done. On a dial based temp setting, I rarely set the dial at more than ½ way on, or Medium heat, with an occasional setting on Med-High for frying.

Overall, I love cooking with cast-iron, and this piece is a pleasure to work with.