What is Reddit's opinion of
Lodge L8DOL3 Cast Iron Dutch Oven with Dual Handles, Pre-Seasoned, 5-Quart?
From 3.5 billion Reddit comments
ProductGPT
Try the custom AI to help you find products that Reddit loves.
23 reviews of this product found across Reddit:
So, just for shits I looked up that item. I don't get it. But I want to understand. How is this different than something like this? How can it be worth ...25 times as much? (I don't really math, so that number is absolutely being pulled out of my ass). Does it cook 25 times better? or is it just a collectible thing that I'll never understand like the people that collect street shoes?
here you go, $30:
so they say, enamels tend to crack. cast iron pots can last generations. if they rust, just scrub it off with steel wool and season again.
Buy Lodge (preferably USA-made Lodge) or buy an expensive French one like Le Creuset or Staub. Do not buy Chinese garbage at a place like Macys (basically any brand named after a famous chef or chef-like person is going to be crap).
Apparently the enameled Lodge stuff is made in China (the plain matte black is USA made still). Lodge is a reputable brand, but I would personally avoid the enameled stuff.
This is really the best answer. I'm sure you could find an electric one, but it would never last a lifetime. A cast iron skillet, properly cared for, will last several lifetimes. Here is the one I have, but you could find one cheaper.
Here's a similar device for half the cost. It doesn't have its own timer or heat source, so you have to put it on a stovetop, in an oven, over a campfire, on a grill, or somewhere else that heat is generated; and you do have to remember to open the lid and eat what you cooked at some point (although it turns out humans have a built-in timer for this called "hunger.") And if you want it to build a head of pressure you have to put a couple bricks on the lid.
If you can't see how this is going to be exactly equivalent to the fancy thingie with a cord, heating element, and blue LEDs, you might want to reconsider your plan as in that case it doesn't sound like you're actually planning to slow-cook anything.
If you're serious about doing this and saving money, you can often pick up an old Dutch oven at swap meet, yard sale, Goodwill, thrift shop or craigslist for about $10.
I have a fancy electric slow cooker and an enameled Dutch oven; I far prefer the Dutch oven because it is easier and more convenient to use, and I've occasionally regretted that it's a $300 enamel job and not the $35 cast iron because you can take cast iron camping, make your stew, make dessert on the lid, brush everything off with a wire brush at the end, and not worry about your pretty enamel getting chipped, scratched or stained.
Only if you have no access to any other heat source would I bless the electric thingie.
Forkish recommends a 4-qt for the FWSY recipes. I use this one for those recipes. It spreads out a little more than it would in a 4 quart but still gets some good height on it.
Dropping it in isn't really that much of an issue, unless you're tossing it in from a few feet off the ground. 8 inches or so won't really matter.
This is the one I have. http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L8DOL3-Pre-Seasoned-Cast-Iron-Handles/dp/B00063RWYI
I bake of loaf that is 775g of four, and 70%. It goes just up to the edge but doesn't touch them. It's perfect for that size or smaller. It is a pretty big loaf.
I think it's literally this one - note that it's just two chunks of shaped cast iron. The surfaces are close enough that not a lot is normally gonna get out, but any increase in pressure will rapidly escape.
I've frequently simmered (or accidentally boiled) things in one of these with the lid on and the lid doesn't even budge - a combination of a heavy lid and a rough surface.
Yup! Lodge makes great cast iron cookware. You'll want a dutch oven. Has a cover that you can use or not. This is their smallest one. you can get them at Walmart and other stores if you dont want to pay shipping on a heavy hunk of iron.
Huh? They're like 1.5x-2x as expensive as Amazon.
I understand the desire/need to support local business, but come on, those are awful prices.
Cooks World 5 quart dutch oven: $70
Amazon: $40
Cooks World 4 quart: $60
Amazon: $51
https://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Quart-Dutch-Pre-Seasoned-Handle/dp/B00063RWYI
Yupp look at the thickness.
13lbs.
That one pictured might be like 3 to 5lbs.
You are correct that the first two Dutch ovens are Lodge. Not very old. I'd probably by a brand new one on Amazon for $34.
Check out the price of a new one on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Quart-Dutch-Pre-Seasoned-Handle/dp/B00063RWYI
Yes! You just want to be careful it doesn't have the feet on the bottom, that you can use it like a regular baking dish. Something like this would work great.
I'm a fan of kitchen stuff that's easy to take care of. About four years ago, my SO got me this Rachael Ray hard-anodized non-stick set and it's held up well. So far only the saute pan has lost some of its non-stick coating but, since I was a brand new cook at the time, I'm gonna blame myself for that. I have two (large and small) random cast iron skillets from my grandmother and a Lodge cast iron dutch oven that came pre-seasoned and it's been fabulous. Then, my latest purchase, this T-Fal saute pan is amazing! It cleans super easy, heats evenly, and it's a great size for everything. Luckily it looks like other people know more here but these have proven themselves in my kitchen. Good luck finding good stuff!
You can get a 5-quart dutch oven on Amazon for $36.
I fully admit to being completely hooked on cast iron, to the point where I feel guilty if I cook in something else. However, most people aren't as obsessive about it as I am. :) I'll only say that cast iron is an essential part of a well-stocked kitchen, because you can do things with it that you can't do as well in anything else, such as high-temperature searing and oven braising. The two cast iron items you must - repeat MUST - have in your kitchen are one cast iron skillet and one bare cast iron dutch oven. If you can go for a third item, get an enameled cast iron pot as well. (Bare cast iron reacts to recipes with a lot of tomatoes because of their acidity, and an enameled pot protects against that). They should be 10 to 12 inches in diameter, because this is ideal to give you a lot of cooking space without being too unwieldy...or heavy. (News flash: cast iron is heavy!) Fanatics like myself also have a couple of smaller pans for specialty, single-serving, and side dishes, and a couple of really BIG ones for feeding large crowds of people; but the medium-to-large 10-to-12 inch size will be your go-to cast iron pan for nearly everything. You may also want to get one carbon steel or stainless steel saute pan for fast heating and precise temperature control, one round or oval clay or porcelain baking dish, and one or more glass baking dishes as well. But since you asked about cast iron, that's my suggestion for a starter: one 10-to-12 inch cast iron skillet, one 10-to-12 inch cast iron dutch oven (that's the basic model, but this dutch oven plus skillet cover is about the best deal you can get on Lodge cast iron), and one (optional) enameled cast iron pot.
effort?
There's a reason that artisan bread is also known as "no-knead bread".
This is the Dutch Oven I use though I wish I had bought an enameled one
Pro-tip: After you punch down the dough, move the ball onto a piece of parchment paper, and place that in a 10" skillet, then place your bowl on top of it. When the dutch oven gets rocket-hot in the oven, there's nothing worse than fumbling your dough half in and half out of the dutch oven, and all down the oven door! The parchment makes it a snap, use it as a sling to gently lift the risen dough ball, and lower it carefully into the dutch oven.
Ooop, I know what I'm baking tomorrow.
The Bravetart book is excellent because it's both detailed & has pictures...takes a lot of the guesswork out of baking! I'm a huge dessert fan & love everything I've baked from it so far!
Separately, the "no-knead" technique is awesome for a lot of reasons:
- You get amazing results
- You get those results easily
- You split up the work over time
- Most of the work isn't more than a few minutes at a time
I wasn't much of a planner before I got into no-knead, but it's so dang easy to do that I make something bready almost daily now! The basic idea is:
- Stir together the ingredients for a minute, then shove into a corner overnight (aka the "first rise")
- The next day, punch the dough down into a ball & let it rise again (aka the "second rise")
- Bake it
So basically what happens is that the dough kneads itself...over time (as opposed to you having to knead it by hand, or using a machine like a Kitchenaid stand mixer to do it). It's an excellent beginner's technique that can morph into an entire (delicious) hobby! Here is a really good intro article, if you feel like doing some reading: (he upgrades the technique a bit by adding in a fridge step for even better results!)
https://www.seriouseats.com/2011/06/the-food-lab-the-science-of-no-knead-dough.html
No-knead bread is excellent & is super easy to make, plus you only need 4 ingredients:
- Flour
- Water
- Salt
- Yeast (just a tiny amount)
As with most baking endeavors, you will need tools! In this case, you'll need a Dutch oven. If you're not familiar with that, it's basically a heavy cast-iron pot with a lid that is oven-safe. The basic idea for baking no-knead bread is that you pre-heat the Dutch oven, which causes the dough to pop up (called "oven spring") & give you a nice, round loaf. You don't need to buy a fancy $300 Le Creuset model, either; Lodge has a wonderful 5-quart model for like forty bucks that you'll eventually pass down to your grandkids, haha: (note: Amazon sells an Amazon Basics model, but it's only safe up to 400F, and you'll need one that can bake at 450F & preheat at 500F!)
https://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L8DOL3-Handles-Pre-Seasoned-5-Quart/dp/B00063RWYI
Side note on equipment: building up your hardware collection is half the fun of baking, at least for me! I recommend acquiring your baking toys slowly over time, both for budgetary reasons & also to allow yourself time to learn how to use the tool & find creative ways to use it. For example, a really fun pan to get is a mini muffin pan, in which you can make a zillion flavors of poppable miniature muffins & cupcakes (chocolate, yellow cake, cinnamon-sugar, banana, pumpkin, lemon poppy, etc.). But you can also use it in creative ways for things like mini cinnamon rolls (like Cinnabon or BK), sausage & cheese breakfast muffins, and cheesy hash brown cups. So first, be aware that many baking projects will require a special tool or two, and two, use sites like Pinterest to get creative with what you can do with them! Dutch ovens, for example, can be used to make hundreds of different dishes!
Also, as far as yeast goes, I buy mine online. I like SAF yeast, which is sold in one-pound blocks for pretty cheap on Amazon. Note that you can freeze the yeast to extend the life!
https://www.amazon.com/Saf-Instant-Yeast-Pound-Pouch/dp/B0001CXUHW/
I'd recommend doing like a loaf a day for a month to get a handle on the no-knead technique (assuming you have family/friends/coworkers to pawn extra loaves onto, haha!)...try different recipe variations & sizes, add different ingredients to the master recipe, and so on. It's literally like one minute of prep (I just use my fingers to mix, it's a VERY wet dough), then punch it down the next day (a minute or two) & let it rise for a couple hours, then bake! Quick note on baking: I like to put it into the Dutch oven on a parchment sheet, then pull the parchment sheet out when I lift up the lid...makes it a lot easier to load into the pan that way!
Price-wise, a month solid of baking may sound expensive, but for comparison, just one of these fancy-looking "boule" loaves sell for like five bucks a pop at Whole Foods. Also note that places like Costco sell large bags of flour at a discount (Walmart has a 25-pound bag of King Arthur all-purpose flour for $10 right now), so if you really want to dive into baking, I'd recommend getting a monster bag first to save some money up front!
Plus you can use it for bread, for toast, for French toast, for croutons, in meatloaf, etc., and you can start playing around with variations like cheesy bread & diablo (sriracha) bread. I think if more people knew about the no-knead technique, then a LOT more people would be baking their own bread on a regular basis...it's literally minutes of work, spread out over time...a minute to stir, a minute to punch down, a minute to preheat the oven with the Dutch oven inside, a minute to drop the dough in, a minute to take it out. Five one-minute sessions & you've got incredible bread that tastes delicious makes you look like a pro baker! And all you need is one reasonably-priced baking tool (a Dutch oven), which will literally last a lifetime!
For future bread baking I would buy cheap cast iron dutch oven like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L8DOL3-Handles-Pre-Seasoned-5-Quart/dp/B00063RWYI
The high temperatures won't eventually crack an enameled cast iron or damage the glaze on the ceramic.
Popular alternatives to Lodge L8DOL3 Cast Iron Dutc...
