# Dutch oven help. Need answer kinda fast **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 19, 2014, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dutch-oven-help-need-answer-kinda-fast/707642 "2014-12-19T03:58:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![huitzilopochtli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e99b99/32.png) [@huitzilopochtli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/huitzilopochtli)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dutch-oven-help-need-answer-kinda-fast/707642/1 "2014-12-19T03:58:44Z")
I’m going to buy a Dutch oven for my aunt. Tonight. I’ve kinda settled on a 5-6 quart enameled cast iron. I’ve been researching this all day and haven’t gotten much farther than I cant afford Le Creuset. Anyone have experience with Cooks or Tramontina? Am I better off with calphalon nonstick? Wow! I just don’t have any idea. She is a pretty serious cook. I can’t believe she doesn’t have one already. Yikes! Clueless ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dutch-oven-help-need-answer-kinda-fast/707642/2 "2014-12-19T04:21:11Z")
What is your budget? ---
**Author:** ![huitzilopochtli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e99b99/32.png) [@huitzilopochtli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/huitzilopochtli)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dutch-oven-help-need-answer-kinda-fast/707642/3 "2014-12-19T04:25:16Z")
Around $100. JC Penney has both brands on sale in this price range. Originally $150 ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dutch-oven-help-need-answer-kinda-fast/707642/4 "2014-12-19T04:26:11Z")
Costco has some cost effective ones ---
**Author:** ![huitzilopochtli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e99b99/32.png) [@huitzilopochtli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/huitzilopochtli)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dutch-oven-help-need-answer-kinda-fast/707642/5 "2014-12-19T04:27:30Z")
I don’t see anything on the Costco website ---
**Author:** ![huitzilopochtli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e99b99/32.png) [@huitzilopochtli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/huitzilopochtli)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dutch-oven-help-need-answer-kinda-fast/707642/6 "2014-12-19T04:29:45Z")
I do see a nordicware brazier. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dutch-oven-help-need-answer-kinda-fast/707642/7 "2014-12-19T04:35:05Z")
Not sure, but Tramontina usually gets great reviews for their other products, some of which are sold at Costco. ---
**Author:** ![huitzilopochtli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e99b99/32.png) [@huitzilopochtli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/huitzilopochtli)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dutch-oven-help-need-answer-kinda-fast/707642/8 "2014-12-19T04:40:41Z")
I see good reviews for Tramontina but only that it’s a good value. I’m hesitant to buy a brand sold at Walmart. Walmart name means low quality to me. I certainly don’t know that that’s the case, that’s just my prejudice. I don’t have a store near me so I haven’t been to one in a decade or more. ---
**Author:** ![huitzilopochtli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e99b99/32.png) [@huitzilopochtli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/huitzilopochtli)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dutch-oven-help-need-answer-kinda-fast/707642/9 "2014-12-19T04:43:23Z")
I realize my price range puts me in a bargain basement situation but there are 50-70% off sales right now so I may be able to snag a $200 product for under $100. That’s what I’d like to do. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dutch-oven-help-need-answer-kinda-fast/707642/10 "2014-12-19T04:43:54Z")
> [@huitzilopochtli](#): > > I don’t see anything on the Costco website Weird. Definitely have them in store or in the store I go to. Lodge is pretty awesome cast iron. T believe that Lodge is probably the most well known straight cast iron cookware around. That said, I don’t have an enameled Lodge but I do have their straight cast iron. > **[Amazon.com: Lodge 6 Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven with Lid – Dual Handles...](https://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Enameled-Classic-Enamel-Island/dp/B000N501BK)** > > This 6-Quart enamel Dutch oven is great for cooking, marinating, refrigeration and freezing. The color porcelain enamel on cast iron can be used on gas, electric, ceramic and induction cooktops, as well as in the oven. Not recommended for use on... You might check if there is a La Creuset outlet shop near you. We bought our La Creusets in outlet stores. My wife bought them so I think they are probably over your budget. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dutch-oven-help-need-answer-kinda-fast/707642/11 "2014-12-19T04:46:08Z")
Walmart sells plenty of great brands that are sold at most other stores. The Keurig coffeemaker and Crock-Pot brands, for example, are the same as they are anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![huitzilopochtli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e99b99/32.png) [@huitzilopochtli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/huitzilopochtli)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dutch-oven-help-need-answer-kinda-fast/707642/12 "2014-12-19T04:54:57Z")
China Guy, I did see a brazier on the website. Thanks for that. Lodge is out of my price range too. Labrador Deceiver, I appreciate your take on Walmart. I just disn’t know. No time for the outlet. I really have to get this in the next hour. Thanks again everyone. I really appreciate it! ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dutch-oven-help-need-answer-kinda-fast/707642/13 "2014-12-19T04:56:59Z")
I can’t speak for other brands, but I have a Lodge 4qt that I LOVE. I use it daily (literally. It’s the only pot I have so it fills in as a saucepan and a skillet and a frypan and a soup pot and a steamer and a casserole dish and . . . you get the idea). My only complaint is that the inside bottom has discolored a bit over the years and there are a few small nicks in the base. Of course this from age and constant use, not the fault of the pan. So from personal experience I will recommend Lodge, I paid, IIRC, $70 at Fred Meyer (A west coast Kroger-owned department store) 4 or 5 years ago. I love it and will never go again without one. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dutch-oven-help-need-answer-kinda-fast/707642/14 "2014-12-19T04:57:23Z")
Try to avoid the ones with some TV star’s face plastered on the box. I know there were problems with the Martha Stewart brand with the enamel cracking. Or maybe it was Emeril. ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dutch-oven-help-need-answer-kinda-fast/707642/15 "2014-12-19T05:02:02Z")
I’m going to add to my post that as a rule I stay away from nonstick. Cooks declare holy war on each other over this, but I’ve never found anything non-stick that’s worth a damn. I said I wouldn’t speak of other brands but I will say as far as brands go, that when my wife and I were shopping for new cookware years ago and looking at All-Clad, Tramontina was near the top of the list of recommended brands. I don’t know if this translates to quality enamelware, but it’s something to consider. ---
**Author:** ![huitzilopochtli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e99b99/32.png) [@huitzilopochtli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/huitzilopochtli)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dutch-oven-help-need-answer-kinda-fast/707642/16 "2014-12-19T05:07:56Z")
Ok. I was thinking don’t do nonstick and also no rachel Ray, martha Stewart or emeril. So thanks for making me feel better about getting something right! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dutch-oven-help-need-answer-kinda-fast/707642/17 "2014-12-19T05:23:31Z")
> [@huitzilopochtli](#): > > Ok. I was thinking don’t do nonstick and also no rachel Ray, martha Stewart or emeril. So thanks for making me feel better about getting something right! 🙂 Keeping in mind that I use mine for everything, for me non-stick would suck on a dutch oven. I frequently use the pan for making sauces or gravies, and after pulling out the roast or the pork chops or whatever I’ll make up a roux and de-glaze the pan with wine or milk or cream, depending on the sauce. A non-stick would make sauce production a royal pain in the ass (or simply make a shitty sauce). Save the non-stick for cheap skillets that you use to cook up eggs on the weekends. ---
**Author:** ![huitzilopochtli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e99b99/32.png) [@huitzilopochtli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/huitzilopochtli)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dutch-oven-help-need-answer-kinda-fast/707642/18 "2014-12-19T05:48:09Z")
I’m going with Lodge after all. I like the lifetime guarantee. Thank you so much everybody. I will keep the nonstick for eggs on the weekend. Mmmm. Eggs ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dutch-oven-help-need-answer-kinda-fast/707642/19 "2014-12-19T05:58:39Z")
Non-stick is ONLY for omelet pans. Stay far away for it in any other shape. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dutch-oven-help-need-answer-kinda-fast/707642/20 "2014-12-19T15:40:29Z")
> [@huitzilopochtli](#): > > I’m going with Lodge after all. I like the lifetime guarantee. Thank you so much everybody. I will keep the nonstick for eggs on the weekend. Mmmm. Eggs I have a Lodge enameled cast iron dutch oven, 6.5 qt I think, and it is a workhorse in my kitchen. I replaced the lid handle with a Le Creuset lid handle, not to be vain, but because the Le Creuset handle can withstand higher temperatures than the Lodge handle. ETA: My only quibble is the narrow bottom. For many recipes that call for browning meat in batches, I find I have to do one extra batch compared to the recipe (if it says brown stew beef in 2 batches, it takes me 3). Re: nonstick - I buy mine from a restaurant supply store. They are dirt cheap, and I’ll pick up 3 at a time for the same price as an inexpensive retail name brand one, and each one will last as long as the retail one. Non-stick has lots of uses, but never when I’m making a pan sauce (or broiling). Added bonus of restaurant supply models is the metal handle with removable silicon grip. This allows me to safely move the pan to the oven, a cooking method I use quite often (brown on stovetop, finish in oven). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dutch-oven-help-need-answer-kinda-fast/707642.md?page=2)