 What we like: Every serious chef know a good Dutch oven is excellent tool for various tasks. However, for those strapped cooks or apprentices, buying high-end gears like Le Creuset or Staub may painful. So, Lodge Color Dutch oven stands out for a much cheaper alternative. This USA-made cast iron pot serves the best for its duty like Le Creuset in cooking performance, while leaves some superior points, regarding from the considerably lower price. Talking about cooking performance, we can honestly are of the same mind that it works beautifully as the high-end pot for braising, roasting, searing, sautéing and stewing. There’re a lot of cooking experiments comparing between Lodge and Le Creuset oven from many experts like FineCooking.com, SeriousEats.com or Cook’s Illustrated, as well as many food bloggers. Most of reviewers said that there’s no significant difference between two for this issue. The whole construction is well-design for practical uses. The wide and thick base allows browning and searing food easier. While the knob stays cool on the stovetop. Yet, comparing with Le Creuset, Lodge provides less color options and more uneven finishes. However, overall instruction seems sturdy and vibrantly beautiful. For more opinions, this Dutch oven is in the recommended list of many sources, includes The Kitchn, FineCooking.com, Foodie Magazine, SeriousEats.com and many well-known bloggers for being a best buy pick. Also, it received A- rating from Good Housekeeping and being the runner-up for Dutch oven test. What we don't like: While the cooking ability is well recognized, the durability is still on questioned. Though the cast-iron body is sturdy, we’ve found some complaints about porcelain enamel finish which chips or flaks off after a few years of uses. Some users experienced discolored or brown base. Moreover, the lid doesn’t fit snugly comparing to those pricier pots. Another drawback, there’s no writing warrantee from the company. The Verdict
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