My mother-in-law gifted me a Lodge Double Dutch Oven almost two years ago. Since then, I’ve tested countless kitchen products, including baking tools and cookware sets, and I return to the Double Dutch every year. Especially as the seasons turn from a scalding Georgia summer to a cool and comfortable fall, one of my first to-dos is to scratch store-bought bread from my grocery list and pull my Dutch oven from the cabinet.
Traditional Dutch ovens from brands like Le Creuset and Staub are usually enameled and come with a lid made only for covering the pot. Lodge’s Double Dutch Oven, on the other hand, is seasoned cast iron cookware, featuring both a 6-quart pot and a grill-pan lid for superior versatility. In a matter of minutes, I can transition from baking a sourdough boule to simultaneously rustling up a soup and grilling the bread for dipping. In my home, this fall essential stays front and center on my stovetop until the weather gets hot again, and it can handle much more than just soup and bread.
Lodge Chef Collection 6-Quart Double Dutch Oven
Amazon
Lodge has been manufacturing cast iron cookware since the 19th century, and that shows in the consistency of its craftsmanship. Whether I consider the brand’s ever-popular cast iron skillet, the obscure cast iron bundt pan, or the Double Dutch Oven itself, I’ve received every item perfectly pre-seasoned and ready to use.
The Double Dutch is as heavy-duty as Lodge pre-seasoned cookware comes. The entire unit weighs nearly 15 pounds — it’s built to last multiple lifetimes. Over the past two years, I’ve run this Dutch oven through the gamut of kitchen tasks. Its thick, cast iron construction can withstand heat up to 650°F, so the 475°F baking stint it undergoes for my breads is nothing. And since the surface is pure cast iron and unenameled, I don’t have to worry about thermal shock when I drop ice cubes into the pot for steaming bread dough. The Double Dutch is also induction-safe, so I like to use it on a portable induction cooktop for more temperature control when I’m deep-frying chicken or French fries. But whether you’re using an induction, electric, or gas range, the top-tier heat retention reduces your margin for error when adjusting stovetop temperatures.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t also give the lid the love it deserves, since it is the defining piece of this cookware. It’s heavy enough to form a tight seal on the Dutch oven, so I’ve never seen any steam escape. One of my favorite aspects is the ergonomic handles, which have a slightly extended and offset shape compared to the normal helper handles on the classic 5-Quart Lodge Double Dutch Oven, making the entire unit easier to hold. Even with my bulky oven mitts and large hands, I can maneuver the Double Dutch with ease. As it happens, the lid is also the closest thing to a grill that I can have as an apartment tenant. As long as I turn my microwave range hood on high, I can achieve grill marks on ribeyes, sausages, grilled cheese, and anything else my heart desires.
In two years, I have identified only two downsides to this cookware. First, the lid is a grill pan, which, while it has its perks I mentioned above, can make it less versatile in certain cases. Sometimes, I use the Dutch oven upside down like a domed bread cloche. The result is a very wavy-bottomed bread loaf, which isn’t a huge deal for me but ultimately prevents a picture-perfect bake. My second gripe relates to a common complaint about all pure cast iron cookware: cleaning and reseasoning it. The grooved lid on the Double Dutch can be quite the arduous cleaning task for the first several uses, before the cast iron develops a good seasoning.
Ultimately, my complaints aren’t nearly severe enough to outweigh the advantages of this Lodge Dutch oven. Now that the weather has turned, it’s back in its rightful place on my stovetop, and I am giddy with excitement about using it to cook chicken biryani on Sunday nights, braising short ribs for dinner parties, and baking as much bread as possible in between.
Shop More Dutch Ovens for Fall at Amazon
Lodge 5-Quart Cast Iron Double Dutch Oven
Amazon
Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Signature Round Dutch Oven, 7.25-Quart
Amazon
Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Enameled Cast Iron Round Covered Casserole, 5-Quart
Amazon
Amazon Basics Round Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Dutch Oven Pot With Lid, 7-Quart
Amazon
Staub Cast Iron Dutch Oven, 5.5-Quart
Amazon
At the time of publishing, the price was $90.
Dining and Cooking