Product Description

Seasoned and ready to use. This 8 quart portable "camp stove" is the pot that does it all. Flanged lid for hot coals inverts for use as griddle. Integral legs on oven for campfire and fireplace cooking. 12 inch diameter, 5 inch deep

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2582 in Kitchen & Housewares
• Brand: Lodge
• Model: L12DCO3
• Dimensions: 5.50" h x 12.00" w x 12.00" l, 20.00 pounds

Features

• 12 by 5-Inch; lifetime warranty.
• Hand wash using a stiff brush and hot water only; oven safe to 500-degree F
• Lid flanged to hold coals; lid can be inverted to use as a griddle
• Large wire handle for easy lifting; built in legs for campfire cooking
• 8-Quart camp dutch oven

Customer Reviews

Cast iron is the most durable cookwear ever invented
This is the classic size that is used by scouts, chuck wagon cooks, and outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds. It is a #12 which is the "standard" size most commonly used, but there are dozens of sizes bigger and smaller. This one holds 8 quarts, measuring 12" in diameter by 5" tall. It has the tripod legs and a recessed lid best suited for cooking in coals. You can flip this lid over and use it as a skillet if you need to. I also have the dutch oven with no legs and a domed lid for use in a home oven. You can do it all with a Dutch Oven - cobblers, stews, beans, roasts, dumplings, you name it.

QUALITY: There is a reason you can find old cast iron pans in antique stores, it lasts forever. I have quite a few pans and stuff inherited from family members and even some garage sale finds. While my fancy and expensive non-stick cookware seems to last no more than a few years before replacement in my kitchen, but this stuff can easily last many decades of daily use. It has a life time warranty! I love to cook with cast iron even at home, it is so durable, but I can take it camping too. Easy to clean up, the only drawback being it is heavy. Cast iron takes a bit longer to heat up, but the heat transfers evenly without hot spots and it retains its heat for a long time. I am not sure why, but people swear things taste better in cast iron. It just seems that cast iron only improves with use instead of wearing out like other pans. As for Lodge, there really is a difference in quality, their pans are noticeably better than the other modern pans.

CLEANING: A couple of tips on caring for your oven, they say you should not use soap but this is not exactly sanitary. If you use soap be sure it is mild. One trick is to boil hot water in it and scrub it with a long handle brush. Use a plastic brush or plastic scrubber, but never a metal scrubber or brush. For the most part, cast iron is non-stick as long as it is seasoned. The trick is to clean it right away and not to leave it in the water too long or let it dry with food in it. Do not use it at temperatures higher than 500 degrees, as it can crack. An old Boy Scout trick to keep the outside clean if used on a fire, is to wipe the outside with some wet soap and let it dry before using. This will make the coal soot just wipe right off when you clean up.

SEASONING FINISH: Seasoning does not refer to flavor, but the finish, a kind of glaze on the pan. The modern version sold here is pre-seasoned and ready to cook in, but we used to have to season these ourselves in the old days. It needs to stay black and a bit shiny inside to stay seasoned. If you do lose your seasoning due to rust or an overaggressive cleaning, simply wipe it with vegetable oil inside and out and place it in a hot oven for about 20 minutes or so. Let it cool naturally. It also helps to wipe it with a paper towel of vegetable oil after washing and drying, or spray it with cooking oil and wipe. If it gets rusty, scrub it up good and re-season it, you can get it like new again. DO NOT cook on it without re-seasoning though.

ACCESSORIES: There are plenty of terrific Dutch oven cook books here at Amazon.com. You can also get videos like the one with Cee Dub. You can get affordable accessories too such as Dutch oven tote bag, tongs, lid lifter, lid stand, and gloves. To be safe if cooking on coals or fire, use the lid lifter accessory, it will keep you from getting burned. Enjoy your cobbler!

Great item-- LOVE the Logic finish. Worth the extra money.
If you're reading this, you probably already know about camp dutch ovens. I've been a Boy Scout my whole life, and a Scoutmaster and adult leader for several years now... (and an avid camper and outdoor cook to boot.) I have owned 5 or 6 dutch ovens in my life, and I'm now convinced that there is no match for the quality of LODGE dutch ovens. They are worth paying a little extra for. The others aren't really worth buying-- the cheaper ones don't keep a finish like the LODGE ovens do.

I've bought the original finish and now this one with the LOGIC factory forged finish. I LOVE the pre-seasoned cookware. It isn't the finish that you'll get after years of seasoning, cooking and taking care of an oven, BUT you'll love that you will be able to cook on this oven RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX. So, if you're into instant gratification (with no downside-- they season perfectly as you use them) this is the oven choice for you.

Don't be cheap, if you do you'll be sorry
In more than a decade of outdoor cooking experience, I have learned one valuable lesson: always trust anything from Lodge. This rule has been tested on everything from a simple skillet to the monster dutch ovens crafted to feed an army. In all those years, Lodge has never failed me.
I tried to save money by using cast iron utensils from other firms, and have paid dearly for it. No body has the durability, the skill, or the quality of Lodge. There is something magic about the Lodge method of manufacturing, and that magic is worth every penny that you pay for. When you purchase from Lodge, you aren't simply buying a pot or skillet, you're acquring a lifelong companion that your children will be using when you are gone.
I have 5 dutch ovens of various sizes, numerous skillets and griddles, and all of them bear the Lodge name and logo, and all of them still perform just like they did when I first got them, although they have improved with age because the taste and the smell of the food that comes from them says it all.
Trust me, friends: you can save money by buying another brand, but you will be making a grave mistake. Don't try to be cheap, buy Lodge and prepare yourself for a quality product that will last for a long, long time.