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Lodge Dutch Oven

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JackAubrey

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I have a "modern" Lodge cast iron dutch oven. As most folks know, Lodge makes the inner surfaces slightly rougher than older iron ware,like old Wagners, which was smoother. I was thinking of taking a sander or grinder, and smoothing the inside. Is this unnecessary, or could I damage the iron some how? I'd like some opinions from those with more experience than myself, before I ruin a perfectly good dutch oven. Thanks in advance, JA
 
A good sanding by hand/with power, imVho, will NOT injure a cast iron cooking pot/skillet/spider.

Fwiw, I have "de-rusted" numerous old pans by that method, after burning the accumulated "crud" off the inside/outside in a fireplace/wood stove.

yours, satx
 
Fwiw, SOME of the "seconds" from their "outlet store" may well NEED sanding, to speed seasoning into a "stick-free" surface.
(Some of the "outlet pieces" are REALLY cheap.)

yours, satx
 
So does "smoothness" equate to "non-stickiness," or is it more an issue of continual seasoning until a "non-stick" surface has built up? JA
 
The "non-stick" surface is actually carbon build up. Cast iron, unlike modern, muzzleloading gun barrels, is porous, and the "seasoning" over time turns to carbon, and is a very hard, non-stick surface. I have a carbon steel Wok, and worked long and hard to develope the carbon on the bottom of it as well.

Now as for the Dutch Oven lid, SOME of the modern Dutch ovens have little spikes sticking up...well they point downward when the lid is on the oven... these are condensation points, and often they are sold as "self basting" Dutch ovens. I don't like them as it prevents the lid from being inverted and used to fry when there's no skillet it camp.

LD
 
Smooth cast iron seasons quicker, as the pores/cervices seal up sooner.

Loyalist Dave is also 100% CORRECT. = My ancestor's cast iron Dutch Ovens have deep/smooth lids & work fine for cooking when inverted.

yours, satx
 
Thanks to each and everyone of you for your input on this topic! You all have been very helpful, and cleared up the confusion I had about the non stick thing! JA
 
Btw, WELL-seasoned cast iron works WELL as a non-stick surface. = I've (from not paying proper attention to what I was supposed to be doing) burned cream gravy more than once & FEW things are as difficult to get out of an ordinary pan than burned milk.

Ruined milk gravy wipes right out of my old cast iron skillets.

Best wishes on cooking in your new cast iron.

yours, satx
 
For what it's worth.....
Lodge makes a great product and likley needs no modification
The lack of smoothness is actually an advantage and not a disadvantage.
99% of the time if food sticks it is becuase the item was
1. improperly seasoned
2. improperly cleaned
3. used improperly for the item being cooked.

Just some examples:

Some oils will produce a gummy varnish like residue on the pan making food stick.

Soap will remove the seasoning.

To high or to low of heat can cause food to stick, depending on what your cooking.
 
I would NOT argue with a single word that you wrote BUT "us cheapskates" can often buy OLD cast iron pieces at thrift stores/garage sales for "pennies on the dollar", compared to Lodge's prices.
(When I bought my BIG spider with lid at the local Salvation Army's store for
 
Hey! We agree on something!
No doubt lodge is pricey. I have over 50 cast iron pieces. I have bought then anywhere I can find them.
Some of my favorites are cheap imports, (go figure) one favorite just says 10 USA on it
I don’t like to cook on the Wagner’s because they are smooth and thinner than most cast pans.
Cast iron is just like muzzleloading, there is a learning curve but once you learn you’re hooked!
When you find a pan, pot, or dutchy that you like, treat it like gold!
 
My lovely wife googled Lodge a couple of weeks a go looking to buy the girls a Dutch oven. As she got to looking around at other sites about Lodge cast iron. She found a site that told about Lodge they made stuff for sears Montgomery Grisswall and a bunch of other people . So if I could find the link I w I ll post it. The point to this ramble is don't get hung up on lodge as you can get lodge quality with a different name on for less money. For the cheapskate in all of us. :2
 
Sometimes they are free. A neighbor of mine was moving out about 6 months ago, and I came home late one night and saw his pile of junk set out for the trash, including... one very large, very rusty Dutch oven. Seems he last used the thing to hold (yes hold) charcoal on his deck so his kids could roast marshmallows and make smores. :youcrazy: He left it out for a month, it got rusty, and he then put it in his basement, and forgot about it for five years. when it was time to sell the house and move... he just tossed it.

So I snatched it up, took a wire wheel and a power drill to it, then heat and grease...voila..free Dutch Oven. :thumbsup:

Folks you need to be careful even when looking at Lodge "Dutch Ovens". Some of them are made for use on stove tops or placed inside an oven...here's a Link (scroll down), and (iirc) the Dutch Ovens with the semi-domed lid are often made with a self basting interior surface. Some places call what we call a Dutch oven a " Camp Oven, or a "Camp Dutch Oven". The difference is the "camp" version has the raised lip on the lid to hold the coals.

LD
 
LUCKY YOU.

Short of one that's badly cracked/leaks, I never turn my nose up at any DO. - Even the "indoor models" have uses.

yours, satx
 
I'm told that the raised lip on a Dutch Oven lid is a 19th century improvement...

I have a couple of different sized, domed lidded, iron pots. I found that if you get the blacksmith to make you a small hoop from an old barrel hoop, that rests atop of the domed, iron lid, a little bit smaller in diameter than the lid itself.... you can lay this atop the lid, and pile coals on top of the lid within the hoop, and use it to bake without problems.

The advantage that I have found is that when the first coals have burned down... it's easy to remove the ring, knock off the ash, replace the ring, and add more coals if you need them or to simply knock off the coals and ashes if you're done. The disadvantage is, it's tougher to check the interior of the "oven" and your baking if you're not replacing the coals and you want to keep ash out of the interior.

LD
 
satx78247 said:
I would NOT argue with a single word that you wrote BUT "us cheapskates" can often buy OLD cast iron pieces at thrift stores/garage sales for "pennies on the dollar", compared to Lodge's prices.
(When I bought my BIG spider with lid at the local Salvation Army's store for
 
Yeah, but the key to flea markets or rummage sales is to find a complete Dutch oven,, most are missing the lid, now it's not a Dutch oven,, it's just a kettle
 
My "technique" (IF you can call it that) is to buy lids (for a couple of dollars) at flea markets/junk shops & then hunt a matching bottom.
(I'm too CHEAP to buy new cast iron.)

yours, satx
 
I really like your idea of using a barrel hoop ring on the lid on a domed lid. Ida never have thunk it! BJH
 
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