Costco Le Creuset 6.5 Quart Deep Round Dutch Oven $199.99

the Lodge 6qt was $50 on Amazon. Is this a huge upgrade from that one for another $150?

Quote from Thaineseguy : the Lodge 6qt was $50 on Amazon. Is this a huge upgrade from that one for another $150?

Yea! This is the french in home version, lodge is good for camping and beating people with.

Quote from fungm613 : Yea! This is the french in home version, lodge is good for camping and beating people with.

Lol, I dont advocate for violence but thats funny.

Quote from fungm613 : Yea! This is the french in home version, lodge is good for camping and beating people with.

sold. one for home, one for beating. Hope the wife doesn't get them mixed up and beat me with the expensive one.

Quote from Thaineseguy : the Lodge 6qt was $50 on Amazon. Is this a huge upgrade from that one for another $150?

This one actually retails for $350 up. For starters, Lodge is a good way to start but Le Creuset's quality has been proven and tested since 1952. This is also an enameled dutch oven.

I recently bought a Dutch oven and went for the Lodge based on the Wirecutter recommendation. It does admit that this one is better but may not be worth the money for you. This is a great price if you are looking to upgrade though.


https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutte...utch-oven/

Quote from Thaineseguy : sold. one for home, one for beating. Hope the wife doesn't get them mixed up and beat me with the expensive one.

obviously the red expensive one is for beating ... won't even see the blood stains on the pot, that's why it's red!

Quote from Thaineseguy : the Lodge 6qt was $50 on Amazon. Is this a huge upgrade from that one for another $150?

For me it comes down to a few things. Le Creuset is made in France while the Lodge is made in China. I trust french made more when it's going to be in direct contact with my food. The Le Creuset enamel feels smoother and more even than on the couple of Lodge I've seen in person. Le Creuset has a lifetime guarantee which chances are you won't need to use because the quality control is pretty good while there seem to be more reports of chipping with Lodge. Le Creuset is more of a buy it once and never have to replace it purchase.

Nice product and was just about to buy then realized I already have a product that killed this. The instapot. For most everything I would put in a cast iron Dutch oven would now go into the pressure cooker.

Quote from Thaineseguy : the Lodge 6qt was $50 on Amazon. Is this a huge upgrade from that one for another $150?

Mine's being delivered today, so I came to ask the same question.

Quote from palmers : For me it comes down to a few things. Le Creuset is made in France while the Lodge is made in China. I trust french made more when it's going to be in direct contact with my food. The Le Creuset enamel feels smoother and more even than on the couple of Lodge I've seen in person. Le Creuset has a lifetime guarantee which chances are you won't need to use because the quality control is pretty good while there seem to be more reports of chipping with Lodge. Le Creuset is more of a buy it once and never have to replace it purchase.

I realize it's a personal choice to not "trust" Chinese products, but I think it's important to realize that Chinese production is as good as the company paying for it; from what I've read, Lodge has pretty strict standards (all things considered) and I'd trust their Chinese products over some no-name cast or enameled piece. Any concerns about safety are opinion and there is no evidence or reasonable expectation of the Lodge being anything but safe.

As for quality: I'm looking to replace a Paula Deen branded, 5qt dutch oven I've had for over 10 years. It was a gift and I have no idea who made it - I'm sure it's Chinese in origin - and I've had no trouble with chipping. It's heavy and the "cream" enamel on the inside is deeply stained, and it has marks from the metal spoons I use with it. I'm interested in replacing it with a larger size, not because there's anything wrong with what I've got. You mention smoothness; yep, the bottom of this cheap PD oven is not perfectly smooth. Doesn't seem to cause problems, though. I would expect the Lodge to be at least as good (though it should be better) and if it is, I'll consider it well worth $50.

To be clear, I am not at all suggesting that the Lodge is "as good" as something like a Le Creuset or Staub. I am *not* criticizing anyone for purchasing a nicer, more expensive product. I just think it's important to point out that the "better" pieces aren't functionally better at cooking. They are lighter and will almost certainly last longer, but if I have to buy a new one $50 one every 15-20 years, I'm fine with the trade-off.

Quote from Spinergy : Nice product and was just about to buy then realized I already have a product that killed this. The instapot. For most everything I would put in a cast iron Dutch oven would now go into the pressure cooker.

I have an 8qt Instant Pot and they are not at all the same thing. It's great that you have one fewer cooking device in your kitchen - if you don't need it, that's great! I would never suggest people buy things they don't need (though this *is* SD, so...). But just because you don't do the kind of the cooking that would benefit from a dutch oven doesn't mean others don't. I have 3-4 dishes I wouldn't cook in anything *but* a dutch oven, not to mention certain breads. To each their own.

My mother-in-law's has lasted 3x as long as her marriage and is still chip less. It will survive her. We've had ours for 10+ years and I'm sure it'll outlast both of us. These are family items that can be passed down.

Just a heads up - the costco version is only oven safe to 400 degrees, whereas the version sold on Le Creuset . com is oven safe up to 500 degrees. The costco version is considered the same as the outlet version you'd find at an outlet mall.

For those who are seriously considering, be aware that this is not the traditional version. It is the deep version. Great for stew and soup, not roasts. The traditional is on sale for a little more here: https://www.westelm.com/products/...gIP__D_BwE

Shape affects what you can cook.

Note that there are 4 shapes of Le Creuset dutch ovens: normal, deep, wide, and oval. Deep is better for soups, wide is better for browning meats, and oval is better for taking up space on your range.

If you're like me and you use stock pots for soup, you may want to consider the Signature Wide for $50 more. It's higher quality as well. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BNIOU8U/