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RangerXanatos
05-16-2011, 04:10 PM
I was at Acedmy Sports last week and came across this 12" Dutch Oven with legs and lip for $30. Has anyone had any experience with this brand?

http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_10051_27868_-1?ICID=CRT:0269-40251-0002

crashdive123
05-16-2011, 04:13 PM
I have no experience with that brand. I have heard quite a bit of negative feedback on some of the off brands of dutch ovens (breaking and cracking), but don't know if that is one.

hunter63
05-16-2011, 04:24 PM
Price looks really right....can't say how the quality would be.
People used to talk about the "Lodge" brand 20 years ago, and they seem to be going strong.

gryffynklm
05-16-2011, 05:50 PM
I have three unmarked Dutch ovens that looks the same is different sizes. I have been using them for five years with no problem.

shiftyer1
05-16-2011, 10:25 PM
I don't know what lodge dutch ovens are going for nowadays but I KNOW they are quality. If your looking at other brands, often you can find a set with dutch oven, fry pans, griddle and i'm not sure what else for around 60-70. I do have some off brand cast iron and the grain? is alot more course. It takes longer and more effort to get them seasoned right.

PreppingToSurvive
05-17-2011, 07:19 AM
Lodge seems to be the standard by which most other brands are measured. And with good reason, they are great items.

I've had some good luck with inexpensive, off-brand skillets. I was concerned about seasoning them well, but they've worked out well. In fact, one has been every bit as good if not better than its Lodge counterpart.

ravenscar
05-17-2011, 08:08 AM
hmm, cast iron cookware..... i would have to hide that, dont need to walk into a $30 dutch oven do I?


any shoping tips?

scottmphoto
05-17-2011, 01:57 PM
I have used off-brand cast iron in the past, but I only use Lodge now. IMHO, it is the best. When I buy Lodge, I know it's good, with the off-brand you might get a good one and you might not.

hunter63
05-17-2011, 04:42 PM
For those who know their cast iron cookware, will reconize the name Griswold.
http://www.griswoldcookware.com/history.htm

Mostly collector pieces, but if y'all are looking at cast iron, at yard sales, flea markets and such, be aware that they are expensive, and IMHO the best.

Most people won't be able to afford or use them, but it's fun to look for them.
Shifteyer1, pretty much got it right, the cheaper it is the more course.

BTW a lot of old cast iron can be cleaned by putting them in your oven and using the self cleaning feature.....Old Buckskinner trick......LOL, LOL

hunter63
05-17-2011, 04:44 PM
I have used off-brand cast iron in the past, but I only use Lodge now. IMHO, it is the best. When I buy Lodge, I know it's good, with the off-brand you might get a good one and you might not.

Wow, never thought I would hear that!
But then again they do seem to have made a name for themselves in the last 25 years........or so.

RangerXanatos
05-17-2011, 04:48 PM
I have my parents on lookout for a dutch oven but they haven't seen any in the thrift stores they go in. So I think I will give this one a shot since it's relatively inexpensive.. I'll try to go get it Friday, but who knows when I'll be able to use it. I've been eyeing that recipe for peach cobbler for too long. ;)

tipacanoe
05-17-2011, 07:26 PM
The peach cobbler (Ricks recipe) is very very good.

kyratshooter
05-19-2011, 09:43 AM
Wow, never thought I would hear that!
But then again they do seem to have made a name for themselves in the last 25 years........or so.

It is because they are the only ones producing easily obtained cast iron!

Wal mart carries Lodge. Almost everything else you get is Chineese and has crazy handles or strange shapes.

I have a nice Griswold on the kitchen range alongside a Griswold round griddle. I use both daily. They have a cooking surface like polished marble.

hunter63
05-19-2011, 10:44 AM
I guess I'm dating my self....as a lot of buck-skinners used to kinda back away from "Lodge" brand cast iron as "cheap stuff" 30 years ago.
Seems they have paid their dues for that long and are still going, says a lot.

crashdive123
05-19-2011, 12:43 PM
Has anybody tried the Coleman brand?

shiftyer1
05-19-2011, 03:16 PM
I thought lodge had been around for 100? years. Griswold is in my experience hard to find and very pricey. A good friends uncle has 3 or 4 55 gallon drums full of cast iron pieces, some pieces date back at least 100 years. I'd love to open one up and just look a all the history. It's been passed thru the family and was used on a working ranch until the 80's when he quit ranching. I have no clue as to the brands but I bet there's alot of griswold.

hunter63
05-19-2011, 07:55 PM
I guess y'all are correct....I stand corrected.

I had never heard of it when we first started buck-skinning, like 1980 or so.
Was doing some BP shooting before that, and kinda got sucked in...LOL.
Anyway, after a few years, we started seeing some Lodge Brand cast iron, friend had won a big 14" dutch oven in a bakeing contest...cobbler think.

Found this:
http://www.lodgemfg.com/lodge-history.asp

LowKey
05-19-2011, 08:45 PM
I was out at Sturbridge Village last weekend and picked up their Early American Cookbook.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0762749296/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=1564407284&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1JEJRVFBC7NE6AW5ZWE9
It has tried and tested recipes, a lot of them for dutch oven, some even telling you how many times to change the coals.
Also has great info on other types of hearth cooking. Worth the price.

tipacanoe
05-19-2011, 09:42 PM
Crash, my wife bought me a Coleman dutch oven this past Christmas ( I wanted a Lodge). It wasn't seasoned, and is made in China. The seasoning took very well from what I can tell, but made quite a mess, and needed to buy new cookie sheets to replace the ones that I ruined. Since seasoning, I have used it to make Rick's cobbler, and some chili, and stews and all of them have been very good in my opinion. Cleans up very easily so far, and I look forward to using it more often. At this point it isn't as smooth as the old fry pans that I have, but getting better all the time.

EdD270
05-21-2011, 05:15 PM
I was at Acedmy Sports last week and came across this 12" Dutch Oven with legs and lip for $30. Has anyone had any experience with this brand?

http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_10051_27868_-1?ICID=CRT:0269-40251-0002
Not sure what brand you're talking about, is it "Academy Sports"?
Anyway, examine the legs and handle loops carefully. If they were cast in place with the rest of the DO, that's good. If they look like they were welded on later, that's not so good. Also look carefully at the rim of the pot and the edge of the lid, see how well they mate up and how smooth they are. Tight fit and smooth is good, prevents heat and moisture from leaking out. Loose and rough is not good. Also look at the edges and the inside bottom and sides, they should be smooth, with no rough places and no "hills and valleys" or thick and thin places. Rough and thick and thin make foods stice worse and creates hot spots that burns food, also makes weak places that will crack easier.
As has been mentioned, Lodge is currently the best that's made nowadays. Griswold and Wagner are great, too, but hard to find, and you'll only find them used, not new.
Cabela's house brand DO's are made by CampChef in CHina, but Cabela's insists on higher quality control, so you get a pretty good DO for a CampChef price. Any other chinese made DO's I'd avoid.

crashdive123
05-21-2011, 05:58 PM
Great advice Ed. Had to throw a little rep your way.

JBonLOZ
05-28-2011, 09:18 PM
To me it looks like a stansport dutch oven. I own a a 10 and a 12 they work fine if the lid fits right.

RangerXanatos
05-28-2011, 09:23 PM
I went with the 10" since it's lid seemed to fit better. Plus it was $10 cheaper. So I got the 10" duct oven with legs and a lipped lid and a lid lifter for a little less than $26 which is including sales tax.

The girlfriend wasn't too happy that I went ahead and bought it. She says it makes it hard to get me things when I go ahead and get them myself. :innocent:

hunter63
05-28-2011, 10:06 PM
I went with the 10" since it's lid seemed to fit better. Plus it was $10 cheaper. So I got the 10" duct oven with legs and a lipped lid and a lid lifter for a little less than $26 which is including sales tax.

The girlfriend wasn't too happy that I went ahead and bought it. She says it makes it hard to get me things when I go ahead and get them myself. :innocent:

Well, there is always the 12" and 14"............can't have too many of them.

Pocomoonskyeyes3
05-29-2011, 09:27 AM
I went with the 10" since it's lid seemed to fit better. Plus it was $10 cheaper. So I got the 10" duct oven with legs and a lipped lid and a lid lifter for a little less than $26 which is including sales tax.

The girlfriend wasn't too happy that I went ahead and bought it. She says it makes it hard to get me things when I go ahead and get them myself. :innocent:


Well, there is always the 12" and 14"............can't have too many of them. I have to agree. After you buy one Dutch oven you'll want another, and another, and another, Different sizes, different depths, there's just so much that a DO can do. You could make an entire meal just with DO's - Main course, bread, and dessert. That's 3 DO's right there! I would even like a smaller one for shorter trips! I really could see me with a 6" DO even! (Do they even make them that small?) If I went on a solo trip or something and wanted to cook a stew while I went fishing or such.... IMO a good DO and cast Iron skillet are the basis for my kitchen! Everything else is just accessories LOL.

finallyME
05-31-2011, 11:07 AM
The girlfriend wasn't too happy that I went ahead and bought it. She says it makes it hard to get me things when I go ahead and get them myself. :innocent:

Do you have a cast iron frying pan?

RangerXanatos
05-31-2011, 11:30 AM
Do you have a cast iron frying pan?

Lol. I do not have one myself, but my mother does and she uses it all the time. A lot of cornbread gets made in it.

crashdive123
05-31-2011, 02:09 PM
The only frying pans I own anymore are cast iron.

hunter63
05-31-2011, 09:12 PM
Do you have a cast iron frying pan?


LOL, WHAT?
The question should be....... How many cast iron frying pan do you have?

I like setting my 16" frying pan on a trivet, then fill with coals.....then set the preheated DO in it, for baking....heat is more even.
Can get 2 pies and a pan of corn bread out of a load of coal (shovel out of fire).

finallyME
06-01-2011, 10:22 AM
My aunt gave us a lodge frying pan as a wedding gift. So, that makes it around 10 years old. We bought a teflon coated pan around the same time. It died years ago. The lodge doesn't leave the stove top. We don't put it away. We just use it too much. I have probably done all the wrong things to it, as far as taking care of it. I have washed it with soap several times. I hardly ever season it. That thing just takes a beating and keeps performing. I love it.

RangerXanatos
06-02-2011, 09:47 AM
When I got my dutch oven, my mother told me to spray vegetable oil (liquid) all over and bake it to apply my own layer of seasoning. It's gooey and sticky now and has been for about two weeks. Am I stuck with soap and elbow grease to remove the layer?

PNW
06-02-2011, 10:17 AM
A way to get a lead on older cast iron cooking pieces, is to advertise on the board of a
senior activity center. Use your smarts, find concentrations of elders. Be sure to ask older yard sale sellers if they have any CI. A lot of older's think CI isn't worth much, so they don't even put it out for sale. Advertise around town.
Many seniors have pieces they can no longer lift safely, their children arn't interested, and they are pushed to the back of the cabinet. Take all pieces offered, [be reasonable in price] and ask for cooking tips. Unwanted pieces become trading material.
CI lasts for 100's of years. My treasured piece, my grandmother's grandmother's frying pan. A 14" Griswold.

RangerX, to remove sticky seasoning; try bringing water to a boil, and boiling several minutes. Use a spoon to wash the pan sides. Take a small paint brush and continue to wash, [clean] the pan walls. Pour the water out, use a cloth to test the stickyness left in the pan. If needed, add boiling water and repeat.
DON'T EVER put cold water in a warm pan; and then season with very light layers of solid veg. shortening wiped on with a cloth, and gently warmed on the stove. Use a different burner to re- season the pan. Bring the cold pan and cold burner to a low, then med. heat, [use the frog in hot water theory] Baby your pan while re-seasoning, do it 5 or 6 times. Then use away, enjoying your pan to cook your meals.

RangerXanatos
06-02-2011, 10:24 AM
A way to get a lead on older cast iron cooking pieces, is to advertise on the board of a
senior activity center. Use your smarts, find concentrations of elders. Be sure to ask older yard sale sellers if they have any CI. A lot of older's think CI isn't worth much, so they don't even put it out for sale. Advertise around town.
Many seniors have pieces they can no longer lift safely, their children arn't interested, and they are pushed to the back of the cabinet. Take all pieces offered, [be reasonable in price] and ask for cooking tips. Unwanted pieces become trading material.
CI lasts for 100's of years. My treasured piece, my grandmother's grandmother's frying pan. A 14" Griswold.

RangerX, to remove sticky seasoning; try bringing water to a boil, and boiling several minutes. Use a spoon to wash the pan sides. Take a small paint brush and continue to wash, [clean] the pan walls. Pour the water out, use a cloth to test the stickyness left in the pan. If needed, add boiling water and repeat.
DON'T EVER put cold water in a warm pan; and then season with very light layers of solid veg. shortening wiped on with a cloth, and gently warmed on the stove. Use a different burner to re- season the pan. Bring the cold pan and cold burner to a low, then med. heat, [use the frog in hot water theory] Baby your pan while re-seasoning, do it 5 or 6 times. Then use away, enjoying your pan to cook your meals.

Thanks for the tips, PNW. I'll give the boiling water method a couple of tries. Right now, I have it the sink soaking.

Pocomoonskyeyes3
06-02-2011, 01:26 PM
My aunt gave us a lodge frying pan as a wedding gift. So, that makes it around 10 years old. We bought a teflon coated pan around the same time. It died years ago. The lodge doesn't leave the stove top. We don't put it away. We just use it too much. I have probably done all the wrong things to it, as far as taking care of it. I have washed it with soap several times. I hardly ever season it. That thing just takes a beating and keeps performing. I love it.
I'm the same way about my Cast Iron Fry pan. It only leaves the stove to be cleaned or to make room for another pot if not using the Cast Iron frying pan. I'll probably never buy another Teflon pan for frying ever again. I have two sitting around somewhere(Teflon Frying pans) But Not sure where they are. I also bought two smaller Cast Iron Frying pans for other stuff.

Every time I use my CI Fry pan, I clean it with a scrub brush (Nylon bristles) and hot water. Then I dry it and coat it with a small amount of Olive Oil, wiping off all excess oil. Before I use it again I add a small amount of oil and warm it up, bringing to temp gradually. When warm I add more oil and let it get to temp and then raise it to cooking temp. You can buy my cast iron skillet, but it will cost more than a new one at the store since mine is "Broke in".:D

finallyME
06-03-2011, 03:15 PM
I'm the same way about my Cast Iron Fry pan. It only leaves the stove to be cleaned or to make room for another pot if not using the Cast Iron frying pan. I'll probably never buy another Teflon pan for frying ever again. I have two sitting around somewhere(Teflon Frying pans) But Not sure where they are. I also bought two smaller Cast Iron Frying pans for other stuff.

Every time I use my CI Fry pan, I clean it with a scrub brush (Nylon bristles) and hot water. Then I dry it and coat it with a small amount of Olive Oil, wiping off all excess oil. Before I use it again I add a small amount of oil and warm it up, bringing to temp gradually. When warm I add more oil and let it get to temp and then raise it to cooking temp. You can buy my cast iron skillet, but it will cost more than a new one at the store since mine is "Broke in".:D


You are very nice to your pan. :) I use a metal scrub pad and scrub the cr** out of it. It has a really smooth bottom now. :) That is why I like it more than a teflon pan. I can use a metal scrub brush to get the really stubborn, burnt stuff off. I would say I re-coat with oil about 1/3 of the time. Most of the time I just scrub it out, then stick it on the stove to dry, no oil. I figure it doesn't matter because I will use it again the next day. When we are really lazy (or completely swamped with kids) and the dishes sit for a while, the pan just sits dirty on the stove, and then gets cleaned right before we use it again. Like I said before, I abuse it, and it keeps on keeping on. Oh, I also have put cold water in it, while it is hot, several times. I don't recommend it, but it hasn't done anything to the pan.

shiftyer1
06-03-2011, 10:44 PM
Ranger....When they get sticky i've found it's because I used either to much oil or not enough heat to season. Recently I started seasoning all my cast iron on the stove top on HIGH heat. Lightly coat with oil and burn the heck out of it. Although camp ovens with legs kinda make a mess because some excess oil runs down the legs and burns onto the stove top.

This method gave me a pan that I can cook an omelet in and the egg just slides across the bottom.

EdD270
06-05-2011, 12:00 AM
Hey, thanks, crashdive. I appreciate it.

m1k3dasa1nt
06-05-2011, 06:24 AM
Outdoor Gourmet is a brand sold by Academy. It is made by Lodge. A comparable Lodge is around half again as much. I've not used their cookware but of the other privately labled items at Academy, I've found the quality to be inline with the known brands. Aside from the obviously flimsy I've found that Academy does a good job in keeping quality products on their shelves.