Lodge Logic 8-Quart Camp Dutch Oven

By admin on November 21st, 2009

Lodge Logic 8-Quart Camp Dutch Oven Review

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I wanted to try out campfire cooking so I did a little research and purchased this Lodge dutch oven.

Let me first say that I have bought other Lodge cast iron products and they are the “Mercedes” of cast iron cookware. No shortcuts here, just beautiful, functional cast iron products that can be passed down to your children or grandchildren. On to the review…

The pot lid is very, very heavy. The pot itself is beautifully made. The instructions are clear (I recommend you follow them, they are correct). The iron handle is robust enough to take the pot off the fire filled hot food without giving you any concern.

The pot is “pre-seasoned” so all you have to do is give it a quick clean. I usually clean my cast iron products using hot water, a soft plastic brush and a little salt. Not much sticks anyway, but the salt works to give the brush a little “bite”, plus I think the salt helps the seasoning a little.

The next step is to make a nice fire about 2 hours ahead of your cook time. The pot is NOT placed on the fire directly, but a few hot coals are dragged away from the fire for cooking.

I place the pot over about 10 hot coals on the botton, and about 20 hot coals on the lid. I turn the lid every 15 minutes or so and replace the coals with new ones about every 45 minutes.

Generally this method will cook a 4-5 pound chicken with a few potatoes, carrots and onions until it “falls off the bone” in about 3 hours.

It’s really hard to describe how chicken tastes after being cooked over fire coals. It seems to keep the character flavor of the pot from meal to meal, and tastes ever so slightly smoky. It’s very similar to cooking I’ve tasted in New Zealand where meat and vegetables are wrapped up on palm fronds, place over white hot stones, then buried for about four hours. It just has it’s own unique flaor.

I’ve also cooked chile, leg of lamb and a number of other dishes. They’ve all been great.

A word of warning. Most people (including myself) can’t believe that just a few coals below the pot, and double the number placed on top of the lid, can really cook the contents, but less is truly more in campfire cooking.

If too many coals are used, the food will taste strangely overcooked, but not burned. So best to exercise much restraint.

If you want to try campfire cooking and buy quality that can last for generations, then I say buy this quality pot and go out and cook!