Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Here's a deal for ya...

I've got a bridge for sale.

Will

It cost that much because it says Le Creuset on it. We're currently looking for a 5qt DO for a wedding registry that costs $254. No way I'd pay that much, but It's for a girl who works for my wife. They are making it a community present from everybody and they are filling it with their own recipes to personalize it.

Or is it 5l, they use the metric system in France, they wouldn't know what the F@#% a quart was <--play on Pulp Fiction

Can you say "over-inflated sense of self-importance"? I knew you could.

The sad thing is, they probably sell a lot of these.

I'll bet it doesn't work a bit better than a Chinese import.I have a couple of Lodge d.o.'s and a bunch of other Lodge products..I didn't pay 300 bux for all of my cast iron.

We have 3 Staub Dutch ovens. My wife worked for a company that imported them. She was given them over the years. They are awesome pieces. Great even heat and the quality and porcelain finish is top notch. Would I pay 300 bucks? No, but if I could hunt them up at estate sales or Ebay at a good price I sure would buy them. Some times Tuesday Morning and TJ Maxx stores carry the Le Cruset brand at big discounts.

Porcelain worries me. I've never seen it as reliable....ever porcelain thing I own has cracks in it. A plain ol cast Iron whatever can always be reseasoned and back to new condition assuming you haven't cracked or warped it.

I won't buy Chinese, they put melamine in dog food to stretch it (thought us silly round eyes wouldn't figure it out!)

I wouldn't trust they won't do the same with iron...."would you like some beryllium in that cobbler? It ads a very nice tang..."

Nope. I'll stick to Lodge and Lodge alone, until they stop making it right here in the USA. Even if they add beryllium to the mix.

Buy American when you can...there are a lot of good people hurting here, and the couple bucks extra you spend might help put a meal on their table.

I have a large 12 inch round Le Creuset DO; white enamel (or is it porcelain?) on CI. Next to my large CI skillet it is my "go to" pot for indoor cooking. Great heat control on an otherwise difficult to control electric range, easy clean up, and with a little care, no worries about chipping. There seems to be a big difference between coated CI and steel enamelware as far as chipping is concerned; plus it has it's own place in my cupboards and I never nest anything else inside it. No worries about your food turning gray when cooking with acids like wine, vinegar or citrus. It is also oven proof, too, though I have never used it that way.

Don't knock them until you have tried them. Yeah, I wish they were less expensive (actually mine was a gift), but having used it for many years if it were somehow wrested from my possession, I would go right out and buy another; no question.

Heirloom quality.

Oh yeah, US factory made in South Carolina since 1974.

GerryS wrote: I'll stick to Lodge and Lodge alone, until they stop making it right here in the USA. Even if they add beryllium to the mix.

Buy American when you can...there are a lot of good people hurting here, and the couple bucks extra you spend might help put a meal on their table.

I am about to start a war but I have been very disappointed with the Lodge brand. The extremely rough interiors and the lack of any kind of balance make them clunky to use and hard to care for. I have given most of mine away and have leaned towards pre 1940 iron. I am always looking for old iron with obvious gate marks. The iron quality in these old pieces seems to be much better and most are baby butt smooth. They are more user friendly in that they are so easy to clean. It seems a pre WW2 piece of cast iron is easier to lift and maneuver one handed. Many have a dipped handle perhaps this changes the balance point I do agree and avoid the foreign made iron in favor of the good old U.S.A. stuff .

bobhenry wrote:I am about to start a war but I have been very disappointed with the Lodge brand. The extremely rough interiors and the lack of any kind of balance make them clunky to use and hard to care for.

I tend to agree with you Bob, at least when it comes to skillets. I have a big Lodge skillet that I don't use because it's too rough. Everday, I use a cast iron skillet that was made in Taiwan in the 70's. It has a smooth cooking surface and my eggs never stick to it. I now have a Wagner No 8 Drip Drop Skillet Cover, which fits the skillet like a glove and works extremely well. There are patent marks on the lid that say Dec 4, 1917, February 10, 1920, March 8, 1921 and March 14, 1922. I assume it was made in the early 20's.



I also have a No 6 Wagner skillet which I haven't had a chance to re-season since I obtained it. I'm going to cook breakfast in it in a few minutes, so I will find out how good it is.

My well-seasoned Lodge camp ovens seem to work fine for me, but I don't do a lot frying in them. I mostly do things like beef stroganoff, Dutch oven potatoes and dinner rolls in them. So not a lot of frying.

I've got a lodge and I thought tit was a little rough too, but I stared seasoning with beeswax, and mine is now black and smooth as a mirror. I chase my eggs every morning. It isn't a problem.

Lodge is the only cast iron still made in the USA, and as long as that continues ill still buy it. I won't touch made in china if there is an option....

I can walk out the door right now and for $300.00 have 3 dutch ovens and 20 to 25 good skillets. There are two, year around flea market within 12 miles of me who , at this moment , probably have 60 or more pieces of cast iron up for sale. Many are old Wagner, griswold and other,unbranded pieces marked made in the USA.

Lodge is not the only choice they are simply the only active producer of cast iron.

While visiting my mother I went thru the spot in the road town of Cave City Ky and stopped at Elvis's flea market where I was greated by a hugh ten legged table 8' x 20' with 6 layers of cast iron items So bargains are out there.

I do have to confess that I mispoke myself in my earlier post. After cleaning up a find from Goodwill earlier this week it is marked made in Korea ( Yep them folks who are gonna nuke us). I will state that this is a very old piece and impressively made that is what attracted me to it. I will get it in the flock and kitchen test it. It may become something to trade or sell but I don't think so, I really think this is a good piece despite it being foreign.

GerryS wrote: I won't touch made in china if there is an option....

I agree with that one... ...no telling how much lead is in it...

I saw some Chinese cast iron pans that were marked "Do Not Use For Cooking"

GerryS wrote:
Nope. I'll stick to Lodge and Lodge alone, until they stop making it right here in the USA. Even if they add beryllium to the mix.

Buy American when you can...there are a lot of good people hurting here, and the couple bucks extra you spend might help put a meal on their table.

problem is not all lodge items are made in america any more

and you can tell what is and what isnt
funny when i bought my last 10 in lodge i almost walked out of gander mt becuase i asked to open the box and make sure it was a made in america product and the lid fit properly
at first the gal said no i couldnt i had to buy it as i started to walk out the manager said i could
and sure enough the first one the lid didnt fit right on and it wasnt up to snuff in the way it looked and sure enough there was a china paper in the box
the other one fit right and there was no china sticker in the box and there was no china paper
the lid lifters and other odds and ends have the made in china sticker right on them and they are not the same as the made in the usa parts

KCStudly wrote:I have a large 12 inch round Le Creuset DO; white enamel (or is it porcelain?) on CI. Next to my large CI skillet it is my "go to" pot for indoor cooking. Great heat control on an otherwise difficult to control electric range, easy clean up, and with a little care, no worries about chipping. There seems to be a big difference between coated CI and steel enamelware as far as chipping is concerned; plus it has it's own place in my cupboards and I never nest anything else inside it. No worries about your food turning gray when cooking with acids like wine, vinegar or citrus. It is also oven proof, too, though I have never used it that way.

Don't knock them until you have tried them. Yeah, I wish they were less expensive (actually mine was a gift), but having used it for many years if it were somehow wrested from my possession, I would go right out and buy another; no question.

Heirloom quality.

Oh yeah, US factory made in South Carolina since 1974.

I haven't actually put it to the test but I'm pretty sure they are bullet proof. I have two LC ovens over 25 years old, both still have all their coating intact, no cracks. I also have a couple of whatever the blue ones Ikea sells, they chip easily but overall are holding up OK. My everyday go to is the red one from Costco. Its white interior is crazed and the bottom discolored. My wife and I have agreed that if the house catches fire she will get the dog, I will get my chef's knife and I'll come back the next day to get my LC from the charred remains.