kitchenaid dutch ovens
good? bad? indifferent? some are on sale and i'm considering getting one but i don't know if they are any good. le creuset is a little out of my league.
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9 Comments:
To be honest, if you don't need the thing immediately, put a few more bucks away and get Le Creuset. It's entirely worth it. I have most of mine for over 20 years. Go to LC Outlet stores! My BF got me the 13 qt. oval oven in Flame (which was discontinued). It was deeply discounted - I think ending price was around $300. I used it last weekend to make a big pot of gravy and meatballs for my daughter's birthday and it was great even on the stove. Scout those outlets...It'll be worth the wait.
chiff0nade at 8:14PM on 11/17/07
We picked ours up at IKEA a couple years ago. Cheap, works great on the stovetop and in the oven, and looks nice. We use it on our ceramic top stove and the nice smooht bottom causes no damage. The inside is not enameled, however: it's a smooth cast iron finish. Other than that, I'm hard pressed to see why I would want to have spent 5 times the amount for a Le Creuset.
http://www.ikea.com.sg/products/product_display.asp?id=3133
Garyo at 8:44PM on 11/17/07
If I remember correctly, the KitchenAid dutch ovens are anodized aluminum. For most applications, that's fine. For dutch ovens, I like cast iron -- whether enameled or not. You want the weight for temperature stability and especially in the lid, to make a pretty tight seal for braises and stews.
You can get Lodge Logic (preseasoned) cast-iron dutch ovens for a song from Amazon or at a camping supply store. If they are well-seasoned (and the pre-seasoned ones are), then they're virtually non-stick. The only issue would be cooking on a dark surface, which *might* make it harder to judge the brown-ness of searing meats.
Dominic
the zen kitchen
dvchurch at 10:35PM on 11/17/07
I'll second chiff0nade; save your bucks for Le Creuset. I have a 5.5 qt oven that I use constantly. Stove top or in the oven, it's the best $185 bucks I ever spent on myself. Now I need to find an outlet store to get a bigger one! Cast iron heats quickly and consistently, the lid is perfectly tight, and it is easy care.
ride&cook at 8:55AM on 11/18/07
actually the kitchenaid ones are not anodized aluminum, at least not the ones i've seen. they are enameled cast iron.
lexophile at 11:20AM on 11/18/07
I'd suggest searching the thrift shops, yard sales, and even eBay for an old fashioned Wagnerware or Griswold cast iron Dutch oven.
1stmakearoux at 1:56PM on 11/18/07
I've never used a Le Creuset or Kitchenaid dutch oven, but my husband gave me a Lodge enamel-over-cast-iron dutch oven for my birthday this year and I love it! It is wonderful for soups and stews on top of the stove or for making falling-apart pot roast in the oven. And you get a great upper body workout - these suckers are heavy!
janniceinraleigh at 9:47AM on 11/19/07
I have a Lodge Cast Iron Dutch oven - not enamelled or anything - and it is MY FAVORITE thing in my entire kitchen. It is heavy and cooks everything beautifully. Man, you talk about the perfect pot roast or arroz con pollo, etc.. I use it for every single thing. I even bake bread in it.
It is nicely seasoned, easy to clean, I just rinse it in hot water, wipe it out and done! It lives in my lower oven.
I honestly wouldn't trade it for Le Crueuset EVER.
Elizabelle at 10:10AM on 11/19/07
Elizabelle, you're a woman after my own heart! I actually have THREE cast iron dutch ovens; a Wagnerware, a Griswold, and one that was apparently made when Wagner and Griswold merged. It has both the Wagnerware and the Griswold trademarks on the bottom! I fry chicken and fish, I make meatloaf, pot roast, chicken & dumplings, and darn near anything else I like in them. Try making an authentic gumbo......laissez les bon temps rouler!
1stmakearoux at 1:58PM on 11/24/07