LodgePre-Seasoned Cast Iron Combo Cooker. Dutch Oven Pot, Skillet with Lid, Induction, Oven, Grill and Metal Utensil Safe. Made in the USA. 3 Litre/3.2 Quart, Black

I bought this Lodge cast iron set mostly for bread making. My previous method has been dropping the dough into a hot Le Creuset 24 cm classic casserole with high sides and it is too clumsy and the risk of getting a burn injury is too high. So this Lodge combo appealed to me because I can turn it upside down and use it as a shallow base bread oven. My Lodge combo arrived in well packed and ready to use. Skillet and top surfaces are both perfectly flat so will work well on a glass/ceramic/induction hob. The pre-seasoning from the factory was fine. I hadn't used non-enamelled cast iron for decades but I am really liking this. It works really well. Transferring the dough was much easier and safer and I got a great result first time using my usual timings. I have also enjoyed cooking using the skillet. It was easy to clean and to keep seasoned. I think this is a great Dutch Oven. It is less than half the price of similar Le Creuset item, is more versatile as you can use it either way up, and is much, much better quality than cheap products which can be poorly cast, have uneven thickness and chips and even cracks. It is very heavy of course but this should not come as a surprise.

These pre-seasoned Lodge cast iron pans - if cared for properly - are a life-long purchase, or possibly longer, if you decide to hand them down to the next generation!They are beautifully made, with a clean, consistent cast, and a considerable heft, even in the smaller sizes. The iron has a tight, fine grain which produces smooth curves and crisp details on the pan, and provides a visible sense of quality. Equipping your kitchen with a set of these would be ideal if you appreciate traditional, quality items that can be passed down from generation to generation - they are genuinely 'Modern Retro'. Unchanged in design over hundreds of years, there is a sense when cooking with these that a great-great-grandmother has done the same somewhere back in the distant past. In this manner, they are eminently suitable for cooking traditional and slow-cooked dishes.Pros: Solid, long-lasting, high quality construction that saves on energy (as less heat is needed) and may improve the taste of your foods.A slower approach on a lower setting will infuse the pan with an even heat all over. The cast iron may not actually add anything taste-wise to the food being cooked, but - possibly by not taking anything away either - it definitely does help food taste better! Meats sear really well, sealing in more flavour. There is absolutely no chance of any contamination from non-stick chemicals or coatings as the pans are entirely naturally coated (cooking oil).Cons: Need slightly more maintenance than a modern non-stick pan, and the considerable weight can make them a bit of a handful!Pre-seasoning (cooked-on oil) ensures less hassle when the pan is new, and as you add to the seasoning through time, the non-stick qualities of the pan increase.Unlike normal non-stick pans, you can use metal kitchen implements with impunity, as the surface is practically bulletproof. However, you must wash the pan in a gentle soap solution after each use, and re-coat the pan with oil before storing it away. In practice, this only takes a couple of minutes and leaves the pan with a satisfying black lustre. Not doing it, or leaving the pan damp, can result in rust quickly forming on the raw iron. However, even this is not a disaster as a gentle scrub and re-oiling will get rid of the rust (although leaving rust on for longer could result in physical damage to the surface of the pan).Due to their robust construction and the nature of cast iron, these pans tend to weigh heavily, even in the smaller sizes. This helps the pan spread and retain heat evenly, but can make them a bit of a handful when moving them around the stove. As an integral part of the pan, the handles heat up at the same rate, so be careful with them! The positive side of this is that the pan can go from stove top to oven to table top (and even BBQ!) without alteration, or risk of a plastic handle melting. Buy a pair of good quality silicone mitts or oven gloves and always lift them using both handles. Lodge do silicone covers for the handles and tempered, oven-proof glass lids in sizes to fit the main pans.For general use, the 8" and 10" sizes should be adequate, with 12" for larger meals or extended family cooking. They are also available in deep versions that can be used as a casserole. We store ours on the gas stove top as we like the look of them so much!

So far so good with this. Very good value for money. Quality seems to be very good and cooking with it has been fabulous.Noted a few things to be aware: it's very heavy so a bit more difficult for serving, and it takes longer to heat up and cool down so do factor this into your cooking.Also, skip the silicone handle cover. It absorbs so much heat it's basically useless.

I recently got rid of all of my high-end nonstick cookware (Anolon and Circulon) and decided to switch to cast iron. I spent a small fortune on my nonstick collection, but after only five years, and despite great care (hand washed only), the nonstick surfacing was coming off.I've been intimidated by cast iron all my adult life, so have avoided it, but I decided that it was time to give it a shot, as it's extremely durable and always seems to be so highly recommended by those who've used it.I'm now kicking myself for not buying cast iron 20 years ago. This cookware is brilliant. Truly easy to use and care for and our food tastes so much better: fried food has a wonderful crispy surface and roasted food absorbs the flavors it's cooked with so much more richly. My husband is mad for the flavor and texture imparted to basmati rice when it's roasted in the deep fryer along with a stuffed chicken - I'll never boil it on the hob again!I've also ordered the 5 quart dutch oven for large holiday meals, but this combo cooker has been all I've needed for cooking for my family of 3 in the two weeks that I've had it - at a fraction of the price that I paid for the Anolon equipment.

I only really use this pan to bake bread in now and it produces excellent loaves. It came pre seasoned but I seasoned it a few times myself as well and it was good to go. I have cooked in it a few times as well but it is quite tedious to clean as I don't like using too much soap incase the seasoning wears off and I will be back to square one. Be very careful in exposing it to water and definitely do not leave in the sink overnight! it will end up rusting and you'll have to strip it back and reseason which is a pain. This is why I only use this for baking bread now as the cleaning afterwards is very straightforward and minimal effort. I would suggest an enamelled cast iron dutch oven for cooking in just for cleaning convenience (definitely worth the investment). Overall, very good value for money you just need to be careful when cleaning and season well