Tramontina 6.5qt Cast Iron Dutch Oven

Wanted an enameled cast iron pot/dutch oven. Checked prices all over the place - on line, local stores with sale events, etc. Accidently saw an on-line comment about a review/comparison in Cook's Illustrated and searched for it. In the neighborhood of $40 to $50 including shipping, this absolutely cannot be beaten. The Tramontina dutch oven is heavier than others from Le Crueset, Mario Batali, and others I saw on line, which is not a bad thing. If any vapors get out of that lid leave the house because they must be poison gas. The edge of the lid and bottom are not enameled - not a big deal. Tramontina makes commercial coookware and if you think about it, the edges of the lid and bottom portion would be the places most likely for chips to occur through use. Once that happens, you would need to season them to avoid rusting. Not a big deal. Love this pan and every time we use it we thing about the $250 we saved. You won't go wrong with this purchase.

I used this pot the other night for stew. It did it's job very well. Heavy, cooked evenly and browned meat nicely. Cleaned up beautifully with hot soapy water. The finish inside the pot has a small imperfection, but enamel covers entire surface. I have a LeCreuset but did not want to spend so much money for a second dutch oven. Hopefully this will wear as well! It is a great pot for the money! Would recommend.

This was a package deal-- one 6-1/2 qt., one 3-1/2 qt. dutch oven. The quality matches Le Creuset at less than half the price. Having the two sizes provides flexibility. The only deficiency is that the lid knobs are rated to take only 400 degrees F. This matters little, since their use in the oven would not normally be at that high a temperature. I am an accomplished cook with a large batterie de cuisine, and these are a worthy addition.

What a GREAT pot!. It has all the features of the famous $300 dutch oven at a fraction of the cost. It is a heavy, thick walled cast iron poot, and porcelain-coated inside and out -- just like the Le Cruset -- only 1/6 the cost! It is nearly perfect and it does just exactly what it's supposed to do. It even includes a lifetime guarantee. This really is a no-brainer. I also ordered the 3 1/2 qt. matching braizer for only an additional fourteen bucks with the manufacturers promotion! WOW

I bought this Dutch Oven to supplement the Le Crueset I already have. The Le Crueset is just a bit big for many of my recipes. The Tramontina is every bit as good and is just a fraction of the price of the more expensive brand. I seasoned it according to instructions and had no problems. I find that the lid fits properly, whether using it to boil water on the stove, or to bake something in the oven. Cast iron, particularly enameled cast iron, is perfect for many jobs around the kitchen. The Tramontina heats evenly and cleans up easily with just a soaking in warm, soapy water. The first one I got through the Site to Store program had a flaw in the enamel and Wal-Mart returned it with no problem and replaced it with one that is perfect. It would be hard to spend your "kitchen money" more wisely. A very good value!