The price can't be beat! $45 with free shipping is a great value regardless of what I write in this review. I was excited to open the box, and loved the color immediately! I continued to be impressed by the weight of the pot. But after completely un packing, I placed the lid on the pot, and looked at my wife and said, this is why a Le Creuset is $245, and this was only $45. The lid does not seal tightly, and you need to rotate the lid to find the position where it seals best, though it's still not 100%, closer to 90%.Would I buy it again? Probably. Would I have bought it in a store, where the faults were clear before making the decision to purchase? Probably not. I just cannot justify the $200+ dollars for the "real deal".
I hope this helpful.
UPDATE: After using this dutch oven many times for a variety of dishes, I would increase my rating to 4 stars. The initial dissappointment of the ill fitting lid has faded, and what remains is a pot that does its job well and even out on my bakers rack, next to a Le Creuset, holds its own in terms of looks.
The fact that you can't use this pot at a setting higher than medium was ridiculous to me, but I complied so that my warranty would not be voided.I seared my meats in a stainless steel pan and then transferred the meat and deglazed the fond into the dutch oven.This was a bit of a pain, but it didn't really bother me that much.
Well, the lack of all the layers of enamel that Le Creuset uses that Tramontina skimps on came to haunt me in what I now regard as an obvious inferior product.The old cliche definitely rings true in this case, "you get what you pay for."After making a pot of beans, I soaked the pot.When I went to hand wash the pot, there were several raised bubbles underneath the layer of enamel.My pot was not chipped on the inside, but there were discolored "veins" that ran on the inside of the pot.These veins were actually cracks that allowed water to get under the thin layer of enamel.This was not cool.This pot is now absolutely useless!I'm afraid of rust problems under the enameled layer and the idea of chunks of enamel cracking into my food is not very appealing.
I contacted Sam's Club and they had someone at Tramontina contact me.They seemed helpful and sent me a return label and promised a replacement after inspecting my dutch oven.I miss having a large Dutch Oven.I'm willing to give the Tramontina another try hoping that maybe my pot just didn't have enough layers of enamel on it and I'm waiting for my replacement pot.If I run into the same problems again, I will write the product off for good and just cough up the $300 for the Le Creuset (which I've owned for 20+ years and have never seen this issue).A year ago, I would have given this product 4/5 stars because of it's excellent value and ability to serve my needs, but with cracks surfacing, I can't recommend this inferior pot.
Update: After over two months, I just received a shipping e-mail confirmation from Tramontina that my pot is going to be shipped back to me.Here's hoping everything pans out and that my problems were a batch quality issue.I'm changing my rating from 1 star to 3 stars because the company stands by their lifetime warranty and is trying to stand by their product.Excellent service from Tramontina makes me feel a bit more confident about this dutch oven.I'll see in a year or so if the pot stands-up to actual use in my kitchen.
Update 01/25/11: I got my pot back at the end of May 2010.They ended up sending me a brand new pot.I actually liked the look of this pot better because it was a solid cherry red color instead of the one red color blending into another deeper red color.I've used this pot a handful of times to make some ragus, marinas, and pot roasts.As expected, I experienced some minor cosmetic staining on the inside which of course is not a big deal.The pot also suffered a chip on its exterior near the handle(I don't know how this happened because I've never dropped the pot) which does not affect its performance and of course is not a big deal.The heat retention is excellent (I'm able to keep a gentle boil at a medium-low heat for my braises).I have not put this pot through the oven yet this time but I don't expect any surprises.
The only "issue" I've noticed after over 6 months of use is that the texture on the bottom of the pot is different than the texture closer to the top.It has a matte feel and look and does not have the gloss of the enamel.I experienced the exact same thing last time with the change in texture and I think because there were dimples in the enamel on the inside (uneven layers of enamel), these became such weak points that it lead to the enamel cracking (this is just my theory, Tramontina never commented).No cracks in the interior of the pot yet for water to seep through and raise concerns about rust.
At this time I don't think the change in texture will affect its performance.I still think it's great that Tramontina will stand by its product so you don't have anything to lose to give this product a try.I'm still leaving the product at 3 stars because of it's great performance ability and its excellent value, but I'm still unsure about the quality of the interior's enamel and how long it will last since I can already see obvious changes.I'll continue to use this pot as long as I don't get any dangerous cracks.
Update 05/27/12: This pot has been put through the works and performs beautifully (average usage is roughly 2-3 times per month).It has been in and out of the oven without any issues.I did have it scorch on me a couple of times because I made thick "bechamel" based soups and forgot about it (left the lid open and too much liquid evaporated), but an overnight soak and a paste of Barkeepers friend or Bon Ami (cleaning detergents similar to Ajax or Comet but not as harsh) cleans the pot right up.The enamel on the inside's bottom is nice and even, but the lustered gloss is definitely gone.As I mentioned before, the bottom is matte now and it has remained that way.The interior's walls are still glossy, only the bottom has lost its gloss.With the lustered gloss, the pot would stick less and be easier to clean.With the matte pot, once the fond or brown bits develop in the pot, they are easily scraped up with a wooden spoon when you deglaze it with wine, chicken stock, water, etc.So I have bumped the rating of this product up to 4 stars because it performs well and is a great pot to have in your kitchen.I can't give the product 5 stars because the interior bottom's gloss doesn't remain which leads to a few minor issues.As long as you use this pot for the appropriate techniques, you'll be quite satisfied in its performance.Definitely do use this pot on lower heats to prevent sticking and scorching.I recommend this pot as a budget friendly alternative to Le Creuset's pot.Both pots are HEAVY, but this is a favorable must for heat retention in making braises, pot roast, stews, etc.As I pointed out, the only issue I see with the Tramontina Cast Iron Enameled Dutch oven is its loss of gloss after usage over time.This does make the pot a bit harder to clean, but its not like you can just wipe the Le Creuset pot clean either.I'm okay with having to use a little extra elbow grease once in awhile if I accidentally scorch this pot.Do expect the matte part to stain more than the glossy part, but stains on the interior of the pot doesn't bother me since it doesn't affect performance.
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I bought this pot about a week ago and was amazed at just how sturdy (around 20 pounds in weight!) and versatile it is!I plan to use it to fry chicken on the stove and to bake bread in the oven.This pot was highly recommended by Cooks Illustrated so I feel confident that it's going to work like a charm!Couple things to note...the lid is only good to 400 degrees due to the knob, not 450 like the product description states.I purchased a Le Creuset knob to replace the Tramontina knob, but the screw for the Le Creuset knob is shorter and skinner than the one that comes with this pot so I'll have to get a new screw before I can make the swap.Oh, and you'll have to season this pan before you use it.That was no big deal really...just put a little shortning on the top of the pan where the lid rests and then stick it in the oven for an hour at 350 degrees and you're in business.All in all, I'd say this pan is terrific and I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for a versatile pan in the kitchen to use on the stove or in the oven.It's a tremendous deal when you compare it to it's cousin, Le Creuset, that costs around $300!!!Read Best Reviews of Tramontina Gourmet Cast Iron Covered Casseroles Here
I have shopped at Amazon for years and have been very satisfied with most of my purchases, this is the first time I was so impressed that I had to write a review.We have wanted a cast iron/enamel interior dutch oven for quite some time.I bought a Martha Stewart at Macys and returned it immediately due to a defect in the enamel interior.We decided to try this Tramontina and love it.I made Chicken Catchatori tonight and it was amazing.Tomorrow we're making beef stew and the next night......Want Tramontina Gourmet Cast Iron Covered Casseroles Discount?
I discovered this item in an "America's Test Kitchens" cookbook with recipes for dutch ovens that can be used on stove-top & in ovens. It was recommended as a less pricey alternative to LeCreuset with the same features. Based on other customer's reviews I also purchased the LeCreuset stainless steel replacement knob to replace the plastic one on the Tramontina item (recommended). I had to get a different length & circumfrence bolt (screw) from my local hardware store to adapt but it only cost me 19 cents! This item must be hand washed (no dishwasher)but it's a breeze to clean up no matter what you cook. So far everything I've made in it was fantastic!
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