cast iron pots

[Faith In Virginia]

I was thinking of getting a cast iron pot to do some slow cooking with the left over oven heat after a bake.

My question is I have two options in cast iron pots one pot has legs to hold it off the floor and the other is just a normal cast iron pot. what are your thoughts on which one would work better. The one with legs would use the oven air temp for cooking and the one with out legs would have more surface contact with the oven floor. So I don't know if anyone has experience with this.

Cajun Cookware Pots With Legs 20 Quart Seasoned Cast Iron Camp Pot : Iron Pots Depot

or

Cajun Cookware Dutch Ovens 9-Quart Seasoned Cast Iron Dutch Oven - GL10488S : Iron Pots Depot

Thanks for your thoughts

[gdest]

Re: cast iron pots

If you get the one without the legs you will be able to also use it in your house on the stove top or in your house oven. The one with the legs is there so that you can shovel coals under the oven bottom.
I checked out the two sites you are looking at and the price for the cast iron ovens seem high. You might want to check out this site:

Cast Iron Dutch Oven by ShoppingHevanet and What's Cooking America Kitchen

In addition, there are a lot of people out there that do not appreciate the value of cooking in cast iron, and you can find real bargins or steals for some of these items in garage sales.

Good luck

Gary

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: cast iron pots

You also may not want to drag the legs of your pot across your oven floor. My entryway was designed a little deeper and will make it a little more difficult to get pots and pans in and out I'm sure.

FWIW, Sam's Club has a 5 1/2 QT enamled cast iron pot for $35 that looks/cooks great.

[Jed]

Re: cast iron pots

I use the cast iron regularly... and love it!

The old standard black pots need seasoning, and are not recommended for 'acid' foods (tomato stuff...). and the enameled ones work for everything.

The pots with legs are designed to be used for camp fire cooking, or with briquettes. I'd recommend the regular style pot with out legs, for your standard cooking projects, including in the wood oven. We use the flat bottom pots for slow cook meals with most every firing of the oven; the two most common at our home are roasts (pulled pork), and whistle berries (some call them beans!).

With a little time you can get some great pots at garage sales, or thrift stores for low prices. (one recent purchase is a great size black cast pot for $7.00)

JED

[WoodchuckDad]

Re: cast iron pots

Cast iron cooks great in the WFO for secondary use of heat. Also, you can make some great bread in iron pots. Marshall's and TJ max also will often have good deals on cast Iron. Be careful, you might get the bug and start hitting antique shops, and flea markets looking for old cast iron. The castings are elegant on the stuff that was put out in the 20's.

[scottz]

Re: cast iron pots

Cast Iron pots and pans are really excellent to use....just dont do what I did the first time I used it. When grabbing a cast iron cooking item out of your WFO, always remember to use a oven glove or towel. When you forget and you decided to grab the pan with your bare hand, that sizzle sound is really your flesh!! Its amazing how quick it takes for your hand to turn into one huge white blister!! LOL!! So yes they are great...but use a oven glove like I do now

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: cast iron pots

Be careful, you might get the bug and start hitting antique shops, and flea markets looking for old cast iron

Or Craigslist. I found a set of unused cast iron frying pans, 20 qt Dutch oven and griddle for $45.

[Lburou]

Re: cast iron pots

I was thinking of getting a cast iron pot to do some slow cooking with the left over oven heat after a bake.

My question is I have two options in cast iron pots one pot has legs to hold it off the floor and the other is just a normal cast iron pot. what are your thoughts on which one would work better. The one with legs would use the oven air temp for cooking and the one with out legs would have more surface contact with the oven floor. So I don't know if anyone has experience with this.

Cajun Cookware Pots With Legs 20 Quart Seasoned Cast Iron Camp Pot : Iron Pots Depot

or

Cajun Cookware Dutch Ovens 9-Quart Seasoned Cast Iron Dutch Oven - GL10488S : Iron Pots Depot

Thanks for your thoughts

The smaller, 19 pound pot is what I would choose....The 50 pound pot would be a chore for me

[splatgirl]

Re: cast iron pots

FWIW, that first one you linked with the lip around the lid--that is intended to hold hot coals piled on top to cook. Neato, huh?

[Faith In Virginia]

Re: cast iron pots

LOL... yup I got the bug. I have a nice selection of cast iron pots and pans to use now. Flea Markets and garage sales got some nice deals.

Tonight was great I made Pizza for the family (father's day) and all. I had some meat toppings that needed to be pre-cooked so while the oven was good and hot I did up the toppings in my cast iron. Everyone was impressed with the sizzle and the way it cooked. Just loving my cast iron in my WFO.

Yes I have done the oops...hot handle grab before...not fun at all.

[C5dad]

Re: cast iron pots

I have the one from Sams and it is a champ for low and slow. After using a regular dutch oven in the house, I would not go back due to a lack of legs.

[Lburou]

Re: cast iron pots

I have the one from Sams and it is a champ for low and slow. After using a regular dutch oven in the house, I would not go back due to a lack of legs.

Does that mean my concern about damage to the oven floor from the legs is unfounded?

[C5dad]

Re: cast iron pots

Not at all - I too would be worried about the legs chipping the base!!! I would not use my legged ovens in the WFO.

[Rocko Bonaparte]

Re: cast iron pots

I built my oven taller so I could more easily work dutch ovens and roasts in and out of it. I'm still accumulating dutch ovens; particularly I'm trying to find a big one for doing roasts.

Some advice:
I recommend using a hook to move the ovens around rather than trying to grab them with gloves. Certainly wear gloves but get a hook on a pole to move them in and out.

Note how the good Lodge ones put a series of tight spirals at the top of their handles. That's so when you catch it with a hook, it won't slide around.

If you have an oven with a lower height then you'll want to make your own handles that are much shorter. Then you can use taller dutch ovens without worrying about banging up against the roof of your oven entranceway.

Generally I wouldn't recommend the ones with legs because they take up height if you're trying to use a hook, and they can scratch the floor if you drag them instead. So they fight back either way.

The pot lid handle that comes with Le Creuset baking ware are not rated for higher temperatures. They sell a high-temperature handle that looks like a metal knob you can use instead. However, for the temperatures you're intending to use, the conventional knob will usually work.

[Faith In Virginia]

Re: cast iron pots

I picked up a large Lodge dutch oven ( no legs) and I fit a 12 lb pork roast in it this weekend. What a joy to cook with and the roast was awesome.

Now I'm looking for some of those Garlic Prawn Pots (Thanks Brickie and Doug) Brickie in oz gave me a good link to E--bay for them. They are about $17 each and $57 in shipping to Virginia...ouch.