Enameled Dutch oven ok on the kettle?

[Dadof3Illinois]

jfmorris I think the plain DO is better for open flame too....I think mine is actually the cheaper Camp Chef one and it works great!!!

[jfmorris]

You know what? I don't think you can hurt the dutch oven you already have, and at worst case, you just gotta do a bit of scrubbing in the sink after the cook. Why not give it a whirl before buying another DO? If you use one outside a lot you might want a dedicated one down the road...

[jfmorris]

Ok - so maybe its less cleanup than I recall. I do think I got all the smut off with just a kitchen scrubbie/soap dispenser thing, with the green scotch bright pad on it.

Of course for me, I started with the plain DO, then got the enameled one later, and I tend to favor the plain CI for the grill.

[Dadof3Illinois]

I've used my cast enameled cookware on my kettles several times with no big issues. I've been able to clean them all up with a little elbow grease when done too, but i'm not one for fretting about the looks of my cookware. Like jfmorris I do have a dedicated DO for frying things over open flames.

[jfmorris]

Smilner my wife bought me the above Lodge 5 quart DO specifically for me to use on the grill. But I also use it inside and for baking no-knead bread in the oven.

[Smilner]

Thanks for the pictures and advice. You sold me on ponying up the dough and getting a designated grilling DO. Elbow grease with a belly full of chili doesn’t sound like it would mix well

[jfmorris]

No concerns with flames. I deep fry in a porcelain dutch oven on a gas stove all the time, and that is flames.

However, smoke is another story.

I used my 7 quart enameled dutch oven once on the grill, and the main issue was sooting up of the exterior. Took a lot of elbow grease to clean off the soot and smoke. Since then, I prefer to only use my non-coated Lodge 5 qt dutch oven on the grills. I doubt I will ever use the nice dutch oven out there again.

I cannot find a picture of the red porcelain dutch oven on the grill, but here is what my regular dutch oven looks like after 2 hours on the grill. This was indirect cooking at 350F with no smoking wood and minimal visible smoke.



It cleaned up fairly easily with hot water and a brush, but since this was black anyway, it was not as much scrubbing as the porcelain required.

And this stainless sauce pan got all yellowed and discolored from 1.5 hours of smoke:



I had to really put some elbow grease and steel wool into cleaning the yellowed color off my wife's sauce pan before she got home that night! You can't do that with the porcelain or cast iron though.

So.... I guess what I am trying to says is this. The enamel dutch oven will be just fine, but its just going to get sooty on the outside and need some scrubbing after the cook. I personally would go pickup a 5 quart Lodge DO if it were me, and keep the nice stuff for inside... but that's just me, and we have room for multiple dutch ovens in the kitchen.

[Smilner]

That’s what I was thinking too. The melting thing freaked me out a little but I only saw that on one or two of the dozens of search results I checked

[hoovarmin]

I can't imagine it could harm it to be over the flames of a grill, but not the flames of a gas stove. It may discolor a bit, but that's character.

[Smilner]

Got a couple lodge enameled Dutch ovens. I can’t find a definitive answer online whether you should or shouldn’t use it on the grill. I saw some said it’s totally fine. Some said wrap the bottom in foil to keep it pretty. Some say don’t go directly over the coals or the enamel could melt. Any yes or no experiences? Just cough up the $50 for a regular old Dutch oven?