The 10 Best Gas Oven Heating Slowly

Lodge Logic Dutch Oven with Spiral Loop Handle

Even, Gentle Heating

The Lodge Traditional Dutch Oven with Wire Bail handle has been popular for over a century, and is perfect for camp and hearth cooking.

The Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven is a multi-functional cookware that works wonders with slow-cooking recipes. It comes with a tight-fitting lid that helps lock in nutrition and flavor. This pre-seasoned Dutch Oven works like a charm right out of the box. Made of cast iron, this Dutch Oven evenly distributes heat from the bottom through the sidewalls. Also, it retains heat better so your delicious meal remains warm for a long time. Sporting a stylish black color, the cast iron Dutch Oven looks good in most kitchens and it doubles up as an excellent source of nutritional iron. It features loop handles for convenient handling and the oven is easy to clean and maintain.

A simple Cast-Iron Dutch Oven, like the one your grandmother used, still ranks as one of the best cooking utensils ever made. It gives you a nearly non-stick surface, without the possible harmful fumes generated by preheating chemically treated nonstick cookware.

Many of the pieces of cast iron cookware made in the Lodge Foundry over a century ago remain in use today.

Cast-Iron Lid

Features:

• Made of cast iron
• Pre-seasoned and ready-to-use
• Multi-functional cookware
• Virtual Non-stick surface
• Works with induction stove tops
• Brutally tough for decades of cooking
• Wire bale handle
• Easy to clean: hand wash, dry, rub with cooking oil

Detailed Highlights:

Multi-Functional Cookware

The right tool for searing, sauteing, simmering, braising, baking, roasting, and frying.

Made of Cast-Iron

Cast-Iron is a form of cookware developed over a millennia ago remains as popular today as when it was used to prepare meals hundreds of years ago. Cast Iron is one of only two metals compatible with induction stovetops. Unparalleled in heat retention and even heating.

Can Be Used With A Variety of Heat Sources

At home in the oven, on the stove, on the grill or over the campfire. Skillet may be used on various heat sources including gas, electric, induction and ceramic-glass top stoves and ovens. When using on glass stove tops, be careful not to slide the cookware around as it’s possible to scratch the surface. Seasoned cast iron can also be used on the grill or outdoor fire and coals for camp cooking. Begin heating cookware on low and slowly bring heat up to medium or medium/high. Always remove cookware from the stovetop after cooking.

Pre-Seasoned

Seasoned for a natural, easy-release finish that improves with use.

Seasoning is a necessary step in using cast iron cookware. Oil is baked into the pores of the iron at the foundry to prevent rusting and to eventually provide a natural, non-stick cooking surface. Unlike synthetically coated cookware, it is possible to restore the cooking surface of cast iron.

Lodge uses a proprietary soy-based vegetable oil to season our cookware. The oil contains no animal fat or peanut oil. The seasoning is functional application and slight inconsistencies may appear in the seasoning finish. The inconsistencies will not affect cooking performance.

Easy to Care for

Hand wash, dry, rub with cooking oil. It is very important to replenish the seasoning of your cast iron cookware by applying a thin layer of oil after each cleaning. Seasoning is an on-going process. The more you use cast iron, the seasoning is improved.

Using Your Lodge Cast Iron

Rinse with hot water (do not use soap), and dry thoroughly.

Before cooking, apply vegetable oil to the cooking surface of your pan and pre-heat the pan slowly (always start on low heat, increasing the temperature slowly).

Once the utensil is properly pre-heated, you are ready to cook.

TIP: Avoid cooking very cold food in the pan, as this can promote sticking.

PLEASE REMEMBER: Handles will become very hot in the oven, and on the stovetop. Always use an oven mitt to prevent burns when removing pans from oven or stovetop.

Care and Cleaning of your Lodge Cast Iron

After cooking, clean utensil with a stiff nylon brush and hot water. Using soap is not recommended, and harsh detergents should never be used. (Avoid putting a hot utensil into cold water. Thermal shock can occur causing the metal to warp or crack).

If you are having trouble removing stuck-on food, boil some water in your pan for a few minutes to loosen residue, making it easier to remove.

Towel dry immediately and apply a light coating of oil to the utensil while it is still warm.

TIP: Do not let your cast iron air dry, as this can promote rust.

Store in a cool, dry place. If you have a cover, or lid, for your utensil, place a folded paper towel in between lid and utensil allowing air to circulate. This prevents moisture from collecting inside the utensil, which can cause rust.

TIP: The oven is a great place to store your cast iron; just remember to remove it before turning on the oven.

NEVER wash in dishwasher.

If for some reason your utensil develops a metallic smell or taste, or perhaps rust spots (maybe a well-meaning relative washed your utensil in the dishwasher or with soap thinking they were being helpful), never fear. Simply scour off the rust using a very fine grade of sandpaper or steel wool and refer to our section on re-seasoning.

Re-Seasoning your Lodge Cast Iron

While maintaining the seasoning should keep your Cast Iron in good condition, at some point you may need to repeat the seasoning process. If food sticks to the surface, or you notice a dull, gray color, repeat the seasoning process:

Wash the cookware with hot, soapy water and a stiff brush. (It is okay to use soap this time because you are preparing to re-season the cookware).

Rinse and dry completely. Apply a thin, even coating of MELTED solid vegetable shortening (or cooking oil of your choice) to the cookware (inside and out).

Place aluminum foil on the bottom rack of the oven to catch any dripping.

Set oven temperature to 350 � 400 degrees F.

Place cookware upside down on the top rack of the oven.

Bake the cookware for at least one hour. After the hour, turn the oven off and let the cookware cool in the oven.

Store the cookware uncovered, in a dry place when cooled.

Why should I choose Lodge cookware over other brands?

For over 112 years, Lodge has provided quality cast iron cookware and accessories, with a broad and innovative assortment. Our continued commitment to quality enables Lodge to offer a superior product line.

How is the diameter measurement of Lodge Cookware determined?

We measure from outside rim to outside rim across the top of the cookware, not the bottom.

What type utensils are recommended to be used with Lodge products?

We recommend using wood or silicone utensils to avoid scratching.

Why should soap or detergent not be used to clean cast iron cookware?

Soap and detergent are used to break down and remove oils. Since the seasoning of your cast iron consists of oil, cleaning with soap will strip or remove the seasoning from cookware.

Are there any types of food that are not recommended to be cooked in cast iron cookware?

Foods which are very acidic (i.e. beans, tomatoes, citrus juices, etc.) should not be cooked in a cast iron utensil until the cookware is highly seasoned. The high acidity of these foods will strip the seasoning and result in discoloration and metallic tasting food. Wait until cast iron is better seasoned to cook these types of foods.

Lodge is a Green Foundry:

Lodge is a zero hazardous waste stream foundry. Lodge designed a vegetable oil recycler for the seasoning process to reduce waste and unusable oil is recycled and used as biodiesel generator. Lodge uses recycled and biodegradable packing materials. Reuse of foundry sand used in the casting process is recycled and unusable sand, working to purify the water of the local streams and planting trees to improve air quality and beautification.

Lodge History:

Lodge is the oldest family-owned cookware foundry in America. Since 1896, the Lodge family has been casting premium iron cookware at their Tennessee foundry. Starting with raw materials and finishing with their seasoning process, they continue to improve on the highest quality standards that go into every piece we make. As the sole American manufacturer of cast iron cookware, they are proud to carry on the legacy started by founder Joseph Lodge. Lodge doesn’t just make cast iron; they make heirlooms that bring people together for generations.

The Breville BGR820XL Smart Grill uses Element IQ technology and an embedded element heating system to sear meat on your countertop that tastes just as good as meat seared on the barbecue (closeup on right).

Why the Breville Smart Grill?

Every Breville product begins with a simple moment of brilliance. The Breville Smart Grill began with the simple fact that searing meat requires continuous high heat. What kind of machine cooks as well as a barbecue, but cleans fast like a frypan? The answer is the Breville Smart Grill, which allows you to sear meat indoors at a high consistent temperature without making a mess. It uses Element IQ technology and an 1800W heating system to electronically detect heat loss and provide rapid heat recovery.

Maintaining High Heat for Better Cooking

Countertop grills experience a drop in temperature when the cold meat or ingredients are introduced to the pre-heated surface. Even if they start off at the right temperature, most countertop grills can’t recover from this heat loss, heating up again slowly. This means less efficient cooking and tougher meat. The BGR820XL uses a smart technology called Element IQ to detect the drop in temperature and inject more heat for a rapid recovery back to the desired cooking temperatures.

Also, embedded elements in its grill plates help the grill maintain intense heat and recover from heat loss. The elements are cast into the plates themselves, which means that most of the heat generated by the elements is transferred to the plates instead of being lost (see below). That means less time to pre-heat and also rapid temperature recovery.

Other Features: Easy cleaning and Versatility

In addition to Element IQ and embedded plates, the Breville BGR820XL Smart Grill has numerous features: the top plate has six different adjustable heights that can be used for large sandwiches, small sliders, open-faced melts, or anything inbetween; the plates are removable for easier cleaning and can be interchanged depending on your needs (so the ribbed plate is either on the bottom or the top). The plates are nonstick plates made from cast aluminum coated with titanium infused Quantanium, for oil-free cooking and easy clean up. The housing is stainless steel, with die-cast arms.

The base can be tilted at an angle to drain, or lay perfectly flat for eggs, pancakes, and paninis. You can use it closed and use it to grill like a Panini press, or open it 180 degrees into barbecue mode, in which fat is drained from both plates into the drip tray. There are three different temperature settings (low, Panini, and sear, ranging from 320F to 450F), temperature and time control dials, and a countdown timer and sound alert.

Exposed Heating Elements vs. the BGR820XL’s Embedded Heating Elements

Exposed Heating Elements, typical of many grills

Embedded Heating Elements, like on the BGR820XL Smart Grill

Exposed Heating Elements: Heat loss

Many plates have exposed heating elements, where the grill plate sits directly on top of the heating element. Exposed elements lose much of the heat that they generate, instead of transferring the heat to the plate. This means the grill requires more time to heat up and more time to recover from heat loss, which extends cooking time and yields tougher meats.

Embedded Heating Elements: Heat transfer

The BGR820XL has grill plates with integrated heating elements, where the elements are embedded in the plates themselves. Rather than losing much of the heat that they generate, the heat is transferred directly to the plate. This means the grill requires less time to heat up and less time to recover from heat loss, which decreases cooking time, increases searing temperatures, and yields tenderer meats.

Two modes for two different cooking styles

Panini Mode

Barbecue Mode

Panini Mode

In Panini mode, use the top and bottom plates to press Paninis or grill ingredients on two sides at once. The height of the top plate from the bottom is adjustable, allowing you to press both large sandwiches and small sliders. There is a ribbed plate and a flat plate, and both plates are removable and interchangeable so you can choose the plate that suits your cooking style and clean the plates more easily.

Barbecue Mode

In barbecue mode, open the grill plates 180 degrees so the Smart Grill lies flat, and use it to grill and sear meats and vegetables. This doubles your cooking area, and also presents the option of grilling on both the flat plate and the ribbed plate. Additional ribbed plates and flat plates are available for purchase on Amazon if you’d prefer to have a uniform cooking surface in barbecue mode.

Temperature Control and Timing

The backlit LCD screen is blue when the grill is not hot

The backlit LCD screen is orange when the grill is pre-heating or cooking

Timer Control Dial

(Located on the left side of the Smart Grill front) You can set the timer for your preferred cooking time, and the Smart Grill will alert you when time is up.

Temperature Control Dial

(Located on the right side of the Smart Grill front) You can set the Breville Smart Grill in three different temperature settings: low, Panini, and sear, which range from temperatures of 320F to 450F. If you’d prefer to view the temperature in Celsius, flip the temperature conversion button.

Element IQ auto-adjustment

Element IQ detects the drop in temperature when you introduce cold ingredients to the pre-heated surface and automatically injects more heat to bring the Smart Grill back up to temperature and compensate for heat-loss.