Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Enamel on cast iron cookware like this, was, until recently, only available from makers like Le Creuset. Lately, several lower cost makers have come on the scene, like Target and Innova. The new budget priced Lodge cookware is in the same price range as the low cost alternatives but completely out performs them. I have all of the brands I have mentioned. The Lodge is the same weight as the Le Creuset which is much heavier than the other budget models. The ridge where the lid and sides meet is a matt black porcelain on the Lodge and Le Creuset but is just exposed cast iron for the other budget models (which leads to rusting if you are not careful). The porcelain resists staining (even tomato sauces) in the Lodge and Le Creuset but the other budget models stain very easily. And finally, the Lodge and Le Creuset maintain a very polished interior finish that resists sticking which others do not. So, I see no performance differences at all between the Le Creuset and the Lodge whereas the comparably priced budget models are certainly inferior. If you plan on using these pots very heavily (every day for example) you might want to upgrade to the higher priced Lodge product. It has 4 coatings of enamel as opposed to 2 in this model. But if you use them once or twice a week I dont think you will need the added wear resistance.