I have cooked in professional kitchens. I have bought all kinds of expensive cookware for my own kitchen. I love cast iron, just something about the way it heats. I used this piece to fry potato chips for its first use. The second use was beef stew. It browned beautifully and when I deglazed the oven, it immediately released all of the bits and goodness from the bottom of the pan. This dutch oven and my 8" chef's skillet are the best cookware purchase I have ever made. I will be at Headwater's Outfitters in NC in March and plan to pick up a couple more pieces there. Get good stuff, spend money in a place I love, and shop local!

I love this piece from Smithey. I have used it to roast ducks, make beef pot pie with biscuits, slow cook venison roast and bake sourdough. It inspires me to be create in the kitchen!

Another amazing product from Smithey

My new Dutch oven arrived on time and in perfect condition. It is beautiful! Lighter in weight than expected. It holds the heat very evenly and is so easy to use. I can't wait to try baking bread in it!

I took two stars off because my first dutch oven arrived with scratch marks along the rim of the oven. This no doubt happened in transit but I am surprised that both pieces were not packed in bubble wrap to make them secure in transit. The lid shoved to the side of the box. The bottom piece was OK. Customer service was gracious in sending me a replacement but that too arrived with scratches, though not as bad as the first one with no bubble wrap and the lid shoved to the side. I decided to keep this oven but Smithey needs to up its game and come up with a stronger box to use for shipping. There is no excuse for what I am paying to pack an item like this with no added attention to detail.