GSI Outdoors Hard Anodized Dutch Oven Made from Aluminum for Lightweight and Efficient Heating

I've been Dutch oven cooking for about 30 years but only with cast iron Dutch ovens. As a youth group leader and outdoor skills instructor, I cook in a Dutch oven over a campfire about once a week. As we all know, everything tastes better when it's cooked outdoors, but as I get older I'm not thrilled with the weight of cast iron ovens. I also go on a lot multi-day canoe trips and I was interested in reducing the amount of weight I pack into my canoe. So I finally took the plunge and bought an aluminum Dutch oven...I wish I'd done this years ago!It is so nice to use an oven that literally weighs only one third of a similar sized cast iron oven. As for it's ability to retain heat as evenly and as long as cast iron, yes, there is a difference, but not enough of a difference to force me to change how I use the oven. I simply use the aluminum one exactly as I use the cast iron ones and everything in it cooks wonderfully.One added bonus that I didn't expect... Because aluminum is easier to sand, polish, and finish than cast iron the interior of this aluminum Dutch oven is much, much smoother than my cast iron ovens. That means food is less likely to stick and cleaning up is really easy.I should have switched to aluminum Dutch ovens a long time ago.

I wouldnt take a farm in Texas for this dutch oven, i have used this thing so many times that i cant count. If you think that there is nothing out there that can compare to cast iron then you are very mistaken. This dutch oven doesnt weigh as much as my cast iron and it cooks just as good and is by far muchhhhhh easier to clean and doesnt stick. This oven is a very well made product and will last forever if taken care of.

It's indeed awesome to cook in and easy to clean. I love this dutch oven, mostly.Sadly I feel like I have to take one star off for the pot's poor balance, though. If you put anything liquid in it (including beans or chili) and lift by the wire handle the pot is unstable and will quickly tip over and spill out. Given the pot is often hot when you want to lift it by the handle this is especially inconvenient. Make sure you have a glove/hotpad in your other hand before you go to pick it up! This is an issue for any food that can flow.As an experiment, I have even cooked on this pot in my oven and even on my stovetop at home and other than the legs getting in the way it works great. The thick, super-conducive sidewalls distribute heat better than everything else in my kitchen.

Don't get me wrong. I look my cast iron when at home cooking but I do not drag it along when camping. Cast iron is heavier and harder to clean. Cast iron can also be harder to cook in because they hold the heat longer you have to pull from heat before it is where you want it and let it finish cooking on it's own.This oven is easy to clean, cook with and much lighter.

I’m disappointed in GSI Quality Control. The lid on the #10 didn’t fit properly. That said, the lid on the replacement did fit properly. I have over 20 cast iron ovens of assorted sizes and enjoy cooking in Dutch ovens. I Have a GSI #14, and when a recipe calls for a 14 its the first to get used. As indicated the #14 gets a 5, and I’m sure the new 10 will be the same. Let’s face it as you get a little older aluminum is better than cast iron. I’m considering getting a GSI #12 to complete the set, with reservations. Jeff Wilber

I purchased two of these for cooking demonstrations. The ovens worked great. Loosing some of the weight made working with them a pleasure. Heat distribution was good.Heat transfers fairly quickly so be careful with coal placement and arrangement. Once the food was removed, the Dutch ovens cooled very quickly. Clean up was very fast and easy.

It's great, it's light, it's well made. I really like that the handle flips all the way down one way, but if you flip it it stands up like in the picture. This is super useful for cooking on a fire. I've used this pot for the last 6 months as my primary pot for cooking, usually it's bee over an open fire.One warning, if it's full of liquid and you carry it by the handle, it WILL flip over and dump your dinner on the ground. This is not a pot for hanging from a tripod, if you want that you need something deeper, and you'll probably want a different type of bail for the handle.

I own a lot of Dutch Ovens. I use the 12 inch a lot and been putting off buying the 14 inch. Ive used cast iron most of my life, but these aluminum dutch ovens are amazing. Really happy with the 14 inch. I own a 14 inch cast iron and its the same size. Both lids will fit the other. If you cook for large groups as I do, you will love this dutch oven. Cooks great! Just be sure to rotate your pot while cooking to prevent hot spots. Also, using a trivet will help keep hot spots down.

This is my second aluminum Dutch oven of the same brand. Light weight,easy to clean