Had to pick between a $10 Dutch oven and a $60 one at the thrift store last Sunday

Honestly, I was at a Goodwill in Denver and saw two Dutch ovens sitting right next to each other. One was a cheap off-brand with a chipped lid for $10, and the other was a Lodge for $60 that looked barely used. I stood there for like 10 minutes trying to decide. Ended up grabbing the Lodge because I figured I'd use it for sourdough and stews and it would last forever. Got it home, scrubbed it down, and made a batch of no-knead bread that came out perfect with a crispy crust. The lid fit tight and the heat spread even, no hot spots at all. Now I'm wondering if I should have bought both and cleaned up the $10 one. Has anyone else found a killer deal on cookware at a thrift store that surprised you?

2 comments

2 Comments

skyler_white27d ago

I see it totally different actually. You paid SIXTY dollars for a used Lodge at a thrift store and that's not even that great of a deal. Lodge is solid but they're already super affordable new, like you can get a brand new one for maybe forty bucks on sale or at Walmart. I would have grabbed the chipped $10 one and used it for bread baking where a tight lid doesn't matter as much, because you can just toss a wet towel or foil on top if you need to. The chip doesn't affect cooking at all, it's purely cosmetic. Ten bucks for ANY dutch oven is a steal even if it's a no-name brand, and you could have used that extra $50 to buy like three bags of good flour and some nice sea salt. The only way that Lodge deal makes sense is if it was a really rare vintage or something special, and a standard Lodge just isn't that.

the_sage27d ago

Wait, isn't it crazy how we second-guess ourselves over kitchen stuff like that? I mean, you got a solid piece you'll use for years and the bread turned out perfect, so that sounds like a win to me. It's easy to overthink after the fact, but sometimes you just gotta go with your gut and enjoy the good cookware.