The Dow is loaded with companies with solid dividend payouts and very sustainable business models built for the long term. These are also good stocks to buy options on.

Other than what is listed, I also like AT&T, Verizon, Pfizer, and Merck. Here are my top 3:

Coca-Cola [NYSE: KO]

You know Coca-Cola is in the business of selling soft-drink beverages. But this Atlanta giant has turned itself into the most valuable brand in the world, with a price tag of nearly $78 billion on the company.

When you have that valuable of a brand, you use it as much as you can. Coke operates in more than 200 countries and grew global volumes by 5% in 2011, thanks in large part to big international sales that offset slowing demand in the U.S. market. When you add in some margin-enhancing price increases, you get a nice jump in net income, which rose 19% last year.Coke has continued to post substantial net income growth in 2012 as well.

Coming in between 2.5% and 3%, Coke's dividend yield isn't the highest in the Dow by a long shot. But with 50 straight years of dividend increases and the company having split its stock as well during the third quarter of 2012, Coke has been great for shareholders for a while now -- and should continue to be for the foreseeable future.

3M [NYSE: MMM]

3M may be best known for its sticky yellow paper, but the company goes well beyond Post-It Notes. The company offers 50,000 different products in diverse industries from health care and computer screens to commercial safety and security items.

An industrial-focused company like 3M inevitably endures plenty of ups and downs in its business cycle. But the company has a 54-year streak of increasing its dividends year in and year out, regardless of what's happening in the overall economy.

Moreover, the company is just getting started. With innovation remaining a key component of its success, 3M is moving forward with initiatives. For instance, it's working with Chesapeake Energy to build more advanced fuel tanks to make it viable for vehicles to use compressed natural gas as a cleaner-burning fuel for transportation. And with strategic moves like its recent move to purchase Ceradyne in an $860 million deal that will let it take advantage of the broader use of ceramics across several industries, 3M is positioning itself for both growth and dependable earnings for years to come.

Procter & Gamble [NYSE: PG]

It's comforting to see products in your home every day that come from a company whose stock you own. With P&G, it's almost a sure thing that you'll get that psychological boost. The company has more than 4.2 billion customers in 180 countries across the globe. About two dozen of its brands rack up at least $1 billion in annual sales.

But success hasn't cooled P&G's drive to dominate the world. The company has worked hard to boost its presence in emerging markets, with plans to enter 950 new market segments across various countries, product categories, and distribution channels in the next several years.

Recently, P&G has received substantial criticism, especially from activist Bill Ackman, over its slowing growth and some miscues in pricing and product innovation. Yet Ackman's willingness to take P&G on as a project should demonstrate how much potential the company has for the future. The outcome will likely be favorable for long-term investors in the stock no matter what shape it takes.

With an attractive dividend in the 3% to 3.5% range, P&G investors don't suffer from a lack of rewards. Moreover, the company has raised that payout for 56 consecutive years --and with so many growth drivers, those increases should continue well into the future.

I also like option plays on these stocks, IF you get in at the right time. If you learn to play options on stocks, you can get even better returns (though option buyers don't get dividends). I like a little of both (stocks & options). Happy trading!