I'm answering with another question: What types of things stick? Everything? Meat? Starchy things?

The only thing I've successfully cooked in the dutch oven is a big batch of soup. Everything else has stuck.

I intentionally use my Dutch Oven when I want things to stick a bit and create a fond which I can deglaze and use to add flavor.

For meat, the best trick is to leave it alone. It will eventually unstick itself, you just have to resist the urge to flip or turn before it's ready.

Here is a good example, a couple days ago I was using the stainless steel one and making meatballs. I coated the pan with olive oil and once it was hot put the meatballs in. They instantly stuck. What gives?

Laila-
I'm aware of that with meats. But what about when you don't want things to stick?

you are looking for the leidenfrost effect -- that's the temperature a pan should be at. and laila's right; it's hard to do because you are hungry and staring down at the uncooked side.

http://www.seriouseats.com/2009/12/video-how-to-preheat-your-pan-leidenfrost-effect.html

You say you immediately fill the pan with water after you're done cooking, I thought that was bad practice for pans as it could cause them to warp?

Always heat pans first before you add oil. This will help tremendously with sticking, I promise you. Do not add the oil to a cold pan and heat it up. I don't know the science I just know the experience, and I've been cooking a really long time.

I always heat the pan first, do a water test, and then add oil. Once the oil starts to shimmer and I see the first wisp of smoke, I add the food. If the oil starts smoking too much, the pan is too hot and the oil has already started to burn, so the best thing to do is to start over.

http://www.houseboateats.com/2009/12/on-properly-heating-your-pan.html

Once the food is cooked, I deglaze the pan (while the pan is still hot, pour in cold water and scrape the bottom). It makes cleaning the pan much easier. If there are any stains, I use Barkeeper's Friend and the pan shines up like new.

For what it's worth, I have a Rouxbe.com membership and it's worth every penny. I don't work for the company or anything, just a huge fan and I consult the site almost every day.

what you put in a dutch oven is supposed to stick. the trick is to leave it alone until it unsticks itself. and meatballs are the same way. if you leave them alone long enough to develop a decent sear, they will unstick themselves.

Hm - I have never had problems with things staying stuck in my dutch pot. The instructions for my pot say never to add heat to it when it is empty so i always add a splash of oil..I don't cook meats but I cook my tofu in it with the intention of it sticking and getting a little crunchy - but it always unsticks after a little while..

I don't know what else I am doing different than anyone else, but nothing really sticks for me -

saer
http://cravenmaven.wordpress.com

One thing that might help is taking your food out of the fridge 10-15 minutes or so before it goes into the pan. Not sure if there is any science behind this but I think it helps. Plus, if it's meat, it will help to ensure that it cooks evenly.

I think you're probably not cooking over high enough heat in the meatballs case. Make sure to heat the pan for several minutes over medium-high heat. Test that it's hot by dribbling a drop of water in. If it sizzles and evaporates right away, you're good to go. Now add the oil and swirl it to coat the pan. The oil should look thin and shimmery and it might send up a wisp of smoke. If it looks thick and viscous, pan is not hot enough. Now add the meatballs and leave them alone for several minutes. Once they have browned on the bottom, they will naturally release from the pan. Just leave them be! If you are using high heat, you don't have to worry about overcooking meats in the middle before they have naturally released themselves from the pan.

This has nothing to do with your original question but I saw that you are cooking meatballs in olive oil. I don't know what kind of olive oil you are using but be careful. Most of the time you wouldn't use it b/c it has a low smoke point. More info here: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=56

I use refined sunflower or safflower oil when I cook. I save olive oil for low heat things...like soups at the end or drizzled on something completed.

when i switched to uncoated cookware, i also adjusted some of my approach to cooking. i like to use white wine vinegar anyway for flavor, but if you time it for when things start sticking, you can quickly get them unstuck. sometimes i add a bit of water [even a mist with a spray bottle], lower the heat and cover the pot or pan for a minute, and the steam action unsticks food from the surfaces well too. finally, if your recipe wont mind a splash of wine, alcohol is the most effective way to quickly deglaze and unstick food. most of the time, i'm not following a recipe, so this winging-it method works for me.