Dutch ovens are perhaps some of the oldest cooking tools in the world. A Dutch oven is simply a heavy metal pot with thick walls and a lid, usually cast iron. Metal pots like these have been used for over a thousand years, and for good reason. They are durable, versatile, and incredibly long-lasting. You can braise, bake and stew in a Dutch oven. For more history on Dutch ovens and cooking, check out the Dutch oven article at Wikipedia, and visit the International Dutch Oven Society.
These days, when we think of a Dutch oven we usually think of a version with enamel laid over cast iron. There's several major brands and manufacturers of these, so here's a look at some of their features...
The term "Dutch oven" came through an early manufacturing process that the Dutch improved upon. This process was then imported to Great Britain, but the term "Dutch" stuck. The French, however, call it a "French oven" or a cocotte.
The brands of Dutch ovens here all come in different sizes, weights and prices - for the purpose of comparison we'll look at 5-quart enameled ovens, which are a good size for most basic braises (and small kitchens).
Staub: ($189.95, depending on color, Amazon) Staub's distinctive round cocottes weigh about 8 pounds, and they have signature spikes inside the lid that supposedly help the braising liquid to collect and drip back down into the pot, instead of escaping as steam or condensation.
Lodge: ($99.95, Amazon) Lodge was founded in 1896 and so is one of the country's oldest cookware manufacturers. They recently introduced this enameled line of cast iron cookware to complement their traditional plain cast iron skillets and pots, and these have a reputation for solid quality but substantially lower prices than Staub or Le Creuset.
Calphalon: ($129.99, Bed Bath & Beyond) Calphalon has a new line of enameled Dutch ovens. It has a self-basting lid, similar to Staub's. Here is our review from last month.
Le Creuset: ($189.99, Amazon) Le Creuset means "the Crucible" in French, and they're often considered the gold standard of Dutch ovens by home cooks. Their bright colors and durable enamel make them treasured possessions in the kitchen, although there is not a lot of immediately apparent difference that we can see between their construction and the others above. They are certainly more expensive, but we know that many consider the cost worth it.
Sound off here - do you have a Dutch oven? Pros and cons of these brands? Do you have preferences on size or shape? Round or oval? Talk about it here...
My brother and sister in law gave me a small (maybe 2-3 qt?) Le Creuset dutch oven for Christmas and I was thrilled. Three months later I've used it once. I'm just not entirely sure what to do with it. Should I use it for everything, sort of replacing my 2 qt. pot (steaming vegetables, boiling pasta, etc)? I feel terrible not using this lovely gift, but I'm not sure how to integrate it into my daily cooking.
I've been seeing reasonably-priced calderos (heavy pots used by the latino community) in the stores -- anyone have any experience with them? They appear to be made of cast aluminum.
I'm in the market for one of these now, and I think I remember reading an article in Cooks Illustrated where they rated a pretty cheap (less than $100) dutch oven from Target pretty highly. Does anyone have an experience with Target dutch ovens (I can't find the issue, unfortunately).
I know this is probably something worth investing in, but I just can't justify the spending now, and want to get started braising!
Same question as "v in boston."
I have a very old cast iron dutch oven which I appropriated from my mother because she never uses it and I hate to see good cast iron languishing all alone in a dark cabinet. But I don't know what to do with it either. I discovered the hard way I shouldn't make chili in it - apparently the tomatoes are too acidic and caused the iron to flake off. Maybe it just needs to be seasoned a lot more?
We have the Staub oval cocotte, in blue. It. Is. Wonderful. The matte black, slightly textured enameled interior browns meats nicely, releases easily when the meat is properly seared and cleans up almost like non-stick. I cannot say the same for a Le Creuset I used years ago.
You forgot my favorite, the Emile Henry burgundian clay ones. They're like Staub in that they have little stalagmites on the lid to encourage condensation to drip back into the food, and they can go from freezer to cook top to oven to table all in one go. they're a little pricey, but I absolutely ADORE my two. They're perfectly non-stick once you've seasoned them by boiling a little milk in them. J'adore Emile Henry!
Someday I will go to Lyon to attend their culinary academie!
we've put some of our Le Creuset ovens through 7 years of heavy usage. they work well, clean easliy, and i love them to bits. we use them for stock, chili, soup, braising, etc. we just got a third as a present. it's the large oval one, and it was wonderful for a leg of lamb. i know there's been a lot of attention lately to the fact that the knobs are only meant to withstand a certain temp, but we've never worried about ours and never had any problems.
you can pick them up at marshall's frequently. one of ours is from there. we also got a set of 5 pieces from a thrift store in NC. look around-- these things last forever!
I love the idea of the Dutch oven, but I currently use my Crock Pot to death for braising and sloow cooking, and I don't see the advantage of using these pots instead? If anything, I feel like the Crock Pot uses much less energy for the long cooking times, and is thus "greener".
Can anyone convince me to switch over to a La Creuset?
damn, of course i meant little stalaCTITES. Oy vey. My college geology professor would be so peeved with me right now ;-)
The Staub is considered the gold standard by many. It is used by several 3-star Michelin chef's in France...
Well worth the price IMHO
V, I love cooking rice in my smaller Le C Dutch oven. The seal between the lid is great and the heat stays even on the low temp.
to v in boston:
You probably don't want to use your dutch oven for boiling pasta and steaming vegetables, because the thick bottom will make it slow to heat up and take it longer to boil. A lighter 2-quart pot will work just fine for those things. A dutch oven's thick bottom has considerable advantages for anything that requires a long slow cook--think chili, stews, soups, braises, caramelized onions. It's also great for anything that needs to go from stove to oven (though the knob may need to be covered in foil). The thickness helps it to retain heat and cook evenly without the hot spots often found in lighter pans.
to mi.jo:
Tomatoes and other acidic foods (such as anything with citrus or vinegar) react with cast iron, causing the flaking and sometimes imparting a metallic flavor in the food. In an enameled pot like those mentioned above, the coating prevents that reaction. You can still use a cast iron dutch oven for many soups and stews and no-knead bread, but something tomato-based is best avoided.
My mother has always used a Le Creuset Oval Doufeu. She bought me one several years ago. It has an inverted lid where ice or water can go to keep the braise moist. It makes the most amazing pot roast. I used it for all my braising, sometimes with ice cubes/water, sometimes without.
http://www.lecreuset.com/usa/products/guide.php?category_id=140
alice,
That Le Creuset Doufeu is crazy amazing! My mouth is watering just thinking of the tender pot roast that it could produce.
v in boston,
My own guidelines for dutch oven use are (1) anything that goes from stovetop to oven and (2) anything that gets simmered on the stovetop for 1 hour or more.
I actually was able to find the Cooks Illustrated dutch oven that was rated so highly in their January Issue. So far it's been really wonderful.
Although, apparently Le Creuset has a new teal color and now I really want that. *sigh*
Alice and Mary, I was really interested to read about the Le Creuset Doufeu in Molly Steven's book about braising. She says that it is the sunken middle shape of the lid, more than the ice, that makes the pot work so well.
The distance between the meat you're braising and the top of the lid is an important consideration.
Now I want to race out and get a Doufeu to try your pot roast too!
I have the Target dutch oven, too... $39.99. So far it's been great for a mushroom soup and mac & cheese. I have a bigger Le Creuset and I find them to perform equally well.
Click on my name for a link to the Target pot.
I got an oval, robin's egg blue Le Creuset for Christmas, and I'm in looooove. I've used it for chili, no-knead bread, brisket, coq au vin, thick stews... Mostly really hearty foods cooked low and slow, either on the stovetop or in the oven. Have to wait and see how much use it gets in the summer, though.
The Mario Batali 6qt pots are a great alternative when you don't want to spend the $$$ for Le Creuset
http://www.utilitieshome.com/store.php?crn=73&rn=468&action=show_detail
Thanks Erin and Kate for the advice on target ovens. Hopefully they'll be back in stock soon! Now I really want one...
I'm partial to Le Creuset, and have had my Dutch oven for many years. What I don't like about Staub is the black interior -- makes it much harder to see how your food is cooking.
I used my Le Creuset as a stockpot and the enamel is now stained. Does anyone know how I can fix this?
I can't believe that no one has mentioned this yet! Its not JUST for the slow and low. The dutch oven shows its true glory when going from fast and high to slow and low, as in when you sear the meat before the long cooking.
I got the Target one 2 christmases ago for my mother-in-law on a clearance rack for $7.99. One small chip on the side. :) Then I knew it was a deal, now I know I got a steal.
Does anyone have any experience with the Ikea version of the cast iron pot? I've been eying them for awhile.
mi.jo -- a regular cast iron dutch oven isn't good for a whole lot of things because so many foods will react to the iron. However they're excellent for any fat-based cooking, like deep frying or searing meat, making cornbread that kind of thing.
As for cleaning the enameled dutch ovens Cameo makes a cleanser for copper brass and porcelain that works very well. I think a baking soda paste would work too.
I have several of the Lodge enameled cast iron pots that I bought a couple of weeks ago at Wal-Mart, of all places. They were a steal at $39 and $49 dollars a piece. Lodge got high marks from Cooks Illustrated and I've been using these pans regularly since I bought them.
Fabulous. I use the 3 qt casserole for both skillet and oven use. The dutch ovens have worked for just about everything. Cooks evenly and washes up easily.
Some of the Wal-Marts have another brand of enameled cast iron which are a little cheaper but are still good. The Lodge comes in either blue or red. The other brand is a deep green.
What I love about cooking in my dutch oven (Le Creuset) is heating up the leftovers. 350 degrees at 15 minutes usually does it and it keeps warm forever because of the great insulation properties.
I also have the Chefmate 5 qt. Dutch oven sold by Target. I made the no knead bread in it. I was a little worried when it turned crimson red when in the oven. However, after cooling and washing, it returned to its signature color.
It is indeed a great buy...if you can find it. I wonder if Chefmate will manufacture more in different sizes and colors.
I also have the Chefmate dutch oven sold by Target and I've been really pleased with its performance. I wish I had bought more as gifts when I had the chance.
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I bought the IKEA pot when the red version was going on clearance and it's been working perfectly! Gives a great sear, lid is nice and tight, and the thing is HEFTY, meaning great and even heat. Been using it for pot roast and coq au vin.
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I have one of the Staub pots and it is fantastic. This may seem silly, but one of the things that sold me on the Staub over the Le Creuset was the metal knob on the top. The Le Creuset knob is plastic and isn't supposed to be subjected to such high temps. To me, that seems a silly way to construct a pan that is meant to go in the oven.
Saying that, I was able to find the Staub for much cheaper than the suggested retail price. I believe I paid $150 for a three piece set that also included an oval baking pan and a flat top grill, all pieces I use constantly.
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We have the IKEA pot and I have to say... it doesn't perform as well as the Le Creuset. We were so excited to get it--thinking there couldn't be THAT much difference between dutch ovens. And then this past fall, we had a cider pressing party and made fresh doughnuts. We used our IKEA dutch oven and borrowed a friend's Le Creuset. We didn't use the IKEA pot past the first batch. It just didn't hold heat *nearly* as well as the Le Creuset, doughnuts got soggy, didn't brown... soggy, pale doughnuts = yuck. It seems fine for roasts, stews, no-knead bread, but if you're doing anything that requires maintaining high heat, it's not the one for you.
BTW, the best-rated *cheap* dutch oven in Cook's Illustrated is: Tramontina Sterling 11 7-Quart Dutch Oven, $56.95
Their favorites are an All-Clad stock pot and a Le Creuset, but they say the Tramontina isn't that far behind, and much cheaper.
view pumpkindoodle's profile
Oops, sorry--I was looking at an old review.
Target pot is now on top for budget dutch ovens. Just smaller than Le Creuset and All Clad. They also liked the Mario Batali ($100) though it doesn't brown as well.
view pumpkindoodle's profile
I was able to get a 6 quart Lodge on sale at Target for $60! It's a gorgeous red and works wonderfully.
view Sofistafunk's profile
I was looking for this oven,hahahaha
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I have a Staub and love it. As mentioned above, it has a metal knob, which won't melt at higher temps like the LC will. I know you can buy aftermarket metal knobs for LC, but why don't they just offer these on the original pots? beyond that Staub is made in France, LC has many pieces made in Thailand and China.
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