Lodge; Willams Sonoma; Crate and Barrel; MadeIn; Our Place; Smithey Ironware; Zwilling; Marianne Ayala/InsiderAsk any chef what their go-to cooking pot is, and they’ll likely give you the same answer: a Dutch oven. In fact, this pot is so versatile that many chefs are trained to keep multiple on hand, whether they’re cooking at home or in a restaurant. “I think every kitchen should have at least one Dutch oven,” says Roger Sitrin, lead recreational chef instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education.
Dutch ovens are often made of either enameled or seasoned cast iron, but their shape and tight-fitting lids are what make them so versatile for everything from baking bread to slow cooking meat. “Once that pot heats up, it retains the heat, and because the lid fits tightly and is of the same thickness as the bottom, it creates an even heat situation that completely surrounds the contents,” said Sitrin. The majority of the Dutch ovens we tested are enameled, including two of our top picks.
Enameled cast iron makes for a more versatile pot that lets you cook a wider variety of ingredients without worrying about acidity damaging the cast iron seasoning. Plus, enameled Dutch ovens come in a range of attractive colors that make them great as serving dishes. Out of the seven that we tested, here are the three best Dutch ovens you can buy.
Best Dutch oven overall: Lodge Dutch Enameled Dutch Oven, $69. 51 from AmazonThe Lodge Dutch Enameled Dutch Oven baked evenly browned and crusted bread, continuing to prove the brand’s claim that quality cast iron can be affordable. Best upgrade Dutch oven: Le Creuset Dutch Oven, $400.
00 from Le CreusetWith roomy handles and a stainless steel knob, the Le Creuset Dutch oven is safe to use at any temperature and easy to maneuver, even when full. Best non-enameled Dutch oven: Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven, $44. 99 from TargetIf you’re skeptical of enameled coatings, the Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven comes pre-seasoned and produces an even loaf of bread.
Best Dutch oven overallLodge; Marianne Ayala/InsiderThe Lodge Dutch Enameled Dutch Oven baked evenly browned and crusted bread, continuing to prove the brand’s claim that quality cast iron can be affordable. Pros: Inexpensive compared to other Dutch ovens, attractive finish, even heatingCons: Not ideal for loaves or desserts that need crisp edgesAvailable capacities: 1. 5, 3, 4.
5, 6, and 7. 5 quartsOven safe temperature: 500 degrees FahrenheitNumber of colors: 12 (blue, cornflower blue, lagoon, desert sage, evergreen, gray, indigo, midnight chrome, oyster, red, storm blue, and sunrise)Material: Enameled cast ironI love Lodge cast iron for its reliable combination of high performance and low price; its Dutch oven succeeded in meeting my high expectations. The construction is ideal for cooking and serving.
The side handles are easy to grasp with a dish towel, and the interior enameled surface is easy to clean, even after slow roasting barbecue-sauce covered pork. Plus, the exterior is deeply colored, cleans easily, and looks beautiful on a table. The bread test cemented this oven as my top choice.
Cutting into the loaf revealed an even crust on the sides, top, and bottom. The crust held together without flaking, giving a satisfying crunch to the loaf. Round ovens (as opposed to oval ovens) are great for stovetop cooking because most burners are circular.
Additionally, the round shape makes it easier to scrape every drop of stew or sauce with a spatula, but more difficult to get sharp edges on a baked good. The Lodge has a particularly gentle curve from the side to the bottom, which made both of these qualities really shine. Only time will tell if this piece holds up as well as the Le Creuset.
I have more confidence in the Le Creuset oven’s durability because I’ve seen pieces from the brand perform just as well decades after their first use. However, Lodge continues to impress me and I see no reason why it won’t hold up. Best upgrade Dutch ovenWilliams Sonoma; Marianne Ayala/InsiderWith roomy handles and a stainless steel knob, the Le Creuset Dutch oven is safe to use at any temperature and easy to maneuver, even when full.
Pros: Oval shape is great for bread, even heating, attractive finishCons: ExpensiveAvailable capacities: 2. 75, 5, 6. 75, 8, 9.
5, and 15. 5 quartsOven safe temperature: Any oven temperatureNumber of colors: 7 (cerise, flame, Caribbean, Marseille, white, meringue, and oyster) Material: Enameled cast ironMy top pick until I tested the Lodge Dutch oven, the Le Creuset Dutch Oven is hard not to love. Not only did it perform well in our tests, it’s comfortable to maneuver and looks gorgeous.
The handles are roomy and just as comfortable to hold with bulky oven mitts or a dish towel. Some Le Creuset pieces have black phenolic knobs, which are oven safe to lower temperatures than stainless steel. However, Le Creuset’s Dutch ovens come standard with stainless steel knobs that are oven-safe at any temperature, making them extremely versatile.
Sliding a soft dough into a preheated Dutch oven isn’t an easy task, and I often ended up with dough folding over itself or not settling evenly in the dish. The oval shape of the Le Creuset gave the dough a narrower space to fall into, which ended up producing a more symmetrical loaf and a more domed crust. In general, oval Dutch ovens are better for baking and cooking large cuts of meat.
The loaf itself was evenly browned on the bottom and sides. The crust was on par with that from the Lodge, if slightly flakier instead of solid. Best non-enameled Dutch ovenCrate and Barrel; Marianne Ayala/InsiderIf you’re skeptical of enameled coatings, the Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven comes pre-seasoned and produces an even loaf of bread.
Pros: Comfortable handles, dimples under the lid, even heatingCons: Requires seasoning, not great for acidic foodsAvailable capacities: 1, 2, 5, and 7 quartsOven safe temperature: 500 degrees FahrenheitNumber of colors: N/AMaterial: Seasoned cast ironI prefer enameled Dutch ovens for their cooking and serving versatility, but I had no issues using the Lodge non-enameled Dutch oven. Uncoated cast iron actually gets better with age. The more you use it, the more seasoned and nonstick it becomes.
While an enameled coating can theoretically chip or wear down over time, cast iron seasoning becomes part of the metal and can be reseasoned if need be. Consider getting an non-enameled Dutch oven if you want the ease of nonstick with the heat retention of cast iron — however, be prepared that the nonstick seasoning may take a few uses to really develop. This Lodge oven has dimples on the underside of the lid, which Sitrin says is to allow for condensation to drip back into the pot and baste the contents.
Though the side handles are slightly smaller than those on the enameled oven, I prefer the looped handle on the lid to the other oven’s knobs. It is easier to grasp and offers a more secure grip. Acidic foods can damage the seasoning on cast iron.
You can just reseason the pot, but it may be a hassle if you plan to regularly cook tomato dishes or other acidic foods in your cookware. Seasoned cast iron can also be more difficult to clean. After roasting pork shoulder, the sauce and fat were pretty caked on the bottom of all the pans, but I had an easier time cleaning it off the enameled surface.
Other Dutch ovens we testedStaub Cast Iron Tall Cocotte, 5-quart: This Dutch could have been a top pick and we still highly recommend it. It just didn’t outperform the Lodge or Le Creuset and, with a $500 price tag, it was one of the most expensive we tested. Our Place Perfect Pot: This was the only aluminum Dutch oven that I tested and I was pleasantly surprised by the crust it produced when I made bread with it.
However, this is more like a multi-purpose stock pot than a Dutch oven, in part because of its low oven-safe temperature. Made In Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven: While we’ve liked Made In products in the past, we weren’t impressed by its Dutch oven. The oven was relatively easy to maneuver, and did feature a taller top knob that was easier to grab without touching the lid surface.
However, the heat retention and distribution were not even — the oven produced bread with the palest bottom crust. Smithey Ironware 5. 5-quart Dutch Oven: Though it comes from a trusted cast iron brand, the Smithey Ironware Dutch oven did not perform particularly well.
The seasoned bottom of the pot was discolored after the first use and easily scratched. Our Dutch oven testing methodologyOver the course of several months, I cooked with seven Dutch ovens from six legacy and start-up cookware manufacturers. I also spoke to Roger Sitrin, lead recreational chef instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education, about the merits of buying and using a Dutch oven.
Here are the criteria I used to evaluate each of the Dutch ovens I tested. Ease of use: Due to their size and shape, Dutch ovens can be seriously heavy and difficult to carry around the kitchen. Most of the ovens we tested are cast iron, which makes them even heavier.
To assess the maneuverability of each piece, we compared the size and shape of the handles and the weight of the pots. Cooking meat: To cook the pork well, you just need a pot that can sustain a low and slow cook, which is a defining trait of Dutch ovens. Our pulled pork test (based on this recipe from Serious Eats) didn’t reveal substantial differences between the ovens.
Baking bread: Dutch ovens are great for baking bread due to their shape, lid, and thick sides. We baked NYT Cooking’s no-knead bread recipe in each Dutch oven, the cooking vessel recommended by this and other no-knead bread recipes. One of the benefits to baking bread in a Dutch oven is that covering the loaf traps steam and produces a not too thick, not too thin crust.
We evaluated the crust on the finished loaves, looking for an even brown all over, especially on the bottom. Cleaning: After each cooking test, I checked for staining or discoloration on the enameled surface. I also checked for any nicks, scratches, or stains after cleaning burnt pieces of pork off the pots.
Dutch oven FAQsWhat is a Dutch oven?A Dutch oven is a wide, relatively shallow pot with a tight fitting lid and most often made of cast iron. Sitrin says that a Dutch oven is distinct from the similarly shaped stock pot because of the material and its thickness. What is a Dutch oven used for?The most common ways to use a Dutch oven are baking bread, braising meat, and cooking stews or soups.
Anything that requires a long cook on a low and consistent heat is great in a Dutch oven. It’s also a great (albeit slightly heavy) option for boiling large batches of pasta or corn on the cob. Should I buy an oval or round Dutch oven?A round Dutch oven is ideal for stovetop cooking, like simmering and braising.
Oval Dutch ovens are great for baking projects and roasting large, oblong cuts of meat. Though they have different strong points, you can easily use oval and round Dutch ovens interchangeably with small adjustments. For instance, allow an oval shape to preheat a little longer on the stove top to compensate for not matching the circular burner, and roast smaller pieces of meat in a circular pot.
What size Dutch oven should I buy?A 5 quart Dutch oven is the best size for most people and should be able to accommodate nearly every recipe. If you regularly cook in big batches, you may consider going up to a 7 quart Dutch oven. How do you clean a Dutch oven?An enameled Dutch oven is easy to clean: use soap, water, and a slightly abrasive sponge on the burnt parts.
Seasoned cast iron must be cleaned according to the manufacturer’s instructions to avoid rusting or scratching away the seasoning. Check out our guide to the best cast iron skillets for more in depth cleaning tips. Related articlesTargetThe 4 best cast iron skilletsThe 5 best cookware setsThe 3 best nonstick skilletsRead the original article on Insider.
From: insider
URL: https://www.insider.com/guides/kitchen/best-dutch-oven
