A Dutch oven is the true workhorse of any kitchen. These bad boys can make pots of soup or stew, saute vegetables,braise meat, and even bake aloaf of crusty bread. If your kitchen only has room for a single pot or pan, it should be a Dutch oven.
But how do you choose which one? Not only do they range in price from $50 to $350, they range in quality too. While most of them follow the same basic design—a deep, cast iron pot coated in nonstick enamel—the shape and construction make a huge difference in cooking experience. That’s why I tested seven of the top Dutch ovens on the market. And, after putting each through its paces, concluded that theStaub Round Cocotte(available at Zwilling)is the one I want on my shelf and would recommend to friends.
These are the best dutch ovens we tested, ranked in order:
Staub Cast Iron 5.5-Quart Round Cocotte
Lodge 4.6-Quart Round Dutch Oven
How We Tested
What You Should Know About Dutch Ovens
Other Dutch Ovens We Tested
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Cleans easily
Well built, solid
Cooks evenly
Heavy
Cleans easily
Multiple color options
Scores high in a variety of cooking tests
Smaller-than-average base
The Staub Cast Iron 5.5-Quart Round Cocotte is the best dutch oven we tested.
I’m Bethany, an avid home cook who’s skeptical of more expensive products that seem to do the same thing as something half the price. Before I add anything more expensive than a spatula to my kitchen, I want it to be thoroughly vetted and to know it’s worth the cost.
Before testing, I dove into research mode. I scoured the internet and my friends' kitchens to find out which Dutch ovens were top rated, which might be surprise winners, and which were household names.
Ultimately, I choose what I now call the “Fab 4” Dutch ovens that seemed to be highly rated everywhere, and then a few less expensive options that walked the line between a great product and a great deal. I wanted to see if a higher price tag really did make for a better Dutch oven.
best-right-now
测试的许多方面multi-dimensional product as possible, I tested three recipes in each one. They had to create a perfect pot of a thick, almost chili-like black bean soup, a moist but well cooked braised chicken and vegetables dish, and a puffy but well-crusted loaf of bread. This involved sautéing onions, braising meat, bringing the entire Dutch oven up to 500 degrees, and moving it from stove to oven and back.
I took careful notes of how it was to move each one, how well the ingredients fit, how each dish turned out, whether it was a pain to clean, how it fit on my stove and in my cabinet, and more. I wanted a complete picture of life with each to find the best dutch ovens.
As another quick test, I also made sure that each of them had enough space to roast a whole chicken. With a product like this one, you want to be ready for a fancy dinner at any time.
如果你喜欢做饭,荷兰烤肉锅是必不可少的tool for your kitchen. It’s usually made from seasoned cast iron or ceramic, has thick walls, and includes a tight-fitting lid. These pots are excellent for browning meat and even better for making soups and stews or any recipes that require slow cooking. Dutch ovens can also tolerate high temperatures, so they can also be used for deep-frying, too.
Dutch ovens can be used on your stovetop or popped into the oven, but make sure it's been seasoned before its first use. Keep in mind these pots are hefty, so be careful when handling these while they're filled with hot food. Always look for a dutch oven with large handles for easy maneuvering. Investing in a Dutch oven is well worth your money, as most—especially cast-iron Dutch ovens—are built to last forever.
Dutch ovens are extremely versatile and can be used for pasta, meats, and soups. Some otherpopular Dutch oven recipesinclude short ribs, macaroni, and cheese, scalloped potatoes, roast chicken, carnitas, pot roast, and fried chicken.
A Dutch oven is also excellent for cooking meat, vegetable, or seafood stews. You can evenbake bread in a Dutch ovenwith the right recipe. The versatility of a Dutch oven goes beyond your kitchen, as there are some cast-iron models that can be hung over a campfire for outdoor cooking.
Because Dutch ovens are bulky, choosing the right size for your kitchen can be difficult. Dutch ovens range in size from 1/4 of a quart to 13-quarts. To decide which to buy, consider how many people you’re cooking for.
For one or two people, a 3- to 4-quart Dutch oven will usually do the trick. A household of four will want a 5- to 7-quart Dutch oven, which is the usual size range. If you’re cooking for a large family, a party, or a holiday meal, you may want to consider a Dutch oven larger than 7-quarts, just don’t forget to make sure it fits in your oven!
There are benefits and drawbacks to both cast iron and ceramic Dutch ovens. Cast iron without an enamel coating can become rusty after repeated use. An enamel coating on a cast-iron Dutch oven will make it easy to clean and rust-free.
Ceramic Dutch ovens are more visually pleasing but are prone to nicks and cracks with heavy use. Even the most thorough scrubbing won't return your ceramic Dutch oven to its original condition once it has become stained. However, the staining won't affect its ability to cook your food.
Large handles
Excellent cooking results
A long-time cook's favorite
Large size can crowd out other cookery
Cooks and braises well
Large lid handle
Uneven heat distribution in bread baking
Handles get very hot very quickly
Solid construction
Wide base with straight sides
Uneven heat distribution in bread baking
Slightly tough to clean
Good looking
Picks up char markings easily
Handles get very hot very quickly
Affordable
Chips easily
Shape leads to uneven cooking on the stovetop
Doesn't clean up easily
Bethany Kwoka
Contributor
Bethany is a freelance contributor for Reviewed. An avid home baker and aspiring home cook, she reviews and writes mostly about kitchen gadgets (with the occasional fitness review thrown in). Her specialty might be fancy desserts, but she's never met a batch-cooked dinner recipe she didn't like.
Outside of her work for Reviewed, Bethany is a content creator working on clean energy and climate change at a regional non-profit and runs a tabletop game at her local comic book shop.
We use standardized and scientific testing methods to scrutinize every product and provide you with objectively accurate results. If you’ve found different results in your own research, email us and we’ll compare notes. If it looks substantial, we’ll gladly re-test a product to try and reproduce these results. After all, peer reviews are a critical part of any scientific process.
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