Buying guide for best Dutch ovens
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Luscious braises, tender vegetables, savory stews, fresh-baked bread — these are the things you can make with a good Dutch oven. Dutch ovens are among the most versatile of cookware, lending themselves not only to long, slow cooking, but also to searing, boiling, roasting and even baking. The best Dutch ovens are easy to use, easy to clean, beautiful to look at and can last a lifetime.
Dutch ovens can be made of aluminum, steel, ceramic and more, but some of the best Dutch ovens marry the strength and heat retention of cast iron with the beauty and convenience of enamel. Depending on their size and materials, a Dutch oven can cost below $50 or as much as several hundred dollars.
The BestReviews Testing Lab put several top Dutch ovens to work to find the best Dutch ovens on the market. We cooked, stewed and baked with them to test their features, design and ergonomics. Based on our results, we think the best Dutch oven you can buy right now is the Caraway Dutch Oven, with its elegant nonstick ceramic surface and lightweight aluminum core. But if your budget is tight, or if you want some of the most famous heirloom names in cookware, we’ve got picks for those, too.
Expert Tip
If you’re doing a lot of oven broiling, plastic lid knobs don’t last long. Look for a pot with a metal handle.
BestReviews Cooking and Baking Expert
Which Dutch oven is best?
Caraway Dutch Oven
Best of the Best
Product specifications
Material: Aluminum, ceramic | Handle type: Riveted | Oven safe temperature: 550 degrees | Weight: 6.6 lb | Compatibility: All
Based on our testing results, we’ve concluded that the Caraway Dutch Oven is the best Dutch oven for most people and budgets. We loved its nonstick ceramic coating that made food release a breeze.
The Caraway has an aluminum core that makes it lighter than cast iron Dutch ovens, merely 4 pounds without the lid and 6.6 pounds with it. A ceramic coating that Caraway boasts is free of PFOAS and other so-called forever chemicals, giving it an attractive silky finish and making food prep easy with the best nonstick properties of all the models we tested. While being markedly different in material from other Dutch ovens, the Caraway was suitable for every recipe we tested.
We found the handles, which are riveted on, to be on the larger side, which we liked for comfort’s sake. The lid fit well, and we liked that it had an integrated tiny vent to let out a bit of steam. Overall, we rate the Caraway Dutch Oven 10 out of 10 for convenience and performance and think it is the best Dutch oven for most people.
Amazon Basics Round Pre-seasoned Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Best Bang for the Buck
Product specifications
Material: Cast iron | Handle type: Solid | Oven safe temperature: 500 degrees | Weight: 15.04 lb | Compatibility: Gas, electric, induction and oven
The Amazon Basics Cast Iron Dutch Oven may look unimpressive at first glance, as it is essentially just a big black pot. That simplicity, though, makes it one of the best values in our testing. If you know your way around cast iron, you’ll find this essential Dutch oven to be a worthwhile piece of cookware.
We initially had some concerns, noting how heavy it was and how its handles looked uncomfortable. However, we did find that it was evenly seasoned from the factory, and any guide for cast iron cookware will show you how to reseason it to your satisfaction. It heated evenly across its surface during our tests and retained heat well over time.
We tested this Dutch oven over the course of a week with various recipes and achieved desirable results every time. Being cast iron, it requires hand-washing and occasional reseasoning, and you can’t put it in the dishwasher or even let water stand in it. But for its price, the Amazon Basics Cast Iron Dutch Oven performed well, earning it a score of 8 out of 10.
Le Creuset Signature Round Dutch Oven
Iconic quality
Product specifications
Material: Enameled cast iron | Handle type: Solid | Oven-safe temperature: 500 degrees | Weight: 11.25 lb | Compatibility: Gas, electric, induction, halogen, ceramic and oven
The Le Creuset Signature Round Dutch Oven is probably one of the most well-known and coveted pieces of kitchenware today. It’s famous and collectible for its glossy enamel that comes in more than a dozen colors. But don’t think this is just a fad item. Le Creuset’s Dutch ovens are top-notch pieces of cookware that have been known to last for generations.
During our testing, the Le Creuset heated evenly and retained heat well. The vitreous (glassy) enamel that coats the Le Creuset inside and out makes it impervious to acidic ingredients like tomatoes, vinegar or wine. It’s even dishwasher-safe, although we’d personally recommend hand-washing, especially for more stubborn residue. It has comfortable curved handles that work well even with potholders on, and it’s rated to 500 degrees for use in an oven.
Le Creuset is known for its array of dazzling Dutch oven colors, with limited edition, collectible, and exclusive shades available from various retailers. But its performance matched its fame in all our tests. It’s pricey, but a Le Creuset Signature Round Dutch Oven, which scored a perfect 10 out of 10, is a piece to cherish for decades.
Staub Le Cocotte Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Premium option
Product specifications
Material: Enameled cast iron | Handle type: Solid | Oven safe temperature: 500 degrees | Weight: 14.55 lb | Compatibility: All
The Staub Le Cocotte is another premium Dutch oven made of enameled cast iron. Its standout features impressed us, and we found that it’s an excellent piece of kitchenware for the experienced home cook, with quality that promises years of performance.
The Staub cocotte (another name for a lidded pot like a Dutch oven) is made of cast iron with enamel inside and out. Unlike other enameled cast iron Dutch ovens, it has a dark matte interior, which Staub promotes as aiding in browning. We liked how quickly it heated up and how evenly it seared when preparing chicken. The Staub’s flat lid sports small bumps or spikes on its underside, designed to channel condensed steam back evenly over the cooking food, and we were pleased with the flavor and tenderness in all our results.
The Staub’s handles are a little more square than other Dutch ovens, and the enameling on them is one-sided, making them somewhat less comfortable to hold than other models. It’s best hand-washed as well, and its weight makes it slightly cumbersome. However, we rate the Staub Le Cocotte Cast Iron Dutch Oven 9 out of 10 for quality, features and performance, and we recommend it as a great Dutch oven for committed cooks.
Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Customer Favorite
Product specifications
Material: Enameled cast iron | Handle type: Solid | Oven safe temperature: 500 degrees | Weight: 13.52 lb | Compatibility: Gas, electric, induction, ceramic and oven
Not all enameled cast iron comes from France or comes at a premium cost. The Lodge 6-quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven is made in China or Vietnam and performed on par with higher-end competitors in our testing.
We liked the way Lodge's enamel fully covered the handles, and how large and easy they were to grip. Like most cast iron, it was heavy and slow to heat, but retained heat well, cooling down after an hour. During our cooking tests, the Lodge produced excellent bread and tender meats, and also offered good nonstick performance from its enameled interior. We also liked how it came with pot protectors to keep its enamel and cast iron safe during storage.
The Lodge was easy to clean by hand, with most residues lifting easily, but we noticed it developed stains quickly, something that most light-colored enameled Dutch ovens have in common. Still, it produced consistently good results during all our testing, earning it a solid 9 out of 10 rating as a great enameled cast iron Dutch oven alternative.
Crock-Pot Artisan 5-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Round Dutch Oven
Trusted Brand
Product specifications
Material: Enameled cast iron | Handle type: Solid | Oven safe temperature: 500 degrees | Weight: 12.7 lb | Compatibility: All
Another respected name in cookware, Crock-Pot’s enameled cast iron Dutch oven is an excellent alternative to higher-priced options. It borrows some features from other brands and does so at an appealingly low price.
The Crock-Pot Dutch oven is covered in a layer of enamel to protect it from acidic ingredients and long marination. Its handles are noticeably large and curved for added ease when using pot holders. Its lid includes moisture condensers like that of the Staub cocotte to create a self-basting environment for food. It has a light-colored enameled interior that resists sticking, and Crock-Pot promises it’s compatible with all cooktops. It also comes in multiple attractive colors that resemble those of premium brands.
How we tested the best Dutch ovens
We tested Dutch ovens for several factors and features, including design and build quality, heat distribution and retention, handling and ergonomics, ease of cleaning and, most importantly, cooking performance.
For design and build quality, we noted the materials used in making the Dutch ovens, including any coatings or finishes, plus the design of the body, the handles and the lid. We also noted what cooktops each Dutch oven was compatible with and what oven temperature it could withstand. For heat retention, we measured the temperature of each Dutch oven on its cooking surface, sides and handles, timing how long it took to reach those temperatures and how long temperatures were maintained after turning off the heat source.
Our cooking-performance tests involved cooking with several different methods, including roasting, stewing, sauteing, searing and braising. We also made no-knead bread to test performance in the oven. We noted any sticking, staining, burning or other difficulties encountered.
For ergonomics, we measured weight and how usable the handles and lid knobs were while hot. Finally, we cleaned each Dutch oven by hand to see how easily residue, if any, could be removed.
Expert Tip
In pure cast iron pots without an enamel coating, avoid cooking with acidic ingredients like lemon and tomatoes. They can pockmark and pit the interior of the pot.
BestReviews Cooking and Baking Expert
Types of Dutch ovens
Cast iron: Traditional and highly popular, cast iron Dutch ovens offer excellent heat retention and durability. They come in two types: bare and enameled cast iron. Bare cast iron requires seasoning to maintain its nonstick properties and prevent rust, while enameled cast iron provides a nonreactive surface that doesn’t require seasoning and often offers brilliant, attractive colors.
Ceramic: Ceramic Dutch ovens have no metal structure and are lighter than cast iron and heat up much faster. They’re usually glazed to provide a sealed, nonporous surface for cooking, and they work on most cooktops except induction. However, they are more fragile than cast iron or metal Dutch ovens.
Other metal: A lighter alternative to cast iron, Dutch ovens made of stainless steel or thick aluminum offer good heat conductivity, heating quickly and evenly. They're generally easier to maintain than cast iron but may not have the same heat-retention qualities.
One Dutch oven in our roundup, the Caraway, is metal coated in a nonreactive ceramic, providing the best features of both types.
Features to consider
Heat retention and distribution
Good heat retention ensures that your food cooks evenly and stays warm. Cast iron is superior in this regard, retaining heat consistently and releasing heat slowly, making it ideal for long-cooking stews and braised dishes. A cast iron Dutch oven, whether enameled or seasoned, actually heats up slower than aluminum or stainless steel. It holds onto that heat more effectively and can get very hot over time, even if the heating element is relatively low.
Good heat distribution, at the same time, allows a Dutch oven to cook foods evenly over its surface and sides, creating the all-around oven effect that differentiates a Dutch oven from a pot or saucepan. A Dutch oven with good heat distribution won’t have hot spots that burn food faster or cold spots that lead to uneven browning or searing.
Our top picks: Heat retention and distribution
- The Caraway Dutch Oven cooked our food to perfection when we tested it.
- The Amazon Basics Pre-seasoned Cast Iron Dutch Oven took a while to heat up — even the handles took about 30 minutes to really get hot compared to 10 minutes for other Dutch ovens — but it still cooked our food well.
- The Le Creuset Signature Round Dutch Oven browned a piece of bread evenly across its surface and retained heat even from prep washing in warm water.
- The Staub Le Cocotte heated up surprisingly quickly, even to its handles, after 10 minutes and took more than an hour to cool off.
- The Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven heated slowly but evenly in our tests and also took more than an hour to cool once removed from a heat source.
Versatility
A Dutch oven is one of the most versatile pieces of cookware available. It’s conceivable to cook almost any type of dish in a Dutch oven, not just stews and braises, but also roasts, sautees, deep-fried foods, pasta, soup and famously no-knead bread.
The original Dutch ovens made of raw cast iron were suitable for cooking over hot coals and fires. Enameled cast iron, on the other hand, is not recommended for use over an open flame or a fire, as the extreme heat may damage the enamel coating. However, both raw cast iron and enameled cast iron Dutch ovens are suitable for gas, electric and induction cooktops, and all the Dutch ovens we tested could be used in an oven for baking or slow cooking.
Our top picks: Versatility
- The Caraway Dutch Oven, despite being thinner than a cast iron Dutch oven, showed no limitations in our tests and did everything a Dutch oven should be able to do.
- The Amazon Basics Seasoned Cast Iron Dutch Oven impressed us with its versatility in the cooking methods test considering its simple construction and low price.
- The Le Creuset Dutch Oven performed excellently in all seven of our cooking method tests: sauteing, searing, baking, braising, frying, boiling, roasting and steaming.
- The Staub Le Cocotte is a beautiful and versatile piece that cooked a variety of dishes well during testing and can easily go from the stove to the table.
- The Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven gave a solid performance during testing; we were especially impressed by its ability to evenly bake a perfect loaf of bread.
Durability
Cast iron Dutch ovens, both bare and enameled, can last years, decades or even generations. Raw cast iron needs to be seasoned from time to time but is resistant to damage as long as it’s protected from rust. Enameled cast iron can also last generations, but care should be taken to avoid chipping or scratching the enamel. Ceramic and steel or aluminum Dutch ovens can also last a long time with proper care, but note that ceramic can chip or break when struck and that aluminum usually corrodes in the dishwasher.
Our top picks: Durability
- As long as you never put the Caraway Dutch Oven in the dishwasher, it should provide you with years of use.
- After our cooking tests, the Amazon Basics Dutch Oven showed no damage or residue. Since it’s cast iron, regular usage and seasoning will only improve it over time.
- The Le Creuset Dutch Oven we tested is essentially identical to one that has lasted three generations in our tester’s family.
- The Staub Cocotte looked the same before and after our testing with no chipping or staining, and it feels solid enough to last a lifetime.
- The Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven showed stains on the outside after the first time we used it in the oven, and the paint can easily chip if not handled properly.
Ease of maintenance
A Dutch oven can be considered the star of your kitchen, especially if it’s one of the expensive premium models in enameled cast iron. It deserves the kind of care and attention you would give any treasured item, but many Dutch ovens are tougher than they look. Enameled cast iron Dutch ovens, especially those whose enamel coating covers all the metal parts, are dishwasher-safe, while seasoned or raw cast iron should be hand-washed with little or no soap.
A good, nonabrasive brush is a good tool for cleaning all kinds of Dutch ovens. Stubborn food residue can be softened by soaking the Dutch oven for at least 10 minutes until the food loosens. Stains can be removed with solutions of baking soda, but avoid using abrasive materials such as steel wool on an enameled Dutch oven.
Our top picks: Ease of maintenance
- The Caraway Dutch Oven may not be dishwasher-safe, but its nonstick ceramic coating made cleanup a breeze with minimal effort.
- Amazon Basics Dutch Oven was easy to scrub clean with residue coming off within seconds.
- The Le Creuset Dutch Oven is said by Le Creuset to actually be dishwasher-safe. Even though we hand-washed it, we found it easy to clean.
- The Staub Cocotte took about three minutes to hand-wash because the residue firmly stuck to it.
- Despite some expected staining, we also found the Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven to be easy to clean by hand.
Size and capacity
Dutch ovens are measured by their capacity. A small Dutch oven might hold two quarts; a large Dutch oven might hold 12 quarts. We find that 5.5 to 7 quarts is a good size for a single Dutch oven. It’s big enough to make four or five servings of most recipes but not so big and heavy that it’s difficult to use. If you cook for a household of two but frequently entertain larger groups, you may want to get two sizes.
Our top picks: Size and Capacity
- The Caraway Dutch Oven is a lightweight piece that only comes in a 6.5-quart capacity and weighs just 4 pounds.
- The Amazon Basics Dutch Oven is available in a 2-quart and 7-quart capacity.
- Le Creuset’s Dutch ovens are among the lightest cast iron Dutch ovens on the market, even at larger sizes.
- Staub makes mini cocottes as small as 0.275 quarts and offers Dutch ovens in a wide variety of sizes.
- The Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven is available in five different sizes: 1.5, 3, 4.5, 6 and 7.5 quarts.
Lid design, handles and feet
Lid design: Look for a tight-fitting lid to prevent moisture and heat from escaping. Some lids come with spikes or dimples on the interior to help condense steam and distribute moisture back into the food evenly. Look for a lid with a knob made to withstand the same high heat as the rest of the Dutch oven; this helps in baking, for example, no-knead bread.
Handles: Ensure the handles are sturdy and provide a comfortable grip, even when wearing oven mitts. Cast iron and ceramic Dutch ovens often have handles that are structurally part of the body of the Dutch oven, making them highly stable. Metal Dutch ovens may have screwed or riveted handles.
Feet: If you want to take your Dutch oven camping, some are designed with “feet” or “legs” to help you better situate the pot over hot coals.
Our top picks: Lid design, handles, and feet
- We liked that the lid of the Caraway Dutch Oven fit securely and also had a tiny built-in vent to allow steam to escape.
- The Amazon Basics Dutch Oven has a tight-fitting lid but we found the handles to be on the small side.
- The lid of the Le Creuset Dutch Oven is slightly domed to provide a little extra space for food being prepared and has a resin knob that’s oven-safe to 500 degrees.
- The Staub cocotte features moisture bumps or spikes on the underside of its lid to create a self-basting effect for food.
- Lodge makes some Dutch ovens just for camping that have feet so you can cook over a fire, but the Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven, with its tight-fitting lid and easy-to-grip handles, is made for the stove.
expert Tip
Baking bread in Dutch ovens is a great way to get an even bake. Remove the lid during the last 10 or 20 minutes of baking to get a crispy golden crust.
BestRevies Cooking and Baking Expert
Tips
- To clean an enamel-coated Dutch oven, allow the hot pan to cool down before washing. Never plunge it into cold water abruptly, as the thermal shock could harm the enamel.
- Do not put your cast iron Dutch oven away while it’s still damp. Allow it to dry first, and store it away from steam to avoid moisture build-up.
- Check the handles and knobs of your Dutch oven periodically, and tighten them if they become loose.
- Over time, you may need to replace the knobs on your Dutch oven, as they will probably wear out sooner than the pan does.
FAQ
Q. I’m considering a cast iron Dutch oven for my kitchen, but is the upkeep worth it? And will it look good in my kitchen?
A. When properly cared for, a cast iron Dutch oven can last a lifetime. In fact, many are passed down from generation to generation. These models require careful maintenance, but they’re built to take a beating and enameled cast iron Dutch ovens are available in a rainbow of colors. You can usually find one to match any decor.
Q. What sort of cleaning solution can be used on a Dutch oven?
A. The best way to clean a Dutch oven is mild dish soap and warm water. Some enameled cast iron Dutch ovens are dishwasher-safe, but hand-washing with gentle detergent and a nonabrasive brush is generally recommended. Never put a seasoned or bare cast iron Dutch oven in the dishwasher, and use only hot water and a gentle nylon brush with seasoned cast iron. Stubborn stains can be worked on with baking soda and water or baking soda and vinegar.
Q. Can I put my Dutch oven on a stovetop?
A. Metal Dutch ovens can go on gas, electric and induction cooktops, and bare or seasoned cast iron can even be used over a grill or fire. Ceramic Dutch ovens may be used over gas or electric cooktops and in the oven at lower temperatures.
Our expertise
Jmar Gambol has been writing for BestReviews since 2021. An avid cook, he frequently uses an enameled cast iron Dutch oven to prepare stews and soups. He is well-versed in cookware and cooking techniques and is planning to save up to upgrade to one of the Dutch ovens in this article.
