A classic tool for the seasoned home cook

A Dutch oven is a versatile and trustworthy piece of cookware no dedicated home cook should be without. The Staub Cast Iron Dutch Oven is one of the best enameled Dutch ovens available. Its dark interior and flat lid set it apart from competing Dutch ovens, while its beautiful protective finish and solid cast iron construction offer the best qualities of Dutch oven cooking. The BestReviews Testing Lab has tested the 5-quart Staub Cast Iron Dutch Oven and concluded that its quality, performance and aesthetics are worth its price and learning curve.

What is the Staub Cast Iron Dutch Oven?

Staub was founded in 1974 by Francis Staub. Its cast iron cookware is made in France using sand molds that break apart after casting and get reused.

Product specifications

Material: Cast iron | Coating: Enamel | Capacity: 5 qt | Weight: 13.2 lb | Oven-safe Temperature: 500 degrees | Dishwasher-safe: Yes (hand-wash recommended)

The Staub Enameled Cast Iron Round Dutch Oven is a French-made Dutch oven with a vitreous enamel internal and external coating. Also known as a cocotte, it is available in a number of capacities from 2.5 to 13.25 quarts and at least 14 attractive colors, including cherry, citron and turquoise.

Its heavy cast iron retains and distributes heat evenly for excellent slow cooking and simmering while its black enamel interior protects it from acidic foods and minimizes sticking when properly heated. It has a flat cast-iron lid designed to retain moisture and create a self-basting effect with condenser spikes on its underside. The Staub Dutch oven is safe to 500 degrees with its lid on and up to 900 degrees with the lid off. Though it is safe to put in the dishwasher, hand washing is recommended. 

See how it compares to other products in its space — check out our reviews for the best Dutch ovens.

Price and where to buy

The Staub Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven ranges in price from $166 to $433, depending on size and color, with the 5-quart model we tested costing $230. It is available from Amazon.

Why we like it

• Moisture retention: The Staub’s lid fits tightly over its body for an excellent seal. It also offers raised bumps on its underside, which collect and direct condensation back evenly onto the food.
• Versatility: We appreciated the versatility of the Staub Dutch oven in not only slow-cooking and braising, but also simmering, searing and roasting.
• Durability: The Staub cast iron Dutch oven is a long-lasting piece of cookware that can only be harmed by drops or heat shock.
• Appearance: We love how attractive the Staub looks with its glossy, colorful finish. Not only can it go from stove or oven to table as serveware, we also think it’s appealing enough to be left on the stove on display.

What we don’t like

• Weight: The Staub enameled cast iron Dutch oven was the heaviest one we tested at 13.2 pounds and may be challenging to maneuver for some people.
• Food sticks to it: While the enameled interior and exterior of the Staub is much easier to clean than plain cast iron, we found that food tends to stick to its surface. Stubborn bits of food needed soaking, and it took us about three minutes to hand-wash it completely clean. 
• Handles get hot: After about 10 minutes of heating up, the handles became too hot for us to touch and oven mitts were needed. 
• Learning curve: It takes time to learn the best techniques for cooking with the Staub Dutch oven, especially compared to nonstick or aluminum cookware, or to plain cast iron.

Staub Cast Iron Dutch Oven setup

Staub recommends treating the interior of the Dutch oven by brushing vegetable oil on the entire interior matte surface of the Dutch oven, then heating on low until the oil lightly smokes.

The Staub Cast Iron Dutch Oven comes in a good quality printed cardboard product box that opens from the top. The lid is shipped upside down with a decorative ribbon attached to the knob. Inside is the main Dutch oven. It only needs to be lifted from the box and its stickers, labels and rim protectors removed.

Prior to first use, Staub recommends rinsing the Dutch oven and lid in warm water and then drying thoroughly. Staub also recommends treating the interior of the Dutch oven by brushing vegetable oil on the entire interior matte surface of the Dutch oven, then heating on low until the oil lightly smokes. Allow it to cool, then wipe away the excess vegetable oil. According to Staub, this treatment enhances the nonstick properties of the black matte cooking surface.

Design and materials 

Unlike other enameled Dutch ovens, the Staub dutch oven has a dark matte interior.

The Staub Cast Iron Dutch Oven is made in Staub’s foundry in the Alsace region of eastern France. Its cast iron core heats slowly but retains enough heat to sear foods evenly. Each cast iron core is fired in individual sand molds to 800 degrees. It is then covered in several layers of high-gloss enamel on the exterior for an appearance resembling fine majolica ceramics. While the glossy exterior looks fabulous, we did notice that fingerprints easily show up on it. 

On the inside, the Staub Dutch oven has a dark, matte-finish enamel unlike the glossy light interiors of competitors. According to Staub, this matte enamel provides improved browning thanks to its added texture and bits of quartz integrated into its surface. It’s crack- and chip-resistant, but Staub recommends using wooden, silicone or heat-resistant plastic utensils nevertheless.

The flat lid, which we noted is a hefty 4.5 pounds, is also enameled on both sides and is grooved for a tight seal with the Dutch oven. The lid has a metallic knob that is oven-safe to 500 degrees; the rest of the Dutch oven is oven-safe to 900 degrees.

Cooking performance

The Staub Dutch oven has squared-off handles compared to the handles of competitors.

The Staub Cast Iron Dutch Oven performed perfectly at all cooking methods and recipes during our testing period. We were particularly pleased at how well it retains heat and moisture, ideal for low-temperature recipes where cooking low and slow is desired. The dark matte enamel interior was also good at searing and developing flavors in meats and other proteins.

Its interior enamel coating also allows it to tackle acidic ingredients without incident, such as a long-simmered tomato sauce. We did note that roasting foods with a high sugar content, such as root vegetables, could lead to carbonization residue afterward that required soaking for cleanup. Nevertheless, we observed consistent results and unparalleled performance with relevant recipes overall.

Cleaning and maintenance

To ensure it has a long life, it’s best to wash the Staub Dutch oven by hand.

We noted that the Staub Cast Iron Dutch Oven occasionally needs pre-soaking before cleaning, especially if roasting high-sugar foods. Staub recommends using a nonabrasive sponge or nylon brush for cleaning the interior of the Dutch oven to maintain the matte finish enamel inside. The Staub is promised to be dishwasher-safe, but we found it safer to hand-wash every time, and dry thoroughly with a dry cloth or dish towel. 

We also noted that the enamel on the bottom of the Staub may be damaged by dragging it across burners or burner grates. Staub recommends lifting rather than sliding the Dutch oven to avoid this.

Lid design and condenser bumps 

The knobs on the lids of Staub cast iron Dutch ovens are made of brass, nickel or stainless steel and can be changed or swapped if desired.

The Staub Dutch Oven’s lid is a notable difference between its design and the design of competing Dutch ovens. It’s flat rather than rounded, and features a number of specially designed bumps or rounded spikes on the underside. The flatness and bumps work together to channel evaporated moisture from the food evenly onto the cooking surface. By contrast, a domed lid without condenser bumps channels evaporation moisture down the interior sides of the vessel, reducing the basting effect.

How does it compare to other Dutch ovens we’ve tested?

The Staub Cast Iron Dutch Oven competes directly with the Le Creuset Round Dutch Oven that we also tested. Both feature heavy cast iron cores encased in nonreactive enamel coats that make them easier to care for and more versatile than non-enameled cast iron vessels. The two most notable differences between the Staub and the Le Creuset Dutch ovens are their lids and interior enameling. The Le Creuset has a rounded, somewhat domed lid, while the Staub has a flat lid with condenser bumps. The Le Creuset has light-colored, glossy enamel as an interior cooking surface, while the Staub has a dark, matte-finish enamel.

The Le Creuset Dutch oven, which weighs 12.7 pounds, is slightly lighter than the 13.2-pound Staub, and features rounder handles compared to the Staub’s squared-off handles. The Le Creuset also regularly costs more than the Staub for the same size capacity, and offers a few more colors. 

If you’re looking for a very lightweight Dutch oven, the 6.5-quart Caraway Dutch Oven, which also impressed us during testing, weighs just 6.6 pounds with the lid on. 

Testing the Staub Cast Iron Dutch Oven

The testing team evaluated the Staub Dutch oven on its durability, cooking performance, ease of cleaning and more.

We tested the Staub Cast Iron Dutch Oven in our own kitchens preparing a variety of foods. We noted its performance in stewing, braising, roasting, boiling and simmering, with starchy vegetables and proteins, including acidic ingredients such as tomatoes that could damage non-enameled cast iron. We judged the results on flavor, texture, time to heat, evenness of heating, and on how well the Staub’s lid helped with moisture and basting.

We also rated the Staub on its packaging and ease of preparation for first use, how easy it was to clean and maintain, and the durability and attractiveness of its components. Finally, we judged how well the Staub would last over a long period of use.

Should you get the Staub Cast Iron Dutch Oven?

The testing team obtained excellent results from the Staub Dutch oven.

The Staub Cast Iron Dutch Oven is an excellent piece of cookware. Its design, materials and durability are all first-rate, and its results are exceptional. While its flat lid may limit its vertical capacity, the lid’s moisture retention and distribution features we feel are worth it. Once you master the techniques for cooking and cleaning, it will be an asset to anyone’s culinary repertoire, at a slightly lower price than that of its most famous competitors.