The 7 Very Best Dutch Ovens

Material: Enameled cast iron | Size: 2–13.25 quarts | Weight: 11 pounds, 4 ounces

In the 1920s, Le Creuset invented the Dutch oven as we know it today, forging a Dutch metal-casting method with the smooth enamel coating. The design took off quickly and has never fallen out of favor (it’s the most ubiquitous brand seen in the kitchens of celebrities and celebrity chefs alike, among them Marilyn Monroe, Julia Child, Nigella Lawson, Taylor Swift, and too many more to count).

Recipe developer and cookbook author Alexis deBoschnek has owned hers for a decade and Alexandra Wight, owner of Crown Jewel in Great Diamond Island, Maine, for nearly double that. Despite some warnings about discoloration, deBoschneck says that has happened only minorly, and Wight says not at all with hers, adding, “It’s super-easy to clean. I love that you can throw it in the dishwasher. I don’t always do that, but I like to know that the option is there, especially as a mother of three children who make a lot of dishes.”

As for performance, Le Creuset “cooks really evenly across the board, whether on the stove, in the oven, or even in a smoker,” deBoschnek says. “The lid is tight fitting. The nonstick quality has lasted. It feels easy to handle.” Strategist editor Maxine Builder tested a bunch of cheaper Dutch ovens against her Le Creuset to see how they would measure up. In the end, while she found some decent alternatives, in time she gave most of the others away in favor of this classic (save for the last casserole-style one on this list, the only other one she kept).

Material: Enameled cast iron | Size: 5.5 quarts | Weight: 13 pounds, 11 ounces

Made In, a relative newcomer on the cookware scene, produces some of our favorite knives, skillets, and baking dishes. Now we can add its Dutch oven to that list. Released a little over a year ago, it’s made in France, piggybacking on the century-old craftsmanship of Le Creuset (and later Staub) — “but is a fraction of the price,” says Jorge Gaviria, founder of Masienda, who has been using his for about as long as its been out. “The brand works with legacy producers to fabricate all of the quality of those heritage companies but for less money.” He finds that the Dutch oven is solidly built enough to elevate what he calls the “really crappy coil burners” he has at home. It heats up beautifully and retains that heat evenly throughout the whole pot. Maneuvering it is comfortable too, he says, thanks to its solid and sturdy handles.

Material: Enameled carbon steel | Size: 2 quarts and 4 quarts | Weight: 5 pounds, 7 ounces

This Dansk Købenstyle is the only other Dutch oven (besides her original Le Creuset) that Builder kept from her 2019 tests — and she still stands by what she wrote then. The main difference between this one and the others on the list is that it’s made from lightweight carbon steel instead of cast iron. This means it’s “easy to carry around a kitchen even when it’s hot,” Builder says. Even still, as with carbon steel skillets, it “retains heat well,” she says. Because the four-quart option is on the smaller side, she doesn’t use it for large braises or pot roasts but still likes the size for cooking for one or two. “And it’s easy to store and not as much of a thing to take out of my cabinet,” she says. Then there’s the fact that the Dansk simply looks cool with its “unique mid-century design,” as Builder puts it. The spiderlike handles don’t look like they should work, she says, but in fact feel sturdy, and even after all these years of cooking tomato-based sauces and curries, the inside hasn’t stained.

Material: Cast iron | Size: 3.2 quarts | Weight: 12 pounds, 14 ounces

This offering from Lodge isn’t enameled; instead, it’s made from the same raw cast-iron material as its skillets. As with Staub’s, the darker interior color is great for achieving an ideal crust color on bread. That’s the primary thing Georgia Macon, executive pastry chef at Twelve, makes in it. Instead of a traditional deep pot with a thinner lid, she explains, it’s a slightly shallower pot with a skillet as a lid — not only a two-in-one deal but a build that allows for easy maneuvering when baking a loaf. “Every other option on the market leaves you ripe with chances to burn your forearms,” Macon says. “With this, you load into the lid and then put the bottom on top to cover it. Loading and unloading is miles easier.” Macon uses the set for other dishes, too, like braises, searing meats, and making popcorn. When doing that, however, she cautions that you have to season the metal before to ensure foods don’t stick. (With bread, the high cook heat and dusting of flour doesn’t render seasoning necessary.)