Before slow cookers and Instant Pots and super-powered blenders, there was the simple, unassuming Dutch oven. This big, clunky pot with its tight-fitting lid has been cranking out stews, braises, roasts and even bread for 400 years or so. And if you don't have one, you need to get one. It can travel from your stove to your oven and back again. It's low-maintenance and virtually indestructible. But, you say, they're expensive. Yes, it's true that some are quite expensive. But once you know what you're looking for, we promise you won't have to sell your house, your car and most of your belongings to have one of your very own. Read on below for tips on how to buy and care for your new Dutch oven and what you can do with it.
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What Is a Dutch Oven?
Pictured recipe: Vegetable Stock with Kitchen Scraps
A Dutch oven is, in essence, a big pot with a lid designed to let very little steam escape. (This is useful when you're braising or stewing something and don't want a lot of evaporation.) While Dutch ovens can be ceramic, aluminum or stainless steel, they are most commonly made of cast iron, which makes them heavier than your average pot. Cast iron holds onto heat more readily and more evenly than other metals, which is a huge advantage in a pot that is designed to go from your stove into your oven, and this is why we recommend going with cast iron.
What Can I Make in a Dutch Oven?
Pictured recipe: Whole-Wheat Sourdough Bread
Dutch ovens are great for stews, sauces, soups, braises or any other moist-heat cooking method. This pot can cook a casserole or a whole chicken. You can brown meat and vegetables on the stove and let them simmer away or transfer your pot to the oven to finish cooking there. (Most all cast-iron Dutch ovens are oven-safe; check your manual for temperature limitations.) Cast-iron Dutch ovens are also the cooking vessel of choice for sourdough and no-knead bread.
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That all depends on how many people you'll be cooking for and also how much storage space you have in your kitchen. If it's too small, you run the risk of not everything fitting in the pot, and if it's too big, you could struggle to heat it properly. For most people, going with a 6- to 8-quart Dutch oven is a safe bet for most occasions.
Enameled or Not?
The coating on the inside of some pots is there to prevent sticking and to slow down the wear and tear on the cast iron. You can live without it, but you will have to make sure your pan is "seasoned" now and then with a thin layer of oil that's baked onto the pan. With an uncoated pot, you'll also need to thoroughly dry it before storing it (iron rusts at lightning speed).
How Much Will I Have to Spend?
While it's true that a big pretty pot in your favorite color can cost you a few hundred dollars, you can also find one that will perform just as well for much less. Our best-tested Dutch oven is $100, and another top pick is $70. Both high-end and middle-of-the-road manufacturers often offer lifetime warranties on Dutch ovens too, so, in theory, you'll only have to make this purchase once. But make sure you read the fine print to understand what's covered and what isn't.
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How Do I Care For My New Dutch Oven?
Pictured recipe:
So, you've got your nice new pot, and you want it to last a lifetime. That's not hard to do if you care for it. Each Dutch oven will come with specific care instructions but, in general, one very important rule of thumb is not to heat your cast-iron Dutch oven on high. Cast iron is slow to warm up and equally slow to cool down. Cooking with high heat makes it very hard to prevent burning and can damage the enamel coating and even void that generous lifetime warranty. If your Dutch oven has an enamel coating, avoid scratching it with abrasive cooking and cleaning tools. If it's not coated, don't leave it wet for prolonged periods of time.
A Dutch oven is, in essence, a big pot with a lid designed to let very little steam escape. (This is useful when you're braising or stewing something and don't want a lot of evaporation.)
The Dutch oven is a must-have for home cooks—it's something you'll use almost daily. Heavy-bottomed, with a tight-fitted lid to help retain heat and moisture for cooking flavorful and tender meals like soups and stews, it's a kitchen workhorse.
This type of sturdy cooking vessel has been used for centuries to slow-cook soups, stews, sauces, and breads. Dutch ovens come in cast iron, enameled, aluminum, and ceramic varieties. Traditionally, though, they're made with seasoned cast iron.
Explore versatile alternatives to Dutch ovens for your cooking needs: stock pots, casserole dishes, slow cookers, roasting pans, cast iron skillets, and clay pots. Adjust cooking techniques and monitor closely when using substitutes.
You can use a dutch oven on any kind of cooktop, including induction, as long as the dutch oven is cast-iron or another induction-compatible material. When you are using the dutch oven on a direct heat source, just make sure that the temperature does not get too hot and scorch it.
Hardworking Dutch ovens can do anything from slow-cooking pork shoulder, braising short ribs, simmering tomato sauce, baking a loaf of no-knead bread, or even handling stir-fries if you don't have a wok.
Dutch ovens are oven-safe, making them ideal for braising meat or baking bread. If you're baking on high heat, beware: your pot is probably heatproof, but the knob on the lid often has a heat limit below 400º. Simply twist off the knob and bake without it, or use a metal knob.
Deeper and wider, Dutch ovens are best for deep frying while a shallow skillet or fry pan is ideal for pan frying. Use the right oil – Butter or extra virgin olive oil may sound tasty but they will break down and burn at the high temperature needed for frying.
At its core, a Dutch oven is a casserole dish with thick, high walls and a tight-fitting lid. The heavy lid is crucial to lock in moisture, as it results in more flavorful food. They are often used to cook such dishes as roasts, stews, and casseroles, but the sky really is the limit.
The Dutch oven—or as I like to call it, the analog crock pot—is a favorite among those who love cooking. The hype around Dutch ovens exists for good reason: They are highly effective, beautiful, dynamic, and durable pieces of cookware.
In a slow cooker, you select a high or low setting and let the machine do the work, while a Dutch oven braises on a stovetop or in an oven. Because the two methods are so similar, they're easily interchangeable.
Dutch ovens are all-purpose pots that can effortlessly go from stovetop to oven. They're great for searing, frying, braising, and baking. Even better, they come in a rainbow of colors to complement any kitchen.
Boil water in the Dutch oven, and when the pasta is perfectly al dente, strain it and place it back in the pot. The Dutch oven then acts as the perfect vessel for finishing the pasta with sauce, a pat of butter, and some pasta water.
The pot heats up quickly which helps you cut cooking time without compromising the quality, texture, and flavor of the food being cooked. This versatile and highly functional piece of cookware comes at an affordable price, making it a great investment, especially if you're passionate about the food you're cooking.
The Dutch oven is the master of the stovetop. Since it's basically a wider, heavier version of a stockpot, it's a good pick to simmer broth or cook up big batches of beans. The cast iron core can get hot enough to quickly sear chunks of meat and brown veggies.
And while there are plenty of sizes to choose from, like oval Dutch ovens, or shallow Dutch ovens, Cimarusti prefers the classic Le Creuset 5.5-quart Dutch oven. “The attention to detail is just great,” he says. If a Michelin-starred chef uses one everyday, it's worth adding to your kitchen.
But where the Dutch oven really shines is its material. Enameled cast iron is a brand signature, and for good reason. In addition to conducting and retaining heat like a dream, it also requires no seasoning, and it's super durable.
Dutch ovens are a fantastic investment but they're not necessary to make sourdough bread. In fact, they're not even the best piece of sourdough equipment available. Instead, we recommend a domed bread cloche or a combo cooker.
Introduction: My name is Chrissy Homenick, I am a tender, funny, determined, tender, glorious, fancy, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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