They’re colorful, they’re cast iron, and they’re really good for braising. But when picking a Dutch oven, which of these cult-fave brands is right for you?
My Dutch oven was the first piece of fancy kitchen equipment I ever bought for myself. At the time, I was cooking at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, and felt I deserved a nice pot (I deserved it!); so, I drove an hour or so through sweltering heat (the air conditioning in my van does not work) to the Le Creuset outlet store in Vacaville, another Bay Area suburb roughly an hour away. Sweaty and debilitated by the overwhelming amount of options — the colors! the sizes! the price! — I stressed over my decision for about an hour. In the end, I got my ride or die: a baby pink, 5.5-quart Dutch oven. I even got it at a discounted price, because this particular model’s handles were smaller than the standard size. Smaller handles — no big deal, I thought. Who doesn’t love a discount?
In the time since, I’ve used my Le Creuset to make innumerable pots of beans, soups, and braises. I’ve blanched vegetables in it, fried onion rings in it, and (though I hate to make bread) even produced a couple of decent loaves of sourdough. In general, there’s nothing more that I could want out of a Dutch oven — it offers plenty of room to cook for a crowd or meal prep for the week, and it looks absolutely adorable doing it.
As I’ve gotten older (and I have), I’ve come to yearn for reliable cookware that I can have around for a long time — long enough that, if I am indeed capable of having kids (fingers crossed), I could even pass on to future generations. And I do think that — for better or worse — my Le Creuset will last me a long, long time.
Lodge vs. Le Creuset vs. Staub
Many people aren’t in a place to drop over $400 on a piece of cooking equipment, and thankfully, there are now a variety of brands making sturdy, beautiful Dutch ovens that will last for decades with the proper care. In addition to Le Creuset, which is undoubtedly the most famous maker of Dutch ovens, these include French enamel cookware brand Staub and American cast iron manufacturer Lodge, all of which make excellent products at different price points.
When choosing a Dutch oven, many home cooks find themselves comparing Le Creuset, Lodge, and Staub, and struggling to make a decision; welp, that’s why I’m here! As a home and professional cook and longtime food writer, I’ve tested all three, and can speak to their differences and respective strengths. Let’s get into it. Right now.
What to look for in a Dutch oven (and when to use one)
Before we get into comparing Le Creuset, Lodge, and Staub, let’s talk about what Dutch ovens are and why you might want one. If you’re someone who likes to entertain or you cook for a large family, I dare say that a Dutch oven is almost essential, if not just an incredibly helpful tool in your kitchen arsenal.
The Dutch ovens we’ll be exploring here are enameled cast iron Dutch ovens, meaning they’re cast iron (like those heavy, black iron pans you notoriously “season” every time you use them), coated with a layer of glass enamel. This means you get the heat retention of cast iron without the reactivity (to acidic things like tomato sauce, which can degrade the pan’s seasoning or, if the pan is not well-seasoned, leach metallic flavor into the food being prepared) or the need to season the surface to keep it relatively non-sticking. Dutch ovens are thick and tall (like me — just kidding, I’m kind of short), making them ideal for slow-and-low, liquid-based dishes, and work well for both stovetop and oven cooking (and a combination of the two).
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Let’s braise.
What do you use a Dutch oven for? Many things. Their large capacity makes Dutch ovens great for hosting, cooking for a big family, or meal prepping. Because of their high heat capacity, retention and tight fitting lids, these are also a popular choice for at-home bread baking. For the same reasons, and their stove-to-oven compatibility, they are a wonderful vessel for long-cooked braises, soups, and beans. They also work well for blanching vegetables, cooking pasta, and deep-frying.
The ideal Dutch oven should hold enough stew or beans to supply a large dinner party, but not too big that it’s difficult to store or use on a small stove. It should be thick and distribute heat well, and be sturdy enough that it won’t chip easily. It will, by nature, be heavy, but it should feel comfortable enough to grab and move from oven to stove, stove to sink, sink to cupboard. And as a bonus, as it will likely end up staying on the stovetop (unless you have a lot of storage in your kitchen, in which case I’m seething with envy), it should also look nice (whatever that means to you).
Now that you know everything I do about Dutch ovens, let’s meet our contestants.
Le Creuset
The Le Creuset Signature Round Dutch Oven is likely what most people think of when they hear the words “Dutch oven.” These pots are classic — Julia Child used them, your friend’s fancy mom probably used them, and you’ve probably seen them on food influencer Instagram. And, they’re time-tested: Le Creuset has been making these enameled cast iron pots in France since 1925. They are known for their wide array of beautiful colors, for lasting for decades, and overall for very high quality.
But, perhaps partly because of their legacy, they’re also pretty pricey. They do come with a good lifetime warranty, which means that, if you take care of your Dutch oven properly, it could be the only one you ever buy.
Le Creuset
Choosing a Le Creuset color can be tough — there are so many vibes.
The 4- to 6-quart range is the most popular sizing for copping a Le Creuset — and for good reason: It’s the perfect size for entertaining, bread baking, and batch cooking, without being an immense pain to store. The only real drawback — after the pain of the price tag had faded into the distant path — is those damn handles. On my Le Creuset, they’re on the smaller side, and it sucks.
And so, before we go any further, I want to instill a couple things in you: If at all possible, don’t get a model with the tiny handles. Also if you end up purchasing a Le Creuset (or any Dutch oven from one of the higher end brands), it’s possible you might have this piece of equipment for a long time. Take your time, marinate on your colors, and pick something you could imagine wanting on your stovetop 15 years from now — not just whatever color is trendy this season.
Pros:
Great timeless design
Cooking surface has large surface area
Lots of size options
Durable and made to last for years, if not decades
While it’s heavy, it weighs slightly less than its Staub counterpart
Swaggy and classic, with many attractive color options
Cons:
It is, regrettably, a bit expensive — at around $420 (blaze up) for the 5.5-quart, I can’t help but fear that part of what you’re paying for is the brand name and recognition
The light interior can be prone to staining
The brass tacks: In my mind, Le Creusets are the gold standard of Dutch ovens. They’re expensive, but they’re well-made, durable, and reliable; if you take care of them, they can last a lifetime. Plus, they’ve got a chokehold on the cute color commission.
Who is it for?: Anyone that cooks a lot, cares about the aesthetics of their cookware, and wants the most classic Dutch oven. They make a generous wedding gift for your sourdough baking friend, or a birthday gift for a parent with a lot of kids. Or, perhaps you just want to treat yourself!
Lodge
Lodge is an American brand best known for its straight-up cast iron pots and pans. The company has a rustic sort of vibe, and a long history, as it’s been making cast iron since 1896. It launched its enameled cast iron products in 2005, and I learned while writing this that it actually offers two options for enameled cast iron Dutch ovens — one made in China and one in the U.S. I tested the one made in China, which is hundreds of dollars cheaper than the Le Creuset (the U.S.-made enamel version has a slightly different design and is closer to $300), and a great budget option if you’re looking for a utilitarian, totally usable Dutch oven. The Lodge Dutch oven also comes in many color options (which I personally find attractive, though some of them are so bold and trendy that they might not have the same legacy “look” as Le Creuset).
While the 6-quart cast iron Lodge Dutch oven is certainly passable for making your weekly pot of beans or casual meals for a crowd, I find that it has a couple of suboptimal design features. The bottom surface of the pot is gradually sloped, which means there is less surface area for searing and browning than there is on a Le Creuset. When I’m making a braise, I’ll almost always sear the meat before adding my liquid; for that reason, one of my priorities in choosing a Dutch oven is a larger searing surface. Having less surface area means risking overcrowding (or having to sear meat in more batches), and this design feature would quickly frustrate me.
Lodge
Lodge’s 6-quart Dutch oven (shown here in “Avocado”) is significantly cheaper than comparable pots from Le Creuset and Staub.
The sloped sides might also impact the overall balance of the pot. As I was grabbing mine from the oven today, it tipped backwards and spilled about three cups of my Lexington-style North Carolina barbecue sauce onto the floor of the oven. Perhaps it was a moment of carelessness, but this has also never happened in my years of using the Le Creuset.
There were some other notable differences between the Lodge and my Le Creuset. I’ve heard a few complaints about these chipping and scratching more easily than their counterparts. The possibility for quick deterioration seemed confirmed by the fact that, upon opening my new Dutch oven, I immediately noticed a few small rust spots on the lid and top rim; the package had arrived on a rainy day, some moisture had seeped into the box, and it had quickly started forming rust. While this was an unfortunate (and potentially avoidable) accident, this tendency towards rusting doesn’t bode well for anyone who tends to leave dishes in the sink for long periods.
Ultimately, you get what you pay for, and this Dutch oven is definitely much more affordable than Le Creuset, and for many home cooks, will function just fine, if not pretty well. Right now, the 6-quart Dutch oven is listed at $79.95, which is a pretty ripping deal, especially if you’re not sure how much you’ll use it.
Pros:
Affordable price point with uncompromised functionality
Visually attractive — similar aesthetic to Le Creuset
User-friendly
With care (don’t use metal utensils, dry after washing), a solid piece of kitchen equipment for any casual cook
Cons:
Sloped bottom means smaller surface for searing and browning
Fewer color options than Le Creuset
May rust on lid and outer rim if left in moisture for long periods
May be prone to chipping, scratching, and staining
Sloped sides might throw off the balance, stability, and ease of movement
The brass tacks: While I’ve included a decent amount of cons in the interest of being honest about how it compares to a Le Creuset, I do think that ultimately, if you want to spend under $100 on a Dutch oven, this truly is a wonderful option and something you can certainly cook amazing food with for years to come.
Who is it for?: Braisers on a budget — i.e. anyone who doesn’t want to spend an arm and a leg on a piece of cookware. Also great as a gift for someone getting into cooking, or a kid moving into their first apartment, or for your friend who’s using a huge aluminum stock pot to make all their soups.
Staub
French brand Staub — founded in Alsace in 1974 — has been around for over 50 years, but the classy, classic design makes it feel like it’s been around even longer (and, to me, exudes a little less “look at my Dutch oven” vibe than Le Creuset does). The lid style, with its sunken shape, harkens back to the cast iron Dutch ovens of earlier days; before the widespread availability of gas and electric ovens, when braises would often be made by placing coals below and on top of the lid of a cast iron pot to cook from both sides. Very cool!
Staub
The 5.5-quart round cocotte from Staub
But… thinking about taking your brand new Staub camping and plopping it into the fire? Hold your horses, cowboy! These enameled Dutch ovens can’t take that kind of heat — stick to an oven at or below 500 degrees Fahrenheit if you’ve got a lid on it (although according to Staub, it can handle up to 900 degrees without the lid). If you’re going camping, consider something like Lodge’s Cast Iron Camp Dutch Oven, specifically designed for that purpose.
While still not cheap-cheap, the Staub 5.5-quart cocotte is a bit cheaper than the Le Creuset in some colors. Other colors get closer to — and in some cases, even more expensive than — the pricing of Le Creuset. The underside of the lid is fitted with spikes, which the company claims creates a “rainforest effect” to return evaporated moisture back to the food — you know, just like the rainforest does. I like the idea of this, although I’m not sure it’s much different than what an ordinary lid does (containing heat and steam and recirculating moisture). Who knows? Maybe the spikes really do help, but it’s hard to tell.
The interior of the Dutch oven is black, which is sleek and does a better job of hiding stains, but also makes it a bit more challenging to suss out whether or not you’re burning anything (like the fond that forms the foundation for many braises). In terms of size options, Staub has a “Tall” 5-quart version, which could be attractive if you find yourself frying a lot (to minimize splattering) or otherwise cooking with a lot of bubbling liquid.
Pros:
Classic and classy
Highly durable and versatile material that can handle up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit sans lid
Clever design features including moisture-enhancing lid design
Some very handsome colors
Multiple height options optimized for different types of cooking
The black interior hides stains better than the lighter colored Le Creuset
Cons:
It is a bit heavier than the Le Creuset — not by much, but something to keep in mind
Dark interior can make it tricky to see if food is burning
Still a high price point for someone that only cooks casually
The brass tacks: In the end, if you want to buy a high-quality Dutch oven that will last you years, you’d like to save a little bit of money (if you don’t mind having it in black), and you don’t have strong allegiances to the name, look, or colors of the Le Creuset, Staub makes an outstanding Dutch oven.
Who is it for?: A cook that wants something high-end, is comfortable with the black interior requiring a bit more focus or confidence, and isn’t attached to the recognizability and legacy of Le Creuset.
How to care for your Dutch oven
To care for your new Dutch oven, heed my warnings, and it should last you for many years. Almost all Dutch ovens can generally handle temperatures of up to around 500 degrees Fahrenheit, so they’re great for the stovetop and oven, but — depending on the model and whether or not you’re using the lid, as mentioned above — less so the broiler, pizza oven, or campfire.
When you’re cooking, you should heat your Dutch oven up gradually and with some sort of fat or liquid in it (heating an empty enameled Dutch oven quickly can cause cracks in the enamel); in general, it’s good to keep the temperature around medium, as higher heats can scorch and quickly lead to burnt food. To avoid scratching the enamel, use wood or silicone utensils, rather than metal.
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With proper care, a Dutch oven will last for hundreds — perhaps even thousands! — of tasty stews.
Also, they’re heavy! Don’t drop them on your foot, or really at all if you can avoid it. And lastly, sometimes they can accumulate some pretty tough stains that take a firm wrist and some baking soda to get out (if they fully come out at all), but it’s important not to clean with anything too abrasive that might scratch the enamel. As there are some exposed portions of cast iron, make sure to dry after washing to avoid rust.
If you’re anything like me, these kinds of buying decisions can be stressful and take time. Rest assured that, at the end of the day, all three of these are great options depending on your budget and priorities. They’ll all make wonderful beans and braises, and they’ll all last a while with proper care. So, maybe just get one already? Just make sure you don’t get the Le Creuset with the very tiny handles.
