The Best Dutch Oven for Slow Cooks, Deep Fries, and Bread Bakes

The best Dutch ovens are good for so many things: braising meat, stews, sautéing, deep-frying, heck, even baking bread. And while we think you should consider getting a stainless-steel stockpot, one of these will work in a pinch. Regardless of which one you choose, though, a Dutch oven will prove an investment. It’s not a purchase to be taken lightly (no pun intended). This is a hefty piece of cast-iron cookware often with a hefty price attached to it. But purchase the right one and you have a kitchen workhorse that will last for decades but that also adds a bit of curb appeal to your cooktop.

Pros: Most durable interior, high walls that prevent splatter
Cons: High price tag, slightly heavier than Le Creuset

In the knock down drag out Dutch oven wars between Staub and Le Creuset, it's the Staub Dutch oven holds the heart of BA’s test Kitchen. Not one but two different staffers named it as one of their top picks, with food editor Shilpa Uskokovic even saying she’d “lay down” her life for the Staub over the Le Creuset any day. The reason? Better durability.

“It’s not to say the Le Creuset is not durable, but I do think it shows it’s wear more readily,” food director Chris Morocco says, pointing to the Le Creuset’s cream enamel interior versus the Staub’s more discreet matte black. “The interior of the Staub is not raw cast iron. It is just a very hard wearing surface, and yet it’s one that things release pretty easily off of it.”

This means you can go to town when hand-washing it and put it through more (not only is the Staub oven-safe, Morocco even says he’s put a model with a matte black exterior directly on to hot coals) knowing that the dark interior will keep it looking brand new. That heavy-duty quality combined with its performance combined with the palette of colors you can purchase it in makes the Staub the sports car of Dutch ovens for Morocco.

Diameter: 10.24"
Height: 6.57"
Weight: 11.9 lb.
Warranty: Lifetime

Pros: Durability, easiest to use
Cons: Price point

In a way Le Creuset functions as the Levi’s jeans of cookware—even if you don’t know very much about the French brand, it possesses enough of a long-earned cult-level backing that you to know of it. At first glance, a Le Creuset Dutch oven will catch your eye for the rainbow of pretty enamel coatings you can choose from. But it doesn’t stop at just looks. The high-quality enamel cast-iron pot has impressed testers at our sister site Epicurious for years. The testing team there has put it up against nearly 20 competitors, including the biggest names in cast iron cookware, like Lodge. The Le Creuset seared, braised and caramelized with the best of them, resisted chipping (though testers did note the light-colored enamel finish on the inside does get “dull and ruddy over time”), and features a tight-fitting lid—important for heat retention—topped with a phenolic (plastic) knob that can be replaced with a much hardier stainless-steel knob for projects like bread baking at high temps in the oven.

What set this classic Dutch oven apart from its competitors in the testing though was not its performance on the stove or in the oven, it was design. Testers loved the wide loop handles and (relatively) light weight that make it easy to move around the stove and into the oven with pot holders. That small details like handle shape are so considered on this pot makes sense. Le Creuset got its start in the 1920s, so the heirloom brand has had over a century of practice to craft the perfect Dutch oven for home cooks. Its lifetime warranty doesn’t hurt either.

Diameter: 10.25"
Height: 6.5"
Weight: 11.5 lb.
Warranty: Lifetime

Pros: Super affordable, nice color options, quality performance, ideal for a beginner cook
Cons: Not as durable as the pricier competitors, no lifetime warranty

If you’ve ever visited or searched anything on Amazon, then you’ve probably seen the retailer’s eponymous Basics brand. You might think, How good can Amazon cookware be? According to Katie Hale, The Complete Dutch Oven Cookbook, pretty good. With a 15-year-long background in food blogging, Hale built her own site in 2018 and also writes cookbooks—including one about her favorite piece of cookware. To Hale, the Dutch oven stands as the most versatile and heavily used item in her kitchen.

She opted for an Amazon Basics Dutch oven because it was so affordable, and five years later, she says she thinks it’s just as good as a Le Creuset or Staub. Available in an array of colors, it’ll look nice on any cooking surface while still delivering quality results—giving the perfectly even sear on meats no matter how much time has passed. Hale only stipulates that, because it’s got an enameled interior, you shouldn’t use an Amazon Basics Dutch oven on an open fire, like you could with a Staub. Other than that, she says it wears well, even after she accidentally dropped it, and comes at an unbeatable price point.

“Especially if someone is just starting cooking or just supplying their kitchen, it’s a perfect choice to start with,” Hale says.

Diameter: 11"
Height: 4.7"
Weight: 13 lb.
Warranty: 1 year

Pros: Beautiful matte exterior, great in between size for smaller households
Cons: Quite heavy for its size.

We’ll grant it sounds a little odd to label something released close to six years ago as “buzzy” but Great Jones is still all over our feeds with their gorgeous matte exteriors that offer a decidedly different look, even than lots of other aesthetically pleasing upstarts that began as direct to consumer (DTC) brands like Misen, or Made In. Commerce editor Carina Finn has used her Dutch Baby for years and, while she is certainly a fan of its looks, thinks its performance justifies inclusion with the Le Creusets and Staubs of the world. “The grey enamel interior splits the difference between a Le Creuset’s or Milo’s white enamel and a Staub’s black. So it hides stains better than the light while still allowing you to see how your food is developing.” She also thinks the 3.5 quart size is perfect for a household of two and that larger Dutch ovens, like, say, the Great Jones Dutchess, can make way more food than you need if you don’t have a large family.

Diameter: 9"
Height: 6"
Weight: 13 lb.
Warranty: Lifetime

With the Le Creuset and Staub, specifically, you’ll find they come in seven or eight different sizes. We think the ideal size Dutch oven for most people is between 5 and 6 quarts. If you have the space to spare, then by all means size up to a 6-quart Dutch oven. A 5-quart Dutch oven fits a sourdough boule perfectly, and at 5.5-quarts and above, you can fit a standard-size whole chicken inside. Smaller than that, and you’re not giving yourself sufficient room to brown meat or enough depth to simmer stock, soup, or beans. Bigger than that though is a bit of overkill. Larger Dutch ovens, with say, a 7-quart capacity, will also be much heavier and tougher to store when not in use.

You may have noticed that every one of the best cast-iron Dutch ovens we’re recommending is round. We’ve found that while oval-shaped Dutch ovens are nice for roasting oblong cuts of meat in the oven (hi, pot roast), the elongated surface area can easily lead to uneven heat distribution and cooking on the stovetop, unless they’re large enough to stretch over two burners. So if you’re choosing only one to purchase, swing for a round option over the oval Dutch oven to get the most out of your shiny new cookware.

While some Dutch ovens are labeled dishwasher-safe, we recommend hand-washing for peak longevity. Because they’re practically nonstick, you should be able to clean them with just a bit of (gentle) scrubbing. Use a sprinkle of Bar Keepers Friend if you’ve managed to scorch the bottom—just make sure you’re not using something abrasive enough to damage that beautiful ​​enamel. For more on how best to clean your Dutch oven, read our piece here or check out the video below.