What to Look For When Buying a Dutch Oven (And 10 Mistakes to Avoid)

Buying a Dutch oven is a big decision. It's an investment that will last for decades, so you want to make sure you get it right. In this video, I break down the biggest mistakes people make when buying a Dutch oven. You'll learn what to look for and the sizes, shapes, materials, and designs you should avoid.
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0:00 Intro
0:18 Material
1:10 Size
1:53 Oval vs. Round
2:55 Interior Color
3:23 Lid Knob Material
4:14 Lid Knob Design
4:42 Lid Design
5:32 Side Handles
6:02 Weight
6:29 Overpaying
****Dutch Ovens I Recommend****
Disclaimer: We may earn a fee if you buy via the affiliate links below (at no extra cost to you). As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Made In Dutch Ovens: madeincookware.pxf.io/oq9eWe (MadeInCookware.com)
Made In Dutch Ovens: amzn.to/43Ic3r9 (Amazon)
Le Creuset Dutch Ovens: amzn.to/4cvr6sp (Amazon)
Staub Dutch Ovens: amzn.to/3TUdDmD (Amazon)
Lodge Dutch Ovens: amzn.to/3TXWGrB (Amazon)
Tramontina Dutch Ovens: amzn.to/43CjvnQ (Amazon)
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Made In vs. Le Creuset prudentreviews.com/made-in-vs...
Round vs. Oval Dutch Ovens prudentreviews.com/oval-vs-ro...
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[@nyohaku]

Staub makes metal knobs in the shape of farm animals. Great for heavier lids plus it adds some charm.

[@bohemiansusan2897]

The best enameled cast iron I have is from Imarku; a small Japanese brand. Its square as I thought to replace the ancient CorningWare that broke after 50+ decades of use. Its been dropped a couple of time and no cracks or chips. I love it. The one I hate is the Amazon brand. It chips so easily and looks awful after less than a dozen uses.

[@TribbleBot]

Several years ago we bought a round 7.25 qt Le Creuset at a deep discount from a Williams Sonoma location that was closing. It was still a splurge but since then we've used it dozens if not hundreds of times. The Signature knob only gives up 20 degrees to the metal ones so we haven't felt the need to replace it.

[@ropro9817]

Interesting! I always wondered what the dimples on the lid were for! 🧑‍🎓

[@DianePahl]

Frankly, the color of the inside of the pot doesn't faze me at all. I have both, Le Cruset and Staub. If I want to see the browning of the meat, all I do is just lift and look at it. The biggest things to look for, like you said, are the handles, and weight. The raw cast iron ones are good for camping and making bread but really not something I use for day to day cooking because of having to keep it seasoned. I kind of collect these things, lol. They do get very heavy with food and liquid inside so be very careful if you have to lift it out of an oven.

[@Darkfalla]

i got an oval one from LIDL and very happy with it. made an awesome thanksgiving glazed honey ham with.

[@gladysruiz5017]

Great tips thank you I need to buy one and I didn’t know which one to buy you open my eyes thanks again

[@brianh2287]

Excellent tips, very well done as usual! Now I have to watch the budget dutch oven video. I bought a cuisinart 7qt dutch oven that has held up pretty well. It was 120$

[@PrudentReviews]

Good choice! Cuisinart, Lodge, and Tramontina are all good low-cost options

[@brianh2287]

@@PrudentReviews Yeah it's no Le Creuset, but I spent my money on All-clad D3 so had to pinch the wallet a little. I got lucky and it didn't have any imperfections. Hopefully it will last for years. All in all the Cuisinart had all the features I wanted. It's been great on the stove and in the oven.

[@geraldhagengruber3207]

Our son has Le Creuset and it is amazing. We opted for a Lodge at $50 and it meets all of our needs perfectly.

[@ohnoyce]

Picked up a cuisinart oval off woot a few years ago. Not disappointed at all. Probably 50/50 use between bread and stews.

[@burghbrat3319]

My enameled Dutch oven is Lodge, had it and used it for years, and I'm happy with it. I love the look of the Staub, and that's what I'd buy if I had to replace the one I have. I'm sure Le Creuset is nice and the color selection is outstanding, but I'm cooking food, not color.

[@NoZenith]

I don't have the level of experience and comfort level with my own skill set to get one with such a dark interior. I'm a big fan of the light interior on my second hand Lodge and my HomeGoods special from a brand I cannot remember (All the reviews look like they were from people that picked it up at HomeGoods but everybody seemed to like it). It has that more squared off shape of the Le Creuset and Staub with the larger bottom cooking surface than the Lodge does with it's rather small bottom. Better for Browning meat and getting vegetables to cook down a bit with a larger flat surface when I'm making Bolognese. I kept the Lodge so I've got a backup but I do prefer this other one I bought for 40 bucks. I looked it up online and it's a Chinese made Italian named company so I'm hoping for the best lol. I will say it seems to chip less than the lodge does. The lodge seems to chip around the lip as they are known for

[@gregrburnett3400]

I have a 7 quart "Crock-Pot Artisan Round Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven" I got off of Amazon and I really like it. It was $65 at the time.

[@noregrets7469]

Thank you for the head up, I found it educational and I use this when I purchase one🌹

[@PrudentReviews]

Glad it was helpful!

[@andrealazar9806]

Excellent advices.

[@PrudentReviews]

Thank you. Glad you liked it 👍🏼

[@andrealazar9806]

@@PrudentReviews you are welcome. I wish I knew few of your advices earlier before I got them.. These days they make such a pretty colors and designs people are buying it. Of course some people are collecting them. You right this is a quite investments every where in the world. I bake my sourdough breads in my Dutch Owens. Never disappointed me. Thank you again taking time to explain all of these things.

[@klaus4157]

I've been cooking with Staub pots for years. The biggest advantage is the black enamel as it is easy to clean. If it gets a patina it doesn't matter. The light patina of Le Creuset, on the other hand, becomes unsightly over time. The argument that is put forward again and again that you can't see roasted ingredients on it is nonsense and an invention of Le Creuset. The larger handles from Le Creuset are good though.

[@billystpaul8907]

I always wanted a Dutch oven, but the Le Creuset's are so damn expensive. So, I went with the Made in 7 1/2 QT Oval one in Ruby Red. It's a great piece. Well made. In France just like Staub and Le Creuset. But, I got mine on sale for under $300. It's built like a battleship and have not had an issue cooking on the stove top. Works great with soups and stews and works well in the oven. It is heavy, 15 pounds. But, I am getting used to it. I have it 5 months now and really enjoy how it cooks...

[@lourdesehcvarria5774]

Hi is good for induction ?

[@PrudentReviews]

Yes, enameled cast iron Dutch ovens work well on induction cooktops

[@nomanejane5766]

I was shopping on the great jones website for black friday, and they supposedly have a lifetime warranty, but yet dont cover any chips on the enamel, basically rendering the warranty useless. .. Ridiculous

[@PrudentReviews]

Most cookware warranties are like that - they only cover defects in materials and craftsmanship. If something happens like chips or scratches, you’re usually not covered.

[@nomanejane5766]

@@PrudentReviews yeah, but i don't think u can compare enamel cast iron to a SS pan. I know le cruset will replace ur pan if it the enamel starts cracking

[@eggbox1106]

I feel like a 5 quart dutch oven is quite big, is there any disadvantage when going for one that seems bigger than what I'll need.

[@walterw2]

nah, that 5qt ballpark is really what you want; that's the right size to cook any kind of stew or pot of beans or whatever. my 5.5qt le crueset fits on the stove and fits in the cabinet just fine a little dutch oven seems like a novelty item, but i suppose if you have the money and space to buy _two_ then a second little one for side dishes could be neat

[@PrudentReviews]

5.5 quart is the perfect size for households of 1 to 4 people. It provides enough surface area to brown meats and enough capacity to make medium to large batches of soup/stew etc. Great for leftovers too. You could get by with 4.5 quart, but I wouldn’t go smaller than that.

[@WERC-lawyer]

I have a 4.5 quart enameled Lodge ... I live alone and this size is ideal for me ... I paid $49 for it 2 years ago (from k-Tom) ... ps ... do you know anyone else who pronounces the French word "le" as "loo"?

[@PrudentReviews]

@@WERC-lawyer I try my best :) this is the right way kzbin.info/www/bejne/bp3VhZSVi8errq8

[@WERC-lawyer]

@@PrudentReviews EXACTLY! NOT "LOO" ... "le" with a short 'e' (actually, a shwah).

[@RC-qf3mp]

The thumbnail mistakenly spells “mistake”. How ironic.

[@joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536]

🌎👍❤

[@shirleysmith2044]

Thank you for your video and info. Avoid ALL from China! I also want to be completely clear that there is NO metals in the coating.

[@PrudentReviews]

You're welcome! Thank you for watching

[@olya9524]

Totally agree! Can’t even compare ‘’made in China’’ brands to Staub or Le Creuset

[@MADHIKER777]

All Dutch ovens bought these days chip and rust. Just read the reviews. Buy glass Anchor Hocking pots.

[@nancypickering8217]

The first mistake is that YOU need to learn how to spell.

[@PrudentReviews]

Help me out - what did I misspell?

[@tinymetaltrees]

​@@PrudentReviewsthere is a mistkae in the thumbnail.