Shopping for a Dutch Oven?
Best buys in this vital piece of cookware.
Top dutch oven manufacturers like Le Creuset and All-Clad make wonderful dutch ovens -- if you can afford the price. Here are two good buys that are cheaper.
I use my 5-quart dutch oven all the time in the winter for soups, stews, chili, even macaroni and cheese.
It's a workhorse piece of cookware and worth spending a bit of money on if you enjoy cooking at all. But prices for top-quality dutch ovens by manufacturers like Le Creuset and All-Clad, can top $250.
Is it worth it spend over $200 for a Le Creuset dutch oven? Can you buy a less expensive dutch oven that works just as well? That's what I set out to find out.
Cook's Illustrated recently did a thorough test and rating. Not surprisingly, they found that All-Clad and Le Creuset still topped the list in terms of performance.
They also found that popular preseasoned cast iron dutch ovens from Lodge Cookware and Emerilware (by All-Clad) did fine for browning, but didn't hold up for simple tasks like boiling water. Water turned yellow, leading observers to wonder what would happen when called upon to cook acidic foods like tomatoes.
The big surprise was the fabulous performance of the Chefmate Round Enameled Cast Iron Casserole from Target. At just $39.99, it was pronounced a best buy.
Only problem is Target doesn't sell this dutch oven from its web site anymore, and finding it in the store is spotty at best. (Note: This is not the same as the Inova dutch oven on the Target web site.)
I wanted to find a more reliable, reasonably-priced alternative. The Mario Batali Italian Essentials Dutch Oven is a mid-range option. But at $99.95, it didn't perform as well as the Le Creuset, and wasn't cheap enough to make me feel good about not buying a Le Creuset.
My solution: Staub makes a lower-priced line of enameled cast iron cookware called Staub Basix. I bought the Staub Basix 5 quart French Oven from QVC for $59.40 and have been thrilled with the purchase.
It's durable, easy to clean, provides even heating, traps moisture inside, does not require seasoning, and even comes in two great-looking colors.
Staub has long been a top choice among pros, and the Basix line performs just as well as the regular line, in my opinion. For under $60, you won't be disappointed.
