The New Traeger x Made In Cast Iron Braiser Is Amazing

Collaborations between brands can be really exciting. Some come out of unmissable marketing opportunities, like the recent Wicked-themed Stanley cup; others bring together brands that seem like they wouldn’t make sense together, but totally do (see: Snoop Dogg and Solo Stove). Other times, two names simply fit so well that you wonder why they didn’t happen sooner. Such is the case with grilling legend Traeger and chef-loved cookware company Made In, which recently teamed up to create a powerful tool for ultimate smoking, braising, and searing domination.

Enter: the Traeger x Made In enameled cast iron braiser, a limited release that any lover of grilling, cast iron cooking, or cozy food should run to pick up immediately.

Traeger x Made In Enameled Cast Iron Braiser

Made In

When I say “immediately,” I mean it — I chatted with somebody at Made In about this piece, and she mentioned that since it’s a limited edition collab, it’s unlikely to be restocked when it inevitably sells out. So whether it’s a holiday gift you seek or just a “you made it through 2024!” present to yourself, there’s really no better time to smash the “add to cart” button.

I’ve loved testing out this braiser. With a 3.5-quart capacity and a wide, heavy base with slightly angled walls, it has enough space for serious searing and long-game braising, but enough depth to make soups, stews, casseroles, and more. An ultra heavy “cloud cover” lid has dimples that help recirculate moisture and heat towards your food, making for a really well-rounded piece of cookware. Between the Traeger name and the hefty cast iron build, you know this braiser is going to rule when you use it on a wood or charcoal grill or in a smoker. The only reason I haven’t yet is because today’s low here in Chicago is 11°F, and that’s sadly a bit below my grilling cutoff. Still, I’ve used it plenty indoors, and it’s awesome.

Recently, I made a tomato soup in the braiser and achieved deep, smoky flavors even when using it on the stove. (I caramelized onions and garlic pretty hard in it before cooking down the tomatoes and blending it all.) Speaking of onions, I also used this cookware piece for a dish I’ve been making a lot lately, a lentil dish with onions and farro. After aggressively cooking down the onions for an hour and assembling and baking the dish for about as long, you add a generous amount of cheese and broil — and if you have a solid trivet and some good oven mitts, you can just bring it directly to the table. It handles everything with incredible ease, and is super easy to clean on top of it.

I’ve made a few other spectacular dishes in this braiser, and my wife has used it for a crispy-on-top green bean casserole on Thanksgiving and some deeply browned ground beef for a recent taco night. Really, though, I can’t wait until it’s warm enough to use my Traeger x Made In braiser outside. Whether I start with grilled cabbage, chicken wings, or maybe some fish, I know it’s going to be delicious. Now, I just have to pick up a Traeger smoker.