The lid of the Le Creuset isn’t exactly lightweight—cast iron never is—but it’s manageable, and the phenolic plastic knob doesn’t heat up nearly as fast as a metal one would on the stovetop. For super high-heat baking projects like bread you do need to replace the phenolic knob with a stainless steel one though. The phenolic one will absolutely melt—something we have witnessed first hand.
What we didn’t like about the Le Creuset
The only real drawback of the Le Cresuet is its price. The 5.5 quart is currently $420. While they frequently go on sale, we know this price is prohibitive for a lot of people, even when taking the longevity argument into consideration. Many of the other contenders we tested will serve you well at the fraction of the price if you learn to accept them for their varied flaws (which we detail down below). The Le Creuset Dutch oven might technically be the best Dutch oven, but you don’t need the best Dutch oven to make succulent braises, hearty stews, and no-knead bread. If you love cooking, know you’ll use it often, and if it’s in your budget, we say the Le Creuset is worth the splurge. It’ll last a lifetime and look good doing it.
Best budget Dutch oven: Milo by Kana
The pot is inspired by Le Creuset but designed in California and manufactured in China. It has a light enameled interior, and a 10-inch diameter cooking surface that imparts an even sear on meat and vegetables. In terms of its performance, the differences in the final sears and braises between the Kana and the Le Creuset were not drastic, and the is available for $145—not cheap but a fraction of what a Le Creuset goes for. The drawbacks are in handling and durability.
What we didn’t like about the Milo
The Milo’s handles are slightly smaller than the Le Creuset and it is a pound heavier than the Le Creuset of the same size, but these aren’t damning flaws. While some people have complained about chipping online, it didn’t happen to us and doesn’t occur at near the frequency and extent that the Lodge Essential, a former budget pick has become known for. Is the Kana Dutch oven perfect? No, but we think this is a satisfactory affordable alternative to the winner.
How we tested
We tested Dutch ovens in the 6-quart range (except the Misen, which only comes as a 7-quart). Depending on the brand, sizes range from 3- to 9-quarts, but most offer one in the 5.5- to 6-quart range, which we find to be the most useful for everyday cooking. Enameled cast-iron Dutch ovens made up a bulk of the models we tested. For our tests in 2018 and 2019, we made a beef stew that requires a stint on the stovetop as well as in the oven; for the 2020 update, because we began cutting back on the amount of beef we cook, we went with a slow-cooked pork ragù instead. Both illustrated each model’s searing and braising prowess. We also took special note of how easy or challenging it was to clean the Dutch ovens and how they were to move around the stovetop and into the oven. In 2023, we repeated our searing and braising tests on a bigger batch of newcomers alongside the classics. We also added a steam test to observe how well the lids contained moisture when fully closed.
What we looked for
How well does it sear meat and brown vegetables?
We seared meat and caramelized vegetables in each of the Dutch ovens to test their heat retention capabilities and the relative effectiveness of their cooking surfaces. We looked for a crisp, browned edge on each piece of meat, as well as even caramelization on the vegetables. Because they should be capable of high heat tasks like bread baking, we limited our test to oven safe models, which meant no nonstick Dutch ovens to judge on how well the ingredients released. There isn’t really a good case for a nonstick Dutch oven anyway, but we want to note the reason for their absence.
How does the pot handle a braise?
We wanted to see how meat braised in the Dutch ovens. We were looking for even cooking, tender meat, and moisture retention, which included condensation on the lids and the amount of liquid left in the pot.
How does the pot’s shape affect its performance?
Shape is a big variable when it comes to Dutch ovens. Some pots, like the Le Creuset, have relatively straight sides, while others, like the Lodge and the Dansk, are quite rounded in the corners. Rounded pots make stirring easier and keep food from sticking in the corners, but also provide less flat surface area at the bottom for searing. Every pot we tested was round except for the Ikea and Great Jones models, which are only available in oval shapes; we were curious how this would affect heat distribution and cooking.
How do the handles and lid feel?
We looked for large, grippable handles that made the pot easy to maneuver, on the stovetop as well as into and out of the oven. We also wanted a sturdy, snug-fitting lid—ideally with a knob that made it simple to remove.
How easy is it to clean?
The pots had varying levels of scorching and residue on the bottom. Ideally, the pot should be easy to clean and have minimal scorching. It’s best to stick to Hand washing with Dutch ovens, but being Dishwasher safe certainly doesn’t hurt.
Other Dutch ovens we tested
Staub Cocotte
Staub is Le Creuset’s primary rival, and while it puts up a good fight, when forced to make a call, there are a few things about the Le Creuset that we prefer. In our first year, our tester observed some inconsistent browning during the sear test. However, since we added more controls to our testing in recent years, retesting has repeatedly demonstrated that Staub Dutch ovens offer even surface heating, durability, moisture retention and an overall quality in cooking experience on par with Le Creuset. The lid has its iconic outer ridge and interior basting divots, which pretty much every Dutch oven, except Le Creuset, features these days. They distribute condensation across the cooking surface rather than down the sides of the pot during cooking. A great idea, if we—or pretty much every other testing site, really— were able to observe an impact this design has on anything we’ve cooked. So far, we haven’t.
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