Hurry! This Incredible Cast Iron Braiser Will Sell Out Soon

For my job, I test a ton of gear, from skillets and fry pans to pizza ovens and grills, and once I find something I enjoy using, I have a hard time moving on. To paraphrase an old jazz standard, I fall in love with cookware too easily. I remember receiving the Made In 7.5-quart Dutch oven a few years ago, and after an inaugural meal — gumbo, I think — it quickly took a central place in my rotation. I still use it constantly. Well, a new contender has entered my starting lineup of cookware, and it’s an unsuspecting collab between a cookware giant and a beloved cookbook author and food blogger.

Curious? I’m talking about the Smitten Kitchen x Staub cast iron braiser, which recently came back in stock after selling out twice — and it’s something you’re going to want to jump on very quickly while it’s available.

Smitten Kitchen x Staub 11-Inch Braiser with Lid

I’ve been cooking for many years, including a couple of stints cooking and baking in professional kitchens, but I have not spent much time with braisers — and after using this piece one time, I began to question my entire life. In a lot of ways, this braiser is an ideal piece of cookware. It’s made from heavy-duty cast iron, and nothing sticks to it, making it easy to caramelize or sear components like onions, greens, or beef — but due to its excellent heat retention, it also has a very delicate touch. You can easily dial in the perfect temperature for lighter dishes. I also love the wide, shallow base, which is great for evenly distributing heat during longer bakes, braises, and roasts while allowing maximum coverage if you need to finish under the broiler.

I’ve already used this pan for a lot of dishes and see no end in sight to what I’ll do with it going forward. Earlier this year, Smitten Kitchen — aka Deb Perelman — published an entire post about dishes to make in the braiser, and I’ve cooked a few of them. The French onion baked lentils and farro was a pretty heavenly, ultra-cozy delight centered around caramelizing 2 pounds of onions over about 45 minutes, which is precisely where this cookware excels. Besides being a one-pot grain and legume dish that embodies the essence of French onion soup, it’s an amazing showcase for the braiser, as you have to caramelize, simmer, bake, and broil. Perelman also recommended her cauliflower and tomato masala with peas, a similarly complex dish that could not be easier to make in this cookware.

I live in a big soup household, so soups were definitely on the docket for this braiser. Last night, my wife and I made one of our favorites: the tomato soup from Gwyneth Paltrow’s It’s All Easy (which is somehow 77% off at Amazon right now). The dish combined all of the braiser’s strengths, as we started by sauteing onions and garlic and sweating them down, then simmering them with tomatoes and broth for a long time. Finally, we blended the soup and kept it on low, steady heat to let everything cohere before serving. Between the punchy, acidic San Marzano tomatoes and the sweet, dank flavors of onion cooked on cast iron (a powerful and unique vibe when you get it right), it was a great, fresh-feeling iteration of a soup I’ve had many times. 

We’ve made numerous other dishes, like baked pasta and some pan-fried salmon, and have a whole list of things we aim to cook in the braiser. Tonight, I’m going to attempt some grilled cheeses in there to enjoy with the leftover tomato soup, and I predict they’re going to turn out great. Grab this phenomenal collab between Smitten Kitchen and Staub before it’s sold out yet again — because I have no idea when (or if) it will return.

At the time of publication, the price was $300.