10 Easy Pieces: Cast Iron Dutch Ovens

Over the past two decades, my trusty (and weighty) 5-quart cast iron pot has covered a lot of ground, moving with me from Seattle to London and back to the Bay Area. It’s a part of my kitchen arsenal that I could not live without.

Cast iron cookware has long been a favorite with chefs (amateur and professional alike), who appreciate its ability to conduct heat evenly and move from the stove top to oven to tabletop. Here’s a roundup of our favorite cast iron Dutch ovens (deep, capacious cooking pots ideal for making braises, soups, and daubes), which will last a lifetime and add a rustic note to your kitchen.

the sori yanagi nambu tekki deep pan is \$\290 at tortoise general store. 9 — Above: The Sori Yanagi Nambu Tekki Deep Pan is $290 at Tortoise General Store.

Above: The Alessi La Cintura di Orione Cast Iron Oval Cocotte in enameled cast iron was designed by Richard Sapper; $330 at Alessi.

Above: The Dansk for Food52 Købenstyle Casserole, shown in White, is $95.

Above: The Staub Cast Iron Round Cocotte in Black Matte is $399.95 at Amazon.

Above: The Crane Casserole Cast Iron Dutch Oven is $230 at MARCH.

Above: The century-old company Lodge Manufacturing (the only producer of foundry seasoned cast iron cookware in the United States) offers the Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Double Dutch Oven. Pre-seasoned with a proprietary vegetable oil, it’s $49.90 at Amazon.

Above: The Le Creuset Signature Round Dutch Oven in White is $499.95 for the 9 quart size at Sur la Table.

Above: The Made In Dutch Oven, shown in Blue, is $199.

Above: The Dutchess Dutch Oven from The Great Jones is $160.

Above: The Iittala Sarpaneva Cast Iron Casserole with Wooden Handle is as functional as it is appealing. Made of heavy cast iron with a white enamel interior finish, the casserole’s clever wooden handle can be removed when you put the pot in the oven; $369 at Amazon.

Above: The Smithey Ironware Co.’s Dutch Oven is $295.

Above: The Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven is $59.95 at Crate & Barrel.

For more cookware see our posts:

N.B.: This post was originally published on April 4, 2012. We have updated it with new and additional product selections and current pricing.