Is an Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven Really Worth the Price?

I got my cast iron Dutch oven as a wedding present. Fourteen years later, it has been used about six hundred times, it doesn't have a scratch, and I've never wanted to replace it. That isn't nostalgia. For this kind of cooking there's nothing better, and the cheap version isn't the same thing.

What a good cast iron Dutch oven does that nothing else does

Cast iron stores heat better than any other common kitchen material. When you lift the lid of a cast iron pot after three hours of cooking, the internal temperature is even from the bottom to the lid. That isn't the case with stainless steel or aluminum pots, where the sides are always cooler than the base. This evenness changes the texture of braised meats, stews and soups, anything that cooks a long time with the lid on.

The heavy lid is another advantage that rarely gets mentioned. On a Staub, the inside of the lid is covered in small bumps that condense steam and let it fall back onto the food as a steady drizzle. Less moisture lost, less need to add liquid during cooking. Meat braised in a Staub stays juicier than in any other pot, with an identical recipe.

The problem with cheap enamel

Enameled cast iron pots at $45-65 do exist. The enamel is thinner, less even, and starts to chip within two or three years if you heat it too hard when empty or plunge it hot into cold water. Once the enamel is damaged, the raw cast iron is exposed and rusts. You've spent $55 on something that lasts three years.

The Le Creuset or the original Staub has a triple-layer vitrified enamel that doesn't chip under normal conditions. The Le Creuset warranty is for life: if the product is defective, they replace it. That isn't marketing. It's a different definition of the word "durable".

The real cost math

A 9.5-inch (24 cm) round Le Creuset costs about $250 in a store, often less during sales (around $175-200). Divide by a minimum of 20 years of use: that's $9 to $12 a year. A supermarket alternative at $60 that lasts 3 years: $20 a year, plus the hassle of replacing your equipment along the way. The high-end option is cheaper over time, as long as you stay put long enough and you don't cook in fits and starts.

What size to start with?

A 9.5-inch (24 cm) round pot (4 to 5 quarts, or 4 to 5 liters) suits 4 people and the vast majority of recipes. Smaller, and you're limited on big cuts. Larger, and it takes up too much room and becomes hard to lift out of the cupboard: an 11-inch (28 cm) cast iron pot weighs nearly 13 pounds (6 kg). If you never cook for more than 4 people, there's no point going bigger.

Oval or round?

The oval shape is designed for whole birds and large elongated cuts (leg of lamb, beef roast). For stews, soups and braised vegetables, the round is more practical (easier to stir, better suited to round burners). Round first, oval if you regularly cook whole roasts.

Care: simple, but specific

No thermal shock: never plunge a hot pot into cold water. Never the dishwasher, since detergent attacks the enamel over the long run. Clean with hot water and mild dish soap, soft brush if needed. If food sticks: hot water and an hour of soaking, no hard scraping. The browning stains that appear over time (the bottom darkening) aren't defects. They show the pot has been used.

A well-kept enameled cast iron pot gets handed down. My grandmother had hers since 1971. This kind of equipment is passed on, not only because it lasts, but because you get attached to it.