topic Re: Dutch Oven in Kitchen

Dutch Oven

ScrapHappy — Sun, 12 Sep 2021 17:26:04 GMT

Considering purchasing a cast iron dutch oven. If you have one, do you use it often? Do you find it versatile? What types of food/meals do you make in it? TIA!

Re: Dutch Oven

msgb — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 17:43:13 GMT

I do have a dutch oven. It is the Le Creuset that was the TSV from March of 2018. I am glad I have it but I will say that I do not use too often. It is just myself and my husband that I cook for. I was making meals in it for my mother but she recently passed.
What I normally make are soups and also pasta sauces.

I know it is a piece that I will use for a long time. I know that others use it for pulled pork and making bread.

I think it depends upon the materials that your dutch oven is made out of for what to make in it. I have seen that there are cookbooks that are devoted to just recipes for dutch ovens--but I have not bought any.

Re: Dutch Oven

FLtricia — Sun, 12 Sep 2021 17:32:53 GMT

I like mine. I make pot roast, pork roast, stews, chili on a regular basis. I find my roasts are more juicy and tender if made in dutch oven. If you decide to get one I hope you enjoy it too.

Re: Dutch Oven

On It — Sun, 12 Sep 2021 18:06:55 GMT

The cast iron dutch ovens are a very good choice for roasts, soups, and oven use. The only problem I have is being able to lift them when they are hot and full of fresh cooked goodness. They are too heavy for me to use when cooking alone.

Re: Dutch Oven

ciao_bella — Sun, 12 Sep 2021 18:39:36 GMT

I have two Dutch Ovens. One is a 5 quart size and the other is larger and I think about 6 quart size. I use them a lot. I make soups, chowders, chili, pasta sauces, roasts and even fresh No Knead Breads that come out wonderful!

I wouldn't be without them. They clean up like a dream as well.

Re: Dutch Oven

Sooner — Sun, 12 Sep 2021 19:54:59 GMT

We have a good collection and use it all the time. We hardly ever get out a piece of All-Clad stainless now.

We use the soup pots most--we cook everything in them! We use the round ovens in smaller (5 quart and less) and almost never the oval ones.

We use the grills almost daily for grilled chicken or beef or to make cornbread (they make GREAT cornbread!). They clean up easily IF you pour in some hot water immediately after you take the food out and let the water sit for a while.

We love ours, and for just two use soup pots and braisers a lot. Also the skillets are great! The little one (6" maybe?) is also good for a small packet of cornbread mix.

Check around like Williams Sonoma and others for specials! You'll save money. OR call a Le Creuset outlet store to see what they have.

Re: Dutch Oven

millieshops — Sun, 12 Sep 2021 20:42:42 GMT

@On It yep, there was a time I really wanted all my pots and pans to match, to be beautiful, etc. Now I want to be able to lift them and don't much care whether they match - they just have to fit in the my limited cabinet space.

Re: Dutch Oven

LilLadyNJ — Sun, 12 Sep 2021 20:54:24 GMT

I have a Le Cruset Dutch oven that I use for pot roasts, pasta sauce, soups and it's also great for baking bread.

Re: Dutch Oven

Carmie — Sun, 12 Sep 2021 21:05:12 GMT

I have two of them, both six quarts. I make pot roast and stuffed peppers in mine. I really don't use them too often. They are nice to have, but if I had to buy again, I wouldn't bother.

They are way too small to make soup in. I use SS pots large enough to give a toddler a bath in. I make enough to freeze for later. They are also very heavy and not easy to lift out of an oven or off of my range when full.

Re: Dutch Oven

RedTop — Sun, 12 Sep 2021 21:35:39 GMT

I have been using my Club Aluminum dutch oven for 47 years, and consider it my go-to piece of cookware for oven roasting and soup making. This is a sturdy piece of cookware, but I'm not worn out after I've lifted it to put it in the oven, and lifted it to take it out of the oven.

Cast iron cookware is heavy and is not the piece of cookware I want to lift out of the oven filled with hot food.

I would shop for a cast iron item in person; lift it empty, and then imagine lifting it filled with whatever you might want to cook in it.

Re: Dutch Oven

LizzieInSRQ — Sun, 12 Sep 2021 21:48:34 GMT

I bought one from Sam's Club a few years ago. I've made:

Chicken & Dumplings

Chicken Corn Chowder

Chili

Pot Roast

Re: Dutch Oven

Kachina624 — Sun, 12 Sep 2021 22:22:10 GMT

Before buying, consider that cast iron + a good size roast will be very heavy. Can you easily lift a hot pan with this weight?

Also if you have a glass top stove, many metals are not recommended for use on them.

Re: Dutch Oven

coffee drinker — Sun, 12 Sep 2021 22:39:54 GMT

@ScrapHappy Just a thought -- I received an email from Costco who has 2 Tramontina enameled cast iron Dutch Ovens (4 & 7 qts) selling for $70 for both pots with $4 S&H. It's item number 1455590 if you're interested in looking. I don't believe you have to be a member to purchase. These pots have 2485 five star reviews.

Re: Dutch Oven

ECBG — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 00:52:12 GMT

I make pot roast and stews in the crock pot. I like that I can leave them, plus everything is delicious.

Re: Dutch Oven

tansy — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 01:00:18 GMT

I loved cooking in my Dutch oven, much better results than with my slow cooker but it's too heavy now to use safely. I should see if my DIL wants it.

Re: Dutch Oven

ECBG — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 01:03:53 GMT

@tansy wrote:
I loved cooking in my Dutch oven, much better results than with my slow cooker but it's too heavy now to use safely. I should see if my DIL wants it.

@tansy

What is your success from? Do you brown first? Just wondering.

Re: Dutch Oven

cindyNC — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 01:11:03 GMT

I have one Le Crueset dutch oven...5 quarts?. I rarely use it. But I have a few off brand dutch oven pieces and the one I use the most is a shallow oval one.

I make pork chops, pork steak, baked beans etc....The oval shape definitely works better for me and there are 2 of us in the house. I normally brown the meat on the stovetop, then add my sauces/liquids and cook in the oven at 225-250 degrees for a few hours. The last 45 minutes or so I remove the cover to let the sauce cook down.

My off-brand one is heavier than the Le Cruset dutch oven.

Re: Dutch Oven

Kachina624 — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 03:13:07 GMT

@cindyNC I'd call a shallow, oval pan a casserole, not a Dutch oven.

Re: Dutch Oven

Free2be — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 03:34:27 GMT

I use the 5 qt. dutch oven more than any of the others, probably because it holds a whole chicken perfectly as well as enough soup for a couple meals plus some for freezing.

I'm 75 y/o and don't find the full cast iron too heavy to lift to and from the oven when full although I wouldn't want to carry it across a room. That would be tempting the devil. Isn't that what rolling carts are for?

Re: Dutch Oven

Sooner — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 04:08:17 GMT

@ScrapHappy We cook some one-pot meals quite often in the 5 qt round ovens. They are great but so are the more shallow ones, which we also use often for a roast with veggies around it.

We use the soup pot types for a lot of soups (even just quick combined canned soups), pastas, and steamed meals.

It all depends on what you cook most as to what size and shape to get. There is information online that can help you decide--and charts for size and serving amounts on Williams Sonoma and I think the Le Creuset site too.

Do you saute a lot? Braise then put the cover and finish in the oven? Do you usually use more flat roasts or taller ones? Do you roast or braise whole chickens? Make stir frys? Deep fry?

Imagine what and how you cook and that will tell you!