Kitchen

[skittles2]

 Hi, I'm deciding on a Wide 6.75 Dutch Oven, they're sale price $249.

I have a 5qt brasier, I don't use it much. I'll probably sell or give away and purchase the 3.5qt.

I gave my 5qt round Dutch away, but now I want another, or the Wide Dutch.

Does anyone have all 3, Brasier, Wide, and Round, what are your thoughts as to what you grab most of the time?

 anyone's thoughts on the Wide vs Round, and Brasier 5qt vs 3.5qt?

Thanks

[Sooner]

@skittles2 The larger wide ones are heavier because of the bigger lid, and the bigger pot.  That is an issue.

Depending on how you cook, that is an issue as well.  If you cook more soups, beans, stews and chili type foods, the taller ones are much more used. 

If you cook flatter foods, such as flatter cuts of meat or need to saute or braise a LOT of food, the wider ones will be used more.  

I hope that is helpful!  Yes, I have all of them. And for the two of us larger wide ones don't get much use--but it depends on what size is the food you most often cook, and what methods do you use.  

[Eileen in Virginia]

I'm on vacation, so I'm not sure of the exact sizes, but I have one huge, oval Le Creuset Dutch oven as well as 2 round (probably 5 quart) Dutch ovens. The oval one is very heavy.  It's very hard to remove from the oven, even though I have a wall oven that's about 4' above floor level. I don't think I would be able to get it out of a standard oven, where I'd have to bend down to lift it, especially if it contained a heavy roast. In retrospect, I wouldn't buy that one again.

I like the smaller ones, especially if I'm making soups or stews that have to simmer for long periods of time. They provide the most even heat distribution over long periods of time. They're also heavy, but not as heavy as the big oval one.

In making a decision, you should consider the quantity of food you're cooking (for 2, 4 or more people) and how often you make those meals. Also, consider if you have enough storage space in your kitchen to would make accessing them convenient. 

[patbz]

I recently added a Lodge 5qt Dutch Oven to my pans.  Already had a 5qt LeCreuset Dutch Oven but DH has begun to bake bread daily and that's why I added the Lodge ( and it was free with my Amazon points). DH made his first loaf in it today and it is a beauty!