I love to cook and my wife and I enjoy watching cooking shows on TV. One item we often see is a large cast iron or enameled cast iron pot being used for braising, soups and frying. Wanting to add one of these dutch ovens to our kitchen so that we could make some of the amazing food we’ve seen, I turned to the internet to find the right one. My extensive research led me to the Le Creuset dutch oven.
—> Click here to buy a Le Creuset Dutch Oven from Amazon.
Why a Dutch oven?
Dutch ovens are made of heavy cast-iron, which is unparalleled for its heat distribution and retention. This allows food to be cooked evenly and gently without hot spots at low temperatures and is suitable for all heat sources. An enamel coating provides a long-lasting exterior that resists chipping and cracking and the durable, nonreactive sand-colored interior enamel provides a smooth surface for cooking.
Most often seen on cooking shows used for braising and deep frying, dutch ovens can also be used for poaching, oven roasting and making stews, soups and sauces as well as cooking beef roasts, every cut of pork available, whole and cut-up chicken, just about any kind of meat you can think of.
One of the unexpected foods I learned about while doing the research is bread. Considered one of the most difficult things to cook at home, artisan quality bread can be made in a Dutch oven. No kneading, no fancy equipment or years of experience needed. See my write up “Making artisan quality bread at home in a Le Creuset Dutch oven”.
And for more information on what makes a Dutch oven so useful, see my write up “Dutch Oven Cooking Benefits”.
Why a Le Creuset dutch oven?
The Le Creuset Dutch oven, or French ovens as Le Creuset (pronounced “Luh Cruhzay”) calls them has been manufactured since 1925 in Northern France. They are known for their quality, durability, and versatility and are considered a “must have” in a well equipped kitchen.
The Le Creuset dutch oven comes with a 101 year warranty on their cast iron products. These dutch ovens have been around for a long time and are often considered heirloom pieces which are handed down to the next generation.
Each Le Creuset dutch oven is cast in a one of a kind sand mold that is only used once. They are hand finished, meaning an actual person sands, cleans, paints, inspects, etc each piece. If a Dutch oven is found to be defective, it is melted down and the iron is recycled in the creation of a new one.
The Le Creuset dutch oven is coated with enamel. Enamel coated cast iron has a few benefits; 1 – Unlike with most cast iron cookware, the enamel eliminates the need to season the cooking surface; 2 – The enamel allows you to cook and marinate with acidic foods such as tomatoes and wine without reacting to the bare cast iron; 3 – They come in classic and trend setting colors making them appealing enough to use as a serving dish.
Each Le Creuset Dutch oven has loop shaped handles that provide a sturdy gripping surface, which is necessary due to the weight of cast iron. They also have high sides, making them great for frying because the height reduces the amount of grease splatters.
Here’s a great video about how THE Le Creuset dutch oven IS MADE.
Size (and shape) does matter!
The 
Le Creuset dutch oven comes in a variety of sizes shapes. This allows you to pick an appropriate size for your most common cooking scenarios. Each size and shape has their advantages and disadvantages, so to best answer this question you must first determine what you will be cooking most often and for how many people.
In general, the 5 quart Le Creuset dutch oven is good for cooking for 2 to 4 people, the 7 quart is good for 4 to 6 people and the 9 quart for is good for 6 to 8 people. These are the “round number” versions of these sizes. For more information and to see which shape is best for you, see my write up, “Which is the best size Le Creuset Dutch Oven?”
What others are saying about the Le Creuset dutch oven…
The Le Creuset Dutch Oven has received rave reviews from with an average of 4.5 out of 5 from most reviewers on Amazon.
… With the Le Creuset dutch oven– you cook & serve all in one pan. And it cleans up super easy, and even in the dishwasher for those who are lazy.
… The cast iron core of Le Creuset dutch oven gets hot and stays hot — Anyone can cook French cuisine like Julia Child, even on a hot plate!
… It was worth every penny! Not only does this pot look beautiful on your stove top or dinner table, the food cooks evenly and cleanup is a breeze.
… Extremely happy with the purchase.
What’s the catch?
Cast iron takes longer to heat up than stainless steel or aluminum. You will have to take this in to consideration when planning a meal to finish cooking all at the same time. Exactly how much longer is hard to say, each person’s experience will vary.
Cast iron pots are heavy, especially when filled with liquid. Kind of a no-brainer, but worth mentioning. The 5.5 qt round dutch oven weighs 10.5 pounds when empty.
Though dishwasher-safe, the Le Creuset Dutch Oven should be hand washed for best results.
Conclusion
The Le Creuset dutch oven is becoming more popular, largely in part to their use on popular cooking shows and by celebrity chefs. Their versatility makes them a wonderful tool in any cook’s kitchen and the Le Creuset Dutch Oven is among the most widely used and most popular.
For me personally, it comes down to the ease of use of the enameled Le Creuset dutch oven (no seasoning necessary and easy to clean) as well as being able to cook acidic foods such as my great grandmother’s tomato sauce that simmers for hours. It also doesn’t hurt that the enamel comes in an array of attractive colors.
Where can I buy a Le Creuset Dutch Oven?
Amazon consistently has the best deals the Le Creuset dutch oven. At the moment they include free shipping and from what I can tell when comparing prices with other online merchants, Amazon currently has the best deal especially with the free shipping option. And since Amazon does not have any brick and mortar stores, your purchase is tax free from most states.