Which is the best size Le Creuset Dutch Oven?
In researching the Le Creuset Dutch Oven, I have found a common question asked by people before making their purchase. If you could only buy one, which size and shape is best? 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.
Let’s start with shape since it is the most straight forward to answer. Le Creuset makes their Dutch oven in two basic shapes, round and oval. They do make other designs such as heart shaped, but the most common uses call for either round or oval.
Round - pros and cons
Most commonly used for making stews, soups and sauces.
Round shape matches best with most stove top burners.
Might not fit all cuts of meat for roasting or braising.
Oval – pros and cons
A better fit for for whole chickens, pot roasts, lamb shanks, etc. The longer shape can accommodate more meats or long vegetables such as uncut celery or carrots.
Most often used for making no-knead bread.
The longer shape may cause the sides to overhang round burners, which could lead to uneven heat distribution. This would cause the outer edges to not get as hot as the middle.
The correct size, measured in liquid volume, is mostly determined by the quantity of food you typically cook. A simpler way to look at this is to determine how may people you usually cooking for and if you want left overs. The round dutch ovens range in size from 2 quarts (qt) to 13.25 qt and the oval range in size from 3.25 qt to 9.5 qt. The table below is aligned to show the comparable sizes between the round and oval.
Round sizes in quarts (qt) |
Oval sizes in qt |
5.5 qt – Best for 2 with left overs but can comfortably handle up to 4. |
5 qt – Best for 2 with left overs but can comfortably handle up to 4. |
7.25 qt – Best for 4 with left overs. |
6.75 qt – Best for 4 with left overs. |
9 qt – Best for 6 to 8. |
9.5 qt – Best for 6 to 8. |
13.25 qt – Best for larger parties. |
15.5 qt – Best for a small army |
Conclusion
In reading how people use their Le Creuset Dutch Ovens and what sizes they use I have found that there is a pretty even split between the 5 and 7 qt sizes, but ti appears that that more people prefer the oval shape. When explaining their choice in oval, they mention the versatility of the size. Oval best fits larger meats and can also be used or stews, soups and sauces, even though the round is more common for this purpose. If you can only have one, cooking soup in an oval dutch oven works just fine.
I’d like to add one other piece of advice. Consider the weight of the different sizes. According to Amazon, the Le Creuset Dutch Oven weights are as follows: the 5.5 qt weighs roughly 10.5 pounds, the 7.25 qt weighs 12.5 pounds and the 9 qt weighs 15.5 pounds.
Looking for a Dutch oven for your kitchen? See my full review of the Le Creuset Dutch Oven.