The Most Common Dutch Oven Questions, Answered

When you think of a pot that can do it all, the Dutch Oven is likely near the top of the list. The star of “low and slow” cooking, Dutch Ovens are also great for baking bread, making large batches of stew or sauce, and even deep frying. While there’s no all-purpose pot, this one comes pretty close.

Whether you just got our new Enamel Cast Iron Dutch Oven or have never cooked in a Dutch Oven at all, check out these frequently asked questions and discover everything there is to know and love about this multipurpose piece of Cookware.

What Makes Your Dutch Oven Unique?

Both professional chefs and home cooks value Dutch Ovens for their many uses. It’s hard to choose just five, let alone one method of cooking that our Dutch Oven is best for. You can sear, fry, saute, bake, braise, or simmer with ease. The combination of cast iron and enamel makes it durable and the coating makes it virtually non stick, so you can cook without having to clean up a tough, stuck-on mess.

Our Dutch Oven also comes in two colors: red or blue. The interior is an off-white oatmeal color and both lids feature a silver knob on the top.

What Is Your Dutch Oven Made Out Of?

Our Dutch Oven has a cast iron core, which is forged from a mixture of iron and carbon. This core is excellent at holding heat, making it great for recipes with lengthy cook times, like stews and braises. While cast iron on its own can be brittle and requires special care, ours is coated with a layer of enamel.

Finding the right enamel to cast iron ratio took years, but we have perfected it by hand-spraying the enamel to make sure it’s even all over. This coating not only protects it from rust, but also makes it easy to clean. Our Dutch Oven is also free of lead, nickel, PFOAs, and PFAs, making it 100% non-toxic and safe.

Where Is Your Dutch Oven Made?

We chose to craft our Dutch Ovens in Northeast France, home of the best enameled Dutch Ovens worldwide. The factory has been operating for over a century. Like everything else we do, this selection process was done with care. It took years of searching to find the right craftspeople to create a Dutch Oven that’s worthy of a spot at your table.

What Can I Cook in My Dutch Oven?

Dutch Ovens are perhaps best known for “low and slow” cooking, such as braising meat or simmering stews. That may be its claim to fame, but our Dutch Oven can do so much more. It’s designed to be moved from stovetop to oven with relative ease, which means it’s also great for oven baked pasta dishes.

Its depth and heat retention makes it a perfect home deep fryer, without having to purchase a piece of single-use Cookware. On the healthier side, it's a good pot for soaking and cooking dry beans. You can even use the Dutch Oven to bake beautifully crusty bread. Our Dutch Oven holds 5.5 quarts, which is about enough for 4-6 servings of braised meat and 8 or more servings of soups or stews.

How Do I Clean My Dutch Oven?

The enamel coating on our Dutch Oven makes clean-up much easier, but you do need to be careful that you don’t scratch it. Avoid using steel wool or abrasive cleansers. It should never be put in the dishwasher, where it can easily get scratched by metal utensils. And one more reminder: if your Dutch Oven soaks in water too long, the unfinished lip can rust.

We recommend washing your Dutch Oven by hand with a soft sponge and mild soap. Make sure you always thoroughly dry it to avoid water spots or rust. If you have stubborn stains, there are a few things you can do. The first method is to put a few drops of soap in your Dutch Oven and soak in hot water for 15-20 minutes, then scrub with the rougher side of a sponge.

You can also use Bar Keeper’s Friend either as a surface scrub or do the soak and scrub method, letting it sit on the stain for 30 minutes. If all else fails, bring 1 quart of water to boil in your Dutch Oven and sprinkle in 2 teaspoons of baking soda. Let it fizz and release burnt food, scraping up bits with a Wooden Spoon. Do this for about 5 minutes, then dump the water and scrub the inside with soap and water.

How Do I Cook with My Dutch Oven?

Our Dutch Oven works on all types of cooking surfaces—gas stoves, electric burners, and flat tops, plus the iron composition of the cast iron core makes it induction compatible. It’s also oven safe up to 580F, which is 80F higher than other French-made Dutch Ovens. The silver knob on the handle makes the lid oven safe as well.

When cooking on the stovetop, we recommend using medium to medium-high heat so that you do not scorch or discolor the enamel. It’s also best to use wooden or silicone utensils with your Dutch Oven. Prolonged use of metal utensils can cause scratches, which may not affect your cooking but are very apparent on the light-colored interior.

What’s Special About Your Dutch Oven’s Lid?

The lid is specially designed with pea-sized dimples that collect the steam rising from your dish and evenly return it to your food. We call this the Cloud Cover Lid. When it comes to braising, this self-basting lid ensures that you’re never left with a dry roast or an uneven braise. The steam distribution will also give your bread a crusty exterior and a soft, chewy crumb.

Note that when used on the stovetop, the silver knob on top of your Dutch Oven will get hot over time. If it’s placed in the oven, the knob will increase in temperature with the rest of the pan. For that reason, we recommend being safe and keeping your oven mitts on deck.

Does Your Dutch Oven Need to be Seasoned?

No, you do not need to season our Dutch Oven. The entirely enameled surface protects the cast iron core, making it essentially non stick.  This coating also means you don’t need to worry about cooking acidic ingredients, as they will not strip the seasoning, yet another feature that makes our Dutch Oven so versatile.

Will My Dutch Oven Come with a Warranty?

Yes, most of our Cookware, including the Dutch Oven, is eligible for our Limited Lifetime Warranty. If you care for it correctly but still  have a problem, we’ll either refund your purchase entirely or replace your product. Additionally, you can return it up to 45 days from purchase, no questions asked. So if you don’t love it for whatever reason, you can send it back, even after cooking with it.

When it comes to Dutch Ovens, Enameled Cast Iron ones are by far the best because they can be used for so many different dishes. Plus, they look as beautiful on the stove as they do on a table. The Dutch Ovens we make are crafted with care at an affordable price. If you follow these cooking and care instructions, they can easily be passed down to the next generation.