If you’ve ever wondered, “What is a Dutch oven?” you’re in the right place. One of the most popular kitchen utensils on the market, the Dutch oven is a fantastic tool for cooking delicious foods and meals, from crusty bread to casseroles.
A Dutch oven can be extremely versatile and is often intended as a long-term investment into your cooking, although a bit more expensive than your standard oven dish. There are even highly fashionable versions of these products on the market, intended to bring a pop of colour to your kitchen while aiding your cooking needs.
Here’s everything you need to know about the incredible Dutch oven.
Defining the Dutch Oven
As you may expect, a Dutch oven is a kind of cooking utensil. Ideal for cooking all kinds of meals and snacks, Dutch oven cooking pots come in various shapes and styles.
You can access everything from cast iron Dutch ovens, sometimes called French ovens, which offer great balanced, high-quality cooking, to enamelled cast iron. The enamel coating helps keep the device as non-stick as possible.
Dutch ovens or French ovens are a kind of cast iron pot with a lid that can withstand very high heat and slow cooking processes. You can use these products to braise meat, brown meat, or even soups. Many people also use most Dutch ovens for cooking casseroles and baking bread.
What Are the Different Types of Dutch Ovens?
Today, the Dutch oven is a popular form of cooking utensil, ideal for home cooks who want to test kitchen recipes and try out new food. In addition, they’re great for busy weeknights when you want to throw together something simple, like stews or soups on the stovetop or in the oven.
The majority of Dutch ovens are oven safe but can also be used on the stove in some cases for things like cooking meats or keeping soup warm. The below-listed things distinguish the different kinds of Dutch ovens.
Material
Though Dutch oven pots can feature a variety of materials, including ceramic and stainless steel, they’re most often made out of heavy cast iron, which can get very hot and maintain temperature very well. However, this does make your iron pan very heavy.
Size
The size of your preferred Dutch oven will solely depend on how many people you want to bake for. Since this cookware is quite heavy, many people choose to have multiple different sizes of pans to suit different needs. For instance, you might have one oven for vegetables and another for baking and meats. On the other hand, large Dutch ovens are great for batch cooking, making stew, or preparing food for large groups of people.
Coatings
Some Dutch ovens will come with enamel or non-stick coating in the middle and on the heavy lid of the cookware. This makes the pots easier to clean and may even ensure you can place your Dutch oven pan in the dishwasher when you’re done cooking.
What Is a Dutch Oven Used For?
A Dutch oven is an extremely versatile product, great for cooking all kinds of food. Often ranked alongside other cast iron cookware for its diversity, a Dutch oven can be used in the same way as a saucepan or stockpot. The main thing that sets these cast iron products apart is that you can get them very hot – great for a pot roast, searing meat, and more. You can also use the same versatile pot in the oven to simmer and braise meat.
A cast-iron Dutch oven is great for many things. Here are some ways to use your dutch oven.
Deep Searing
Because Dutch ovens are ideal for high temperatures, they’re great for deep searing and braising. If you want to sear your meat, you can heat the pot first, add a little oil, and then throw in the meat for an amazing finish.
Soups and Stews
The thick walls of a Dutch oven and its tight-fitting lid make the Dutch process ideal for making soups and stews. You can keep the pot completely covered with the included lid, which means you don’t have to heat your food repeatedly when serving soups and stews to large groups of people.
Baking
Although it may be possible to place some Dutch ovens on the stovetop, you can put most of them inside the oven. This makes the pot an excellent choice if you want to cook meat and vegetables for long periods. A Dutch pot is great to use if you have a recipe you want to test out for bread.
Thanks to the rising number of Dutch ovens worldwide, there are tons more magazines and recipe options for Dutch ovens and cast-iron cookware than there used to be. The great thing about it is that it doesn’t take long to learn how to Dutch oven cook, either.
How to Use a Dutch Oven: Top Tips
Dutch ovens are great for a host of recipes, particularly if you’re using a high-quality iron Dutch oven. You can use them to make soups, stews, certain steam products, or even cook and serve bread. Depending on the durability of your pot, you might even be able to expose the iron to an open fire too. Of course, you will need to learn how to use your Dutch oven correctly to get the most out of it.
Here are some top tips to keep in mind as you start to cook your recipes:
• Always clean by hand: It’s usually best to clean your cast iron by hand, regardless of the instructions. This will help to maintain the lustre of your pot.
• Season cast iron first: If you’re using standard cast iron in your oven, you’ll need to season the pot with oil before placing it in the oven or on high heat on your stove.
• Don’t scrub enamelled cast iron too much: You can wash an enamelled cast-iron Dutch oven with hot water and soap, but you shouldn’t scrub too harshly or with steel wool.
• Avoid overwhelming the pot: Don’t try to place too many vegetables or pieces of meat in your Dutch oven simultaneously. Instead, invest in a larger cast iron pot or cook your food in batches to maintain the flavour.
• Be careful with acidic foods: After seasoning cast iron Dutch ovens, be careful with highly acidic foods like tomatoes, vinegar, or citrus, as this can cut through the seasoning.
• Experiment with recipes: Don’t be afraid to experiment with different kinds of meals you produce with your Dutch oven. You can use a cast-iron Dutch oven for all types of cooking, including baking.
What Can Be Used Instead of a Dutch Oven?
These days, it’s much easier to find Dutch ovens worldwide, so you shouldn’t have trouble finding one of your own. However, a high-quality enamelled cast iron Dutch oven can be pretty expensive, so you may want to avoid getting one until you know you have more than one or two recipe options you want to try out.
Traditional Dutch ovens are generally the most versatile options for various recipes. However, you can make a recipe for a stew or soup using a crockpot, slow cooker, or something similar. If you have a Dutch oven recipe but don’t have a Dutch oven, you can try some of the alternative cookware options for now. These include:
• Slow cookers: With their heating element included, slow cookers can be ideal if you don’t want to put a casserole or pot in the oven for long periods.
• Casserole dishes: A casserole dish won’t be as resilient as an enamelled cast iron dutch oven, but it may be less expensive. Just be careful about the temperatures you use.
• Cast iron skillets: Other cast iron products like skillets might be suitable for cooking certain foods, like braising or searing meats.
• A crockpot: Crockpots are similar to slow cookers and allow you to experiment with a range of different meals, like soup and stew.
• Clay pots: A clay pot may be suitable for cooking some foods, such as bread, but it may not hold up well to all kinds of temperatures if you want a direct alternative to a Dutch oven.
• Braiser: A braiser is a pot designed for specific meat recipes and braised stew recipe options. This product won’t handle all the tasks of a Dutch oven, but it can manage some.
• Soup pot: If you want to try a soup recipe with something similar to a Dutch oven, you can try a soup pot or a soup maker. A soup maker can also be suitable for some kinds of stew.
Enjoy Your Dutch Oven
The Dutch cooking method featuring a thick-walled pot, heat resistant materials, and a lid designed to protect against overheating can prevent burning. Also, it helps the cookware be virtually indestructible, making it ideal for cooking or baking for a long time.
Now that you know what a Dutch oven is, you can decide whether this kind of cooking utensil is a good investment.
