The 9 Best Dutch Ovens of 2024, Tested by PEOPLE

Best Overall

Cuisinart Covered Casserole Dish

$96 at Amazon $100 at Walmart $70 at Wayfair

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Durability
  5/5
• Value
  5/5

This Cuisinart Classic Dutch Oven passed all our tests with flying colors, making it our overall winner. During our jambalaya preparation test, it earned high scores. Browning developed very well, and there was no sticking at all. We also prepared rice and found that it cooked brilliantly. There was no burning — just a nice, beautiful, even cook. After putting this Dutch oven through its paces, we think it's a winner for stewing, browning, and roasting.

Oven mitts fit comfortably and securely under the handles of this Dutch oven, which also performed well in our durability test. After hitting it multiple times with a metal spoon, there was only a very slight chip on the lid coating. Another plus? This beautiful, sturdy product is also dishwasher-safe.

Dimensions: 11.6 x 11.6 x 6.2 inches | Weight: 8 lbs. | Materials: Cast iron with porcelain enameled interior, exterior, lid, and handles

Best Budget

Beautiful by Drew Barrymore 6 QT Dutch Oven

$59 at Walmart

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Durability
  4/5
• Value
  5/5

This enamel Dutch oven from Drew Barrymore's cookware line did well in our testing. The open oval handles were a nice touch when taking it in and out of the oven — even with oven mitts, it felt very secure.

Heat distribution was nice and even, given this Dutch oven’s oval shape, and the chicken browned evenly, resulting in a golden hue. Although the coating is non-stick, we noticed a fond (when little bits of food stick to the surface) and recommend using a bit more oil to avoid this issue. The rice was cooked evenly throughout, if slightly overdone.

The only real downside is its durability. The blue exterior held up very well, but there were some spots of discoloration, particularly on the handles where oil splattered while cooking on the stovetop. And while this product is dishwasher-safe, the discoloration did not improve after washing. The enamel interior also sustained some damage when hit with the metal spoon, so we’d recommend using wooden utensils only.

Dimensions: 12 x 8 inches | Weight: 12 lbs. | Materials: Cast iron with enameled interior, exterior, lid, and handles; stainless steel knob

Best Investment

Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Round Dutch Oven

$451 at Amazon $368 at Nordstrom $260 at Wayfair

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Durability
  4/5
• Value
  4.5/5

If you’re paying hundreds of dollars for a Dutch oven, you should have high expectations for it. Fortunately, the Le Creuset met our expectations and more for its heirloom quality and exceptional performance.

In our test kitchen, the chicken browned and cooked perfectly for our jambalaya, and the meat released easily. This Dutch oven also has a tight-fitting lid that retains moisture, and the ergonomically designed handles and knob make it easy to lift. The rice cooked evenly, though it was slightly overcooked.

The oven's thick enameled cast iron base takes more than a few minutes to heat, but it retains heat well. The center gets hotter than the edges, as evidenced by how the chicken closest to the middle browned better in testing. But it distributes heat quite evenly, especially given its large size — just sautéing vegetables releases enough liquid to deglaze the pot (no extra oil is required). The Dutch oven's smooth surface rivals a nonstick pan's.

Dimensions: 14.75 x 11.25 x 7.75 inches | Weight: 15.2 lbs. | Materials: Cast iron with enameled cast iron lid; light interior coating; stainless steel lid knob

Best Cast Iron

Lodge Cast Iron Double Dutch Oven

$50 at Amazon $50 at Walmart $50 at Wayfair

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Durability
  5/5
• Value
  5/5

Another delicious dish came by way of this Lodge Dutch oven. The chicken thighs browned very well and came out nice and crispy with sufficient heat — no sticking or crowding. The rice was cooked perfectly as well, with no sticking or burning, and the pot essentially looked clean after cooking.

We found the Lodge Dutch oven to be extremely durable, with no scratches or dents following our durability test. It even has a bonus feature: The lid doubles as a cast iron skillet (so handy, right?). The one drawback we noted is the size of the handles: They're on the narrow side, which makes it difficult to grab them with thick oven mitts.

With a low price point in this category, the Lodge Dutch oven is an amazing value. You can use it for any type of cooking — stews, soups, sauces — and it’s great for browning, roasting, and even baking. It's easy to use and clean, so there’s no learning curve if you’re new to cooking with a Dutch oven.

Dimensions: 12.56 x 4.5 inches | Weight: 14 lbs. | Materials: Pre-seasoned cast iron interior and exterior; cast iron lid

Best Shallow

Staub Round Cocotte

$420 at Amazon $400 at Nordstrom $100 at Wayfair

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Durability
  4.5/5
• Value
  4.5/5

Potholders fit very easily into the wide handles of this Staub Dutch oven, our best shallow pick. Although shallow, it's still super roomy — we were able to cook about a pound of chicken at one time. The Staub produced deep brown caramelization on the chicken, with a solid crisp when cutting. Very even heating across the bottom of the pan led to even browning of the meat.

We were just as successful with the rice, which came out perfectly cooked, just shy of al dente. There was no sticking, burning, or underdone spots, and the tight-fitting lid ensured that all of the liquid was fully absorbed by the rice. 

In our durability spoon test, the Staub Cast Iron Round Cocotte came away with no marks on the inside and just one slight marking on the lid. Being a smaller-sized model, it's best for smaller-batch cooking and fits well on small stoves. The cost may be the only drawback. but if you use it frequently, this one is well worth the price.

Dimensions: 12.8x 10.2 x 6.5 inches | Weight: 12.9 lbs. | Materials: Enamel-coated cast iron exterior, interior, and lid

Best Nonstick

Caraway Dutch Oven

$135 at Amazon $135 at Target $108 at Nordstrom

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  4/5
• Durability
  4.5/5
• Value
  4/5

There was plenty of space inside this adorable Caraway Dutch oven, which is lightweight with large handles, so it's easy to pick up with oven mitts or pot holders. Browning in this Dutch oven was very easy. The chicken thighs got a nice, even brown color, but the slipperiness of the nonstick enamel meant they didn't get crispy. On the flip side, food didn’t stick to the slick surface. Most of the rice was overcooked, perhaps due to excessive moisture retention. 

We were impressed by how easy it was to sear food in this model. While the chicken wasn't crispy, this Dutch oven did produce decent and continuous coloring throughout the meat thanks to its great heat distribution.

This model has a lot of capacity, versatility, and durability for the price. With a modern, streamlined look and an extremely user-friendly ceramic coating, beginners and advanced chefs alike will enjoy using this Dutch oven. However, anyone looking to develop a flavorful base for stews and soups using fatty meats would be better suited to using a different Dutch oven.

Dimensions: 15.47 x 12.68 x 6.14 inches | Weight: 6.2 lbs. | Materials: Cast iron covered in glossy enamel; stainless steel handles

Best for Entertaining

Cuisinart Chef's Classic 7-Quart Round Casserole

$111 at Amazon $130 at QVC $114 at Wayfair

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Durability
  4/5
• Value
  5/5

This Cuisinart Chef's 7-Quart Dutch Oven is a big, beautiful addition to any dining room table or kitchen island. It has a porcelain-enamel finish that comes in several colors and doesn't transfer flavors to the food. Its handles are rather small, so it might be challenging to fit a thick oven mitt into the handle openings.

With ample space for three or four sizable chicken thighs, this pot browns meat well, and the thighs released easily in our testing, though one got a bit stuck toward the center of the pot. The rice cooked well, achieving a perfect texture. The only downside was that the rice around the edges of the pot turned out a bit browned.

As for the value, while it's not necessarily inexpensive, it would be a great choice for anyone who wants to see what a good Dutch oven is capable of without investing hundreds of dollars. It performed almost as well as the higher-end models that cost significantly more, plus it's dishwasher-safe, so it's easy to clean.

Dimensions: 12.99 x 12.99 x 6.22 inches | Weight: 17.8 lbs. | Materials: Cast iron with porcelain enameled interior, exterior, lid, and handles

Most Versatile

KitchenAid Cast Iron Dutch Oven

$200 at Amazon $129 at Walmart View on Potsandpans.com

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  4/5
• Durability
  5/5
• Value
  4/5

Not only is this model beautiful, but during our tests, the browning on the chicken was absolutely lovely. We also appreciated the ample room in this Dutch oven, as well as the lack of sticking when the meat was done cooking. The KitchenAid model hit the mark with the rice, too, which was cooked to perfection thanks to the self-basting lid, with no sticking or burning. This Dutch oven has excellent heat distribution and retention, which led to evenly cooked foods in our tests.

We also liked the slightly more modern design of this Dutch oven and think it would make a nice addition to any style of kitchen. The flat, solid handles make lifting and holding the product a bit more difficult, but the value is a great selling point. This Dutch oven would hold up to any number of tasks, including braising, roasting, and cooking soups and sauces.

Dimensions: 15.9 x 14.2 x 9.9 inches | Weight: 18.3 lbs. | Materials: Cast iron interior and exterior; cast iron lid with stainless steel knob

Best with Glass Lid

Calphalon Premier Hard-Anodized Nonstick 8.5-Quart Dutch Oven

$149 at Amazon $112 at Target $112 at Wayfair

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  4.5/5
• Durability
  4/5
• Value
  4.5/5

If you like to have a bird's-eye view of your dinner, the Caphalon Dutch oven with a glass lid may be a good fit. Despite the large size of the pot, in our testing, the rice came out perfectly cooked; the chicken was a little more blonde than brown with just a light sear. This Dutch oven has nice large handles and is lightweight, so it’s easy to pick it up with oven mitts. 

While it looks like your regular, run-of-the-mill stock pot, this Dutch oven performed well and was quite durable. In terms of longevity, the only issue we can foresee is erosion of the nonstick coating. You could easily brown an entire roast in this oven with room to spare for your vegetables when it comes time to braise, and the nonstick coating made this dishwasher-safe piece a breeze to clean.

Dimensions: 17.52 x 15.94 x 12.6 inches | Weight: 5.5 lbs. | Materials: Anodized aluminum with nonstick interior coating; tempered glass lid