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With big handles and a durable design, this Dutch oven aced every test, rivaling models four times the price.

This inexpensive Dutch oven is perfect for slow-simmered winter cuisine, fresh-baked sourdough, and nightly dinners alike.

This inexpensive Dutch oven aced every test, and its design rivals that of pricier models.

This versatile, heavy pot is great for stovetop frying as well as other preparations like soups and braises.

This Dutch oven works just as well as pricier ones we’ve tested. And it’s one of the easiest to use and move around the kitchen.

TechGearLab

The Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven 6-Quart has been tried and tested and is a fantastic deal. Our main tester has owned this model for over six years, using it for bread baking, soups, stews, roasts, and more. We love the large volume that'll fit bulk soups and feed larger groups; the domed lid also offers more space for large artisan bread loaves. During our tests, it proves to have good temperature regulation, taking longer to heat up than most but losing less heat than others. It's safe up to 500F in an oven and can be thrown in the dishwasher for cleaning.
While we love its price and performance, it is constructed from porcelain glass, which chips more than the enamel on other higher-scoring contenders. During our abuse tests, the handle chipped after ten hits from a metal spoon. That said, little damage was observed in the interior enamel, which is the most important. After six years of testing, our main tester hasn't seen any significant wear and tear but some staining in the white interior, which hasn't affected performance. With careful use, we've had this model for several years, and it does an excellent job of making meals for groups of two to six people. 

If you seek an affordable and high-volume option, the Uno Casa Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven 6-Quart should not be missed. Its ample volume is the one we reach for most when making large pots of soup or stew. The domed lid adds additional volume and creates a nice seal to ensure the internal temperature stays consistent. The black interior heats up nicely, braising meats well and resisting burns and stains. Boiling two cups of water took one minute and 54 seconds. Our bread tests yielded a crispy crust and locked in moisture, keeping meats nice and plump. It also comes with three silicone pieces, which are useful when lifting and moving around the kitchen. The price is right, making it an easy choice for those seeking a good value. 
After using it continuously over three months, it didn't stain or become worn down. Overall, it's pretty durable, but we did note a little damage to the handle and around the rim during lid durability testing. At 13 pounds, it also requires a little muscle. Overall, this is a high-volume contender that comes at an affordable price.

The Lodge Enameled is the dutch oven we recommend if you want the best value on a smaller budget. This pot is seriously solid and impressively durable. It's a very functional shape for most things, from bread to stews, and comes in many sizes. Though Lodge recommends handwashing this pan whenever possible, they also rate it safe to throw in your dishwasher in a pinch &#40;double-check your dishwashing fluid!&#41;.
Though it doesn't feel heavier than the rest, the Lodge is an above-average weight. It also holds more of this mass in the pot rather than the lid, adding an extra pound or so &#40;from average&#41; to moving a full, steaming pot of stew from the stove to the table. The Lodge has one of the smallest searing surfaces of any model we tested, which is important if you like to make a lot of recipes that involve searing meats or veggies. Still, if you've got a budget to stick to, the Lodge has no glaring weaknesses and is a solid all-around option.

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The Best Dutch Oven

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Consumer Reports

CR’s take: The 5.5-quart Le Creuset Signature Dutch Oven tops our ratings. It earns an Excellent rating in our browning tests, the only Dutch oven to do so, and is a breeze to when it comes to cleaning. It weighs 12 pounds, less than most, and has an 8-inch cooking diameter. The loop handles are nice and wide.   Spend a little less: The Lodge Dutch oven is a breeze to clean and rated Very Good for baking bread.

The 5.5-quart Le Creuset Signature tops our ratings for this category. It earns an Excellent rating in our browning tests, the only Dutch oven to do so, and is a cinch to clean. It weighs 12 pounds, less than most, and has an 8-inch cooking diameter. We found that the loop handles are nice and wide, not always a given on Dutch ovens.  For more options: Best Dutch Ovens From Consumer Reports’ Tests

CR’s take: The 5.5-quart Le Creuset Signature topped our ratings for years but lost its place to a newcomer this time around. It earns an Excellent rating in our browning tests—the only Dutch oven to do so—and is a cinch to clean. It weighs 12 pounds, less than most, and has an 8-inch cooking diameter. The loop handles are nice and wide.

The 5.5-quart Le Creuset Signature tops our ratings for this category. It earns an Excellent rating in our browning tests, the only Dutch oven to do so, and is a cinch to clean. It weighs 12 pounds, less than most, and has an 8-inch cooking diameter. We found that the loop handles are nice and wide, not always a given on Dutch ovens.  For more options: Best Dutch Ovens

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Staub vs. Le Creuset: Which Brand Makes the Best Dutch Oven?

CR’s take: The Le Creuset Poele is the newest winner in the stainless steel skillet category. What pushed it over the finish line was an Excellent rating for heating evenness, which means pancakes come out nicely browned. Sautéing was only so-so. The handle stays cool to the touch when you’re cooking and doesn’t get too wobbly over time, scoring Very Good on that test. Some stainless pans are a bit easier to clean, but none are as easy to clean as a nonstick.For more, see our completed stainless steel frying pan ratings.

CR’s take: With more than 120 years in the business, Lodge knows a thing or two about cast iron, and the Lodge 6-quart Dutch oven turns out bread that’s nicely browned and crispy, rating a Very Good in our bread-baking test. Cleanup is a breeze. It weighs 14 pounds and has a 7-inch cooking surface diameter. Like the Le Creuset, the Lodge has wide loop handles.

Looking for high-end dutch oven performance that's not quite as expensive? The Made In 5.5 Quart is an excellent choice. Like famous brands, Le Creuset and Staub, this pot is made and enameled in France rather than China. It's low and wide, providing a large searing surface area. The handles and lid knob are a fantastic size and shape that makes it easy to grab them even with bulky oven mitts. It's easy to handwash even the toughest messes from its smoothly enameled surface. The Made In is rated oven safe up to 580°F &mdash; the highest of any in our lineup. It was hardly phased at all by our maltreatment of it. This impressive oven is nearly as good at everything as the top performers we tested, but for far less cash, making it a great value item.
Our complaints about the Made In are few. It's comparatively heavy among models its size, though not so much that we notice it during use. It's not rated as dishwasher safe. That said, we caution anyone putting a dutch over in the dishwasher. Even models that are rated dishwasher safe, the detergent may damage the enamel. If you're looking for a smaller or larger version, you're out of luck with the Made In, as it currently comes in just the 5.5-quart size &#40;arguably the most versatile size for most people&#41;. There's so much it's great for, making its relatively lower cost &#40;for a high-end vessel&#41; that much more enticing.

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America's Test Kitchen

This pricey pot is still the one to beat. It was the most durable and user-friendly with comfortable handles and lower, straight sides that made it easy to move, load, and unload. Its broad, lightly-colored cooking surface allowed us to cook more food faster and monitor browning. It’s heavy, as a Dutch oven should be, but a bit lighter than some of the others we tested.

CR’s take: At a little over 7 pounds, the Merten & Storck German Enameled Iron 1873 is the lightest Dutch oven in our tests. That’s because it’s made of enameled carbon steel vs. enameled cast iron, like the rest of the models. The advantage is that it’s easier to lift and heats up fast. In our tests, It baked bread like a champ, earning an Excellent score, and was a cinch to clean. Its performance in our simmering sauce and cooking evenness tests was on a par with the other pots on this list.

CR’s take: The 6-quart Ayesha Curry Dutch oven is among the easiest to clean, garnering an Excellent rating in that test. But weighing 15 pounds, this Dutch oven is the heaviest of the group, and the cooking surface measures only 7 inches in diameter.

Dutch Oven Comparison