What size dutch oven

[Vermin8]

What is a good size for a dutch oven? A dish (such as jambalaya or marinara & meatballs) that will serve 6 will be pretty typical.
It's just my husband & I so it's more likely we'd do smaller than larger dishes.
Also, dutch ovens can be used on stove or oven, correct? Are casserole dishes oven only?

 

[Scotch]

I have 4 cast iron Dutch ovens of various sizes, but if I could keep only one, I'd opt for 8 quarts. Better too big than too small. Even though you're cooking for only two most of the time, it's nice to make a big pot of stew or whatever and have leftovers. Also, you may want to use it to prepare something for company.

And yes, they can be used on either the stove or in the oven, whereas most casserole dishes, which are generally made of glass or ceramic, aren't intended for stove top use as they may crack from the direct heat.

 

[Vermin8]

Thank you.
If I got a bigger one, is it feasible to cook smaller dishes in it?
EG, if a baking or casserole dish is too big, the contents will heat too quickly.

 

[FincaPerlitas]

I'd probably go for a 5 to 6 quart size. Most are designed for both stove-top and oven use. Most casserole dishes are designed for oven use only.

 

[Scotch]

Thank you.
If I got a bigger one, is it feasible to cook smaller dishes in it?
EG, if a baking or casserole dish is too big, the contents will heat too quickly.

I misspoke -- my largest one is 7 quarts.

I wouldn't use it to cook a small quantity, but most recipes that I make in it fill it at least half way, and that's not been a problem. That said, I have to admit that I do use my 4- and 5-quart Dutch ovens more frequently.

One thing to remember -- they don't seal as well as your typical stainless pot, so you need to check now and then to be sure the food being cooked in it doesn't dry out. Also, most Dutch oven recipes that I make call for relatively low temperatures, 300 or 325, and long cooking times. I rarely use them on the stove top except for browning and sauteing before popping the assembled dish in the oven.

FWIW, I have both Le Creuset and Staub; I have a slight preference for the latter, but both are excellent. Lodge also makes great cast iron cookware, just not as fancy looking (or as expensive). Check Amazon for good prices on all three brands (especially with free shipping and no tax)

 

[Vermin8]

Thanks, Finca, and thanks, Scotch, very good insights. It sounds like jambalaya isn't a good idea.

 

[Callisto in NC]

Thanks, Finca, and thanks, Scotch, very good insights. It sounds like jambalaya isn't a good idea.

I've seen Guy Fieri cook jambalaya in a dutch oven a couple of times. Are you thinking pure cast iron or coated?

 

[Vermin8]

I hadn't thought that far...I was thinking pure but is there an advantage to either?

 

[Callisto in NC]

I hadn't thought that far...I was thinking pure but is there an advantage to either?

I think it's personal preference. The coated is being sold by all sorts of brand names with some celebrity name on it, like Paula Dean and Racheal Ray. Not my thing. I have a DO that's cast iron and 100 years old that I love. I would never trade it. I do so much with it, it's a six quart. I even make corn bread in it. It's great for just about everything.

 

[Vermin8]

I think I'll go for the pure - it seems like coated is something that could chip and degrade and unless it enhances heat distribution - which doesn't make sense since cast iron is supposed to be one of the best.

 

[Callisto in NC]

I think I'll go for the pure - it seems like coated is something that could chip and degrade and unless it enhances heat distribution - which doesn't make sense since cast iron is supposed to be one of the best.

I honestly don't know how long they've been coating cast iron, I haven't had a need to look it up, but I believe like you that it could chip. I do know, however, that pure cast iron with no coating can and has lasted 100 years plus. I know pure cast iron, properly cared for will last my granddaughter's lifetime (when I have one). I'm using my grandmothers' DO so I trust the uncoated. JMO.

 

[DownByTheRiverSide]

Those of us from the Deep South love our cast iron ... skillets, bakers, dutch ovens, cornbread sticks, muffin pans, etc. Many things, cornbread chief among them, are close to impossible to cook correctly without them. There are two disadvantages to uncoated cast iron that I know of. One, you absolutely cannot cook anything sweet in them or whatever you bake in them after that will stick. Secondly, you cannot cook very acidic things in them, without risking a metallic taste developing. You can cook something acidic very, very briefly without a problem, however.

If you go with plain cast iron, especially if you use them for baking or frying, remember that they do not like water or soap. Instead, after use, wipe them out thoroughly and perhaps add a bit of oil and put them away. If, after several years use, they develop a sort of burned crust that becomes excessive, the classic way to deal with that was to put them in the fireplace and "burn them out" about once every 3-4 years. Then, clean them up good and re-oil them and you are good to go for several more years.

 

[Callisto in NC]

remember that they do not like water or soap. Instead after use wipe them out thoroughly and perhaps add a bit of oil and put them away

This is extremely untrue. Cast iron handles water wonderfully as long as you dry it completely afterwards. If you allow it to sit in water, you have a problem but you can, very much, rinse it with water after every use. The instructions that came with all of mine say to do exactly that. Example, today I seared pork before putting it in the crock. If I don't rinse off the CI, I risk cross contamination because wiping isn't enough.

Soap, no. Water, definitely. Just don't place a screaming hot CI pan in cold water. Here's the Lodge link to how to clean.

 

[DownByTheRiverSide]

Well, mine didnt come with directions, they all came from Mother, Grandmother, and some were from Great-Grandmother, and I dare say none of them ever saw water, except perhaps by accident. To each his/her own.

 

[Callisto in NC]

Well, mine didnt come with directions, they all came from Mother, Grandmother, and some were from Great-Grandmother, and I dare say none of them ever saw water, except perhaps by accident. To each his/her own.

Well, since we are talking apples and oranges, yours has a hard and true seasoning and the OP is buying new, the OP should go by current practices and standards. Our grandparents and parents didn't have the same concerns we face now. The new cookware does need to be cleaned with water. I clean my grandmothers with water and it is still as strong as ever. It's soap that is the death nell for CI.

Vermin8 ~ are you looking for more than just a DO like skillets or a flat pan?

 

[DownByTheRiverSide]

Thank You for Your Opinion. I'm sorry I attempted to share what I know to be true.

 

[Greg Woulf]

I just bought a 3.5 quart Martha Stewart (I hate myself for admitting that, but it was the cheapest I could find and seemed like nicer quality)

It's enough for what I want now. I had a 6 quart, and it was heavy and hard to move in and out of the stove. (wife got it in divorce)

Anyway, I love the coated, and this one does fit snugly and the top has the raised bumps to equally distribute moisture back into the dish.

I just made a jumbalaya that was soooooo good following a show of Good Eats with Alton. It wasn't just hot, it had a lot of the flavor and they weren't muddled altogether like a lot of Jumbalaya gets.

 

[Callisto in NC]

Thank You for Your Opinion. I'm sorry I attempted to share what I know to be true.

No need to be sorry. We are talking different styles whereas you were raised one way, others were raised another. I know of some who would say to use soap, even though it is against the manufacturers instructions that I posted. Maybe it's a northern verses southern thing because my pans are all handed down from my northern grandmother and she used water on them all the time.

Again, to get back on track. Vermin8 ~ are you considering other pieces or just the DO? Vermin, I did just notice you asked about marinara, that shouldn't be done in a new uncoated DO. It will eat the seasoning. Now, if your DO is over 50 years old, then you're fine. Have you considered going to the Goodwill or thrift store to look for CI?

Greg Woulf ~ in this economy no one should fault you for being frugal. I looked around for the best deal on my Lodge and ended up at Walmart. I know some think Walmart is the devil's handmaiden but for $10 less a pan, I'm not going to thumb my nose at them. How are you liking the coated?

 

[DownByTheRiverSide]

In my area nice cast iron skillets, etc can still be found at flea markets and junk shops, and while they are no longer cheap like they used to be, they are, in my most humble opinion, superior to the new ones. That is where I would look first, unless I had in mind a coated one.

 

[Vermin8]

I was planning on the DO for now and possibly a skillet for cornbread (DH loves the buttermilk cornbread his mom used to make).
I was considering marinara w/meatballs (marinara on it's own, no), but if that's not adviced I won't do it.
I've also read it should be seasoned with oil before cooking.