Storage of the oven could also be an issue, as well as just lifting the thing, bigger is heavier. That may or may not be a concern.
Other than no-knead bread, GLC, what would you bake in it?
I still think that's silly expensive when my $30 no-name does an excellent job.
Maybe I'm an oddball, but for braising I prefer my 8-quart oval to any of my round ones. Lot's more bottom surface, for browning, and plenty of room for the other ingredients.
Of course, if you really want great tasting braises, it's time to dig out the tajine.
Doesn't it stick out beyond the burner by a lot?
Yes. But so what? I didn't (and don't) want to get into an argument over it, but I disagree with your basic premise---particularly when cast iron is concerned.
What do you prefer about oval?
Exactly what I said above. For the space it occupies it has more surface area, for browning, and more room for other ingredients once they're added.
Virtually all soups and stews taste better as they age. I always make far more than needed for the meal, then package and freeze the balance for later use. The oval just works better for that.
It's also better for reducing gravies and sauces, because the surface-to-volume ratio is higher than with a round pot of comparable size.
What do you prefer about the tajine?
Tajine cookery is easily the subject of it's own thread. But, essentially, the self-basting nature of the design, along with the flavor-enhancing quality of clay, make it a perfect cooking vessel for those kinds of dishes.
I have what I call a short Dutch oven.
Here we get into definitional issues. I cook with real Dutch ovens, and have problems when the term is used to describe flat-bottomed, dome-lidded pots. Trying to figure what a pot is that I've not seen is, therefore, next to impossible. Sounds like a roundeau, from your description. But I've never seen them made of cast iron.
I believe the one on the left is called a braiser. Or at least that's what Le Creuset calls that style of pot. The one I have looks like this:I really have no idea what to call the thing on the left. It has the same footprint as the 5 litre Dutch oven and the lid is the same size. I really like the surface area to volume ratio on the shorty.
I believe the one on the left is called a braiser. Or at least that's what Le Creuset calls that style of pot. The one I have looks like this:
Product: 5 QT. Braiser