What Is a Dutch Oven Pot?

If you enjoy cooking and poring over recipes in cookbooks, you've probably run across recipes calling for a Dutch oven. A large, heavy casserole pot with a tight-fitting lid, a Dutch oven is typically used for making a stew or cooking a roast, and basically functions as a miniature oven.

Material

A Dutch oven may be made of enamel-coated cast iron, non-coated cast iron, aluminum, stainless steel or copper.

Function

The lid effectively holds in moisture, which makes it a good way to slowly simmer and stew meat and vegetables.

Technique

A Dutch oven can be used to brown meat on the stove before adding other ingredients, then the lid is placed on and the pot can remain on the stove or put in the oven.

Considerations

Oven cooking with a Dutch oven is the best option because heat is radiated evenly throughout the pot.

Size

The most common sizes for Dutch ovens are 6 to 9 quarts, but they are available up to 12 quarts.

Camping

Cast iron Dutch ovens work very well on campfires as well. A camping Dutch oven has three legs and a wire handle, so the pot can be placed slightly above the coals.

Resources

• History of the Dutch oven pot