Considering the prices of Le Creuset and other good quality enamel on cast iron cookware, figuring out what size dutch oven to buy is an important question. Purchasing a piece that is too large is going to cost you extra money and extra effort to use – these things are heavy. But getting one too small means cramming your food in the pot, allowing it to steam rather than braises or roasts – making your investment in good quality cookware about the same as shares of Enron.
Usually, I cook for only 2 people, but often want leftovers for lunch or for the freezer. That’s why I use my 7 quart round Le Creuset Dutch Oven the most, finding it to be the most practical and versatile. I do use my 4.5 quart frequently, especially for smaller meals where I don’t expect leftovers. Larger families should stick with the 7.5 or 9 quart size. That should hold enough food for 4 to 8 people.
But what about parties? Obviously, I’m not going to be able to make pork with green chile for 12 people in that thing.
I do most of my shopping on the internet, but I admit that this was one purchase I went out to touch and feel before I bought. As much as I hated the idea, I was concerned about the weight of a really large Le Creuset so I made the dreaded trip to the mall. While Le Creuset is a bit lighter than some of it’s heavier competitors, these things are cast iron. That makes them heavy when empty, and really heavy when filled with food. After playing with these things like Jack LaLanne, I finally decided that the 9.5 quart oval would be a good size for our entertaining needs and would be manageable in the kitchen.
After escaping the mall as quickly as I could (followed by the inevitable issues with locating my car in parking lot), I rushed home to my safe haven of the Internet and began researching the prices at Cooking.com and Amazon
Unexpectedly, the oval shape was both good and bad. The bad part is that it doesn’t fit as well as the round dutch ovens on the stove top burner, causing a bit of uneven heating around the far edges. This isn’t a big deal when you use Le Creuset the way I do, for slow-cooking in the oven. It’s a minor inconvenience compared to the big benefit of being able to easily fit a whole chicken or a roast into the oval shape.
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