Perhaps one of the most important kitchen cooking utensils to every cook is the Dutch oven. This cooking pot is a very essential item in any kitchen for slow cooking stews, tender gravy infused slow cooked pot roast, to savory pungent curried chicken and more. In years past this particular cooking pot was always heavy cast iron. The cast iron retains heat evenly and holds the heat for slow cooking to tender juicy perfection. Unfortunately, cast iron does have its drawbacks in the kitchen. One of the major drawbacks is that when cooking recipes containing tomatoes or acidic foods, such as sauerkraut, spaghetti sauce, tomato based soups and stews the cast iron reacts to the acidic foods. These foods will damage the cast iron pot over time.
With these considerations in mind the best Dutch oven to accomplish the slow cooking, even heat, and to be non-reactive to acidic foods, is the Le Creuset Dutch Oven.
Le Creuset Dutch Ovens are made of cast iron, therefore slow to heat and holds the heat once acheived. It is enameled thereby eliminating reactions when cooking acidic foods. This makes an excellent cook pot to brown foods or sauces. The Le Creuset Dutch Oven is totally oven proof, from the pot itself to the handles; making it a wonderful choice for oven slow cooked savory chicken stew, Sunday pot roast and more.
Many cooks have used their Le Creuset Dutch Ovens for ten and sometimes 15 years before deciding to replace it with a new one. In some cases, they have even been handed down from mother to daughter, still completely useable. The Le Creuset Dutch Oven is made to last for years to come, if not generations.
The Le Creuset Dutch oven can be purchased in various sizes; 4 1/2 quart, 5 1/2 quart, 7 1/2 quart and the robust 9 1/2 quart size. The 9 1/2 quart size is ideal for larger families or to cook enough for the next gathering of friends. Additionally, the Le Creuset Dutch Oven comes in round or oval shapes. Either shape is perfect for oven cooking, but the oval shape is a bit larger than the typical stove top burner. As a result just the edges of the pot will not heat as well as the rest of the Dutch oven, so a bit of uneven heat with this shape on a stove top.
The next consideration is the Le Creuset Dutch Oven is quite heavy empty, depending on the size you purchase. The 5 1/2 quart weighs a healthy 12 pounds empty. With the pot being full of steamy hot food, moving it from stove to a heat proof trivet on the table is a bit like lifting weights with your arms. Even so, there is not another Dutch oven on the market with the durability found in the Le Creuset Dutch Oven. There are many other enamel covered cast iron Dutch ovens that are not the equivelant in durability, design or price. When the durability and quality of this Dutch oven is considered, the current market price makes this Le Creuset Dutch Oven a bargain purchase that will be enjoyed for years to come.
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