The Seasoned Bench

Most people choose a Dutch oven by color. That is the wrong way to start. The mistake that costs money, and gets the pot pushed to the back of a cupboard, is buying the wrong size. A pot that is too small makes you cook in batches. A pot that is too big is heavy, slow to heat, and hard to store. Here is how to choose the size that fits the way you cook.

The rule of thumb

Le Creuset’s own guidance is about one quart per serving, then round up. By that rule, a family of four lands around 5 to 6 quarts. The serving numbers on product pages are a little more generous, and they vary from one brand and one listing to the next, so treat them as a guide and not a promise. What you cook matters more than how many people eat. A soup or a stew fills a pot to the brim, while a roast or a loaf of bread needs room around it.

Size by size

• 2 quarts: one or two people. Good for a small batch of rice, beans or sauce, and for reheating. Retailers suggest 2 to 3 quarts for one or two people.
• 3.5 to 4 quarts: two to four people. This is a comfortable size for a couple who cook real dinners, and it handles a braise for two with leftovers. Staub calls its 4-quart the all-purpose pot.
• 5.5 quarts: the everyday size for most households. Le Creuset says its 5½-quart round oven is one of its most popular sizes, and Staub calls its 5.5-quart the everyday essential. It serves roughly three to six people depending on the dish.
• 7 to 7.25 quarts: five or more people, or batch cooking. It is a good choice if you make a big pot of soup, stock or stew for the week.
• 9 quarts and up: crowds and large batches. A 9-quart Staub round weighs about 17 pounds empty, according to the retailer’s specifications, and a full one is heavy to lift from the stove.

Round, oval or wide

A round oven is the best all-rounder, because it sits evenly on one burner. An oval suits a long roast or a whole chicken and a large cut of meat. A wide, shallow oven gives more surface for browning and for searing meat in a single layer, at the cost of volume for the same footprint. If you can own only one, make it a round.

What else to check before you buy

• Your oven: measure the height of your oven rack space. Le Creuset warns that anything over 7 quarts should be checked for a comfortable fit.
• The weight: an enameled cast iron pot is heavy empty, and much heavier full. If you will lift it daily, a smaller size may serve you better.
• The handles: check that you can grip them with oven mitts on.
• Your stove: the base should not hang far over the burner, or the sides will heat unevenly.
• Your storage: a big pot with a lid takes real space, so decide where it will live.

Match the size to what you cook

• Bread: a 5.5-quart round works well for baking a loaf. I wrote about it in the no-knead Dutch oven bread recipe.
• Braises and stews: choose a pot you can fill about two-thirds full. A tall pot barely half full takes longer to come up to temperature.
• Soup and stock: go larger than you think, so you can simmer without it boiling over.
• Dishes baked in the pot: an Alsatian classic like baeckeoffe needs the pot to hold the meat, potatoes and liquid in layers, so size up.

My advice

For most home cooks, a 5.5-quart round Dutch oven is the right first pot. It is large enough for a family dinner, a loaf of bread or a pot of soup, and small enough to lift and store. If you cook mostly for two, a 3.5 or 4-quart is easier to live with. Buy a second, larger pot only when you can name the dishes it will make. For help choosing between the two best-known brands, read Le Creuset vs Staub. If you want the one pot I would keep, it is in The One Pot I’d Keep If I Could Only Keep One.

If you want a specific pot to start with, the one to look at is the Staub 5.5-quart round cocotte. It is made in France, the listing says it serves five to six people, and it has more than 1,600 ratings averaging 4.6 stars on Amazon. It is a premium pot and the price moves with the color, so check the current price before you buy. I have not lab-tested it for this article; the details above come from the product listing.

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FAQ

What size Dutch oven is the most useful?
For most households it is the 5.5-quart round. It handles braises, soups, bread and a pot of beans without being too heavy.

Is a bigger Dutch oven always better?
No. A pot that is too large heats slowly, scorches thin sauces, and is hard to lift and store. Size to the food you cook most often.

Should I buy round or oval?
Round for general use. Oval if you roast whole chickens or long cuts often.

Will it fit in my oven?
Measure your rack height and the pot with the lid on before you buy, especially for anything over 7 quarts.