4+ Best Cast Iron Dutch Ovens (2023 & Meet Safety Standards)
Looking for the best cast iron dutch ovens?
You've come to the right place.
With thousands of cast iron dutch ovens available on the market, which one is best for you? Which one meets safety standards?
We're here to help.
Because choosing the wrong one one could cause diarrhoea, nausea, hand tremors, and affect thyroid functions or abnormal foetal development.
And you definitely don't want that.
So let's dive in.
But first, let's explain what a cast iron dutch oven is.
What Is A Cast Iron Dutch Oven, And Why Do You Need One?
Think of a dutch oven as a large heavy pot made of cast iron, with a heavy thick bottom and sides just the same. It features a tightly fitting lid, designed to lock in the moisture and flavor of the most delicious slow-cooked dishes.
Whether you want to slow-simmer a soup, brown some meat, tender lots of sweet vegetables or put together a finger-licking stew, we can use this oven in many ways.
From 2-quart to over 8-quart, these pots range in size for whatever you're cooking. So they are a vital part of any kitchen, big or small.
But what about their safety?
Cast Iron Dutch Oven Safety - Is It Really A Concern?
Short answer is yes!
Because cast iron dutch ovens are made with different metals, some could be toxic. These metals include:
- Cobalt - According to NIOSH, cobalt can harm the eyes, skin, heart and lungs.
- Lithium - Lithium has many side effects including headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hand tremors, dry mouth, increased thirst, acne-like rash.
- Aluminium - According to ATSDR, high levels of ingestion it could cause confusion, muscle weakness, bone pain, seizures, and slow growth in children and speech problems.
- Arsenic - According to the WHO, long-term exposure to arsenic can cause cancer and skin lesions.
- Cadmium - According to US Library of Medicine, long-term exposure to cadmium leads to cancer and organ system toxicity.
- Iron - Iron poising symptoms include severe vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, dehydration, bloody vomit or stool, according to webMD.
- Chromium - Chromium can react with protein and DNA and cause mutations, says the US Library of Medicine.
- Manganese - Manganese toxicity can result in permanent neurological disorder known as manganism with symptoms that include "tremors, difficulty walking and facial muscle spasms", according to ATSDR.
- Vanadium - According to PubMD, vanadium toxicity mainly manifests in gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhea, vomiting, and weight reduction.
According to the Hong Kong Consumer Council, they found that a lot of cast iron dutch ovens "exceed the upper limit of the Council of Europe (CoE) guide by whopping 54 times!
When we make our recommendations, we not only take into account the quality of the cast iron, but also the safety and toxicity.
So without further delay, let's get to our top picks!
The Top 3 Cast Iron Dutch Ovens
The L8DOL3 dutch oven from Lodge is the traditional cast iron that many people dream of, with the added benefit of coming pre-seasoned from the factory.
Ideal for searing all kinds of meat and slow-cooking traditional stews, chili or rice, this cast iron dutch oven can be used both in the kitchen and outdoor. Sure, it doesn’t have the classic design of a camping oven, yet it can do a decent job if you really have no other option.
Main benefits:
What makes this particular model a best seller? After all, it doesn’t have a glossy, shiny color, or the so much coveted porcelain layer that other models feature. It is a flat-bottom oven made of cast iron, with domed lid. What’s in it for you and what potential flaws you should consider before ordering it?
On the plus side,
On the downside:
The Lodge L8DOL3 Pre-Seasoned Cast iron Dutch Oven comes, however, with an amazing price for the quality it provides!
While its seasoning might not be flawless, it sure helps those who use a cast iron pot for the first time and who are clueless on what seasoning implies. As long as your dutch oven looks spotless when you unpack it and you follow all the manufacturer’s maintenance indications, you should have a truly enjoyable experience while using it, for the years to come!
Our readers are convinced that it’s a best seller for the best reasons.
This enameled cast iron dutch oven is among the most popular products from Lodge. Available in many colors and dimensions, for a surprisingly decent price, it always worth considering – so read on if you want to discover its beast features and its potential flaws.
Lodge Color EC6D43 Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven in the Island Spice Red version features two coats of porcelain enamel. The manufacturer advertises it as ideal for cooking, marinating, freezing or refrigerating foods. It should work well on any gas, ceramic, electric or induction cooktop, but also in the oven.
Before delving into the promised pros & cons, let’s have a look at the general, more practical details:
Wondering what readers have to say about cooking with it?
On a first glance, it has the advantage of the enameled outer layer – many are reluctant to choosing simple cast iron pots because they will have to season them on a regular base. So not having to season this model, thanks to the porcelain, is a real turn on. Nevertheless, while the model is supposed to save you from this daunting task, it still puts some extra pressure when it comes to taking care of it.
On the plus side,
On the downside,
All in all, this Lodge Color EC6D43 Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven will bring you great value for a low price, provided you take proper care of it. Furthermore, it would allow you to experience much of the performance and quality of an expensive Le Creuset dutch oven, for a fraction of its cost. It is, after all, one of the most often sold and positively reviewed cast iron dutch ovens!
Very similar to the L8DOL3 model, this one comes with the advertised extra benefit of a multifunctional lid. Perfect for searing and sauteing, simmering or braising, baking, frying and roasting, the L8DD3 dutch oven from Lodge works well on various heat sources, from gas and electric to induction and ceramic-glass top stoves. Of course, the oven is yet another place where you can use this pre-seasoned cooking pot.
While the seller advertises it as suitable for grills and outdoor fires as well, you will notice that especially once heated, the oven will be quite difficult to handle and move from one place to another. Its handles aren’t very easy to pick and the weight doesn’t help much either.
Other than that, here’s what it has to offer:
This model competes in price with our second best-rated option, the Lodge Color EC6D43 Enameled model. But just like our best-rated dutch oven, Lodge L8DOL3, it follows the traditional design of a pre-seasoned cast iron pot. What brings it to the third position, despite its multi-functional design provided by the skillet lid? Let us ponder the goods and the bads, and it should be obvious:
On the plus side,
On the downside,
To draw a conclusion, Lodge L8DD3 Double Dutch Oven and Casserole with Skillet Cover in its 5-Quart version is surprisingly similar with the best seller L8DOL3, but not nearly as popular. Its extra weight, the considerably higher price and the same need of pre-seasoning it just to get rid of the strange reddish shade of the outer layer of burned oil make users less willing to spend money on it. If you’re lured by the option of using the lid as a skillet, ask yourself if you don’t have better options in terms of iron cast skillets that you can buy individually!
Alternatives To The Top 3 Best Cast Iron Dutch Ovens By Quality
Now that we went through our top 3 picks based on features, price, and our readers’ opinions, the conclusion is more than obvious:
If you’re determined to have a cast iron dutch oven in your kitchen, we strongly feel that it should be a Lodge L8DOL3 model – simpler, lighter, with a better design, and a compromise option between kitchen and outdoor dutch ovens, for a price you simply cannot criticize!
Needless to say, best products don’t always come at the bets prices. Having a best budget dutch oven recommendation will come in handy:
Enjoying all the benefits of a cast iron cooking pot, with the seasoning already covered by the manufacturer, for a decent price, is hard. But this L2SP3 model from Lodge, packed as a 2-quart serving pot, is a great deal. Aside from its small dimensions, almost everything else that there is to know about it goes on the plus side.
As a multi-functional cookware, the pot is perfect for all kinds of slow-cooking meals. Sear meat, deep fry your favorite snacks, bake bread or make the most delicious soups with it, in your kitchen or outside, at the campfire. Once the meal is ready, you can simply bring it to the table and serve from it.
Here’s what makes it our top recommendation for best budget cast iron dutch ovens:
If you’re not the type who cooks for an entire regiment, this pre-seasoned cast iron serving pot will prove quite handy. You can cook up to 2 quarts of food in it and take it from the stovetop to the tabletop. Not ready to eat just yet? No problem, the cast iron pot keeps your meal warm until you’re ready to enjoy it. And just like they say, it gets better with every new cooking session.
On the plus side,
The price is always something to look at;
On the downside,
All in all, Lodge L2SP3 Pre-Seasoned Cast iron Serving Pot brings great value for the money, which is why is our top recommendation for best budget cast iron dutch ovens. Think of it as a compromise between a huge and relatively pricey dutch oven and a sturdy cast iron serving pot and you’ll know what to expect. Our readers generally have the same “complaints” about it as they do with any other dutch oven so if it’s not the size that matters to you, go for it!
Now that you know your best options and your budget option, don’t forget the different practical aspects. If you’re planning to camp and use your Dutch oven, better research for the best camping oven! You just need to keep a few aspects in mind, and you should be able to spot great options at ease:
How to choose from the many cast iron Dutch ovens for camping
While incredibly popular for cooking on stovetop or in the oven, cast iron dutch ovens for camping are even more appreciated. What’s the difference between these models and why should you have one for yourself?
These pots are also called chuckwagon or cowboy dutch ovens and they usually come with:
Also, the rimmed lid can be used as a frying pan or a griddle, giving you more flexibility for camping cooking.
If you enjoy these outdoor activities, having your own dutch oven is a must. Opt for a cast iron model because it will always have more stability than aluminum or stainless steel ovens. The ideal capacity would be of 5-quart – it should be more than enough to even cook an entire chicken in it!
If you need a little help, here’s our top pick on this chapter:
As the manufacturer advertises it, this portable “camp stove” does it all. It has a more than decent capacity, it is made of sturdy cast iron that retains heat, and it has the perfect design that allows you to handle the pot with ease and enjoy its stability no matter where you place it. It’s main features are, as it follows:
Based on all the goods and the bads that we have spotted, but mostly inspired by our active readers, we’ve picked this L10DCO3 model from Lodge as our top recommendation for camping. Let’s have a look at it and help you see what makes it suitable for outside, improvised cooking:
On the plus side,
On the downside,
To draw a conclusion, this Lodge L10DCO3 Deep Camp Dutch Oven is one of the best camping cast iron pots. Aside from its special design, meant to help you accommodate the different conditions of outdoor cooking, it features pretty much all the benefits of a regular dutch oven. And just like with all the other models previously reviewed, should you be unhappy with the initial delivery, always make use of their replacement and guarantee policies and you should be just fine.
What should you know about cast iron Dutch oven care?
The biggest concern of potential buyers is this seasoning need. Just to make it clear, seasoning is about creating a thin layer of polymerized oil on the surface of the cast iron. For those worried about what this means, polymerized oil is a type of oil broken down into a substance that resembles with plastic and that bonds to the metal surface. In this way, the iron gets covered with a thin but sturdy layer that prevents the contact with acidic ingredients, while offering some incredible non-stick properties.
Here’s HOW to season a cast iron dutch oven:
Here are the steps:
- 1Begin by rapidly washing it with hot water and the brush or sponge. If there are residues on its bottom or walls, make a scrub from salt and water and you should remove it easily.
- 2Once washed, make sure it gets completely dry – you either rub it with paper towels or put it in the heated oven.
- 3Once dried, apply a thin layer of vegetable oil on the inside. Pour the oil and use a paper towel to spread it evenly. Heat the pan to a smoking point, take it off, let it cool, and repeat up to 4-6 times.
- 4After that, simply store it in a dry place until the next time you use it.
As a final piece of advice, always clean it right after you finished cooking and never let it stay wet in the pantry!
Your Go-To Resource To Shop For Best Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Now that we went through all the basics of choosing, using and taking care of a cast iron dutch oven, from the best, sometimes pricey, options to the more affordable ones, you should be able to make an informed decision. So go ahead, shop online for what may be the best investment in terms of cooking appliances!
Your cast iron pot will give you the most delicious, comfort foods and last through years. Doesn’t your family deserve such a treat?
