Best Dutch Oven? I Tested Le Creuset, Lodge, Staub, Caraway, & Made In

Do you really need to spend hundreds of dollars to get a quality Dutch oven? Or are the cheaper brands just as good?

To answer these questions and find out which brand is truly the best, I tested the 9 highest-rated Dutch ovens on the market, including Le Creuset, Staub, Lodge, Made In, Caraway, Tramontina, Misen, and Great Jones.

After cooking with them for months and comparing all the key specs, I put them through a series of controlled tests.

I measured their durability by dropping a metal spatula from 12 inches high on the interior and exterior.

Dropping a metal spatula on a Dutch oven to test enamel durability

I tested their heat retention by heating them to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and measuring the surface temperature after 5 minutes.

Lodge Essential Enamel heat retention test results

I tested how well their lids lock in moisture by boiling 32 ounces of water for 10 minutes, letting it sit for 30 minutes, and recording the weight before and after.

I tested how evenly their lids redistribute evaporated moisture back over the pot.

Staub moisture distribution test results

And I even measured the temperature of the knobs to see which stayed the coolest after boiling water for 10 minutes.

In this guide to the best Dutch ovens, I break down the pros and cons of each. I show you exactly how they performed in my tests, what they’re best at, and where they fall short. You’ll see which premium brands live up to the hype, which budget options surprised me, and which ones aren’t worth your money.

Key Takeaways

If you’re short on time, here’s what you need to know about each Dutch oven based on my months of testing and controlled experiments measuring heat retention, moisture loss, and durability.

Tramontina: While this is the most affordable Dutch oven I tested and showed decent moisture retention, it had several significant drawbacks. It recorded the worst heat retention at 131°F, came with a chipped lid out of the box, and has small handles.

Lodge Essential Enamel: This Chinese-made Dutch oven is affordable and has a large knob and wide handles. It’s the only brand that will replace the Dutch oven if the enamel chips or cracks, though ironically, it was the only pot to chip in my durability test. The rounded bottom design reduces the flat cooking surface to just 7 inches.

Lodge USA Enamel: Lodge’s American-made Dutch oven features a distinctive retro design and generous 6-inch handles. My testing showed above-average heat retention at 167°F and good moisture retention. The main drawback is the metal handle accents, which can trap food.

Great Jones: This Dutch oven features a unique matte finish and a gray interior that helps monitor food browning while hiding stains. While it had strong heat retention results at 176°F, the U-shaped lid handle and small loop handles make it awkward and difficult to maneuver.

Made In: This French-manufactured Dutch oven had the second-best heat and moisture retention test results. It also has the largest flat cooking surface at 9 inches and comfortable wide handles. The main drawback is its weight. At 13.6 pounds, it’s the heaviest 5.5-quart option I tested.

Misen: Misen’s Dutch oven comes with a convertible grill pan lid and showed the best moisture retention in my testing. However, the grill pan lid design makes it extremely heavy at 16.9 pounds, and the lack of a traditional knob makes it difficult to lift.

Caraway: While this Dutch oven features a modern design with tall 5.2-inch walls, its performance was disappointing. It recorded the second-worst heat retention at 139°F and the worst moisture retention. The tiny 0.4-inch handle openings make it difficult to grip securely.

Staub: Staub delivered the best heat retention at 182°F and had excellent moisture distribution thanks to its flat lid with self-basting dimples. The enamel quality is flawless, and the construction is high-end. However, the small handles and knob made it harder to use, and the knob reached a high temperature of 143°F during testing.

Le Creuset: This French-made Dutch is the most expensive, but it’s the lightest at 11.4 pounds and has the widest handle openings. While heat retention was poor, moisture retention was good. It comes in 26 colors with a signature gradient finish.

Which Dutch Ovens Are the Best?

If price isn’t an issue, Le Creuset, Staub, and Made In stand out for their premium performance and thoughtful designs. If you want the best value, Lodge Essential Enamel is a practical option with solid performance and the best warranty. Avoid Tramontina (poor quality control) and Great Jones (impractical lid handle design). Remember that while there are performance differences, all these Dutch ovens are made of similar materials and will cook well.

Compare prices and read more review of each Dutch oven at the links below:

Use the links below to navigate the guide:

Comparison Chart and Test Results
Tramontina
Lodge Essential Enamel
Lodge USA Enamel
Great Jones
Made In
Misen
Caraway
Staub
Le Creuset
Bottom Line: Which Dutch Ovens Are the Best and Worst?

Comparison Chart and Test Results

Here’s a side-by-side comparison chart showing how each Dutch oven performed in my controlled tests, measuring heat retention, moisture loss, and knob temperature. Below you’ll also find a chart of key specs for each brand, including weight, cooking surface dimensions, handle size, and price.

Swipe to view the entire chart on mobile.

Dutch Oven	Tramontina	Lodge Essential	Great Jones	Made In	Misen	Caraway	Lodge USA	Staub	Le Creuset
Price	$$	$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$$	$$$$$
Made Where?	China	China	China	France	China	China	USA	France	France
Size (qt)	5.5	6	6.75	5.5	7	6.5	6	5.5	5.5
Weight (lb)	12.6	12.7	15.5	13.6	16.9	13.4	14.1	12.8	11.4
Thickness (mm)	4.6	4.4	4.5	4.3	4.7	4.4	5.5	4.7	3.7
Handle Opening (in)	0.7	0.9	1.1	0.7	1.2	0.4	0.8	0.7	1.2
Handle Depth (in)	1.5	1.4	1.5	1.7	1.7	1.2	1.6	1.2	1.7
Handle Length (in)	3.7	5	3.7	4.3	4.5	4.5	6	3.2	4.2
Knob Diameter (in)	2.1	2.1	2.2	2.25	3.2	3.5	2.25	1.4	2.2
Knob Stem (in)	1.2	1.3	1.2	1.3	N/A	1.2	1.5	1.4	1.2
Diameter (in)	10.2	10.7	N/A	10.6	11.2	10.5	11.2	10.5	10.5
Flat Surface (in)	8.2	7	N/A	9	9	8	8.5	8.3	8.5
Wall Height (in)	4.9	4.7	4.7	4.7	5	5.2	4.6	4.7	4.6
Sizes Available	7	5	1	2	1	1	4	10	6
Colors Available	4	15	6	4	5	6	4	15	26
Warranty	Factory defects	Will replace damaged enamel	Factory defects	Factory defects	Factory defects	Factory defects	Will replace damaged enamel	Factory defects	Factory defects
Heat Retention (°F)	131	158	176	177	166	139	167	182	142
Moisture Retention Starting Weight (oz)	233.7	236.2	279.8	250.4	303.5	247.4	258.9	236.7	214.8
Moisture Retention Ending Weight (oz)	226.4	227.2	271.6	243.3	297.1	236.6	249.9	226.5	207.4
Moisture Retained (oz)	24.7	23	23.8	24.9	25.6	21.2	23	21.8	24.6
Chip Resistance	mark	slight chip	mark	mark	mark	mark	mark	mark	mark
Knob Heat (°F)	147	115	125	101	150	137	126	143	102 (metal), 80 (plastic)
(Moisture Distribution	Drips to sides	Drips to sides	Drips to sides	Drips to sides	Even over the pot	Drips to sides	Drips to sides	Even over the pot	Drips to sides

Tramontina

The Tramontina 5.5-quart Dutch oven is the least expensive one I tested, the enamel didn’t chip when I dropped a metal spatula on it, and the heavy lid was the 3rd best at locking in moisture. But that’s where the positives end.

This Dutch oven arrived with a chip on the rim of its lid, it had the worst heat retention score at 131°F after five minutes of cooling, the knob got hotter than all but one other brand, and the ridges under the lid that are supposed to redistribute moisture evenly over the pot don’t really do anything.

Ridges on the bottom of Tramontina Dutch oven lid

Tramontina moisture distribution test results

The actual cooking performance is okay, and the price is fair, but the design is basic and at only 3.7 inches long, the handles are too small to fit 4 fingers.

Tramontina Dutch oven handles and interior

Unless affordability is your top priority, the Tramontina Dutch oven isn’t the best option.

Lodge Essential Enamel

Lodge has two enameled cast iron collections; one is called Essential Enamel, which is cheaper and made in China, and the other is called USA Enamel, which is more expensive and made in the USA.

The 6-quart Dutch oven in the Essential Enamel collection has large handles, a big lid knob, and a beautiful gradient exterior. It performed well in my heat retention test (158°F), and the knob stayed cooler than most brands (115°F).

Lodge Essential Enamel knob heat test results

On the negative side, this was the only Dutch oven that slightly chipped when I dropped the spatula on it. It left a mark on the others, but it made a tiny chip on this one.

I also noticed some inconsistencies and bubbling in the enamel inside the lid.

Lodge Essential Enamel bubbling in the enamel

Another unique feature to consider is the shape. This Dutch oven is more rounded at the bottom with curved sides; most Dutch ovens have flat bottoms and straighter sides. The rounder sides make it easier to get in the corners and stir, but the flat cooking surface is smaller at only 7 inches, so you have less room to brown meats.

One benefit I love about this Dutch oven and Lodge in general, is that it’s the only brand I tested that will replace or repair your Dutch oven for free if the enamel chips or cracks under normal use. Every other brand has a standard warranty covering defects in materials and craftsmanship, but those warranties don’t cover any damage that occurs after you start cooking.

This is not just a marketing tactic; many customers have taken Lodge up on their guarantee, and they keep their promise.

Lodge USA Enamel

The Lodge USA Enamel 6-quart Dutch oven is more than twice as expensive as the Lodge Essential Enamel Dutch oven. But it’s made in America and has a unique retro look inspired by cars, guitars, and other mid-century American designs.

Compared to the other Lodge collection, this Dutch oven has even larger handles (6 inches vs. 5 inches), a much wider cooking surface (8.5 inches vs 7 inches), and a slightly lighter interior color that makes it easier to see your food and make sure it isn’t sticking or overcooking.

Lodge USA Enamel Dutch oven white interior enamel

It’s also a pound and a half heavier (14.1 pounds vs. 127 pounds), and instead of a rounded knob, it has a thin oval knob. This knob aligns with the retro design, but I prefer the rounded knob because there’s more to grab, which makes it easier to lift and tilt the lid.

This Dutch oven performed well in my cooking tests, slightly above average in my heat (167°F vs. the average of 159°F) and moisture retention tests (lost 9 of the 32 ounces of water), and the enamel survived my durability test.

The one feature that annoys me about this Dutch oven is the metal accents on the handles.

They look nice, but they’re not flush with the cast iron part of the handle, so food and sauces can get trapped and be a pain to clean. You can unscrew these metal pieces to clean them, but it’s an extra step.

Great Jones

The 6.75-quart Great Jones Dutch oven, branded The Dutchess, is the only Dutch oven I tested with a matte exterior finish instead of a shiny polished finish.

It also has a gray interior, while the others are either white, sand, or black. They chose gray because it hides stains better than white but allows you to monitor browning better than black. It’s functional but looks a bit dull and ugly, in my opinion.

Although this Dutch oven performed well in my tests, there are two things I don’t like about it. First is the handle on the lid. Instead of a knob, it’s a brass-colored metal handle, shaped like an upside-down “U.”

While it looks nice, it’s not nearly as functional as a traditional circular knob. You can only fit two fingers, which makes it difficult to lift and control the heavy lid.

Similarly, I’m not a fan of the looped side handles. Compared to the other Dutch ovens, the design is basic. The round loops have no details to make them stand out. Also, at 3.7 inches, the handles are not long enough to comfortably fit four fingers.

Made In

The Made In 5.5-quart Dutch oven is made in France, and because of that, it’s more expensive than the Chinese-made brands Tramontina, Lodge Essential Enamel, and Great Jones.

On the positive side, the handles stick out further than any Dutch oven I tested (1.7 inches), giving you plenty of room to grip.

I also love the lid knob, which has the widest diameter of the group (2.25 inches). The flat cooking surface is 9 inches, making it the largest of the several 5.5 and 6-quart Dutch ovens I tested.

In my controlled experiments, Made In had the second-best heat retention (177°F), the second-best moisture retention (7.1 ounces lost), and the lowest knob temperature (101°F), and it didn’t chip from my durability test. On top of that, it performs fantastic in real-world testing.

All that said, there are a few downsides. At 13.6 pounds, it’s the heaviest 5.5-quart Dutch oven I tested. Another minor downside is that the top of the lid is flat, so you can’t rest a spoon without it sliding off.

And finally, despite having self-basting dimples on the inside of the lid, moisture still collects around the edges and doesn’t evenly drip back over the pot.

Made In Dutch oven moisture distribution test results

Misen

The Misen 7-quart Dutch oven has two versions. There’s a traditional Dutch oven with a standard lid with a metal knob, and there’s the one I tested that comes with a cast iron lid that you can flip and use on its own as a grill pan.

If you go with the grill pan version, you also get a lightweight silicone lid.

On the positive side, this Dutch oven has large handles with wide openings. The grill pan lid retained the most liquid of all 9 Dutch ovens I tested. And the ridges on the grill pan lid collect and redistribute moisture evenly over the pot.

Misen Dutch oven moisture distribution test results

The downside of this brand is that when you use the grill pan lid, the entire Dutch oven weighs close to 17 pounds, which makes it the heaviest by far. Also, the grill pan doesn’t have a knob, so it can be tricky to lift.

Lastly, if you cook with the grill pan, the bottom will stain and discolor over time, just like any other pan. If you don’t scrub it thoroughly, those stains will be visible when you use it as a lid.

Caraway

Caraway is best known for its ceramic nonstick cookware, but they recently released an enameled cast iron collection that includes a 6.5-quart Dutch oven.

It has a sleek modern design with smooth rounded side handles and a pill-shaped lid knob. It also has taller walls than the other brands I tested (5.2 inches vs. 4.7 inches average). Tall walls limit splatter, but the narrower design means the flat cooking surface is smaller.

Most of the pot has a shiny, smooth finish, but the top of the handles, the knob, and the bottom of the pot have a rough texture. It almost feels like they’re not enameled. This texture provides a slightly better grip, but I don’t like the rough bottom because it can scuff delicate surfaces like wood if you slide the pot.

Caraway Dutch oven rough texture lid handle

This Dutch oven performs fine in cooking tests but poorly in my controlled experiments. It had the second worst heat retention (139°F) and the worst moisture retention (10.8 ounces lost), and despite the flat lid and self-basting dimples, evaporation runs to the edges and doesn’t drip over the middle of the pot.

I appreciate the modern look, but I don’t like that the handles have small openings that don’t provide enough room to wrap your fingers.

Staub

The Staub 5.5-quart Dutch oven is made in France and comes with a premium price tag. It’s the second most expensive brand I tested.

While the handle openings are bigger than Caraway’s (.7 inches vs. .4 inches), they have the smallest overall depth and length of all Dutch ovens tested. And the knob diameter is also the smallest in the group (1.4 inches).

In my controlled experiments, Staub had the best heat retention score of all models (182°F), and the flat lid and large self-basting dimples resulted in excellent moisture distribution. One downside is that the lid knob got extremely hot during testing, with the second-highest temperature of all brands (143°F).

Staub Dutch oven heat retention test results

I noticed some minor imperfections in the enamel of the cheaper Dutch ovens that are made in China.

But with Staub, the construction quality is outstanding – the enamel finish is flawless, and the whole pot has a truly high-end look and feel, as it should at this price point.

I also appreciate the flat lid design, which lets you rest a spoon on top or add ice to make the lid cold and quickly turn steam back into liquid before it can escape.

Resting a spoon on a Staub Dutch oven lid — Dutch oven

Staub offers ten different sizes and 15 colors. Only one other brand, which I’ll talk about next, offers more colors.

Le Creuset

The Le Creuset 5.5-quart Signature Dutch oven is made in France and it’s the most expensive brand I tested.

This Dutch oven has thinner walls and is notably lighter than the others, weighing just 11.4 pounds.

Le Creuset 5 and a half quart Dutch oven weight

Along with Misen, Le Creuset handles have the widest openings. Because of that and the lightweight design, it’s by far the easiest Dutch oven to pick up, wash, and store.

The lid has ridges that prevent a spoon from slipping off, and the knob has a wide top and a thick stem which make it easy to grip and control.

You can buy this Dutch oven with a steel knob that’s oven-safe up to 500°F or a plastic knob that’s oven-safe up to 480°F. In my tests, both performed well, but the plastic knob barely heated up at all. The metal knob was 143°F after boiling water for 10 minutes; the plastic knob was only 80°F

In my other controlled experiments, the results were mixed. Le Creuset had the third-worst heat retention, likely due to thinner walls. But the lid held in moisture better than most of the other Dutch ovens.

Le Creuset has been making Dutch ovens since 1925, and while the price is steep, you get the same flawless enamel quality as Staub but over 20 color options and a beautiful two-toned gradient that the brand has become known for.

Bottom Line: Which Dutch Ovens Are the Best and Worst?

Now that you know the pros and cons of the top brands, the question is: which Dutch ovens are worth buying, and which should you avoid?

Andrew Palermo founder of Prudent Reviews holding Dutch ovens

If budget is not a concern, I’m buying Le Creuset, Staub, or Made In. I love Le Creuset’s color options, lightweight design, and large handles. Staub’s flat self-basting lid is fantastic. And I really like Made In’s large knob, big handles, and wide cooking surface.

If you’re looking for the best value, I recommend the Lodge Essential Enamel Dutch oven. It has a large knob and handles, a warranty that covers chips and cracks, and a reasonable price. I’m a fan of Lodge’s USA Enamel collection, but in the $200 to $300 price range, Made In has a more functional knob and performed better in my tests.

Tramontina and Great Jones are the two brands at the bottom of my list. Tramontina’s handles are too small, and the chipped enamel right out of the box makes me question their quality control. And the Great Jones lid handle is a deal breaker for me.

The truth is that all of these brands are made of the same materials, and they all cook great. The minor differences in design and performance won’t make or break a recipe. So, pick the design you like the most that fits your budget.

If you’re ready to buy or want to learn more, check out each Dutch oven at the links below: