Remember when I talked about how much I love lavender and how I was going to buy myself a lavender dutch oven?

Well, I totally did. And on sale! (Thank you Amazon Prime Day ;) ) I’m so excited! It’s beautiful (lavender- my favorite color!), and dutch ovens are a great addition to any kitchen! Lance Nitahara, an assistant professor at the Culinary Institute of America says that “A cast-iron Dutch oven will give you better results than an Instant Pot any day.” While it may not always have the fast results that an Instant Pot brags, this versatile kitchen dish can do just about everything else!

It’s stovetop and oven safe, so you can start a meal on the stove, finish it in the oven, and because dutch ovens are so attractive, you can simply take it straight from the oven to the table and still have it served in a beautiful dish. While an Instant Pot may be able to handle the stove, it’s not a great baking dish and it certainly doesn’t have the same beautiful appeal on the table!

But Dutch ovens have much more value than just being a beautiful serving dish. It’s also the perfect baking dish for multiple dishes- casserole, baking a whole chicken and even homemade bread!

In fact, you’ve probably seen the rise in popularity lately of baking sourdough bread, and Dutch ovens are so great for purposes like this because you can let your bread rise and bake in the same dish- and the lid creates a nice, tight seal that keeps heat and moisture in, which can help you achieve a deliciously moist loaf of bread with that perfectly crusty exterior!

Dutch ovens can heat up quickly, and they’re great at keeping an even temperature, so they’re also perfect for browning and searing meats and vegetables. Because they maintain an even temperature and have a nice tight lid, they’re also great for letting soups and stews simmer for hours. They are also deep, making them a great large dish for serving up big batches! (Definitely needed in this household!)

Dutch ovens are a great option for frying things as well! Again, that even temperature is super helpful, and the deeper dish can help contain some of that splattering oil!

Basically, there’s not much your Dutch oven can’t do! And I can’t wait to take mine for its first ride in the kitchen!

    Camille Hoffmann
    Monthly Newsletter Contributor since 2014
    Email the author! camille@dvo.com