10 Cast-Iron Casserole Pots, Vetted 10 Ways

Founded in 1925, and available in a wide range of colours, the Le Creuset is arguably the most well-known brand of cast-iron cookware available. “Conventional wisdom is that Le Creuset makes the best Dutch oven that money can buy,” says our sister site’s deputy editor, Maxine Builder. On a purely functional level, a Le Creuset will last for decades (and even if it does break, the company has a famously generous warranty programme). Collaborations and rare drops (like their “sakura” collection, to mark the company’s 25th anniversary in Japan) have helped make them feel more status-y, as do endorsements from everyone from Taylor Swift to Marilyn Monroe (whose personal set, in Elysses yellow, sold for $25,300 at auction in 1999).

Chefs use them at home, too. 45 Jermyn St head chef Jamie Shears told us a Le Creuset was his at-home essential for slow-cooking. “I use it to make hearty dishes like braised beef cheeks and osso buco with saffron risotto, and it’s seen some brilliant curries in its time. It even makes a great loaf of bread.”

The 24cm dish, which serves 4-5, typically retails for £225. The features more than justify the cost — Le Creuset say the knob on the lid can handle temperatures of up to 250 degrees, and the extra-wide handles on the side make carrying it from oven to table effortless. The enameled interior also helps heat distribution, and is a lot easier to clean than non-enameled surfaces. This option featured in our look at the best cast-iron cookware on Amazon — it was the best-rated induction-safe casserole dish.

Strategist contributor Zhenya Tsenzharyk was working her way up to a Le Creuset when she spied this option on Amazon by a brand called Vivo. “I’m not much of a dupe hunter — I believe that quality is something worth paying for,” she wrote. “But sometimes, I’ll opt for a “starter” version of the thing I really want first, to see if I’ll actually use it. And so, I began the hunt for a starter cast-iron pot that I could test-drive on my road to Le Creuset ownership.”

She was so impressed with this option by Vivo — which she later discovered is a diffusion of Villeroy & Boch, a ceramics company known for fancy tableware — that she ended up not investing in a Le Creuset at all. One key difference (and a reason for the lower price) is that this cast-iron has a non-enamelled interior. But, adds Zhenya, “In theory, an enameled pot is easier to care for, though I’ve had no issues whatsoever, even after slow cooking and baking at very high temperatures.”

Further proof that this affordable option is worth considering: After we featured it on the Strategist, it sold so well that it became our best-selling item that month — knocking the gel moisturiser that had held strong for six months from the top spot.

Sophie Louise Robinson is a set designer and prop stylist who has worked on Masterchef and The Great British Bake Off (as well as being art director on several shows with Mary Berry). She told us that, from an aesthetic point of view, her go-to was Le Creuset, citing the excellent array of colours and ever-changing palettes (which is useful for shows like Junior Bake Off, who often request vivid colours and vibrant tones). “Le Creuset is the Rolls-Royce of cast irons, but I often have to work on a smaller budget, and for that I would say Sainsbury’s cast-iron casserole dish is excellent. It’s lighter duty, and they cost a fraction. But whereas a Le Creuset might last 50 years, this one would likely last about five — that’s the tradeoff.” Impressively, for a £35 cast-iron, this one is enameled.

Staub is less well-known than Le Creuset, but still a popular option for those in-the-know (the Staub versus Le Creuset debate has been discussed everywhere from cooking subreddits to the pages of Bon Appétit). It was actually the highest-rated overall in our Amazon deep dive, and also came recommended to us by Marwa Alkhalaf, chef patron at Nutshell. “I am always making traditional Iranian food at home which is mainly slow cooked stews and rice. The dark interior of the Staub means I don’t have to worry about staining the interior with spices. And, the tight lid helps to retain moisture and heat better which helps to intensify the flavor of the stews and reduce cooking time. Also, a well-seasoned Staub casserole is perfect for making Tahdig (crispy bottom rice). I just wish Staub had more colours — I would love to have a pastel-pink one”.

Staub do a variety of sizes — if you don’t need a cast-iron for six people (it’s not like any of us are cooking for a crowd right now) a smaller option might be a cheaper, neater alternative. We like this 10cm version, which serves one person, and still comes in interesting shades, like basil, grenadine, or just plain black.

Ailbhe Malone recommends her casserole dish by Pyrex, who are better known for their measuring jugs. “I own a small Le Creuset casserole dish, and a larger Pyrex casserole dish (my gran was getting rid of it, and I snapped it up). The Pyrex is just as robust as my Le Creuset and the dimples in the lid (like with a Staub) mean I can sweat down onions without losing any moisture.”

Strategist U.K. staff writer Chris Mandle has a number of cookware pieces from Vogue, an affordable, commercial cookware brand that’s often a go-to in professional kitchens (he was gifted several pieces by a chef friend, who bought Vogue for her own kitchen). Their cast-iron casserole dish is much less showy than other options here, but would be a good no-nonsense option.

Kyle MacLachlan told our sister site that his oval Le Creuset was one of the things he couldn’t live without. “I remembered that Julia Child used them, and when I Googled it, it turns out that the Dutch oven was one of her favorite things. She kind of introduced it to America, I think. She loved the flame-colored one, which is the exact one I have. I appreciate the flexibility of being able to start something on the stove and move it to the oven and vice versa. I just made black-bean soup in mine.” [Editor’s note: The “flame” colour is out of stock, but you can still pick it up in cerise].