How To Choose The Best Size Dutch Oven For You (2024)

FAQs

How To Choose The Best Size Dutch Oven For You? ›

A rule of thumb you might see around is to have as many quarts as you have people to cook for, and then go a little bigger. This means a 5.5 quart Dutch oven should comfortably make enough food for five people, maybe a little more.

Anywhere between a 5- to 7-quart Dutch oven is the right all-purpose size for most cooking tasks. It has high walls that prevent spillage and enough surface area to brown meat for a braise, but it's not so big that you need help hauling it in and out of the oven. It's also the perfect size for bringing to the table.

Dutch oven bread recipes often call for a 5.5-quart pot, which makes these Dutch ovens more desirable for baking, which inspires more recipes — and the delicious cycle continues. All that to say, if you don't have a Dutch oven yet, a 5.5-quart Dutch oven will set you up for decades of baking.

Cast iron dutch oven sizing FAQs

The 1.5 quart dutch oven is perfect for side dishes and desserts, but we recommend a 3 quart or 4.5 quart for people living alone and cooking mostly for themselves. The larger size will fit most recipes for 1-2 people and can better accommodate one-pan meals.

If you regularly cook for a crowd, then purchasing a 2 QT Dutch Oven wouldn't be as helpful as a large one—just like cooking for one in a 10 QT Dutch Oven would produce too much food.

An enamelled cast-iron Dutch oven is a kitchen classic, and of course Ina (who has a well-documented love affair with Paris) trusts French heritage brand Le Creuset. She prefers the brand's round, 5.5 quart Dutch oven because it's great for soups, stews and braising.

Smaller Dutch ovens (around three to four quarts) are ideal for recipes that involve at least a few steps on the cooktop — like risotto or boeuf bourguignon. They're also a nice size for baking a loaf of Dutch oven bread. You can easily cook a whole chicken in a 3.5 quart Dutch oven too.

Well, it is no secret that our 5 1/2 quart Round Dutch Oven and 6 3/4 quart Oval Dutch Oven are Le Creuset's most popular sizes for a reason. These two sizes offer the most flexibility for most people, with the ability to scale up or down to accommodate whatever you are cooking.

With its generous capacity and durable construction, it's perfect for simmering soups, braising meats, baking bread, and so much more. Whether you're a seasoned chef or just starting out, the 4 qt Dutch oven will quickly become your go-to tool in the kitchen.

5–7 qt. This is the most common Dutch oven size and usually the best option for small families. It is ideal if you are cooking for four people, making about 6–8 servings, and allowing for a few leftovers or seconds for hungry kids.

What size Dutch oven for frying chicken? ›

Whether you're cooking up a storm on your backyard BBQ grill or on your modern kitchen stovetop, you can easily cook a whole chicken in a 3.5 quart Dutch oven too. Look for “broiler” or “fryer” chickens that weigh around three pounds (or 1.5 kilograms).

Also, the 5-qt. Dutch oven is as heavy as I'd want to deal with removing from a hot oven. I think the 7-qt. would also work, but you don't really need one that big for making the bread recipe.

Dutch Oven: Which One Should You Use? Ultimately, the difference between cocottes and Dutch ovens lies in their size. Cocottes are typically smaller than a Dutch oven—often 3.5QTs or smaller—while a Dutch oven can be 7QTs or larger.

In our opinion, shallow Dutch ovens are also the most versatile version and allow you to cook any recipe. Deep: These deep Dutch ovens are best for large quantities of soups, stews, and braises. Since the lid is farther away from the food inside, it doesn't brown the top of baked goods as well.

We stand by the 6 quart as our most versatile size because it can accommodate almost any recipe. Start here if this is going to be your first or go-to dutch oven! You can always add smaller and larger sizes to your collection.

If you like to cook longer cuts of meat and large roasts, say a pork loin or whole beef tenderloin, then you might prefer an Oval Dutch Oven. The oval shape also better accommodates whole chickens, ducks and turkeys better.

One of the main benefits of using a Dutch oven is its ability to retain heat over a long period. Its lid design helps to trap steam and retain moisture for more flavorful, juicy dishes.