Kitchen Gadgets – Dutch Oven

I’ll admit it, this isn’t exactly a gadget, but recipes call for Dutch Ovens all the time, and frankly I have to think about what the means. While this Wikipedia article explains what a Dutch Oven is in the historical context, it doesn’t really help all that much when you’re looking at your pots and trying to figure out which one is the Dutch Oven.

Let me put your mind at ease. It’s just a big pot with a lid.

That’s it. While true Dutch Ovens have lids designed to hold coals, and they often have wire handles for lifting them out of the fire, let’s be honest…how many times are you going to be cooking around a campfire when you’re at home? If you are, please invite me over…I love campfire food!

But seriously, Dutch Ovens are really useful in the kitchen. With a big family, we use ours for all sorts of cooking, from boiling to roasting to making stews. They are designed for one-pot cooking, so you traditionally do you saute those ingredients that need to be cooked that way first, then you add your other ingredients. With the tight-fitting lid you can then dash off to do other chores (either cooking or household) and let the Dutch Oven do the cooking.

Recommended Product

I’m a huge fan of Calphalon products, and my personal favorite Dutch Oven is this one, the Simply Calphalon Nonstick 7-qt. Dutch Oven & Cover. One of my favorite features (besides the fact that things cook really well in it) is that it cleans up really easily. You can also put it in the oven (up to 400F), so when the recipe says “place in oven” you don’t have to freak out that you have to get another dish or pan dirty. Just pop this bad boy in their and keep cooking.

The only thing that I’m not wild about regarding the Calphalon Dutch Oven…it’s not dishwasher safe. While it does clean up really quickly and well in the sink, you need to be aware that you can’t throw it in the dishwasher to clean it.