The Dutch oven
Dutch Oven vs Braiser: Which Le Creuset to Buy First
Same iron, same enamel, same maker. One is built to hold liquid, the other to brown a lot of meat at once. Which you want first depends on what you cook most.
Side by side.
Tap either one to check today’s price.
The braiser
Line by line.
Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Round Dutch Oven, 5.5 qt., Marseille has the edge on 3 of 10 lines, Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Signature Braiser, 3.5 qt., Sea Salt on 2, 3 even.
| Feature | Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Round Dutch Oven, 5.5 qt., Marseille | Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Signature Braiser, 3.5 qt., Sea Salt |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5.5 qt (the edge) | 3.5 qt |
| Cooking surface | Narrower, with tall walls | 10 in (America's Test Kitchen), about an inch wider than a comparable Dutch oven (the edge) |
| Walls | Tall: contain splatter, hold liquid, slow evaporation | Short: faster reduction, easier to reach in with tongs |
| Weight with lid | 11 lb 3.5 oz (America's Test Kitchen) (the edge) | 12 lb 0.5 oz (America's Test Kitchen) |
| Best at | Soup, stock, beans, chili, large braises, frying, bread | Short ribs, chicken thighs, shallow braises, shakshuka, risotto |
| Bread | Yes, for round loaves (the edge) | Not the shape for it |
| Price on Amazon | About $455 | About $400 (the edge) |
| America's Test KitchenEven | Winner, Dutch ovens of 5 to 6 quarts | Winner, braisers |
| Made inEven | France | France |
| WarrantyEven | Limited lifetime | Limited lifetime |
The verdict
Which to buy.
If you will own one enameled pot, buy the Dutch oven: it braises, makes soup and stock, bakes bread and deep-fries. Add a braiser as the second pot if you often brown meat in batches, cook for two to four, or want a shallow pan that goes from the oven to the table.
The cookware for an induction cooktop.The Dutch oven for sourdough bread.The cookware you do not have to wonder about.
A braiser is a Dutch oven cut down: the same enameled cast iron and tight lid, but with short sloped walls and a wider floor. America's Test Kitchen puts a 3.5 quart braiser's cooking surface at about 10 inches across, about an inch wider than a comparable Dutch oven, and notes that the short walls speed evaporation and make it easier to get a spatula under food.
That extra inch matters more than it sounds. Browning is what makes a braise taste of something, and browning needs room. Six chicken thighs that fit in one batch in a braiser may need two in a Dutch oven, and crowded meat steams instead of searing. In exchange, the Dutch oven holds a gallon of soup, a pot of beans, oil for frying, or a round loaf of bread, none of which a braiser does well.
To make the comparison clean, both pots here are Le Creuset Signature, each America's Test Kitchen's winner in its category. Our guide to the Dutch oven to hand down covers more Dutch ovens, and Le Creuset vs Staub compares the two French houses directly. Two braisers for less follow below.
How we chose
- Shape and surface. Cooking surface, wall height and capacity, from America's Test Kitchen's measurements and the makers' listings.
- What it cooks. The dishes each shape suits, and the ones where it is the wrong pot.
- Weight. Measured with the lid, since both are lifted full and hot.
- Who sells it. Every pick is sold on Amazon US by Amazon.com.
AThe Dutch oven
Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Round Dutch Oven, 5.5 qt., Marseille
The pot that does the most jobs: braise, soup, stock, beans, frying and bread.
- Made in
- France
- Keeps for
- Generations, if kept away from thermal shock
- Capacity
- 5.5 qt
- Weight
- 11 lb 3.5 oz with lid (America's Test Kitchen)
- Interior
- Sand-colored enamel
- Oven
- To 500°F per the listing
- Dishwasher
- Safe per the listing; hand washing recommended
- Warranty
- Limited lifetime
The Signature round is cast in France, with a sand-colored interior that shows browning as it happens and a stainless steel knob. The listing rates it oven safe to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, compatible with every cooktop and safe for the dishwasher. America's Test Kitchen named it its winner among Dutch ovens of 5 to 6 quarts and weighed it at 11 pounds 3.5 ounces with the lid.
Tall walls are the reason to choose it. They keep a simmering stew from spattering the stove, hold enough stock for a crowd, and make it the safer pot for deep-frying. With the lid on, the same pot bakes a round loaf of bread.
Skip it as your only pot if you mostly cook for two and mostly brown and braise. The narrower floor means more batches when searing.
The catch. Fewer pieces of meat fit on its floor at once, so searing takes more batches.
Where to buy
AmazonCheck price →BThe braiser
Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Signature Braiser, 3.5 qt., Sea Salt
A wide, shallow pot that browns a whole batch at once and looks right on the table.
- Made in
- France
- Keeps for
- Generations, if kept away from thermal shock
- Capacity
- 3.5 qt
- Cooking surface
- 10 in (America's Test Kitchen)
- Weight
- 12 lb 0.5 oz with lid (America's Test Kitchen)
- Interior
- Light enamel
- Knob
- Stainless steel; safe at any oven temperature per the listing
- Warranty
- Limited lifetime
The Signature braiser has the same light interior, enamel and stainless steel knob as the Dutch oven, on a wide, shallow base. America's Test Kitchen named the 3.5 quart its winner among braisers, measured a 10 inch cooking surface, weighed it at 12 pounds and half an ounce with the lid, and praised its large looped handles and secure knob.
It is the pot for chicken thighs, short ribs, braised greens, shakshuka and risotto: dishes that start with a hard sear and finish in a little liquid. The short walls let a sauce reduce faster, and the shape serves well at the table.
Skip it if you want one pot for everything. At 3.5 quarts it is too shallow for soup or stock for a crowd, or for bread. Note too that it weighs slightly more than the 5.5 quart Dutch oven in ATK's weighing, because of the wider base and lid.
The catch. Too shallow for soup, stock, frying or bread.
Where to buy
AmazonCheck price →Also 01The French braiser for half the price
STAUB Cast Iron Braiser with Glass Lid, 3.5-quart, Made in France, Matte Black
A French-made braiser with a dark interior and a glass lid you can see through, for about half the Le Creuset's price.
- Made in
- France
- Keeps for
- Generations, with care
- Capacity
- 3.5 qt
- Interior
- Black matte enamel
- Lid
- Tempered glass
- Oven
- To 500°F per the listing
- Cooktops
- All, including induction
Staub makes this 3.5 quart braiser in France, with a black matte enamel interior that the listing credits with better browning. This version comes with a tempered glass lid instead of a cast iron one, which lets you watch a braise without lifting it. The listing rates it oven safe to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and compatible with all stovetops.
America's Test Kitchen highly recommended Staub's 3.5 quart braiser, the version it lists with a cast iron lid at about $370, praising its even cooking and angled handles but finding the lid knob smaller than it would like. This glass-lid model costs much less.
The trade is the dark interior. Like every black-enameled pot, it is harder to judge when the fond is about to burn.
The catch. The black interior hides browning, and a glass lid needs more care than iron.
Where to buy
AmazonCheck price →Also 02The inexpensive braiser
Lodge Essential Enamel Cast Iron Braiser, 3.6 Quart, Oyster White
A braiser shape at a sixth of the Le Creuset's price, with the enamel as the compromise.
- Keeps for
- Years; the enamel is less durable than the French pots'
- Capacity
- 3.6 qt
- Material
- Enameled cast iron
- Handles
- Dual assist handles
- Care
- Hand wash
Lodge's Essential braiser is enameled cast iron with a moisture-locking lid and dual assist handles. The listing describes the enamel as PFAS-free, with a smooth surface for easy hand washing.
In America's Test Kitchen's braiser testing, Lodge's 3.6 quart enameled cast iron casserole was recommended with reservations: it heated slowest, its handles were small, and its enamel chipped. That is the realistic expectation at this price. It is a good way to find out whether you cook enough in a braiser to justify a French one.
The catch. Enamel chipped in ATK's testing, and the handles are small for oven mitts.
Where to buy
AmazonCheck price →Also 03The inexpensive Dutch oven
Lodge Essential Enamel Cast Iron Dutch Oven, 6 Quart
A 6 quart enameled Dutch oven that cooks much like the French pots for a fraction of the price.
- Made in
- China or Vietnam
- Keeps for
- Years to decades; the enamel is the weak point
- Capacity
- 6 qt
- Oven
- To 500°F per the listing
- Care
- Dishwasher safe; hand washing recommended
- Coating
- PFAS-free enamel (maker)
Lodge's Essential Dutch oven is enameled cast iron rated oven safe to 500 degrees Fahrenheit per the listing, which calls it dishwasher safe but recommends hand washing with a nylon brush. At 6 quarts it is a little larger than the Le Creuset.
If budget decides it, this pot and the Lodge braiser together cost far less than either Le Creuset alone.
The catch. The enamel is more prone to chipping than the French pots'.
Where to buy
AmazonCheck price →More head to heads.
Which to buy first
The Dutch oven, for nearly everyone. It does every job the braiser does, a little less well when searing, and many jobs the braiser cannot do at all. The braiser earns its place as a second pot in a kitchen that braises often.
The exception is a household of one or two that rarely makes soup, never bakes bread and browns meat several nights a week. There, a braiser may be the more used pot.
Sizes
Staub rates its 5.5 quart round cocotte for five or six people and its 3.5 quart braiser for three or four, and the same rough guide applies to Le Creuset. Le Creuset also makes a 5 quart braiser, which America's Test Kitchen also rated highly, though it weighed over 15 pounds with the lid.
Care for both
Enameled cast iron dislikes sudden temperature changes. Heat it gradually, do not plunge a hot pot into cold water, and use wooden or silicone tools so the enamel is not scratched. A pale interior will stain over time; a paste of baking soda and water lifts most of it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a Dutch oven and a braiser?
A braiser is wider and shallower. A 3.5 quart braiser has about a 10 inch cooking surface, about an inch wider than a comparable Dutch oven, with short walls that speed evaporation. A Dutch oven has tall walls for soups, stocks, frying and bread.
Can a braiser replace a Dutch oven?
Only partly. It braises and browns as well or better, but it is too shallow for large batches of soup or stock, for deep-frying, or for baking bread.
Can you bake bread in a braiser?
It is not the shape for it. A round Dutch oven or a purpose-made bread pan gives the loaf room to rise under the lid. Our guide to the Dutch oven for bread covers the options.
What size braiser should I buy?
3.5 quarts suits two to four people and is the size America's Test Kitchen named its winner. A 5 quart braiser holds more but weighs over 15 pounds with the lid.
Is a Le Creuset braiser worth it?
If you braise often, it is the best-tested braiser available. If you are not sure, Staub's glass-lid braiser costs about half as much, and Lodge's about a sixth, with a less durable enamel.
Sources
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