Dutch Oven Size?

not that guy, but for most purposes a stainless lined aluminum dutch oven is plenty fine for stuff with moisture, the added heat retention of cast iron is helpful for stuff like cornbread and no-knead bread if your oven is complete dogshit, but since a lot of folks use them for stovetop-to-oven, I'd recommend a robust dutch oven from all clad or some brand like that, since the stovetop performance will shit all over a le creuset type of thing. really depends on what the primary use is going to be.

people on Veeky Forums seem to be overly impressed by enameled iron I suspect because they have never used high quality aluminum cookware and they imagine it's going to perform like their $35 rachel ray pan just because it has some of the same materials

I wasn't talking about enameled cast iron. While useful for acidic dishes, a plain old cast iron one will usually be superior and will be cheaper. It will most likely be cheaper than a ss lined aluminium one as well.

>While useful for acidic dishes
you say that like it's some niche obscure thing. I've got both an enameled and a bare cast iron and I use the enameled one about 5x as frequently as the bare one

but yeah it certainly will be cheaper than a good thick aluminum dutch oven lined with 18/10 stainless. on the other hand the op is considering an 18qt (if that's not a typo) le creuset so obviously cost is not a big concern

my grandma is giving me a 8 qt when she dies

she's in icu right now and they just took her off a ventilator so i'm going to say i really don't want it anytime soon

8 qt is perfect. 12 qt would also be nice i think but anything larger than that starts to become unwieldy.. i have a 24 qt stock pot that i love but it's lightweight aluminum and it's heavy as fuck even partly full

??? I was saying the enameled cast iron is useful for acidic dishes. You shouldn't use regular cast iron with acidic dishes. Even a well-seasoned one would be undesirable.

OP is also getting it as a gift so price isn't really a concern for him it seems. But enameled cast iron has limitations. For example, you shouldn't deep fry in it. Plain old cast iron is more versatile.

btw I hate to be mr doublepost but just to add to the "acidic dishes" thing - if you're using this for low and slow meats and stews, acid is practically obligatory unless are doing some really whacko thing like carnitas or duck confit, you cannot cook tough meat to the point of tenderness in any reasonable amount of time without some acid from tomato, vinegar, wine, citrus, or something along those lines. so going with bare cast iron is a lot more limiting.

True, but you can just use something else. No need for a 200 dollar enameled one. IF you want to pay that much for quality, tin-lined copper would be the GOAT choice.

I don't see the reason to pay so much for it.

I find it funny that you think deep frying is not an obscure niche application, but acidic ingredients on low and slow are niche. obviously you and I eat very differently.

Nah le crue, enameled cast iron. Super easy to clean with salt and baking soda, held heat great as you'd expect. First cast iron for me though so I had to build up some serious forearms to wield it. Good shit though, probably cost 170

>sigh

high acid in the context of food is going to be a ph lower than 4.5

however this plays out get a prenup and make sure your new enameled cast iron pot is going to leave with you if things go south

> IF you want to pay that much for quality, tin-lined copper would be the GOAT choice.
I have that too and I really do not recommend it at all until you've got a pretty well built out collection. it is finicky as hell and the areas where it shines (like for eggs) can just as easily be handled with a decent nonstick pan.

now if you want to say 18/10 lined copper, that is the GOAT cookware. I've got that too, 10/10 would buy again.

as for paying a lot for enameled cast iron, I think there is something to be said for kitchen status symbols, it is probably the most egregious concession to kitchen bling in my collection, and I'm including all of the copper which I consider more practical. I mean I got the tinned copper at a seriously low price (on pain of having to pay for getting it retinned) so I don't count that.

I didn't say acidic was niche. I said that can be done with something else. You don't need to spend 200 dollars to cook with acidic foods and if you want to spent money on quality get a tin-lined copper one.

What is the advantage of enameled over regular cast iron? Acidic cooking.

What is the advantage of regular over enameled? A lid that also acts as a skillet. Superior surface heat for searing meats. Superior non-stick. Deep frying. More affordable. More durable.

Yeah an enameled piece looks amazing. If you have money to spend go ahead and get one. But if I had to choose, I'd get regular. I think I misunderstood what you were trying to say.

double posting again just to add: 18/10 lined copper is not all the same, practically all of it sold at retail is garbage bling meant for hanging up for decoration. you need the stuff from the internet, the 2.5mm stuff, not the lightweight crap at williams sonoma where they charge you $900 for a shitty flimsy fry pan. the real stuff is not actually as expensive as people make it out to be, but, obviously, it is not for the cost-sensitive either

OP here I'm going to go with the 8 or 9. I'll decide when I'm in the store holding it. Didn't realize from pictures exactly how large the 16 QT was. We are not having some weird Utah sized family, just three more.

Prenups are and should be a given for anybody in this day and age.

>spending almost 600 dollars for a dutch oven. Wew Lad

amazon.com/Creuset-Enameled-Cast-Iron-2-Quart-French/dp/B000162M7M

op is clearly gay, therefore not mormon

what is love like?

but a 1 quart is like a $100, so you are getting more than 15x the pot for only 6x the price. good value.

For 2 people 8L is ideal.

You could get buy with 6L, but having a bit of extra space is nice

Aw, poor confused jumping spider. There's no food in there!

not true. it's MADE of food!

Do you cook often? Do you have a roaster? Do you have any other baking dishes? If you need something larger, get a larger one. If you need something smaller, get a smaller one. If you don't have anything, and don't already cook a lot, get a smaller one. You can get a larger one later if you feel the need for one for the occasional roast and whatnot, or you can just get a relatively cheap roasting pan.

Dutch oven? LELELE?

I have a roasting pan with a rack. This is a long term, family oriented piece I'm looking at. I'm going with the 8-9 quart model, whichever feels better in the store. lol use it a lot for stock as well. It would be nice to have and yes I cook all my meals except for monthly dinners out with family and friends or date nights.

>haha I've got your Dutch oven right here, op
>*directs your head toward my concealed anus and lets out a sound and juicy rip*

Upgrade later when you are an independent couple, or start hosting the family Thanksgivings. Get only what you actually intend to use now.

So I have to say you should clearly figure out your kitchen storage space, and what you're going to use your big stockpots for in the first place. Making a quick chowder or pot of chili? Just a couple? You'll probably use your 3qt much more than your 5qt.
I hate cleaning these things. They are heavy as shit, they are hazardous to your beautiful porcelain sink, countertops, stove surface, etc. They are unwieldy. When it comes to boiling water for pasta, I use a slick easy to fill and move stainless 6qt. When it comes to making stock, I use my pressure cooker. A lot of the things you can use the 6qt for? I probably instead use my covered wok-like skillet, or 12 inch skillet. I'm talking about cooking dinner night after night, I have all the tools money can buy, but there's some reasons I do not reach for my LeCreuset, from easy cleanup to just being so delicate with it.

But, this depends on if you have some cultural recipe you repeat all the time, from stove to oven, or you don't like pressure cookers, etc. These pots need space to store when the lids don't invert or nest or reverse (and omfg 16qt? are you running a soup kitchen??).

Outlets like Marshalls, and TJMaxx sell Le Crueset shit for an 8th of the retail price.

My mother has so far collected like a 15 piece set for under $500 over a few short years.

You can find a 8qt Dutch Oven at one of these outlets for around $120