Buying a Dutch Oven? Traditional cast-iron pans!

The best Dutch Ovens for sale

If you’ve been wondering where to buy a Dutch Oven, look no further! In our shop, you will find lots of different Dutch Ovens for a good price. From large to small, round or oval, and with or without feet. What size you need depends on the number of people you are cooking for, and the type of dish you are preparing. For example, will you make a lot of stew to go with the bread you already baked in your Dutch Oven? You'll be able to feed a lot of people with a relatively small Dutch Oven. Planning to use the Dutch Oven primarily for soup or other dishes? Then you'll need a big Dutch Oven. A general rule of thumb is to calculate at least 1 litre per person. After all, you should also bear in mind that you don't want to fill the pan to the brim. So with 2 people, you'll end up with a Dutch Oven with a capacity of at least 2 litres. Although you could do with a bit more capacity for some dishes. For example, if you make a stew with a full rack of spare ribs, a classic Dutch Oven recipe, you will want a Dutch Oven between 4.5 and 6 litres or even more. Allow your creativity to run wild while cooking. You can make it work!

Dutch Oven pans: Dutch pans only for BBQ?

These days, Dutch Ovens are all the rage in the barbecue community. You'll find the most delicious and creative dishes. A Dutch Oven without feet is easy to put on the grill, and with some creativity, a Dutch Oven with feet often manages to do the same. But that is definitely not the only way to use a Dutch Oven! Traditionally, you just put it in a smouldering campfire. But did you know that you can also just use a Dutch Oven on your kitchen hob? Dutch Ovens even work on induction hobs, provided the pan in question doesn't have feet. We do recommend carefully checking the underside of the Dutch Oven for unevenness to avoid scratching the glass plate. To be on the safe side, use a flame distributor for induction, or a stainless steel induction adapter. That way, you can be sure your Dutch Oven won't scratch the glass plate. Of course, this also applies to ceramic hobs with a glass top.

Dutch Oven with or without legs?

You choose a Dutch Oven with feet if you use it exclusively over a campfire or, with some creativity, on your barbecue or gas burner. You could also use a Dutch Oven without feet for this, but then you'd need a pan support. You will find these among the Dutch Oven accessories. The advantage of a Dutch Oven without feet is that you can also use it on your cooktop.

How to clean a Dutch Oven and how to season a Dutch oven

A Dutch Oven is perfect for cooking over a campfire. The cast iron can withstand high temperatures without becoming damaged. Most pans are already seasoned in the factory to prevent corrosion before first use. It's still important to form your own, better layer of seasoning. Before you use the pan for the first time, clean it and apply a coat of oil. It's best to use vegetable oil such as sunflower or peanut oil. Please note: be careful with people with allergies. Slowly heat the pan. The oil will then be absorbed by the pores of the cast-iron pan. This is called seasoning. It forms a protective and corrosion-resistant layer. If you still see some rust forming on your pan, don't panic. You can remove it with a metal brush and then season the pan again. And if you’re wondering how to get burnt food off your Dutch Oven, it’s no hassle at all: let it soak and gently scrub it off. Repeat the seasoning steps several times for the best result. Never let a cast-iron pan cool down too quickly, putting your hot pan directly under a cold tap can damage it. Do not wash the pan in the dishwasher and never store it if it's not completely dry. Treat your Dutch Oven with care and you will enjoy them for a lifetime.

Washing a Dutch Oven with or without soap

Many people still think that you should not use any detergent when cleaning a Dutch Oven. There is some truth to this: using soap can cause the seasoning to wash away a little quicker. That is true. However, it is also true that a clean pan will season better the next time. And if the seasoning is really well-done, you won't just wash it away with a little detergent.

What do you use to season your Dutch Oven?

You can use different types of products to season your pan. Both Petromax and Lodge have their own seasoning paste or spray. This ensures compatibility with the seasoning already present in the pan. But there are also other options. In the United States, people like to use Crisco, a type of cooking fat. This is less readily available in Europe. You can also use a vegetable oil like sunflower oil or peanut oil. Although we would note that you need to do this with very thin layers for good results.

How to cook in a Dutch Oven

There are several ways to use a Dutch Oven. The options depend on which version of Dutch Oven you own. If the pan has little feet, you can place the pan directly in the open fire, preferably on the smouldering coals. Of course, you can also do this with a pan without legs too. However, the pan soon gets too hot and you'll risk burning your food. That's why it's better to use a pan support for a Dutch Oven without legs. Or use tripod system to hang it over the fire. Another way to use these pans is with glowing coals. You place the pan on top of some smouldering coal and place some smouldering coal on top of the lid. This will allow you to use the pan as an oven. The main advantage of this way is that you easily control the temperature with the amount of coals.

We recommend always taking it easy when exposing your Dutch Oven to heat. Cast iron heats up slowly, and retains its heat very long and well. So if you've heated the pan up too much by accident, it'll be difficult to get it back to the desired temperature. The bright side to this is that heating the pan up is actually very easy. So our advice is: start slowly, and gradually add more heat. When you practice this more often, you will get the hang of it. In any case, it is always important that there is enough moisture in your Dutch Oven to prevent burning the food.

Dutch Oven recipes

When you start cooking meals with a Dutch Oven, you'll discover how versatile these high-quality pans are. The obvious choice is to make stew, for example. You can find hundreds of different recipes online. But you can also bake bread in a Dutch Oven. But you can also roast a whole chicken to perfection, and what about a Chili Con Carne? Later in the evening you can even make popcorn in a Dutch Oven. The possibilities are endless. You are only limited by your own creativity.

The best Dutch Oven brands

We sell Dutch Ovens from the best brands. Petromax sells excellent Dutch ovens, in all sizes. From small Petromax Dutch Ovens like FT1 or FT3 pans, to the large FT9, FT12 or FT18 pans that will feed a whole family. But we also sell Dutch Ovens from the American brand Lodge. And the more affordable Dutch Ovens from Camp Chef can also be found in our online shop.

History of Dutch Ovens

The traditional Dutch Oven is a cast-iron pan with a lid and 3 feet. The lid has a raised rim so coals can be placed on top of it. These pans are said to have come from a Dutch trader who imported it into the United States. The Dutch Oven allowed Dutch immigrants to enjoy Dutch cuisine. Over the years, the Dutch Oven became popular among travellers. This is because the pan is so incredibly versatile. Whether you make a meal with chicken and rice, stew and potatoes, chilli or even bread and pastry: you can do it in a Dutch Oven.