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.

The general rule of thumb is to plan for one quart per person, and then round up. One quart roughly translates into a typical serving size for most people. So for a family of four, you would want something that is a minimum of 4 quarts.

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.

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.

If you are baking 500g flour-weight batards (950g dough weight) a 7-quart/7-liter Dutch oven is a good size. A 5-quart/5-liter round Dutch oven is really the smallest you would want to use for 500g flour-weight (950g dough weight) baking.

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.

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.

We have two favorite Dutch ovens in the test kitchen: the gold standard Le Creuset 7¼-Quart Round French Oven, and the more affordable (but still incredibly reliable) Cuisinart 7 Qt. Round Covered Casserole.

How many people can fit in a 5 qt Dutch oven? ›

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.

Medium: 5.5 and 6 QT

These are the best all-around Dutch oven sizes, as they serve between 4–6 people and have plenty of surface area for different cooking methods including braising, deep-frying, and sautéing.

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.

A 5–7 quart Dutch oven is the sweet spot for most home cooks. This size is great for cooking for four people (often with leftovers). Representatives from both Staub and Le Creuset tell us that their most popular size is 5 1/2-quarts, and that's the size most Epi editors have at home, as well.

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.

The 5 1/2 quart Dutch oven is definitely our fan favorite for frying but you can deep-fry in any of our Dutch ovens. Deep frying does require a large quantity of oil with a high smoke point, such as canola, peanut or grapeseed oil. Depending on the recipe, the oil typically needs to be heated to between 325-375°F.

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.

The most versatile Dutch ovens are 5 to 7 quarts. These Dutch ovens can serve four to six people, making them a great cookware option for weeknight family dinners. They leave plenty of room to cook a variety of dishes for easy one-dish meals and sides, including: Bread.