Double Dutch Oven

A friend recently sent me an email and asked about enamel coated cast iron cookware. Specifically, are the French made ovens better than the discount versions. Thanks Char, this is for you.

Let’s quickly look at the history of what the French call cocottes, some call camp ovens or casserole dishes but are commonly called dutch ovens.

Le Creuset




Staub Cocotte




From Wikipedia:

During the late 1600s the Dutch system of producing these cast metal cooking vessels was more advanced than the English system. The Dutch used dry sand to make their molds, giving their pots a smoother surface. Consequently, metal cooking vessels produced in the Netherlands were imported into Britain. In 1704, an Englishman named Abraham Darby decided to go to the Netherlands to observe the Dutch system for making these cooking vessels. Four years later, back in England, Darby patented a casting procedure similar to the Dutch process and began to produce cast metal cooking vessels for Britain and her new American Colonies. It is possible that because Darby’s patent was based upon his research into the Dutch foundry system that the cooking vessels he produced came to be referred to as “Dutch” ovens. Other researchers believe that this term may have come from the itinerant Dutch traders who sold cooking vessels out of their wagons as they traveled from town to town and door to door. Maybe both accounts are true. In any event, the term “Dutch oven” has endured for over 300 years.

Operationally, the original ovens had feet that sat in fire or on embers and then had coals put in an indented part of the lid in order to surround the food with heat, thus creating an ‘oven’. However, the heat generated through this process varied wildly.

The invention of modern ovens eliminated the need to place embers on the top of cooker, yet the lid design remained. In the 20th century, the French began producing enamel coated cast iron cookware. The enamel coating did away with the need to season the cast iron. They also produced a great looking piece of cookware that could be brought to the table as a serving piece. In 1934 the French company Le Creuset, created the Doufeu. The Doufeu is an oven with a deep recessed lid designed to hold ice rather than coals; it also has the world’s first dimpled lid.
 

So how does it work? You start by filling the lid with ice. As moisture begins to evaporate inside the Doufeu during the slow-cooking process, the cool ice-filled lid causes this moisture to condense. The specially designed dimples on the flat interior of the lid direct the moisture back down onto the food in liquid form. This self-basting effect minimizes the need to add additional water and ensures that food remains moist.

Interestingly, the doufeu is the only piece made Le Creuset which has the dimpled lid, while many other companies use it on all their ovens. Some believe that if the lid were not flat, then the dimpling would not work effectively, hence the smooth lid interiors on the remaining Le Creuset ovens. So while a great design, it clearly is not necessary to achieve good slow cooking results.

Answer to the Question

The original question was, “are the French made ovens better than those made by other companies?” Yes, they are and here’s why.

I feel there are 2 classes of enameled cast iron. Those made in France (Staub and Le Crueset), Lodge multiple layer enamel(made in China), AND the others (those made in China, the lower grade Lodge, Copco, Analon, Calphalon, etc.).

Why the disparity with Lodge? Lodge, the long time American cast iron cookware company, makes all its enamel cookware in China. However, there are two very distinct lines. The better quality line is sometimes known as the L Series. The price of this line is about 25% less than the French companies. The L Series has the highest quality of enamel coating and construction.

What allows companies to save money and make the really inexpensive cookware?

1) Chinese labor. By not making the cookware in America or Europe, the companies take advantage of very low labor costs, which include many factors, not simply the wages paid.

2) Source of materials. By using Chinese iron and raw materials, more savings occur.

3) Lesser quality materials. How the iron is molded? What is the composition of the metal? Manufacturers use thicker walls for lesser grade casts. They may use less technical processes. Companies use inferior enameling processes and some are not completely coated in enamel, leaving iron exposed. The French companies use a special application, multilayer, high firing process for their enamel, leaving no metal uncovered. The high quality iron used by the French companies provide the best heat diffusion and dispersion in the business, with no hot spots.

4) Quality control short cuts. The French companies use multi-step processes of quality control. Each piece is hand finished via a 12 step process and touched by 15 pairs of hands during its production. While the Lodge L Series is very good cookware, the customer feedback on “out of the box” quality is poor by comparison. To their credit, Lodge replaces any flawed or defective ovens immediately. But by reducing the quality control checks, a company can save money. One of the French companies I spoke with went so far as to say their costs wouldn’t be lower even if they manufactured in China. I am not sure I buy that, but their point is they always insist on the highest standards.

Additional thoughts on these ovens:

1) Don’t be fooled by talk of heat tolerances of the enameled cookware when using in the oven. Most companies use a Phenolic knob on the lid, including Le Creuset. This lowers heat resistance of the cookware. Knobs made of brass, stainless or other metal can withstand very high heat. However, cooking in a Dutch/French oven should be done using lower temps anyway.

2) The French companies also have a greater selection of sizes and colors. It may not seem like much, but being able to select a color to match your kitchen and lifestyle is important to many.

3) Most companies use a cream or off white enamel on the inside of the ovens. Staub uses what is known as a black matte enamel. It looks like cast iron but is not. It can develop a bit of seasoning, called patina, but there isn’t a need to do anything special if you don’t care about it.

4) Lodge still makes raw cast iron ovens. They have two styles. The original style for use in an open fire and a newer style that is basically a Dutch Oven with no enamel coating. Both are options and are very inexpensive, but you will have to maintain the seasoning and watch carefully for rust.

Conclusion

After looking at all these factors, I would invest my money in an oven from Staub or Le Creuset. While the French companies, Staub and Le Creuset, are more expensive, they are made from better quality processes and with more careful quality control. Staub is considered by many to be superior in design (flat lid with dimples, metal knob on the lid come standard), but Le Creuset is pretty darn good.

If price is a problem, buy the Lodge L Series.

You can save lots of money buying lower priced Dutch Ovens, but you get what you pay for. I feel you should avoid the lesser priced ovens. They won’t perform as well, they won’t last as long and in the end you will spend just as much money in replacement.

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