Whenever I break out my Dutch oven to make dinner, I know it’s going to be good — and probably pretty easy. Dutch ovens are my go-to cookware for one-pot meals; hearty soups and stews; and big, cozy pasta dishes.
As a shopping writer, I’ve tested a lot of Dutch ovens — five just within the last year or so. But there is one I’ve been eyeing for a while: Great Jones’ The Dutchess. Not only does it come in a bunch of cool colors, but I’ve also seen it on Food Network Star Molly Yeh’s stove during her show Girl Meets Farm. So naturally, I had to get one for myself.
I’ve been cooking with it for a couple of weeks — and frankly, I can’t believe it took me this long to try it. Here are my honest thoughts about this popular Dutch oven.
What You Should Know About Great Jones’ The Dutchess
The Dutchess is made from enameled cast iron, giving it a slick interior that’s relatively easy to clean. It nicely offsets the exterior’s stylish matte finish. While the interior is a light gray, the exterior comes in six different shades, including deep green, royal blue, and bubblegum pink (which is what I went for).
This Dutch oven can hold up to 6.75 quarts and, unlike all the other Dutch ovens I’ve used, is oval instead of round — a feature the brand says makes it great for cooking a whole chicken. It is a little pricey at $205, although it does qualify for free shipping. That said, it’s well worth the splurge — especially because it can be used in your oven and on any type of stovetop. Plus, you’ll rack up the compliments when guests see it sitting on your stove.
My Honest Review of Great Jones’ The Dutchess
Because The Dutchess is oval, I was curious if it would fit onto my old-school round coiled electric burners. While it did hang off the sides ever so slightly, it wasn’t a problem. It was never at risk of falling over, and I was impressed with how quickly and evenly the whole pot heated.
The first dish I made in it was corn chowder, which required my immersion blender to get it all nice and smooth. This felt like a risky choice, but it didn’t leave so much as a scratch behind — another point for The Dutchess!
My favorite meal I’ve made in it so far, though, was homemade Hamburger Helper. This Dutch oven was the perfect size for it: The liquids never spilled over or splashed out, the noodles nestled nicely into the pot, and it seared off the ground turkey and onions beautifully (yes, I swapped the ground beef for ground turkey; it was delicious and I have no regrets). The noodles did start to stick to the bottom a little toward the end, but that’s normal; the same thing has happened in all the Dutch ovens I’ve used to make one-pot pasta.
Overall, I really enjoy cooking with The Dutchess. And it brings me so much joy to see it sitting on my stovetop when I’m not cooking with it.
Buy: Great Jones The Dutchess, $205 at Great Jones
Do you have a go-to Dutch oven? Tell us about it in the comments below.
