My husband and I both like to cook and for years he casually mentioned wanting a Dutch Oven. He cooks a lot with cast iron, so wanting a Dutch oven was just a natural thing. We both would mention it over the past few months, but because neither of us cooked with one, we just both kind of forgot it. Then Vancasso reached out and asked us if we would like to review the 6-quart Vancasso enameled cast iron Dutch Oven and of course, we jumped at the chance.
I choose a beautiful blue 6-quart Dutch oven to get acquainted with. (Right now Amazon has an amazing deal of only $68.99. You can choose from a variety of colors to fit your kitchen design.
Just in case you aren’t familiar, a Dutch oven is a thick-walled cooking pot with a tight-fitting lid and is usually made of seasoned cast iron; however, some are made of cast aluminum or ceramic. It is heavy, about 13 pounds of real cast iron, so be aware of this when using it to cook. This particular Dutch oven says that it is “Suitable for Families of 3-5 People” which is perfect for us since we are a family of four.
What I love about this Dutch oven is the one-pot prepare, cook and serve aspect, which means fewer things for me to clean. You can braise, simmer, bake, broil, and roast and you can do all of that on gas, electric, ceramic, glass top, and induction stoves (not including microwave ovens) and it’s oven safe to 500°F.
We decided to do a pork roast as our first foray into using the Dutch oven. After we seared it we added some potatoes and carrots with a little bit of water in the bottom and let it go! It took only about an hour to fully cook both the roast and the veggies since we had a smaller roast. Just look up the recipes you would like to try and you will find all sorts and they will help you figure out the timing, etc.
Our roast came out perfectly, the meat was flavorful and not dry in the least as sometimes pork can be and the veggies were perfectly cooked. I can’t wait to try a brisket in it!
Not ready to eat just yet? It’s also great for keeping food warm because the heat retention properties are amazing! No more cold food! That will come in handy during the holidays.
As far as cleaning goes, it is non-stick, so it was a breeze to clean up after our meal. Just use regular dish soap and a non-abrasive sponge or brush. If you need to, you can fill it with some water and a bit of baking soda and soak it overnight. The only issue is the weight; it’s heavy to maneuver around the sink, so keep that in mind.
Overall, I am loving this Vancasso Dutch oven, and I can see us using it all the time. Be sure to take a look on Amazon, and again, take advantage of the huge sale that is going on right now!
