Iron has been used in cooking since, unsurprisingly, the Iron Age. From the moment we first discovered this incredible substance, it’s main use (maybe second to weapons production) has been in the kitchen. But as old as iron may be as a cooking tool, the past few centuries have seen remarkable advances.Today, all kinds of cast iron cookware are revered for their heat retention, durability, and overall prowess in browning meats and vegetables. But how did we get to the modern dutch oven from those early rudimentary versions? Well, prepare yourself for yet another shock, but it all started with the Dutch.
Early Origins of the Dutch Oven
In the 17th century, The Netherlands was making its mark on the world stage. The period is known as the Dutch Golden Age for a reason. It was building empires, revolutionizing global finance by inventing the joint stock company, and creating brilliant new technologies. One such technology was the early form of the Dutch Oven.The initial breakthrough was in the use of dry sand molds for casting the iron. The use of dry sand created a smoother service. It should come as no surprise that this dramatically improved the ovens. First, obviously, the smoother surface was better for cooking. A more even surface meant more even contact points with food. It also brought a higher aesthetic quality to the cookware (something they’re known for even today).
England Goes for the Steal
In 1704, an Englishman by the name of Abraham Darby witnessed this process while on a trip to The Netherlands. He saw the potential of this new cookware and upon returning to England set about creating his own version of the process. In just four years he had patented it and began production. This meant that within a short period of time, this advanced new cookware was being sold throughout the British Isles and to the American Colonies.Owing to the origin of the technology, the cookware was referred to as a “Dutch Oven” from this point onwards. But like with any piece of technology, advancements didn’t stop there. The Americans still had their own imprint to leave on this Dutch oven.
America Leaves its Mark on the Dutch Oven
American settlers quickly set about finding ways to improve the design. One early advancement was giving their dutch ovens legs. This meant that instead of having to rely on suspending them above a fire for cooking, you could simply place the legs amongst the coals, simplifying the cooking process. Even today, Dutch ovens designed for outdoor use will frequently have both legs and a wire handle so they can be either suspended or placed in the coals of a fire. Kitchen models, on the other hand, don’t generally require either of these features.These pots were valued for elements like the durability mentioned above, but also for just how versatile they were. You could sauté, boil, bake, you name it. Often, this versatility along with their size meant it was easy to make an entire meal in just one pot. Some things do change with time but a desire to avoid doing more dishes than necessary is clearly not one of them.The crafty colonists also developed a variety of metal lips and other devices to allow you to more easily place coals on top of the oven without risking getting them in the food. One of these designs was developed by none other than the famous American patriot Paul Revere These new models caught on quickly and travelled far and wide. In the process, they were used extensively by many famous Americans from the period.
Famous Users of Dutch Ovens
Not only were they used, they were valued. Indeed, colonial Dutch ovens were considered precious enough to be mentioned in many wills. The result has been that we have intimate details of when and how these pieces of cookware were used. One example is from the will of Mary Ball Washington, George Washington’s mother. She specified that her collection of what she terms “iron kitchen furniture” should be split between her grandson and granddaughters.Indeed, George Washington himself was quite familiar with Dutch ovens. His army relied on them heavily as they spent years campaigning against British forces in the Revolutionary War. Ultimately, these ovens would travel even farther than Washington’s army as the famous explorers Lewis and Clark along with countless other western migrants brought their Dutch ovens along with them.As the Dutch oven slowly conquered the continent, it became a staple tool for cowboys making hearty stews, for 49ers (men who went to California looking for gold in the 1849 gold rush) to bake bread, and by soldiers in the US Civil War for cooking whatever they could get their hands on.
Lodge and Le Creuset, the Birth of the Two Dutch Oven Powerhouses
Coming out of all of this history, two companies grew to true icon status in the world of cast iron cookware: Lodge and Le Creuset.In 1896, Joseph Lodge founded a company with his own name to manufacture raw cast iron cookware in Tennessee. Today, the company sells more cast iron Dutch ovens than any other in the world. In France and throughout Europe, however, Le Creuset Dutch ovens are a dominant force. Unlike Lodge, Le Creuset is famous not just for the quality of its iron but for the stellar quality of their enamel coatings.In fact, since their establishment in the small French town of Fresnoy-le-Grand, home to just 3,000 souls, in 1925, Le Creuset has become an icon. So much so in France that, as The Independent put it, “its flame-orange casserole dishes might as well adorn the national coat of arms.” These heavy and durable pots are intimately associated with dishes that define French cuisine like coq au vin and Bourguignon.But that doesn’t mean they stuck with tradition for the whole way. Halfway through their history, they made some redesigns spearheaded by none other than the man who designed the interior of John F. Kennedy’s Air Force One, Raymond Loewy. The result was a fast rise to iconic status.
What’s Unique About Le Creuset Today?
Besides that classic look, it’s all about that enamelled surface. Unlike raw cast iron Dutch ovens, enamelled cast iron doesn’t need to be seasoned. This means you can easily clean them normally with soap and water (something you should absolutely not do with a traditional raw cast iron Dutch oven!). So instead of relying on seasoning to make the cooking surface non-stick as is done with raw cast iron, the enamel coating itself is fairly non-stick.True, the enamel coating also makes Dutch ovens less resistant to extremely high temperatures as well. This isn’t much of a problem in a home kitchen, but it makes them less appropriate for use with open fires when cooking outdoors. Still, all in all, today’s Le Creuset Dutch oven remains an iconic piece of cookware for a reason. They last longer than most kitchen tools and perform fantastically.
Modern Developments
Jumping back into history, there’s been a lot of it for Dutch ovens since the founding of Lodge and Le Creuset. In spite of its enduring popularity over the years, it wasn’t all plain sailing for the Dutch oven in the 20th century. Following the First World War, the popularity of the product declined as America became more urban and shunned what it perceived as an old fashioned piece of cooking technology. Fortunately for our taste buds, people began to rediscover these amazing pieces of cookware technology in the 70s and 80s. Chefs and home cooks alike rediscovered what made them popular in the first place.Today Dutch ovens or similar pots exist throughout the world. They have names like bedourie oven in Australia, potjie amongst the Afrikaans of South Africa, chugun in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, sač in the Balkans, braadpan in its native Netherlands, and tetsunabe in Japan. Clearly, this tool has something going for it if so many varied cooking cultures have turned it into an essential tool.
Dutch Oven Monuments and State Pots?
Yes, you read that right. Dutch ovens are so revered in some places that they’ve been officially recognized in a variety of ways. For example, the Dutch oven is the official state cooking pot of Utah, Texas, and Arkansas. A Dutch oven even features prominently in a statue of Mormon settlers moving west in Salt Lake City, Utah.Today, people find their Dutch ovens everywhere, from bringing them back to life from a second-hand shop to inheriting a classic Le Creuset from parents and grandparents. It remains both a visual icon of the kitchen and a marker of delicious cooking worldwide. Let’s hope the humble Dutch oven has another few centuries of great meals ahead of it. Of course, if you’re looking for one yourself, there are a few final things you should know.
Everything You Need to Know About Buying a Dutch Oven Today
Today, there’s no denying that Le Creuset is the gold standard for dutch ovens. Still, other brands like Chasseur, Staub, and Classica all make great versions themselves. What’s the difference? Well, obviously with Le Creuset you’re getting an iconic brand name and style with decades of R&D in perfecting its cooking performance (as well as a wide array of colour options!).But besides that, you can look for enamelled or raw cast iron dutch ovens. As mentioned, this depends on how you want to use them, how careful you want to be with them in terms of banging them around and exposing them to high temperatures. Besides these features, you’ll always want to make sure you get a tight-fitting lid with an ovenproof handle (or at least one which can survive relatively high temperatures).If you’d like to bring this piece of history into your home, you can find a variety of shapes and styles of this classic piece at Everten.
In the 17th century, The Netherlands was making its mark on the world stage. The period is known as the Dutch Golden Age for a reason. It was building empires, revolutionizing global finance by inventing the joint stock company, and creating brilliant new technologies. One such technology was the early form of the Dutch Oven.
The initial breakthrough was in the use of dry sand molds for casting the iron. The use of dry sand created a smoother service. It should come as no surprise that this dramatically improved the ovens. First, obviously, the smoother surface was better for cooking. A more even surface meant more even contact points with food. It also brought a higher aesthetic quality to the cookware (something they’re known for even today).
In 1704, an Englishman by the name of Abraham Darby witnessed this process while on a trip to The Netherlands. He saw the potential of this new cookware and upon returning to England set about creating his own version of the process. In just four years he had patented it and began production. This meant that within a short period of time, this advanced new cookware was being sold throughout the British Isles and to the American Colonies.
Owing to the origin of the technology, the cookware was referred to as a “Dutch Oven” from this point onwards. But like with any piece of technology, advancements didn’t stop there. The Americans still had their own imprint to leave on this Dutch oven.
Not only were they used, they were valued. Indeed, colonial Dutch ovens were considered precious enough to be mentioned in many wills. The result has been that we have intimate details of when and how these pieces of cookware were used. One example is from the will of Mary Ball Washington, George Washington’s mother. She specified that her collection of what she terms “iron kitchen furniture” should be split between her grandson and granddaughters.
Indeed, George Washington himself was quite familiar with Dutch ovens. His army relied on them heavily as they spent years campaigning against British forces in the Revolutionary War. Ultimately, these ovens would travel even farther than Washington’s army as the famous explorers Lewis and Clark along with countless other western migrants brought their Dutch ovens along with them.
As the Dutch oven slowly conquered the continent, it became a staple tool for cowboys making hearty stews, for 49ers (men who went to California looking for gold in the 1849 gold rush) to bake bread, and by soldiers in the US Civil War for cooking whatever they could get their hands on.
Yes, you read that right. Dutch ovens are so revered in some places that they’ve been officially recognized in a variety of ways. For example, the Dutch oven is the official state cooking pot of Utah, Texas, and Arkansas. A Dutch oven even features prominently in a statue of Mormon settlers moving west in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Today, people find their Dutch ovens everywhere, from bringing them back to life from a second-hand shop to inheriting a classic Le Creuset from parents and grandparents. It remains both a visual icon of the kitchen and a marker of delicious cooking worldwide. Let’s hope the humble Dutch oven has another few centuries of great meals ahead of it. Of course, if you’re looking for one yourself, there are a few final things you should know.
