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Our experts donned their aprons to find the best investments, from Le Creuset to Staub Pet Food Processing Machine
We updated this article in December to bring you the latest prices and deals on our expert-tested casserole dishes – including over £30 off our winner.
Nothing takes pride of place on a stove quite like a cast iron casserole dish (also known as a Dutch oven). And it's not just because of their versatile cooking capabilities; they also come in an array of eye-catching colours and designs. They often boast a premium price tag, which can make them feel more like an heirloom than a piece of cookware.
But while brands such as Le Creuset represent the old guard, new more affordable options are starting to spring up. So, we decided it was time to put them to the test at the Good Housekeeping Institute, to see which are truly worth your money, whether for your own kitchen or as a generous gift.
Generally, our experts found that you do get what you pay for – the investment pieces all outperformed our budget picks. At a glance, these are our experts’ best buys:
Cast iron casserole dishes are real multi-taskers. Thanks to the way the metal evenly distributes and retains heat, you can use them to sear meats, sauté vegetables, slow cook, prepare roast dinners and even bake sourdough.
In fact, the possibilities are endless; they can be used on the hob and in the oven – just take note of the maximum temperature recommended by the manufacturer.
This is the biggest question to answer when shopping for a cast iron dish: do you want an uncoated dish or one that’s been finished with enamel?
Uncoated cast iron is the more traditional of the two, meaning you cook directly on the metal surface. It requires seasoning (where you rub a layer of oil on to the pan) to build up a protective and ever-improving natural, non-stick coating. This makes cleaning easier too as you shouldn’t need to scrub. Note that you shouldn’t soak uncoated cast iron, as this can increase the risk of rust.
If you opt for this finish, check how often the brand recommends you season. Some find seasoning a pan adds to the flavour of their food, and if you cook a lot with tomatoes, be aware that their acidity can cut through the coating, meaning you’ll have to season your dish more often.
Most of the options we’ve featured are enamelled. This removes the need for any seasoning and will help with washing up – you can rinse the dish without worrying about removing the coating, and some may even be suitable for the dishwasher. It still distributes heat evenly, too.
The non-stick capability of the enamel finishes we tested varied, meaning you may need to adjust the amount of oil you use. This finish is also more fragile than uncoated dishes, so be careful not to knock it or drop it. You may not be able to use metal utensils, either. Whichever you opt for, note that cast iron is very heavy.
If you’ve got this type of hob at home, check whether your desired dish is compatible. All the ones on our list are, but some took longer to heat up than others. However, given this style of pot does tend to heat up slowly anyway, we don’t think this is a deal-breaker.
Also, if you have a glass topped hob, note that cast iron dishes are very heavy, so be careful when using to avoid creating any scratches. For example, avoid dragging them across the surface and lift them off instead.
Cast iron casserole dishes come in a range of sizes, from one-person minis that would look adorable at a dinner party, to those big enough to cook a Sunday roast in. It’s worth considering how many people you usually cook for, and potentially sizing up a little if you’re after versatility.
We’ve tested circular pots of similar proportions for consistency, but you can often find oval equivalents, which are handy for cooking joints of meat or roasting chickens.
All the pots on our list have self-basting lids which redistribute condensation to help lock moisture into your cooking.
Our winner comes with silicone covers for the handles to help with lifting, and shapes do vary. Make sure the handle design is one you think you can use with an oven glove.
Whichever finish you choose, using your dish properly is essential to prolong its lifespan. Check which utensils you can use with your dish – metal ones are often off limits due to the risk of scratching. Look at how to clean it too. Most won’t be suitable for the dishwasher, and with uncoated cast iron, you’ll need to avoid soaking it and factor in regular seasoning – a step you can skip with enamel.
Also, be sure to follow accompanying care instructions; for example, some enamel dishes need to be heated slowly to avoid shocking the coating and creating cracks.
This isn’t something you’d always consider for pots and pans, but when you’re potentially spending hundreds of pounds, it’s worth checking. Le Creuset comes with a lifetime guarantee, for example. These often don’t cover damage from dropping or knocks, though.
To find the best casserole dishes, our experts start by measuring how quickly and evenly each pot heats up across gas, electric and induction hobs. They then test it in an oven, checking it doesn’t sustain any damage when heated to its maximum recommended temperature.
Next come the cooking tests; testers sauté vegetables and sear beef before slow-cooking a beef stew. Then they roast a chicken, adding orzo to measure moisture retention. Finally, they bake a loaf of corn bread.
For each dish, they assess how thoroughly it cooks the food, whether it locks in moisture well, if it reaches their desired colour and of course, what the final product tastes like.
Finally, our experts check how easy each dish is to clean, looking at the amount of food residue left on the surface and analysing non-stick claims.
Throughout testing, they judge its overall ease of use and design. They also consider accompanying instructions and care guidance.
Because cast iron dishes are a life-long purchase, we’re continuing our testing of each pan at home and will update this article with our findings after a few months of use.
Our Place made waves with its Instagram-famous Always Pan, but this is actually our favourite piece of cookware we’ve tried from the brand so far. It’s available in a range of sleek, muted shades, and impressed our testers with its quick heat-up times – just two minutes on ceramic and six on gas – and reliable cooking performance. It stood out from the rest for the way it evenly seared meat and sautéed vegetables, and for its ability to lock in moisture, losing the least of all pots on test.
You’re in for an easy time when it comes to clean up too, as its enamel surface proved simple to wash. The lid felt secure and slip-on silicone handle covers make it easy to move around – although be sure to still use oven gloves when hot. It’s not suitable for use with metal utensils but comes with a lifetime warranty.
Le Creuset’s cast iron dishes are iconic and this one lived up to its reputation on test, coming in a close second. Our experts didn’t have to wait long for it to warm up, especially on electric and gas, and found that heat was evenly distributed throughout the pan.
It cooked our dishes well, but testers noted that food stuck to the surface a fair bit, making it hard to clean – so ensure you use enough oil and cook at the right temperatures. The pan comes with detailed care instructions, and you can find cooking guidance on the website if you’re new to cast iron.
Plus, there’s real substance behind its good looks (Le Creuset has the most colourways of any on this list, so you really can find your perfect match). Testers said the handles were comfortable to hold with ample room for an oven glove, making it easier to carry, and they didn’t overheat when cooking either. The lid also slotted securely into position to lock in moisture. It’s an investment, but the enduring brand truly is one of the best around.
This is our top pick for those with induction hobs, as it heated in just under two minutes, which was the fastest on test (for context, many others took about ten minutes to get to temperature). It produced delicious results too, with a saucy slow-cooked beef stew, golden chicken and well browned cornbread.
Food didn’t stick to the surface much either and it was straightforward to clean. However, the lid was very hot after cooking, so do keep your oven gloves close by. You may need to tighten the lid knob occasionally, too. Again, it’s available in a range of eye-catching colours and is a truly premium buy.
When it came to precision, this ProCook dish recorded the most consistent temperatures across its base. It was ready to cook quickly on our induction hob (in just three minutes), but it took over ten to warm on electric. It performed reliably across all our cooking tests, serving up particularly tender, pull-apart beef.
Some moisture was lost during the cooking process, but only a little food stuck to the base, making washing up a speedy task. It didn’t come with instructions or care guidance either, but you can find this on the product listing. Our pot didn’t sustain any damage during testing, but it also comes with a 25-year guarantee for added peace of mind. Overall, it’s outstanding value.
Unlike the enamelled cast iron dishes on our list, this casserole dish is uncoated, which means it doesn’t come in different finishes. It arrives pre-seasoned, so you don’t need to worry about this initially, but regular seasoning will help maintain its condition; Prestige recommends washing it in soapy water, before drying thoroughly and applying a thin layer of oil after each use. Don’t be put off if you’re new to traditional cast iron though, as it comes with detailed care instructions and access to online tutorials to guide you through the process. Plus, while a little food stuck to the surface on test, it cleaned away swiftly.
In our test kitchen, the dish heated up evenly across all three hobs (induction was the quickest and electric the slowest). Our experts were impressed with its cooking prowess too, especially with our meat dishes. We measured more moisture loss than with the other pots, but it wasn’t noticeable when it came to tucking into our chicken and orzo.
Note that this pan did reach high temperatures, including the handles, especially in the oven, so always keep your gloves close by.
This is the most affordable cast iron casserole dish we tested, and while it’s only available in four colours, it more than looks the part in the kitchen. Its lid is secure, and its handles are comfortable to use. It impressed in the heat resistance testing, proving robust at its highest recommended temperatures, and it distributed heat evenly across its base. It performed well in our cooking tests too; all our food was well-cooked and evenly seared, with none clinging to the surface afterwards.
We had mixed results when it came to moisture retention though – our orzo cooked perfectly, but our slow-cooked beef stew didn’t have as much gravy as our experts would have liked – so you may need to play around a bit with your ingredients and heat to get your dishes just right. The pan doesn’t come with instructions, although there is some care information online. Overall, it’s a reliable alternative to its pricier counterparts.
Hannah is our senior homes writer, specialising in reviewing the latest kitchen appliances, cleaning products, mattresses and bedding, and crafting equipment. Hannah has written about hundreds of products, from air fryers to smoothie makers to pillows, and is committed to finding the most reliable and best value for money buys. Hannah is also interested in sustainability in the home and has completed a course with the University of the Arts London in sustainable textiles, so she can help cut through the noise on what’s green and what’s not. Hannah helps to uncover the best cleaning hacks too, with a focus on easy, natural solutions. Hannah has an MA in Magazine Journalism and has previously worked as a freelance lifestyle and women’s sports journalist, working for Stylist, Sky Sports and more. Hannah has also previously worked in a florist and can normally be found caring for her house plants or sewing something new for her home or wardrobe. You can find Hannah on Instagram on @sewnbyhan
Blossom is our Senior Homes Tester. Passionate about finding the best home products and appliances for our readers, she has tested everything from blenders to pizza ovens. Blossom enjoys delving into the intricacies of products and refining testing protocols for hundreds of items. Innovative items like robot vacuum cleaners and wine coolers are among her favourite tests to date, and her most notable accomplishment is toasting 360 slices of bread in a determined bid to find the best toaster. In her free time, Blossom openly admits to being a music geek and indulges her creative side through crocheting, baking, singing and writing.
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