Milk Street: Widebody Dutch Oven with Griddle Lid and Trivet

The Dutch oven is my most used piece of cookware, but here at Milk Street, we started thinking about how to make it even better. The first issue is width—we’ve always wanted a wider bottom so you could sauté, say, chicken parts all at one time instead of in two batches. (I once had a super-wide Dutch Oven and loved it.) So the first design decision was to make our new Dutch Oven wide body—11 inches in diameter and able to hold 5 quarts—which makes it much more useful. We also lowered the sides a bit, which makes it easier to maneuver whatever is in the pot. Super high sides always make me feel that I am cooking in the bottom of a barrel!

Most Dutch ovens have lids that are, well, just lids! We took our design a step further and provide two lids. The first is a flat-top, low-lipped griddle, perfect for warming tortillas, making pancakes, charring vegetables or toasting grilled cheese. The second is a tempered, oven-proof glass lid, which means you can look at whatever is cooking without taking off the top.

Finally, and this is where our Widebody Dutch Oven gets really interesting, we also include a magnetized acacia-wood trivet. Just place the hot Dutch oven on the trivet—it will attach automatically—and then you can bring the pot to the table for serving or move it to a countertop that is not heatproof. Very cool! In fact, it’s a complete cooking system that can accommodate nearly all of your day-to-day cooking.

As for the interior, it is tumbled smooth after casting and finished with a matte enamel coating. Now the pan is non-reactive, so you can use it for tomato sauces or anything else that is acidic.

Plus, we are not charging $250 or more like many other enameled Dutch ovens—this one is a real bargain!