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A Dutch oven is one of the most versatile kitchen essentials, with uses across recipes and cooking mechanisms. You can use your Dutch oven for slow cooking and braising, not to mention cooking in the great outdoors, concocting delicious stews, and baking hearty loaves of sourdough. Many Dutch oven recipes therefore work particularly well in the actual oven, which can cook everything from a carne picada to a fig and herb pot roast. When using your Dutch oven with its lid, however, be wary of your oven’s precise temperature. Many Dutch ovens are built to withstand specific levels of heat, and each pot’s threshold often hinges on your lid’s material.
Select parts of a Dutch oven’s lid may not survive past a certain temperature. That’s because some lids — unlike the actual Dutch oven — may be made of glass, or include knobs or handles made of less heat-resistant material than your actual Dutch oven base. The precise temperatures and materials vary from brand to brand, so you should always check how much heat your lid can with withstand before you pre-heat your oven.
As for which Dutch ovens are safe to use, lids and all? All major brands can withstand some levels of high heat, though select lids are more heatproof than others.
Not all Dutch oven lids can endure high temps
While you may be tempted to cover your Dutch oven, hold off until you’ve checked your lid’s parameters. Some lids — such as Cuisinart’s glass Dutch oven cover, available on Amazon — can only withstand heat up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. For comparison, lids made of cast iron enamel work well under higher temperatures. But a Le Creuset with a phenolic knob can only endure up to 390 degrees Fahrenheit, per the manufacturer. For comparison, Le Crueset Dutch ovens with lids made of stainless steel (like this one on Amazon) can cook at a maximum of 500 degrees Fahrenheit, and are more forgiving under the oven’s glare.
Luckily, the brand makes it easy to remember these varying lid stipulations; the colors of Le Crueset’s Dutch oven knobs indicate their materials — and, therefore, heat endurance. Silver, gold, and copper knobs can all head inside a 500 degrees Fahrenheit oven, while the darker phenolic knobs need lower temps.
Of course, if you exceed your lid’s temperature limit, it won’t be the end of the world — though it may signify the end of your Dutch oven lid. Knobs or handles that aren’t made of metal run the risking of cracking under too-high temperatures. As such, it’s best to play it safe and keep your temperature to the recommended levels … or keep your lid on the countertop.
