Emile Henry Dutch Oven is a light weight alternative to the heavy cast iron dutch oven. Made in France, its is a perfect way to mix up your cookware. It can go on the flame and in the oven. However, while the thought behind this might sound good. The actual construction of it is very fragile. If you are not careful, you can crack and break it. This review will take a closer look at Emile Henry Dutch Oven construction and design.

Emile Henry Dutch Oven Review Quick Summary

Categories	Emile Henry Dutch Oven
Performance	Acceptable
Colors	Red
Brand Awareness	World Famous
Capacity	Various Sizes
Country of Manufacturer	France
Thoughts	A great looking clay dutch oven that can go on the flame and microwave. I am most impressed by its temperature safe limit. However, clay is really fragile. If you accidentally bang or whack it, it can crack. For that reason, its not really recommended.
Reviewed Cookware	Emile Henry Flame Round Stewpot Dutch Oven, 7 Quart, Burgundy

History of Emile Henry

Emile Henry was founded in 1870 by Jacques Henry. He started making ceramics in his village burgundy. He employed 20 workers and eventually passed on the shop to his son, Paul. His son soon expanded the shop to paris and it flourished. They were enthralled by its smooth line and beautiful design. The ruffled Pie Dish soon became the company symbol. Through innovation, they slowly expanded the company offering. One such expansion was the color offering, another was the Flame Ceramic. A ceramic that can be used directly on flame. Today, their products are still made in France. Something that has never changed.

Emile Henry Dutch Oven Design

This section will discuss the design and construction of Emile Henry Dutch Oven. We will go over handle, shape and overall construction.

Handle

Unfortunately, the handle is not very well designed. It is two tabs on either side of the pot. It does not provide much texture, nor can you hook your hand through a loop. This makes it potentially very slippery and accident prone. If they at least put a loop through it it would have been a lot better. Some texture might have help also. Considering that liquid can be quite heavy, I would be very cautious about transporting this dutch oven.

Shape

The shape of the dutch oven is pretty well designed. It is wide, giving you plenty of cooking surface. Pots who are too narrow will force you to crowd the food. This cause steam to accumulate and steam food. Something you do not want when you are developing flavor.

The interior has a nice soft gradient. This is perfect for when you are making sauces. The whisk will just glide right pass it, making sure that everything gets incorporated. Pots with sharp corner can cause food to get stuck.

Clay Construction

The clay construction is what makes it lighter. However, this is also what makes it so fragile. You need to baby the dutch oven. It will crack otherwise. If you accidentally put the lid on too hard, that can crack it as well. If you are unlucky, it might even come cracked. In general, clay is not as ductile as cast iron. The weight saving isn’t even that much. According to their description, it saves about 30% over cast iron. Something that isnt really worth it in my opinion. However, this does look very nice. The question is it worth it to you?

Flame Top Ceramic

The dutch oven belongs in the Flame Ceramic category. These pots can be used at temperature of 930 degree Fahrenheit. One of the highest I have ever saw. It is resistant to thermal shock and apparently, you can stick it in the freezer. While they dont tell you the exact process that makes it flame resistant, they do have a video explains the process of manufacturing. Interesting enough, the products are all certified by the worker. The steps that goes into making these pots are mostly hand made. They even test for flame proof and durability. You can watch them use a metal stick to test the durability. Although I imagine that if you accidentally drop it, it will cause quite a bit more damage.

Emile Henry Dutch Oven Thoughts

Overall, Emile Henry Dutch Oven is a nice concept. However, the main issue is durability and the handle design. If you have something that will chip and break easily, is it really worth it? If you spend a little more for a Le Creuset or Staub, you can get something that last a lifetime. You do not have to baby it like you would the clay dutch oven. Whether this is worth it or not is up to you. I personally would not get it unless its on a deep sale.

I hope you like this Emile Henry Dutch Oven review, If you would like to see more, please visit our Pots and Pans Review page.