Martha Stewart can be described as the modern day Julia Child. She is known in America as the go to person for home goods and cooking. You can see her name on all sorts of products like towels, kitchen utensils and even cookware. But how does Martha Stewart Dutch oven perform? This review will take a closer look at the design and features of Martha Stewart Dutch oven. We will see if her brand of cookware actually amounts to anything.

Martha Stewart Dutch Oven 8 Qt Quick Summary

Categories	Martha Stewart Dutch Oven
Performance	Good
Colors	Range of Colors
Brand Awareness	America
Country of Manufacturer	China
Thoughts	A well designed dutch oven that is a bit over priced. There is also some issues in regards to the Enamel Durability. A good alternative is the one by Lodge. It will perform just as well for half the cost. It also doesn’t have as much Quality Control Issue.
Reviewed Cookware	Martha Stewart 8 qt

Enamel Dutch Oven

Almost all dutch oven these days are made of Enamel Cast Iron. The reason for this is because cast iron holds heat incredibly well. This is in part due to how dense the metal is. Some might complain about the weight but for a cookware, that is actually a good thing. A good heavy pot means that it will stay hot on the serving table.

The enamel is a glass coating that gives it their signature look. It does two thing. First, it prevents the bare cast iron from rusting. Second, it prevents any oil leaching onto the food. What most people dont know is that bare cast iron seasoning is fat. Old fat to be exact. Those old fat gets polymerized and latch onto the pan. Sometimes with stews, you can get coloring from that fat. It gives it a odd brownish color. Although you cant really taste it, it is off putting. For this reason, I recommend sticking with a enamel dutch oven.

Martha Stewart Dutch Oven Design

Handle

The handle on Martha Stewart Dutch Oven is very like that of Le Creuset. It is wide with ample clearance. This lets you get a secure grip when you are transferring the pot. If you have a handle with small handle, you can accidentally hit something and drop it. While it many seem like a trivial matter, just be aware that a filled 8qt pot adds substantial amount of weight.

Shape

The shape of Martha Stewart Dutch Oven is pretty standard. It is wide so that it can sear a lot of food in one batch. You want to avoid pots with narrow base, this cause food to crowd. When you crowd the pan, the food will start steaming instead of searing. To get a proper sear, the food needs to be able to reach temperature of 300 degree farenheight and above. The steam and liquid will never let you reach that temperature.

Price and Place of Purchases

You use to be able to buy a good selection at Amazon but it seems the brand have moved on to Macy. There is a wider selection of colors there and the version is slightly different. I will say this, her dutch oven is not cheap. For the half the price, you can find a equivalent one by lodge. Another good alternative would be the one from Cuisinart. But if you believe in the Martha Stewart brand, it is still a good choice. The user reviews from customers seems to be all positive. Performance wise, you will not see that much of a difference between the brands.

Colors

Martha Stewart knows her customer base. Given her reputation as a interior designer, it makes perfect sense to give a wide range of color. Her selection rivals that of the French manufacture such as Staub and Le Creuset. Other American manufacturer like lodge only have a handful of colors available. For this reason, her dutch oven deserve a lot of praise. One major issue is the enamel durability. In the past, user have submitted photos of the enamel flaking off. I am not sure if they improved on the design since then.

Performance

There is very little difference in performance between the manufacturer. The basic design is bare cast iron and that affects how well it conduct heat. What does matter is how ergonomic it is. Look at the handle look at the shape. you should choose one that works best for you. All the Enamel Cast Iron Dutch oven should hold heat well and they should sear food just as well. Buy one that has a wide base so that you can sear food in one batch.

Martha Stewart Dutch Oven Thoughts

Martha Stewart Dutch Oven is pretty well designed. However, there is some issue in regards to the enamel durability. It is also expensive compare to brands like Lodge. Theirs cost half the price for the same performance. And lodge focuses on cast iron cookware, I am sure they can support their product better than Martha Stewart. For this reason, I recommend sticking with Lodge.

I hope you found this Martha Stewart 8qt Dutch Oven review to be informative, If you would like to see more, please visit our Pots and Pans Review page.