I Tried That Dutch Oven You Keep Seeing All Over Instagram—And It’s as Good as It Looks

I, like most adults who came to age in the time of Instagram, am a sucker for an aesthetically pleasing household item. Why have a boring old toaster when you can have a red one? Why have a traditional Kitchen Aid mixer when you can have one in a pastel shade? There’s something that sparks joy about a mundane item adding a pop of color and personality into a room, especially if it’s one that you spend a lot of time in, like the kitchen.

Naturally, this means when I kept seeing cookware brand Great Jones’ Dutch oven pop up on my feed again and again and again, I was curious. And as much as I’d like to say I’ve outgrown it, millennial pink items will always have a place in my heart (though, notably, Great Jones calls their pink shade “macaron,” which sounds a lot more chic). So a millennial pink Dutch oven? Great Jones had my attention. 

While Great Jones was kind enough to send me The Dutchess for story consideration, at $145, it’s definitely an investment for most people. However, for a quality piece of cookware, this price is more than fair—especially when you consider its size (it holds almost 7 quarts). With some smaller Dutch ovens priced in the $200 range, this means you get quite a bit of bang for your buck. The rest of the details about the piece are pretty appealing, too. The oven is made of enameled cast iron and has a gray interior that’s dark enough to hide stains, but still light enough to see butter brown. It’s also dishwasher friendly, safe up to 500 degrees, and specifically designed so that it’s easy to grip with four fingers. It’s a bit heavy at 15 pounds, but that’s normal for a Dutch oven, especially one that’s as large as The Dutchess. But hey, this just means more room for food, which is never a bad thing in my book.

For my first few weeks of having The Dutchess, I proudly displayed it on top of my fridge, right next to a plant with a matching pink pot. Every time I looked at it, I felt like someone who really had their shit together when it came to cooking, but I was curious how it would hold up against other Dutch ovens I’ve used, including my beloved Le Creuset.

After taking it for a spin once to cook a chicken and some vegetables, I can confirm that it performs just as great as it looks. While it took a little bit to get used to the weight of the Dutch oven itself, I was surprised how much I liked having the extra room in the piece (I’m used to a round Dutch oven) and how evenly it cooked everything without burning. I’m still getting used to cooking with it, but I look forward to experimenting (and showing it off) over the holidays.