Best Obsessed is where our editors share what they're obsessing over now. Shop our weekly product picks you'll wonder how you ever lived without.
What We Tested This Week: Milo Small Dutch Oven
Who This Is Perfect for: Anyone who loves chic yet budget-friendly cookware
Every home cook needs a proper cast-iron Dutch oven, but not every home cook has the budget for pricey high-end options from brands like Le Creuset. Luckily, innovative cookware brand Milo has stepped in to change that formula and create a premium Dutch oven at a fraction of the traditional cost of other brands.
A sleek, sturdy, dishwasher-friendly Dutch oven for well under $100? Yes, please.
Unlike more traditional kitchenware brands, Milo works directly with factories to provide high-quality cookware directly to consumers. This direct-to-consumer model (becoming more and more common in the kitchen and home spaces, among many other categories) means that the cost of a product gets knocked down to a fraction of the cost of retail. Four important words: No more middle man.
First introduced in the summer of 2018, Milo's first product was this Classic Dutch Oven. Priced at an affordable $95, this innovative (and disruptive) piece of cookware quickly became a favorite among foodies and received no shortage of positive press. This piece of cookware became so popular, in fact, that it's currently backordered until this spring.
This newer and slightly more compact 3.5-quart Small Dutch Oven, however, is currently available for purchase and is the object of our latest obsession.
Weighing 8 pounds, this 3.5-quart Small Dutch Oven is slightly less clunky and a more practical size compared to its heftier 10.5-pound predecessor. Since we're guessing you'll be using this Dutch oven on the regular, the slightly lighter weight makes hoisting it up from storage to stovetop just a bit easier. Whether you're simmering soups and stews, braising meats or veggies, or simply bringing water to a boil, the Milo Small Dutch Oven is seriously all you need.
Plus, this pot is dishwasher-safe, oven-safe up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, and naturally nonstick thanks to its glossy enameled interior. Did we mention it also costs a wallet-friendly $75? No, we're not kidding. That's literally nearly a third of the price of other competitors' Dutch oven options currently on the market.
As someone who loves to cook but really can't stomach the marked-up retail price of higher-end cookware brands, let's just say that the Milo Dutch Oven quickly found a new home in my kitchen. In my (very small) New York-sized kitchen, however, I will say that storing this pot can be a bit of an issue since it takes up more space than most of my other kitchenware. Because of its size, I often end up just keeping my Dutch oven out on top of my stovetop on display, instead of storing it — which is certainly not a deal-breaker, since it's super chic and minimalist, and I dig the aesthetic.
If I'm cooking a big batch of quick veggie-loaded chili, simmering a split pea soup, or braising meat for a hearty Bolognese sauce, I'm reaching for this sleek, sturdy, super budget-friendly Dutch oven from Milo to get the job done. Dinner is ON!
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