No.8 Cast Iron Dutch Oven

The 4.5-quart size is spot on for my weekly bread baking, and I love that it's lighter than my old cast iron setup. Seasoning is even all over, and a quick wipe handles most of the mess after dinner.

The smooth factory seasoning made cleanup a breeze after braising short ribs, and the 4.5-quart size fit a whole chicken with room to spare. It really is the lightest cast iron I've lifted, so my wrist didn't ache moving it from the stove to the oven.

The seasoning really is slick—eggs slide right off it, and cleanup takes one wipe. It's surprisingly light for a 4.5-quart pot, so I actually reach for it on weeknights instead of my heavy old one.