Watch Out, Le Creuset: Costco's Affordable Dutch Oven Is Stealing The Spotlight
Le Creuset is a legendary name in Dutch ovens — it even won our ranking of the 10 best Dutch ovens on the market. But these gorgeous kitchen workhorses are just as renowned for their quality as they are for their price tags, which can be more than $800. Luckily, the Le Creuset look is often imitated by far less expensive brands, and one popular option just arrived at Costco.
The Tramontina Dutch oven two-pack comes with 3.5-quart and 5.5-quart ovens in either red, white, or light teal tones that evoke the signature colors of Le Creuset. Both ovens are safe to use up to temperatures of 450 degrees Fahrenheit, which should be plenty hot for common cooking applications.
As you might expect from a Costco product, the main draw of these Tramontina Dutch ovens is their affordability. The pair costs only $69.99, whereas just one comparable 5.5-quart Le Creuset oven is over $400. But as good as this deal is, customers frequently report one issue with this product.
One little thing people hate about Costco's Dutch oven
One Reddit user warned about the tradeoff for these surprisingly affordable Dutch ovens, saying that, "You get what you pay for. These chip easily." Many customers report that the enamel on their Tramontina Dutch ovens attracts gashes. That can mar the attractive exterior or, if on the cooking surface, render the pot unusable. But the good news is that these same people say that support agents quickly sent free replacements, making the deal still worth considering.
If you do get two (or more) of these beautiful pots, you may want to avoid putting your Dutch ovens in the dishwasher. Wash and dry cycles can weaken enamel over time, and evidence suggests that the coating on these Costco Dutch ovens is fragile enough already.
Aldi has a popular and affordable Le Creuset duplicate, which also has noticeably fewer complaints about chipped enamel than Costco's. But there's another tradeoff here, in that the Crofton Dutch oven can be difficult to find. Aldi only releases them once a year, and not every store carries the product. For ease of purchase and number of ovens, the Costco deal might still reign supreme.