Read This Before Putting Your Dutch Oven In The Fridge
If you're a home cook — or just a foodie who loves all the latest and greatest cooking tools — you've likely drooled over the Le Creuset Dutch ovens online or at your local kitchen store. Available in all different sizes and a rainbow of stunning colors, the Instagram-worthy pots have become a must-have item for chefs (both professional and amateur alike) all around the world. Whether or not you splurge on a Le Creuset, a Dutch oven is a handy piece of bakeware to have. It serves a seemingly endless number of purposes, from braising meat to simmering stew to baking hearty casseroles.
While you likely know that Dutch ovens can go on your stove or in your oven — and are the answer to your one-pot meal prayers — you may not know whether or not they can go in your fridge. Wondering if it's okay to stick yours inside the refrigerator? Read this first.
Your Dutch oven can keep food cold and fresh
Good news for Dutch oven owners — your enameled pot can absolutely go inside the refrigerator. The Kitchn explains that the highly conductive properties of cast iron (what all Dutch ovens are made of) apply as much to heat as they do to cold. Meaning, your Dutch oven will be extremely effective at keeping your food cold, making it a winner for desserts and salads alike. Plus, because your Dutch oven can be covered, it's ideal for storing food overnight. Food 52 adds that in some cases, like in stews, flavors even get better the longer they sit in your Dutch oven.
One caveat, however: Do not take it directly from the stove or oven to the fridge. The dramatic change in temperature can cause what Oven Spot describes as thermal shock. This can warp or even ruin your Dutch oven, which is something that, especially if you spent hundreds on a Le Creuset, you definitely want to avoid.