Round Dutch Oven (5.5-Quart), $350, available at: Le Creuset | Amazon | Williams-Sonoma | Nordstrom
We used it to cook: beef stroganoff, broccoli and sausage orzo skillet, chicken pot hotdish, and so much more.
Why we love it: The 5.5-quart version of the popular Le Creuset Dutch oven isn't cheap at $350, but it's the cornerstone of my kitchen; it offers a lot of versatility, a durable design, and crucially, even heat distribution. I use it to cook easy, one-pot meals on most weeknights — everything from beef stroganoff to spring peas and asparagus risotto to a broccoli and sausage orzo skillet. —Ellen Hoffman, director of content strategy
I use a 4.5-quart version of this Dutch Oven, the same one that had previously belonged to my former boss' wife. She and I would swap recipes through her husband, delivering muffins and breakfast bars and favorite recipes to each other via his briefcase. At a holiday party at their home one year, she gifted me one of her Le Creuset pots along with her matching frying pan. She gave it to me because she was growing partial to her Staub Dutch oven and didn't need so many in the house, but it was still one of the kindest gifts I've ever received. I love cooking in it and especially using it to serve stews, sauces, and orzo during dinner parties. —Sally Kaplan, Insider Picks editor