No Dutch Oven? Try A More Affordable Alternative That You Likely Have On-Hand

Outfitting a kitchen with pots and pans can be an expensive undertaking. This is why wedding registries are filled with requests for pieces like enameled Dutch ovens, which can cost hundreds of dollars. If the Dutch oven gods haven't come to your house yet, however, don't be discouraged. Most recipes that are made in a Dutch oven can also work in a regular stock pot, which is a much more affordable option. Even better, you probably already have one in your equipment right now.

Stock pots are more common in home kitchens than Dutch ovens, probably because they're often sold as part of a cookware set — and they're cheaper. While they aren't all shaped exactly like Dutch ovens, they can hold just as much liquid volume and have wide openings so that you can brown things like vegetables and bits of beef for stew, meaning they can be used to make braised meats, stews, soups, and sauces. The major difference between the two pans is that Dutch ovens are made with cast iron, which creates steady, uniform heat, and stock pots are made with thinner metal, like stainless steel, so they heat up and cool down faster.

For most stovetop applications like soup and sauce, a stock pot works much like a Dutch oven. The only consideration is to make sure to stir the food more frequently, so nothing collects on the bottom and sticks. You may also need to adjust the cooking time and temperature slightly up or down, depending on what you're cooking. 

Things get a little tricker in the oven, however. The main issue is that some stock pots are physically just too tall to fit inside a standard home oven. Also, the handles of stock pots are sometimes made of plastic, which isn't oven safe. Another drawback is that the thinner metal of a stockpot isn't really designed for long stints in the oven, so the food can burn on the edges more easily, and they aren't as good for baking bread. If your stock pot is short enough to fit, however, and the handles won't melt, it should work fine for recipes with shorter cooking times like braised beef short ribs. For recipes with longer cooking times, like pot roast, you're better off with a slow cooker or casserole dish.

Investing in quality cookware will pay off over a lifetime, and if you really must own a Dutch oven, there are ways to get cookware cheaper (at least at Costco). Part of the fun of cooking is collecting pieces over time, however, so if it's not in the budget, a stock pot will almost always get the job done.