Compare Dutch Ovens
Caraway Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven scores higher on safety - here's why.
The most important dimensions, side by side.
Caraway's lead testing meets California's Prop 65 standard — roughly 10x stricter than baseline FDA limits. Results are independently verified and publicly available. This is the gold standard for lead safety in cookware.
Cadmium was historically used in red and yellow enamel colorants. Caraway's 20+ heavy metal testing panel includes cadmium — verified clean by an independent lab.
Caraway tests for over 200 types of PFAS — far more than most brands even claim to check. Independent results are published. While vitreous enamel on cast iron is inherently PFAS-free by material, having the lab data to prove it is a meaningful differentiator.
Caraway backs this cast iron dutch oven with a limited lifetime warranty — the same class of coverage you get from Le Creuset and Staub. If the enamel chips from a manufacturing defect, Caraway covers it.
Le Creuset says the interior enamel is lead-free, and French manufacturing under EU REACH regulations provides a baseline of confidence. But they don't cite Prop 65 or a specific US standard on their product page -- which matters when you're spending $370.
Le Creuset says the food-contact interior is cadmium-free. Worth knowing: independent testers have found cadmium traces in some exterior color pigments. The exterior is not where food touches, but it is something to be aware of, especially if you have young children handling the pot.
The best PFAS score in this comparison. Vitreous enamel is glass fired onto iron -- PFAS literally cannot exist in it. This is chemistry, not a brand claim.
Le Creuset's limited lifetime warranty is well-regarded and the brand has strong customer service. If the enamel chips, they stand behind it.
At 500°F, nothing is off the table — Dutch oven sourdough, searing followed by a low braise, high-heat roasts. No temperature ceiling for typical home cooking.
Safe to 500F in the oven, which covers bread baking and high-heat roasting. One note: the standard phenolic resin knob is rated exactly to 500F. If you regularly cook at that temperature, consider upgrading to the stainless steel knob Le Creuset sells separately.
Cast iron holds heat better than any other common cookware material. Once this pot is hot, it stays hot — perfect for the kind of long, slow, low-heat braises that are the dutch oven's signature use.
Le Creuset consistently tops heat retention tests. For slow braises, stews, and bread baking, this performs at the same level as Staub in controlled tests.
At 13.4 lbs empty, this pot demands respect. Full of a Sunday braise, you are managing serious weight. This is the fundamental tradeoff of cast iron — unmatched cooking performance, real physical demands.
At 11.5 lbs, Le Creuset is technically the lightest of the three -- but we're talking fractions of a pound. All cast iron Dutch ovens require two hands and care.
At $195 you get Caraway's full testing program applied to a genuine cast iron dutch oven. That is roughly half the price of Le Creuset with the same class of safety verification.
At $370, you're paying more than Staub ($299) and getting weaker safety documentation in return. The cooking performance matches Staub, but the price-to-safety ratio is the worst in this comparison.
Everything you need to make the call - who each one is for, and who should skip it.
Go for it if you...
You want the most rigorously third-party-tested dutch oven in the category — Caraway tests more PFAS types and heavy metals than any competitor we evaluated.
You want genuine cast iron performance: excellent heat retention for long braises and 500°F oven capability for Dutch oven bread.
You are comfortable with 13.4 lbs and want a pot that will last a lifetime under a solid limited warranty.
You already own Le Creuset and trust the brand based on years of use.
Cooking performance and heat retention are your primary priorities and safety documentation is secondary.
You want the iconic brand for gifting or a one-time forever purchase and the safety gap doesn't concern you.
You specifically prefer the cream interior enamel and lighter color aesthetics for visibility while cooking.
The main thing to know
Caraway's enameled cast iron dutch oven combines two things that are hard to find together: the most rigorously third-party-tested chemical safety profile in the category (200+ PFAS types, 20+ heavy metals, Prop 65 verified for both lead and cadmium) with genuine cast iron performance — excellent heat retention, 500°F oven capability, and a limited lifetime warranty. The honest tradeoff is weight: at 13.4 lbs, this is a heavy pot for daily family cooking. If you want safety verification without cast iron weight, the ceramic Caraway non-stick dutch oven is the lighter option, though it scores lower on heat retention.
This is the hardest recommendation to write. Le Creuset cooks beautifully and will last a lifetime -- we have no doubt about that. But at $370, it's the most expensive pot in this comparison, and it has the weakest safety documentation of the three. Both lead and cadmium compliance are brand claims without a named regulatory standard. Meanwhile, some exterior color pigments have tested positive for cadmium traces in independent tests. The interior enamel is the food-contact surface and may well be fine -- but for $70 more than Staub, you should have stronger paperwork, not weaker.
Skip this if you...
You cook daily and need a lightweight option — at 13.4 lbs this is a physically demanding daily driver.
You are on a tight budget — at $195 there are cheaper cast iron options, though none with these safety credentials.
You want the lightest possible dutch oven — look at Emile Henry (8.8 lbs) or the ceramic Caraway non-stick version instead.
You want regulatory-cited safety documentation -- Staub costs $71 less and has Prop 65 dual-certification with published audits.
You've read that some exterior Le Creuset color pigments test positive for cadmium and that information affects your comfort.
You're buying primarily for family safety and budget is a factor -- Lodge at $80 offers stronger lead verification at a fraction of the cost.
Neither of these quite what you're looking for?
I've reviewed all Dutch Ovens options at every price pointEvery Dutch Ovens in our database is scored using R3's deterministic scoring system - the same inputs always produce the same score. For this comparison, we evaluated Caraway and Le Creuset across 3 independent criteria: Safety (87%), Efficacy (12%), Usability (1%). No sponsored rankings. No paid placements.
Straight answers - no sponsored content, no filler.
I'd start with Caraway Caraway Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven - it scored 9.9/10 overall in our scoring system. Safety is our top-weighted scoring pillar, followed by efficacy, and usability. Check which pillar matters most to your family and compare those specific scores.
R3 uses a deterministic scoring system - the same inputs always produce the same score. We evaluate each Dutch Ovens across Safety, Efficacy, Usability using independently verified data. No sponsored rankings. No paid placements. Every score is fully reproducible.
Not necessarily. The overall score reflects our weighted rubric, but your priorities may differ. If you care most about safety, compare the safety scores directly. If budget drives your decision, the prices tell a clearer story. The "right" pick is the one that matches what matters most to your family.
Not the right match? Explore these alternatives in the same category.
