Throughout my years of testing and reviewing kitchen gear at America’s Test Kitchen, many people have asked me how to clean a Dutch oven to keep it looking new.
Maybe it’s shocking to ask, but why would you really want to keep it looking brand-new? Stains and dings on your Dutch oven are badges of honor. You’ve been cooking wonderful things, why not be proud of it?
A Dutch oven, or any other piece of kitchen gear, is one of your tools. Put it this way: How much would you trust a carpenter who showed up with brand-new tools?
Your Dutch oven is a means to an end, not a piece of art. (If you really want one just to display, maybe buy a second copy.)