The best casserole dishes for hobs and ovens reviewed

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• Best casserole dishes to buy in 2024
• Which size casserole dish do you need?
• How we tested casserole dishes

Best casserole dishes to buy in 2024

MasterClass 4-litre cast-aluminium casserole dish

Best lightweight casserole dish

Pros:

• Super lightweight
• Large capacity

Cons:

• Only oven-safe up to 200C

At a glance the MasterClass dish looks like a cast-iron casserole pot. Pick it up, though, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how lightweight it actually is. It’s a deep one, so we recommend trying it between your oven shelves in a cold oven, just in case you need to rearrange them for cooking.

There was no sticking when it came to browning chicken legs on its non-stick base, which heated quickly and evenly. It’s also PFOA- and BOA-free; a good option for chemical-free cooking. The dish has a self-basting lid that successfully kept moisture circulating within a casserole, which came out tender and thick.

It’s safe for oven use up to 200C, so there are limitations to the functionality of this dish when it comes to using in very hot ovens; it’s one for low and slow cooking. However, being so lightweight and dishwasher-safe, it gets points for overall convenience. It also comes with a 25-year guarantee.

Staub 2.2-litre cast-iron Cocotte

Best cast-iron casserole dish

Pros:

• Attractive design
• Wide handles for easy lifting

Cons:

• Small capacity for the price tag

The Staub Cocotte is a statement casserole dish, almost as delicious to stare at as the meals you can make within it. If you have money to spend on a classic casserole pot, the Staub is a small but perfectly formed option designed to last. At 24cm across, the dish is roughly the same width as any generic pan and compact enough to stack in the average cupboard.

We fitted four chicken thighs in against its matte black cooking surface and found there to be some initial sticking whilst we seared the skin, even with a layer of oil. However, over time the dish is designed to build up a natural non-stick patina and has a legacy of long-term performance.

Cast iron holds and distributes heat evenly across its surface. With such high sides, we found our casserole simmered well. Small picots beneath its lid guide all condensed moisture back into the casserole itself. Plus, although its little handles are not heatproof, they are a practical shape for gripping and come in handy for lifting it in and out the oven.

Samuel Groves 27cm oval cast-iron casserole dish

Best large casserole dish

Pros:

• Feeds eight people
• Secure, tight-fitting lid

Cons:

• Very heavy

This Samuel Groves cast-iron casserole dish is vast, allowing you to cook for up to eight people at a time. Not only is the oval design conducive to cooking whole joints of meat on the bone or an extra large chicken, you could also make loaves of bread inside it.

Being 27cm across at its widest point, it will still fit in a standard oven. The lid is tight fitting thanks to its sheer weight, so bread like sourdough, which initially needs steam trapped inside to stop a crust forming too early, would fare well being cooked inside here.

With a small amount of oil we didn’t see any sticking when browning meat or frying garlic. With the right care, you can prevent the marking that sometimes builds on light coloured casserole dishes. Enamelled cast iron gives you longevity and would likely stand the test of time. We'd recommend making space for storing this dish in the bottom of a floor cupboard, as it's very heavy.

Le Creuset signature 26cm shallow casserole dish

Best shallow casserole dish

Pros:

• Attractive
• Good heat distribution
• Good range of shapes and sizes
• Lifetime guarantee

Cons:

• Expensive

For range of colours, shapes and sizes, Le Creuset’s cast-iron pans and dishes can’t be beaten. This dish is expensive, but we can say from experience that the brand’s products stand the test of time and the cooking results are excellent.

With efficient heat distribution, these pans don’t need much oil compared to other cast-iron brands and build up a natural patina with prolonged use that helps with non-stick.

We chose this shallow pan for occasions when a deep pan just won’t do – think creamy risottos, meatballs in tomato sauce or fish curries. It’s about surface area, not depth, and would also be a great option for pilaf rice, gratins and roasting whole chickens.

Big enough to cook for six, this is the kind of casserole dish you get excited about bringing to the table, plus it comes with a lifetime guarantee.

M&S 5-litre cast-aluminium casserole dish

• Available from M&S (£49.50)

Best casserole dish for easy batch cooking

Pros:

• Practical handles for easy lifting
• Affordable price tag
• Lightweight
• Dishwasher-safe

Cons:

• Loose-fitting lid

If, like us, you love batch cooking or catering for a full table, this 5-litre cast-aluminium casserole dish by M&S is a functional option. We particularly love the price. For under £50, this is a lightweight alternative to the traditional cast-iron options which can become overwhelmingly heavy when full.

Its two broad handles are a practical size and easy to grip for lifting in and out of the oven. Safe up to 240C, it copes well in hot ovens. It has a large, practical base that heated quickly on an induction hob. Eight chicken breasts can be browned evenly across its non-stick surface at one time – we didn’t see any evidence of sticking.

The lid to this dish sits flat, so once on, it doesn’t add to the pan’s overall height – good for smaller ovens. The seal is relatively loose, so we’d recommend filling only two thirds full to avoid any liquid bubbling over.

When it came to cleaning, we were able to wipe all residue away with a damp cloth before giving it a quick wash with hot soapy water. It can also go in the dishwasher.

Available from:

• M&S (£49.50)

GreenPan 5.3-litre Featherweight

Best chemical-free casserole dish

Pros:

• PFA, PFOA, lead and cadmium-free
• Lid fits securely
• Lightweight
• Large capacity

Cons:

• Expensive

If chemical-free cooking is a deciding factor for you, the GreenPan Featherweight is a high performing, non-toxic alternative to a traditional non-stick casserole pot. This is a large dish, and the 5.3-litre capacity can comfortably feed eight hungry mouths in one go. You can sear 12 chicken breasts at a time without fear of them sticking.

As the name suggests, it’s lightweight. Despite its size and traditional dark cast-iron design, it weighs less than a normal frying pan when empty – so, no problems lifting when it’s full.

Two custom silicone covers slip snugly onto the dish’s handles, although if you’re sliding the pan between two oven trays, we’d recommend using oven gloves for added hand and wrist protection from any hot metal. We were also impressed with the snug fit of the casserole dish’s lid, which wouldn't slide off even if knocked or jolted in busy kitchens.

A drawback could be the price. At over £100, you don’t get the 'lifetime durability' of a cast-iron pot. But taking into account its non-toxic properties, the GreenPan is a great performing casserole dish.

Which size casserole dish do you need?

To help you choose the right dish for your household, Good Food recipe expert Anna Glover suggests which casserole dishes to buy for couples and families. Larger casserole dishes are also available and will allow you to feed upwards of four people or have leftovers for popping in the fridge.

• Best casserole dish size for a couple: 20cm/2.4 litre round casserole dish
• Best casserole dish size for a family of four: 24cm/4.2 litre round casserole dish

How we tested casserole dishes

We reviewed a representative range of casserole pots and scored them against the following criteria:

• Durability: a casserole that could stand a certain amount of wear and tear.
• Versatility: we wanted a pan that ticked at least three of the following boxes – suitable for all hob types, the oven, serving, the dishwasher and/or the microwave.
• Depth: having a pot that’s deep enough to submerge chunky ingredients in like whole chickens gives you flexibility over what you can cook.
• Surface area: when it comes to browning ingredients like chicken thighs, a large surface area enables you to do so evenly.
• Good heat distribution: the key to teasing out a richness of flavour from ingredients.
• Looks: casseroles are for sharing so get a dish you’re proud to bring to the table.
• Well-sealed: we wanted all the flavours and moisture to remain firmly intact.
• Heat: the hotter the dish can handle, the better.

Casserole dish recipes

Top tip: You can make a batch of something in a casserole dish and portion it out for the freezer. Slow cooks and braises are often sometimes a little more time-consuming, so making 4-6 portions can future-proof your freezer. Sometimes you just want something for two – here are some of our favourite recipes for two that you can make in a casserole.

Casserole recipes
Vegetarian casserole recipes
One-pot recipes
Tagine recipes
Sausage bean casserole
Simple fish stew
Easy caponata
Lamb & apricot stew
Lemongrass beef stew
Tomato & harissa stew
One-pot chicken casserole
Mexican chicken stew
Chicken & chorizo jambalaya
Simple seafood chowder

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This review was last updated in September 2024. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.

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