Michael Symon's Go-To Product For A Spotless Dutch Oven

A Dutch oven is a kitchen staple that has been around for hundreds of years, more recently made popular by the iconic Le Creuset brand. It's a wide, shallow-ish pot that comes with a fitted lid to retain heat, and the sturdiness makes for good braising, roasting, baking, simmering, and more. The versatility of a Dutch oven is not limited to the confines of a kitchen: it is also a solid choice of cookware for your next camping trip and open-fire meal. Though Dutch ovens can carry a hefty price tag (the so-called Rolls Royce of Dutch ovens, FINEX, will set you back anywhere from $300-$400), one new direct-to-consumer startup brand Misen offers Dutch ovens with a lifetime guarantee at a fraction of that price.

However, if you've recently acquired a brand-new trophy of domesticity in the form of a bright-colored and sparkling Dutch oven, there's nothing more heartbreaking than seeing it become marked and spotted. There is, however, one industry secret to cleaning a Dutch oven.

Chef Michael Symon recommends a deceptively simple cleaning product called Bar Keeper's Friend for keeping enamel Dutch ovens clean. It's an amazingly affordable (we're talking under $10!) and easy-to-find powder cleanser with all-natural plant-based acid ingredients that are uber-efficient for removing grease, rust, hard water stains, tarnishes, and grime–everything. Bar Keeper's Friend and a little bit of elbow grease will keep your Dutch oven as good as new. You can test it out on Symon's own brand of Dutch oven if you feel so inclined. 

A fair warning from Bar Keeper's Friend's own website: their product is meant to be used exclusively on enameled cookware, and not on classic cast iron. They also recommend testing out the cleaning product on a small part of your Dutch oven to be sure, and that a non-abrasive sponge is used. Just be careful afterward, and be sure not to rub your eyes after cleaning so you can enjoy the beautiful sight of your newly cleaned, glistening Dutch oven.