Experienced in managing product distribution for large companies, Bradley Berfield has improved efficiency for several businesses. In his spare time, Bradley “Brad” Berfield loves cooking, and frequently uses his Dutch oven. A Dutch oven is not technically an oven, but actually a large cooking pot with handles and a well-fitted lid. Dutch ovens are valued slow-cooking tools, especially for braising and deep fat frying. Because they are made from iron, they last practically forever. It is not certain how the name came to be. One plausible explanation dates back to 1707, when an entrepreneurial Englishman named Abraham Darby visited the Netherlands. He adopted their method of using sand as a mold for casting iron, which provided a smoother finish at less expense than metal ones. Returning home, Darby patented the technique and produced a variety of cast-iron pots. According to one source, he was the first to call them Dutch ovens. Other historians say that traders from the Netherlands attached their national adjective to the product as they sold their wares overseas. Patriot Paul Revere refined the design, adding legs and casting a ridge in the lid to hold burning coals. Pioneers in the American West took to Dutch ovens, and they were one of the few items that Lewis and Clark carried on their entire expedition. The Dutch oven is a worldwide phenomenon. Le Creuset in France is a leading manufacturer, and its users range from fans of Japanese hot pots to Southern Americans making fried chicken.

1. Why Are They Called Dutch Ovens?
Bradley Berfield

2. Introduction
Experienced in managing product distribution for large companies, Bradley Berfield
has improved efficiency for several businesses. In his spare time, Bradley “Brad”
Berfield loves cooking, and frequently uses his Dutch oven.
A Dutch oven is not technically an oven, but actually a large cooking pot with
handles and a well-fitted lid. Dutch ovens are valued slow-cooking tools, especially
for braising and deep fat frying. Because they are made from iron, they last
practically forever.

3. It is not certain how the name came to be. One plausible explanation dates back to
1707, when an entrepreneurial Englishman named Abraham Darby visited the
Netherlands. He adopted their method of using sand as a mold for casting iron,
which provided a smoother finish at less expense than metal ones. Returning
home, Darby patented the technique and produced a variety of cast-iron pots.
According to one source, he was the first to call them Dutch ovens.
Other historians say that traders from the Netherlands attached their national
adjective to the product as they sold their wares overseas.

4. Patriot Paul Revere refined the design, adding legs and casting a ridge in the lid to
hold burning coals. Pioneers in the American West took to Dutch ovens, and they
were one of the few items that Lewis and Clark carried on their entire expedition.
The Dutch oven is a worldwide phenomenon. Le Creuset in France is a leading
manufacturer, and its users range from fans of Japanese hot pots to Southern
Americans making fried chicken.