Osta Staub Valurautapata

Cooking for two is finally enjoyable—this oval dish is just the right size for a gratin, and the cast iron holds heat so evenly that the edges brown as nicely as the middle. Cleanup took barely a minute with a simple soak.

The graphite grey finish looks even better in person, and the 8.25-inch oval is the perfect size for two side dishes. I’ve used it twice for baked pasta and clean-up was surprisingly easy—no stubborn stuck-on bits.

The oval shape fits perfectly in my oven and cleans up surprisingly easy despite being heavy cast iron. The graphite grey colour hides any baking marks, so it still looks brand new after months of use.