<P> A Dutch oven is a thick - walled cooking pot with a tight - fitting lid . Dutch ovens are usually made of seasoned cast iron, however some Dutch ovens are instead made of cast aluminium, or are ceramic . Some metal varieties are enameled rather than being seasoned . Dutch ovens have been used as cooking vessels for hundreds of years . They are called casserole dishes in English speaking countries other than the United States ("casserole" means "pot" in French), and cocottes in French . They are similar to both the Japanese tetsunabe and the Sač, a traditional Balkan cast - iron oven, and are related to the South African Potjie and the Australian Bedourie oven . </P> <P> During the late 17th century, the Dutch system of producing these cast metal cooking vessels was more advanced than the English system . The Dutch used dry sand to make their molds, giving their pots a smoother surface . Consequently, metal cooking vessels produced in the Netherlands were imported into Great Britain . In 1704, an Englishman named Abraham Darby decided to go to the Netherlands to observe the Dutch system for making these cooking vessels . Four years later, back in England, Darby patented a casting procedure similar to the Dutch process and began to produce cast - metal cooking vessels for Britain and her new American colonies . Thus the term "Dutch oven" has endured for over 300 years, since at least 1710 . </P> <P> American Dutch ovens changed over time during the colonial era . These changes included a shallower pot, legs to hold the oven above the coals, and a lid flange to keep the coals on the lid and out of the food . Paul Revere is credited with the design of the flat lid with a ridge for holding coals as well as the addition of legs to the pots . </P>

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