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The Approche Libre® Dutch oven is coming soon
How can you prepare recipes inspired by cauldron cooking when you can't go outside, light a wood fire, or go camping?
How can you rediscover the pleasure of slow-cooked meals and traditional French cuisine when you live in the city?
The answer is simple: use a cast iron Dutch oven.
A Dutch oven allows you to enjoy that slow, generous style of cooking right from your own kitchen, using induction cooktops, gas, or an oven. Heat diffuses gradually through the cast iron, just as it does in a cauldron.
Approche Libre® has therefore designed a raw cast iron Dutch oven with a diameter of 26 cm and a 5-liter capacity, to make this type of cooking accessible to everyone, without needing a wood fire.
The raw cast iron Approche Libre® Dutch oven comes pre-seasoned and ready to use.
🛡️ 2-year warranty against manufacturing defects.
From its conception, the Approche Libre® raw cast iron Dutch oven has been designed to adapt to all modern requirements: it is fully compatible with induction, glass-ceramic, gas, and oven use.Its special feature lies in a unique practical detail: it is the only Dutch oven on the market designed to accommodate a removable iron handle (sold separately). This simple system allows you to switch seamlessly from everyday cooking to hanging it over a wood fire.
Cast iron compliant with European standards
Beyond its robustness, the brand provides strict guarantees regarding the composition of its material:
- Regulatory compliance: The raw cast iron undergoes rigorous testing in independent laboratories to validate its compliance with European regulations concerning materials in contact with foodstuffs (Regulation (EC) No. 1935/2004). Analyses were carried out by the independent laboratories SGS and TÜV.
- No synthetic coating: The utensil is completely free of plastic coatings, industrial varnishes, or PFAS. Its non-stick surface is naturally achieved and maintained through vegetable oil seasoning.
- No detectable traces of heavy metals: The analyses showed no detectable migration of heavy metals or undesirable substances, according to the thresholds of the tests performed.
Approche Libre® guarantees premium quality and healthy cooking.
A single-piece design with no weak points
- No attached handles: Molded directly into the cast iron, the side handles cannot loosen or become weak. Their textured surface improves grip and secures handling.
- No screwed-on knob: The lid handle is an integral part of its structure. There is no risk of it loosening or weakening. This single-piece design also limits the stresses linked to the expansion of different components under the effect of heat and allows for a greater thermal operating range. This is a particularly appreciated advantage for wood-fired oven cooking.
Mass designed for thermal performance
The amount of cast iron that makes up a Dutch oven is not a detail. Beyond the mechanical robustness it provides, it directly determines its thermal inertia and its ability to distribute heat evenly.
On induction, heating is rapid, powerful, and very localized. A base that is too thin promotes hot spots, with areas where food can stick or burn.
Our development team therefore chose to thicken the walls, and especially the bottom of the Dutch oven, to reach a total mass of 6 kg (including lid).
This extra cast iron mass allows it to better absorb the localized energy of induction and distribute it uniformly.
The result: more stable and consistent heat, particularly suitable for long cooking times, braising, and stewing.
Where some models on the market prioritize lightness and saving on material, we have made the opposite choice — more expensive to produce, but more consistent with our requirements for robustness and performance.
Our Approche Libre® Dutch oven is thus positioned among the premium models on the market, with a design intended to offer excellent thermal, mechanical, and ergonomic qualities.
Dual-purpose handles
Our design and development team also worked on the two side handles to offer a solid grip.
These handles are cast into the piece and structured to provide a non-slip surface that makes handling safer, even outdoors.
They have also been designed to accommodate a removable iron handle, which can be attached or detached depending on the use. The Approche Libre® Dutch oven can thus go from induction cooktops to a wood fire, to express its true nature.
This versatility is unique on the market and fully matches our pursuit of autonomy.
The Approche Libre® Dutch oven is both urban and nomadic, for cooking with total freedom.
A practical solution for autonomous cooking
The addition of the removable handle multiplies the possibilities for use, especially in contexts where access to electricity is limited:
- At home: It is used like a traditional Dutch oven on your induction or glass-ceramic cooktops, or to bake your bread in the oven.
- Over a wood fire: The handle allows it to be suspended over embers, in a fireplace, or on a camp tripod.
- Off-grid: It offers the possibility of cooking without electricity, simply using wood or charcoal.
🇫🇷 The blueprints and development of this Dutch oven were carried out by our team in Nice.
Approche Libre® — Technique in autonomy.
Learn more
The cast iron Dutch oven: a return to basics
Cast iron Dutch oven and traditional cauldron: cast iron at the heart of cooking
Cast iron Dutch oven: our complete guide to choosing the right one