Object of Desire: A Sleek Cast-Iron Dutch Oven, Nicely Priced

Though we love to cook in Dutch ovens at home, we can’t deny that they’re pricey (making them “prime for disruption”). Enter Milo, founded by LA-based Zach Schau. He’s a serial entrepreneur (he was a co-founder of bike manufacturer Pure Cycles in his twenties) who had taken to using a coated cast iron Dutch oven at home and wondered whether he could find a way to bring the price down. After visiting factories in Europe, the US, and Asia, Schau concluded that “the process of casting iron is a centuries-old technology and the materials are affordable,” but that the large overhead of established brands necessitated the high prices. Adopting the now-ubiquitous direct-to-consumer model, Schau just released his first product: the Milo Dutch oven in a single color and size, comparable in quality (he says) to the famous brands and backed by a lifetime guarantee.

Photography courtesy of Milo.

Cast iron is beloved by cooks for its even distribution of heat. Milo recommends using the pot on a medium burner temperature and gradually reducing it as your food cooks.

Milo makes maintenance recommendations on its website: Small brown spots that accumulate with use can be removed with soap and water or Bar Keeper’s Friend, and an occasional rubdown with a thin coat of oil will help prevent spots from occurring in the first place.

For more Objects of Desire across our sites, see:

• Object of Desire: Woven Baskets from Baba Tree
• Object of Desire: Birch Bristle Doormat
• Object of Desire: Nawrap Binchotan Charcoal Dish and Bath Cloths from Japan