The short answer: a 26cm (5.4 litre) casserole suits most households of four to six. Choose 22cm (3.3 litres) for one or two people, 24cm (4.3 litres) if you cook for three or four and want something lighter to lift, and 28 to 30cm (6.1 to 7.5 litres) for big families, parties and batch cooking for the freezer.
Size by household
| Size | Capacity | Feeds | Weight with lid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22cm | 3.3 litres | 1 to 2 | 4.1kg |
| 24cm | 4.3 litres | 3 to 4 | 5.2kg |
| 26cm | 5.4 litres | 4 to 6 | 6.1kg |
| 28cm | 6.1 litres | 6 to 8 | 6.5kg |
| 30cm | 7.5 litres | 8 plus, or a batch to freeze | 7.3kg |
Sizes, capacities and weights are for the Season Cast Iron Casserole.
Size by what you cook
- Bread: 24 or 26cm. A standard 500g flour loaf fits comfortably and has room to rise under the lid. Our method: how to bake bread in a cast iron casserole.
- A whole chicken: 26cm for a 1.5 to 1.8kg bird; 28cm for anything larger.
- Stews, ragù, chilli and curry for the week: 28 or 30cm. Cast iron holds heat so evenly that a big pot cooks as well as a small one.
- Soups and stocks: go a size up from what you think. You want headroom.
- Braises, shakshuka, focaccia, pies: a shallow casserole. More surface, less depth, so things brown and reduce rather than steam. Ours come in 26cm (2.3 litres) and 30cm (3.5 litres).
Think about the weight
Cast iron is heavy, and a full pot is heavier still. A 26cm casserole weighs 6.1kg empty; add five litres of stew and you are lifting over 11kg out of a hot oven. If lifting is a concern, the 24cm is the sweet spot. Generous handles help, which is why ours are wide enough to grip in oven gloves.
Check your oven and hob
Measure the oven: a 26cm casserole is 36cm across including the handles and 17cm tall with the lid. Ours work on every hob, including induction, and go in the oven up to 230°C. Match the base to your largest hob ring for even heat.
If you can only have one
Buy the 26cm. It cooks for two with leftovers, feeds six at a push, bakes bread, roasts a chicken and makes a week of ragù. The Season Cast Iron Casserole 26cm is £100, in Blue Mussel, Fennel Seed, Sumac Seed, Blue Steel and Toasted Oat, with a 10 year warranty.
Questions people ask
Is a 24cm or 26cm casserole better? 26cm if you cook for four or more or bake bread often; 24cm if you are usually two or three, or want a lighter pot.
What size casserole for a family of four? 26cm, 5.4 litres. It leaves room for leftovers.
What size for sourdough? 24 or 26cm for a loaf made with 500g of flour.
Can I use a big casserole for small amounts? Yes, but a shallow layer of liquid reduces fast. Keep an eye on it, or use a smaller pot.
From the cooks at Season, a London cookshop since 2005. Cook like it matters.