JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS:

Dutch ovens have turned from workhorse to status symbol (TANYA BRICKING LEACH, 10/01/08, ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The appeal has as much to do with aesthetics as cooking, with many people selecting ovens based on kitchen decor. "I don't know how much people cook with it, sometimes, but they decorate their kitchen," says Kim Collins, senior brand manager for Le Creuset.

For those who do cook with them, durability and versatility are key selling points.

"This is cookware you can keep for a long time," says Kate Dering, a cookware buyer for Seattle-based kitchen retailer Sur la Table. "You can braise and bake all in the same pot and make an economical meal, like a roast or soup. That's why people are buying them."

Retailers across the spectrum have responded to the demand. The pots are standard fare for Williams-Sonoma, where a 15 1/2 -quart red oval Le Creuset Dutch oven fetches $415, as well as for Wal-Mart, where a green 3 1/2 -quart Tramontina goes for under $30.

Le Creuset and Batali brand Dutch ovens are among Sur la Table's best-selling items, says Dering. And to keep up with demand, the company stocks 40% more of them than just a few years ago, she says.

Cast-iron Dutch ovens, which can be round or oval, have been around for centuries, dating to at least 17th-Century Europe. Because they originally were intended for hearth-style cooking, most early versions had legs for standing them over a bed of coals.

Now as then, they are prized for their ability to retain heat and moisture and move easily from the stovetop to the oven, making them ideal for stews, baked beans, roasts, braising, even baked goods.

"They're the original slow cookers," says Vernon Winterton, author of "101 Things to do with a Dutch Oven."