A Dutch oven is a thick-walled cooking pot with a tight-fitting lid. It is usually made of seasoned cast iron, but some Dutch ovens are instead made of cast aluminum or ceramic. The most important feature of a Dutch oven is that it is heavy because it needs to maintain a constant temperature either in the oven or on the stove for a long time, and that it has a tight-fitting lid to ensure heat remains in the pot. Dutch ovens are well suited for long, slow cooking, such as in making roasts, stews, and casseroles. Virtually any recipe that can be cooked in a conventional oven can be cooked in a Dutch oven. Some popular brands of Dutch ovens include Le Creuset, Staub, Lodge, and Cuisinart. Enameled cast iron Dutch ovens are the most popular type, but there are also uncoated cast iron Dutch ovens and ceramic Dutch ovens.