Stove or oven?
Le Creuset puts it simply: round pots suit the stove because they match the shape of the burner, and oval pots shine in the oven. Over a round burner an oval pot takes longer to heat, though once it's hot, Le Creuset says, both brown and sear equally well. Some newer ranges have an oval center burner, or two burners that join into one.
What fits inside
An oval pot follows the shape of a whole chicken, a duck, a pork loin or a beef tenderloin, with room for hot air to move around the meat. It also bakes no-knead bread into a long loaf rather than a round boule. For the same quarts, a round pot has deeper sides and an oval one is wider and shallower, so look at both the shape and the quarts when you pick a size.
Space and storage
A round pot leaves more room on a small cooktop for other pans. Oval pots are harder to fit in a cabinet and don't stack as easily. If you'll own only one, round is the usual choice: Le Creuset's top seller is its 5½-quart round, and its 6¾-quart oval is also popular.
How these comparisons are made
Questions about this choice
Which shape is better for bread?
Either bakes good bread. Wet doughs take the shape of the pot, so a round pot gives a round boule and an oval pot a longer loaf, Le Creuset says.
Will an oval pot heat evenly on a round burner?
It takes longer to heat, Le Creuset says, but once its enameled cast iron is hot, it browns and sears as well as a round pot.