Birmingham Stove & Range (BSR) No. 7 Chicken Fryer vs Staub Cast Iron Round Cocotte 5.5-Quart

85 facts in comparison

Based on 406 Reddit opinions. Close race—Chicken Fryer edges ahead.

406 opinions
Chicken Fryer leads by 2pts
Reddit's Pick
BS
Chicken Fryer
94%
A
Based on
561 Redditors
Winner

Birmingham Stove & Range (BSR) No. 7 Chicken Fryer

198 opinions

tldr; Reddit overwhelmingly recommends the Birmingham Stove & Range (BSR) No. 7 Chicken Fryer. With 96% positive sentiment across 561 mentions, this is a clear community favorite.

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VS
Staub Cast Iron Round Cocotte 5.5-Quart
92%
A
Based on
345 Redditors

Staub Cast Iron Round Cocotte 5.5-Quart

~$311.96
208 opinions

tldr; Premium enameled Dutch oven. Great for sourdough baking. Pricey but Canadian tax and duty makes it even more expensive.

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Heat RetentionSeasoningBuild QualityWeightVersatility
🌡️HEA
SEA
🔧BUI
⚖️WEI
VER
87
Points
69
Points

Score by Category

Heat Retention
100%100%
Seasoning
70%17%
Build Quality
88%88%
Weight
81%33%
Versatility
92%100%

Why is Round Cocotte 5.5-Quart better than 7 Chicken Fryer?

  • Better versatility (100% vs 92%)
  • Popular for sourdough baking
  • Black enameled interior
  • 5.5-quart capacity
Based on 906 Reddit opinions
Too Close to Call

Reddit prefers the Chicken Fryer

Winning by 2 points (94% vs 92%)

Better weight
Better seasoning
Better value
High confidence (906 mentions)

💬Reddit Sentiment

Based on 906 Reddit mentions

Overall Rating

Chicken Fryer
9.4/10
561 mentions
Cocotte 5.5-Quart
9.2/10
345 mentions
VERSATILITY
Chicken Fryer9.2/10
Cocotte 5.5-Quart10.0/10
WEIGHT
Chicken Fryer8.1/10
Cocotte 5.5-Quart3.3/10
BUILD QUALITY
Chicken Fryer8.8/10
Cocotte 5.5-Quart8.8/10
SEASONING
Chicken Fryer7.0/10
Cocotte 5.5-Quart1.7/10
VALUE
Chicken Fryer8.9/10
Cocotte 5.5-Quart7.8/10
HEAT RETENTION
Chicken Fryer10.0/10
Cocotte 5.5-Quart10.0/10
⚔️

Head to Head

Head to Head

Chicken Fryer: 3|Cocotte 5.5-Quart: 1
VersatilityCocotte 5.5-Quart
Chicken Fryer92%
Cocotte 5.5-Quart100%
WeightChicken Fryer
Chicken Fryer81%
Cocotte 5.5-Quart33%
Build Quality
Chicken Fryer88%
Cocotte 5.5-Quart88%
SeasoningChicken Fryer
Chicken Fryer70%
Cocotte 5.5-Quart17%
ValueChicken Fryer
Chicken Fryer89%
Cocotte 5.5-Quart78%
Heat Retention
Chicken Fryer100%
Cocotte 5.5-Quart100%
Chicken Fryer94%
Cocotte 5.5-Quart92%
Close race - Chicken Fryer edges ahead by 2 points

Key Specs

SpecBirmingham Stove & Range (BSR) No. 7 Chicken FryerStaub Cast Iron Round Cocotte 5.5-Quart
Material
Cast Iron
Enameled Cast Iron
Diameter
Approximately 10 inches
10.2 inches
Depth
Deeper than a standard skillet
Lid
Often includes a matching cast iron lid
Era
Vintage (typically 1930s-1990s)

Key Highlights

Birmingham Stove & Range (BSR) No. 7 Chicken Fryer
Solid community reputation
Frequently recommended
Staub Cast Iron Round Cocotte 5.5-QuartWinner
🍞 Popular for sourdough baking
🎨 Black enameled interior
📏 5.5-quart capacity
💰 Premium French pricing
🇨🇦 Expensive with import fees

Topic Battles

Chicken Fryer: 2|Tied: 2|Cocotte 5.5-Quart: 1
🌡️Heat Retention
Chicken Fryer
100%
Cocotte 5.5-Quart
100%
Seasoning
Chicken Fryer wins
Chicken Fryer
70%
Cocotte 5.5-Quart
17%
🔧Build Quality
Chicken Fryer
88%
Cocotte 5.5-Quart
88%
⚖️Weight
Chicken Fryer wins
Chicken Fryer
81%
Cocotte 5.5-Quart
33%
Versatility
Cocotte 5.5-Quart wins
Chicken Fryer
92%
Cocotte 5.5-Quart
100%

Based on Reddit sentiment across 5 categories

📈Where They Rank

💬What Redditors Actually Say

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Birmingham Stove & Range (BSR) No. 7 Chicken Fryer

Best Praise
+44 pts
Those are milling marks! Basically just marks left behind from when the factory milled out the inner surface to make it nice and smooth. This specific Dutch Oven appears to be from Birmingham Stove and Range, not exceedingly rare but beloved by many including myself!
r/castiron
View
Top Criticism
+10 pts
Wagner’s and a BSR, none baby bottom smooth like they were before since they’ve been sandblasted.
r/castiron
View
3 more quotes available below

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Staub Cast Iron Round Cocotte 5.5-Quart

Best Praise
+32 pts
I was going to jump here screaming “staub cocotte”
r/BuyItForLife
View
Top Criticism
+7 pts
Staub does not make raw iron dutch ovens. They only make enameled. This is enameled on the inside and with that big chip, this oven is no longer safe for cooking, unless you put parchment down and make bread with it. But thats it.
r/castiron
View
3 more quotes available below

📈Historical Price Data

Staub Cast Iron Round Cocotte 5.5-Quart
$300$360$420May '25May '25Jun '25Jul '25Aug '25Oct '25Nov '25Dec '25Jan '26Apr '26Low: $285.55Current: $429.99
Staub Cast Iron Round Cocotte 5.5-Quart
All-time low: $179.99(2012-02)
$54 below 90-day avg

Which is Better?

Birmingham Stove & Range (BSR) No. 7 Chicken Fryer Wins
94%
Fryer
vs
92%
5.5-Quart

Close race, but Birmingham Stove & Range (BSR) No. 7 Chicken Fryer edges ahead by 2 points based on 906 Reddit opinions.

Why Chicken FryerWinner
  • Better Value for Money (89% vs 78%)
  • More discussed (561 vs 345)
Why Cocotte 5.5-Quart
  • 🍞 Popular for sourdough baking
  • 🎨 Black enameled interior

❤️The Love/Hate Breakdown

Sentiment Breakdown

34%Positive
Positive
34%
Neutral
65%
Negative
1%
Based on 561 Reddit opinions

Sentiment Breakdown

57%Positive
Positive
57%
Neutral
40%
Negative
3%
Based on 345 Reddit opinions

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Birmingham Stove & Range (BSR) No. 7 Chicken Fryer or Staub Cast Iron Round Cocotte 5.5-Quart?
Based on 906 Reddit comments, Birmingham Stove & Range (BSR) No. 7 Chicken Fryer has a slight edge with 94% positive sentiment vs Staub Cast Iron Round Cocotte 5.5-Quart's 92%. The difference is small, so both are solid choices.
Should I buy Birmingham Stove & Range (BSR) No. 7 Chicken Fryer or Staub Cast Iron Round Cocotte 5.5-Quart?
Both have similar approval ratings (94% vs 92%), so focus on specific features, pricing, and what matters most to you.
What do Redditors love about Birmingham Stove & Range (BSR) No. 7 Chicken Fryer?
Birmingham Stove & Range (BSR) No. 7 Chicken Fryer has 561 mentions on Reddit with 94% positive sentiment. Users consistently recommend it based on real ownership experiences.
What do Redditors say about Staub Cast Iron Round Cocotte 5.5-Quart?
Reddit users highlight: Popular for sourdough baking. Black enameled interior. 5.5-quart capacity. With 345 mentions and 92% approval, it remains a popular alternative.
How many Reddit reviews were analyzed?
This comparison analyzed 906 Reddit comments: 561 about Birmingham Stove & Range (BSR) No. 7 Chicken Fryer and 345 about Staub Cast Iron Round Cocotte 5.5-Quart. Data was sourced from Cast Iron community discussions.
How accurate are these ratings?
Our sentiment analysis is approximately 80-85% accurate compared to manual review. Well-discussed products with many mentions tend to have more reliable scores than niche items with fewer data points.
Why trust Reddit over professional reviews?
Reddit users bought products with their own money and have no incentive to mislead. You're seeing hundreds of real opinions across different use cases, not just one reviewer's take. This crowdsourced approach surfaces both common praise and recurring complaints.

406 Reddit opinions analyzed · Last updated 4/29/2026