Soup simmering in the stockpot at the back of the stove is a comforting and nourishing sight. And it feels great, too. As I've been nursing a cold for the last week, a steamy stockpot has offered a world of relief more than a few times already in this new year:
I love my classic Le Creuset, but there are other really nice ones out there to choose from. Here are five favorites:
- You can find this vintage enamelware stockpot by Dansk with a little searching. This particular one, in brown enamel, is available from Fabulous Mess at Etsy. $55
- Classic speckled metal is familiar and cool. Cheap ones from the local hardware store were standard issue for all intern apartments when I worked at the minimalist haven Chinati Foundation. The one pictured is from Martha Stewart at Macy's. $50
- This cheery yellow ("dijon") enameled steel pot is from Le Creuset, available at Amazon for $40.
- By Bayou Classic Pots, this cast iron jambalaya pot can be used indoors or out. Available at Cooking.com. $78
- This one's a major splurge, but is definitely strong in the style department. It's designed by the minimalist John Pawson and available at Sur la Table. $420
Related: Should I Buy a Stockpot or a Dutch Oven?
(Images: as linked above)
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I need a tall stock pot to make stock/broth. As it stands now, I use my pasta pot which is never large enough to hold a bird carcas. I didn't realize the Le Creuset is as cheap as teh one indicated above.
Rosebud be aware that the tall Le Creuset pot shown is not as heavy duty as their other pots. That's why it's not as expensive. It's really a pasta pot. I have one just like it in white and I like it but it's certainly not like my other Le Creuset. Just saying....
The Le Creuset pasta pots don't seem to hold up for us - they're very thin, and the enamel on the outside chipped just above the base on my most recent one. (I wasn't paying attention when making lentils in the old one, and they became permanently bonded with the bottom of the pan....) For my money, it's worth it to get something that's heavy enough that you can saute onions w/o scorching - then it's a soup pot, as well as a stock pot. Not sure I could carry a big cast-iron pot filled with liquid, though, like some of those listed above.
I've also heard from one of the etsy sellers that the dansk pots are really delicate because they have a glass (?) coating on the inside. So they can't be used for heavy duty heating.
I had the same problem with my Le Creuset stock pot! I would not recommend it. The glaze on the bottom inside and out cracked after just a month of use, and no heavy use, just boiling things.