a good friend showed her goodness
by getting me a Le Creuset dutch oven
as a housewarming prezzie years ago
best.ever.

I wouldn't have known otherwise . . .

Love Le Creuset also. They last forever & are easy to maintain due to the enameled cast iron (no rust worries). Recommend!
guido-thoughtful friend!

do people have suggestions for what to get? I have $100 gift certificate to spend at Williams Sonoma. I'm not opposed to spending twice that much, although my mom cautions against le creuset - she says it chips easily and is a pain to deal with. so, advice - le c? emile henry? round? oval? size?

thanks!

Adam,
I couldn't agree less. My Le Creuset is nothing but a pleasure. Not a single chip, and I thrash that thing around quite a bit. I have the 3.5 quart which will run about $150, but I wouldn't recommend going smaller than that - I also wouldn't recommend the Calphalon or All-Clad versions - you just don't get the same kind of heat if you don't go with cast-iron.

Here, here for Le Creuset. I LOVE LOVE my dutch ovens: I have three of them in different sizes. I throw mine around, serve from them, put them through the diswasher . . . no chips. After years of duty, the enamel wears down in spots on them, but I think that's kind of charming. You can search Le Creuset on Ebay and look at the old onces to see how they age.

Williams-Sonoma charges more for Le Cresuet that other places do, though sometimes they have "exclusive" (weird! trendy!) colors and sizes.

adam,
your mom might have experience with old Le C
From what I've read it *used* to have chip problems

I managed to break the black plastic handle
on the lid of mine
when it smashed against a hard hard floor
but the enamel was fine
(good think I'd already been to eBay, and had a vintage
black holder to swap in from a less-used pan. Lots of
discontinued-color vintage Le C on eBay has little chips)

i'm going to be the le C dissenter here
i dont own one, so, maybe that's why, but what i DO own is an Emile Henry burgundian clay dutch oven that I ADORE
love, love, love it almost more than any other pot i own
its lighter than cast iron, goes straight from stoptop to oven and retains heat like a mofo
i cook EVERYTHING in it! (they're cheaper than le C too!)

I love my Le C. I have a Oval 6.5 quart flame one and a round 3 qt yellow one. Julia Child always recommended to get the oval one because its shape is more versatile.

It is perfect for a pot roast, pork shoulder roasted, roast chicken (though because you have the high sides the skin doesn't get crispy), warm cozy soups for the whole gang. Plus I love how it looks resting on top of my cabinets in my kitchen.

I was JUST thinking about adding an oval dutch oven to my cookware collection. It's very interesting to hear everyone's input. I'm thinking Le Cresuet but I wish there was a slightly more modern looking alternative. The rest of my pots are the Dahlstrom 98 line from Hackman Tools and I have an All-Clad saute pan and I LOVE how they all cook. Maybe I should just go ahead and get the Le Cresuet. I'm planning on making braised lamb shanks for Easter and the dutch oven could be my inaugrual dish.

I love my Le Creuset, but I find it annoying that they stopped putting enamel on the parts of the pot and lid that touch each other. It's left completely untreated, and as a result, has a tendency to rust, even if you're careful about drying immediately after washing.

I don't know if this will apply to the Creuset, but whenever I clean something which might rust (namely, my much loved cast-iron cookware), I put it on the stovetop again, over very high heat until the water all evaporates. Then, when still hot, I rub it down with completely with oil before letting it cool down and putting it away.

I have much love for my plain, old Lodge cast iron dutch oven.

Le Cruset has a lifetime (as in your lifetime) warranty -- at least if you buy from Williams-Sonoma. My mom's has a couple pieces replaced by them. All you have to do is take it into the store you bought it from, no proof of purchase needed. If it has chips, cracks, whatever, they replace it.

Does anybody have anything to say about American Collection enamel cast iron pots (link at my name)?

I'm considering buying just a simple lodge dutch oven, but I'm concerned about size. Sometime I'll be cooking for 8+ people. Would a 5qt or 7qt hold a whole chicken?

If you're near a Le Creuset outlet, it pays to shop there, they have sales and mark down already discounted seconds and discontinued colors.

And guido, you can buy replacement knobs for around $5 - 6 at these shops, I'll bet you can buy them by phone as well. I wore out the threads on one of my most often used marmite and bought a replacement knob.

For size, I always think it's best to go a little larger rather then smaller, the sorts of things you cook in them are always good (or better) the next day.

regards,
trillium

Patrick: I know that works for plain cast iron pans and for woks, but I'm not sure it would for enameled cast iron. The enamel will craze (develop a little crackle pattern all over)if it's heated without liquid in it. I've done this to an enameled cast-iron baking dish, in which I stupidly tried to roast something without liquid in the bottom of it.

Check out the Dansk Kobenstyle pots on ebay. Like Le Creuset light (in weight and price) but still a nice cast iron w/ enamel. I like the turquoise. :)

Chris,

I have a 5.5 qt pot, and I've used it to cook a whole chicken with the lid on.

Adam,
Despite what some posters are saying - Le Crueset and in fact ANY enamaled cast iron pan can chip. Don't believe otherwise - generally from being knocked about - it takes a lot of effort. My favorite round 5 quart chipped last year (about five years old) - no obvious reason that I know of, but I probably dropped something in it - and I wanted to cry. I still use it - the exposed cast iron doesn't hurt me afterall - but not for sauting as I am concerned it will chip more. I will not stop buying enamaled cast iron because of one chip in one pan. I still love Le Crueset.
Your mom is not correct about care. General care is easy - I hand wash it, like all my pans - but it is pretty much care free which is part of why I love it.
My Le Crueset pans never collect dust as I am always using them. They are perfect for the small kitchen that doesn't have room for every damn pot sold to man.
Side note: I did just buy a very inexpensive enamaled oval oven from Target about six months ago - $45 - no chips yet, but they will probably happen sooner - works just the same otherwise and the price was fab!

I have been stalking ebay for months salivating and almost pushing that "buy it now" button. Le Creuset 7.25qt round oven in Dune.

My pots suck serious, serious ass. I use my soup pot constantly and it's so thin things burn easily. I watch Molto Mario wanting his pots. Copper for sauteeing and boiling pasta, le creuset for browning.

bvllets, that strikes me as superficial. I'm sorry. A gift like that says you know quality, will spend money on it for her, and for something that lasts that long can be a metaphor for commitement. Only true love could get me in the kitchen; my boyfriend (and his CSA share) taught me to cook.

I have a very large Staub and absolutely love it. It makes Paella and very large stews. Available at "Sur La Table."

Scazza, in you response to Bvllets you missed his or her crude reference to the slang meaning of 'dutch oven' which is to emit flatus under covers in bed and to then pull the covers over your partners head to subject them to the flatus.

The victim was in the right to slap Bvllets.

Ok clearly someone (scazza) doesn't know what "Dutch oven" is also a euphemism for. If I was bvletts' girlfriend, I'd be annoyed too.

Unless it was a real one. That would rock. I have my mom's old Le Creuset in red.

Whoops! Jonathan beat me to it! That's ok, I didn't want to explain.

sometimes tj maxx/marshalls will have le cruset dutch ovens at half price. I used to eye them whenever I would shop there, until my bf bought me one in flame for my bday. so sweet.

We love it, it's awesome to cook with.

Second the comment about finding a Le C outlet - plus getting on their mailing list for extra markdown choices - I think they have a big sale in the summer. Check their online site for outlet locations.

You guys will probably hate me, but I have an 8-piece set (2 frying pans, 2 sauce pans with lids, and the Dutch oven and lid) of Le Creuset enamelware (flame) that I bought on my 21st birthday, in 1981. The set cost $125 at that time. I have regularly used these pieces for 25 years, and they are still wonderful. It was one of the best purchases I've ever made.

Visited my brother in New York over the weekend and we went to the Ikea store in New Jersey.

I bought a 3.5 quart enameled cast iron dutch oven for 49.99. And it's "Made in France".

It even has the little peaks under the lid that evenly redistribute moisture back on the food (that's what Alton Brown said they are used for). I don't think Le Crueset has those things do they?

Price is right, and "Made in France" made me go buy one. They have 5 quart and frying pans too.

CLAME (Click my name) for the ikea link.

The Le Crueset outlet store is in Gilroy California. they have a monster sale every year and take phone orders if you know what you want and can be flexible on the color. Get on their mailing list and they'll send you a postcard a month before so you can call and figure out what's in stock in what color and at what price. Or if you're driving between SF and Carmel, stop by -- it's in the Premium Outlet Mall.

I just used mine last night to whip up some beef stew and it works like a dream!

broadway panhandler on broome st has a huge sale every feb on le crueset 30% to 60% off with full selection.
also le crueset has an outlet store in woodbury commons.....spring valley ny not too bad a drive if you want to do the outlet thing for a day.

I have been give a cast roasting pan in which the bottom enamel has been seriously cracked and even completely chipped off - probably from overheating. Does anyone know if it is safe to still use. I this remaing enamel too porous or will it loosen more? It was a wonderful pot I can see, but I am afraid to use it in the condition it is in. It is oval with the handles set to the side for easier lifting and it is deep. Oh how I want that pot to be usable.

Any comments please?

Just a heads up for anyone who didn't realize it, but the Dansk Kobenstyle is not like the Le Crueset, it is made of enameled formed sheet steel. Dansk Kobenstyle is lighter weight than enameled cast iron cookware such as Le Creuset. On the upside, it’s easier to heft, but on the downside, it doesn’t cook as evenly or retain heat as well.

I am on my second set of "investment" cookware (calphalon one precceeded by cuisinart professional.)
The Cuisinart burnt everyting I put in it, after years of suffering I replaced with calphalon one. i was assured the non-stick coating would not peel. It did - within weeks. It has nothing to do with the utinsil I use (although I use bamboo.) My problem turned out to be the food I cook. I frequently brown my rice for various dishes - and that scratched my non-stick suface of a $125. pan.
I am considering buying the big ol' 7plus qt dutch oven. One of the dishes I plan to make with it is chicken noodles with dumplings. Has anyone used it for this. Will it cook the center dumplings

I regularly use Le Creuset, Staub, and Chinese knock off round and oval dutch ovens in my cooking. FYI - The enameled cooking surface seems to be a lot harder and abrasion resistant on the Le Creuset and Staub cookware. I also use Lodge preseasoned fry pans for general high temperature cooking and for prepatory braising and browning work. The enameled cast iron Dutch oven cookware truly excels at general low and medium temperature moist cooking or in the cooking of acidic foods like tomatoes. Find the place on your range setting where the internal temperature of the liquid in a covered Dutch oven stays at around 190 degrees with your meat in it and you are set up to make wonderful pot roasts, chicken, stews, et al. I use my enameled cookware both on the range top and in the oven. Unfortunately, the enameled cast iron surfaces tend to cause high temperature cooked or initially high temperature braised foods to stick and often results in a quite difficult to remove burned on surface. FYI - Use only a soft scrub potion designed to not break the glazed enameled surface to clean off such burns. Very high braising or relatively dry high temperature frying can also cause a significant fracture type of failure of the enameled cooking surface. So, in order to remain consistent with the Le Creuset and Staub factory recommendation that the cookware not be used for very high direct temperature work, I do my initial high temperature browning of roasts and such in Lodge preseasoned cast iron fry pans with a little suitable high temperature oil added. The roasts don't stick to the naturally 'non stick' preseasoned cast iron surface and it is then quite easy to scrape all of the flavor 'goodies' from the fry pan into the larger enameled pot for a long term 3-4 hour covered cooking cycle. AND, if a loss of seasoning develops in the surface of the Lodge preseasoned cast iron pan (a very, very rare occurrence), the pan can easily be reseasoned in a 300 degree oven for 90 minutes with a little bit of lard melted on the cooking surface of the pan. Regular preseasoned cast iron is also a natural for browning both raw, as wells as cooked rice and grains (with appropriate oils). The preseasoned cast iron cooking surface can be aggressively attacked with various stiff stainless steel utensiles during the cooking process without fear of harming the cooking surface. And finally, given the relatively low incremental cost differences between the various sizes of enameled cast iron cookware, I would always recommend going with the size larger Dutch oven than you believe that you will need.

I have a set of American Collection enamel cast iron cookware. I love the way the pot cook. But when I made Rue for Gumbo in the pot it dis-colored the enamel. And when I sauted chicken in the pot it also left dark marks that will not wash out with warm soapy water. Can someone tell me what to use to remove the discoloration and the dark marks. I have not used the other cookware because I am afraid that my other pots will also become discolored.

Thanks for all the posts! i've forever been in love with Le Creuset, but don't own any myself. I was doing some research and apparently All-Clad is another good expensive choice. I also heard that the Target and Emerilware ones are the best of the cheapies!

I'm thinking about buying a Finnish Sarpaneva pot. It's cast iron, and enameled insides. The ingenious part is, that the wooden handle is detachable and you can easily lift the lid with it. (more info at http://www.iittala.com/web/iittalacom.nsf/pages/9BC9CF1E01FE2478C2256FF0004BA43A)

It's rather expensive elsewhere, but here in Finland I can get it for 171,00 €. At amazon it seemd to be selling a bit over 200 dollars.

http://www.iittala.com/web/iittalacom.nsf/pages/9BC9CF1E01FE2478C2256FF0004BA43A

The above link again.