High end dutch oven


 
I have my eye on a Le Creuset 9qt oval. I want it for making pot roasts. I want the oval so that the meat sits on the bottom better during browning. I have the round Lodge which I think is 5qt. My daughter has the Le Creuset. I got the Lodge from her when she got the Le Creuset. She loves the Le Creuset over the Lodge. I’ll be waiting for a sale but even with that, I think it’s just one of those things that if you can afford it, you will be happy to have it. I’m guessing it won’t make any difference in how the food tastes though.
 
I have to say I own both Lodge DO and LeCruset DO. I honestly have never seen any performance difference between them. Only that the LC is easier to clean and maintain because of the porcelain enamel over bare cast iron.
 
Jerry N. said:
I have my eye on a Le Creuset 9qt oval.
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I got mine (a nice yellow one) for a good price at Williams & Sonoma in the week after Christmas sale. They discount 40% or more the slow sellers. Maybe you will see some of you are willing to wait a couple of months.

I don’t have a matched set but they are all lovely pieces. One is yellow, one is forest green, two blue, one baby blue, and white.
 
BillSmith said:
I got mine (a nice yellow one) for a good price at Williams & Sonoma in the week after Christmas sale. They discount 40% or more the slow sellers. Maybe you will see some of you are willing to wait a couple of months.

I don’t have a matched set but they are all lovely pieces. One is yellow, one is forest green, two blue, one baby blue, and white.
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Yeah, I’d like a blue one, but color is not a concern if the price is right.
 
Michael Richards said:
I just saw this article and thought about you guys and this thread. It is 8 pm est on 10/20/2020 and it says on amazon the price ends in 7 hours.

www-cnet-com.cdn.ampproject.org

Luxurious Le Creuset Dutch ovens are nearly 40% off on Amazon right now

The ultimate fall cookware at a price we can't resist.
www-cnet-com.cdn.ampproject.org www-cnet-com.cdn.ampproject.org
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Thanks for looking out for me (us). Unfortunately, that’s a 3.5qt and I’m looking for a big one (9qt). It is a good price though. In my reading, it seems that these things have a history of going on sale after Christmas (Like Bill said above). I also have an outlet store not too far that I may call or check out to see what they have to offer.

Still 5-1/2 Hours left if anyone is interested. Also, use the link through this web site when you go to Amazon so that a Chris gets credit!
 
I have Le Creusets in 3.5 qt, a Kirkland made in France knock-off in 6.5 qt (performs exactly like the original), and just yesterday, picked up an 8.5 qt. at the outlet store for $199. Staubs are comparable, but I will always buy LC. Ovals are great for oven use, but for as much as I use them on the stovetop, haven’t considered one. Costco usually carries them around the holidays.
 
I still love my Lodge enameled. May not be the top of the line, but I think it was a great value for a 6qt at $59.99 (granted, that was 5 years ago).
 
I have Lodge bare CI and a LeCruset enameled. As far as cooking ability I see no reason between them to spend the kind of $$$$ LC demands. Yes the LC cleans up easier and is larger so more often is my "got to" but if I had a Lodge the same size the roles would be reversed. I see no reason to doubt a Lodge enameled would perform perceptibly different/worse than a LC and you can save $$$$ for more food.
 
The Le Creuset outlet stores (at least the one we visit in Foley AL) carry full-price models as well as marked down seconds. The blemishes on the seconds are barely noticeable, if at all, and the savings are significant. We have purchased several pieces of seconds, and we use them all the time.

My first Le Creuset was a 5.5 qt. pot we call Big Red. We cook a lot of gumbo, soups, stews, and such, so I eventually stepped up to a 7.25 qt for greater capacity. We call it Big Big Red. It is my go-to cooking vessel and gets used almost every weekend.
 
I ended up going to the Le Creuset outlet store and got a great deal. I got a great deal. It was less than the internet price right off the bat and then it was 40% off on top of that. So I ended up with the 9 Qt Oval that lists at $450 for $255. Went back later and got my daughter the 7.5 Qt Round for similar savings. I love the oval for a pot roast. Big enough to lay the roast flat for the sear and then room for vegetables around the meat instead of them all being on top of the meat. Great Sunday dinner for the crew. :D
 
Damn that is a whole lotta money for a dutch oven no matter who's name is on it. I have a LeCruset and love it. But bought it before they were all the fashion rage and so high on themselves. But, I also have a Lodge and other than one is enamel and the other not, they both cook identically. IIRC at the time it was a "second" I bought through an outlet in Highland Park IL back when wife and I were still living in the city (Chicago). IIRC I think we gave $60 for it. Now I see the same pans and they're $350+. Nah, I will buy the Lodge version and spend the extra on food to put in it :D
 
I managed to pretty much ruin a Cuisinart branded enameled cast iron Dutch oven, etched the enamel and crazed it severely. Yes, I'm pretty sure I know what I did, in hindsight.

We just picked up a Tramontina set from Costco, a 4 qt and a 7 qt rounds, for $80. Only used one of them so far, but cooked beautifully and cleaned up easily.
 
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I finally snagged a new 5.5Q in the color that I wanted off FB marketplace for cheap, someone recently got one for christmas and determined they would never use it... I am glad that I didnt pay full price for it, comparing to my el cheapo the finish is slightly better-more uniform and Im sure will not flake off but the asking price is steep ...I love dutch ovens though and will use the heck out of it
 
I have two le creuset items. Both have been back to le creuset for successful lifetime warranty claims. The first was a 5qt. round red dutch oven and the finish on the inside bottom was getting rough. They sent us a new one - no problem. The second item was a small bright orange cast iron sauce pan from a junk sale that was really rough. Le creuset balked because i didn't send in the lid (because I didn't have one). I ignored their calls and gave up on it. After a few months, I randomly got a brand new pan with the lid included in the mail. The lid doubles as a frying pan on these.
 
Last year I went with a $40 Lodge 5.5q from Walmart, shown below. It looks much better ‘in person’, and is similar in size/shape to the classic Le Creuset 5.5q for about 1/8 the price. A Le Creuset would be nice, if or when this one wears out. After a year of cooks and staining it numerous times, mostly from braising meat, its holding up well and looks like new, inside and out.

Regarding interior stains, Barkeepers Friend has kept it looking new, but try not to get it on the outside, and rinse it well. Alternatively, soaking it overnight by filling it with only water and a bit of bleach works well too. Again, rinse well.
 

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