Inspired by the “I don’t need a Kitchenaid mixer” thread, please tell me why I don’t need a Le Creuset dutch oven.
They’re so tempting…
Me, I don’t like that heavy cast-iron cookware. The weight will bend or twist my wrist and I always end up hurting myself.
Will that do?
You can make yummy yummy jumbalaya and fried chicken in there.
But it’s bad for you, so you don’t want it.
(Mom’s home cooking, with dutch oven, here I come!!!)
Ceramic coated Cast Iron is certainly easy to clean, retains heat incredibly well, and you can cook acidic foods in it without fear, as there’s no seasoning to damage, however, you also lose the advantages of a seasoned cast iron cooking surface, as the seasoning layer just makes food taste better, I have no idea why, it just does
seasoned CI for me, thanks
Oh, you totally do. You also need a Kitchenaid mixer, but you need a Le Creuset dutch oven WAY more. It’s my favorite pot in the whole wide world.
Nah, what you really don’t need is a Lodge enameled dutch oven, at less than half the price. It is a heavy bitch, but works soooo nice. Pot roast, baked beans, beef stew . . . mmmmm.
You need a Le Creuset so badly that if one should happen to find its way into your kitchen, you need to get rid of it immediately. In fact, I’d happily volunteer to take it off your hands quickly, so as to rid you of the burden of having to own a cooking vessel that so perfectly embodies both function and form.
(what? it’s worth a try, right?)
We have a 7qt humongous beast of a Le Creuset. Don’t know how I lived without it - it makes a world of difference as far as my stews and braises, especially the ones that cook low and slow. You just can’t beat cast iron for nice steady heat distribution.
I actually don’t get why everyone is so ga-ga over that particular brand. What is so fantastic about Le Creuset?
I prefer the term “Freedom Pot”.
I didn’t need to save up the Williams-Sonoma gift certificates my husband’s aunt and uncle gave us for three Christmases straight so I’d have enough to get me one. No, I could have gotten some miscellaneous junk instead.
You don’t need a LeC but if you see an unenamelled cast iron dutch oven for, like , $12.50 at the hardware store, get it. All the heat retention, and you can afford to buy meat afterwards
There are also other brands of the enameled kind that aren’t nearly as expensive…the Martha Stewart brand at Macy’s is a good example. I read in Cook’s Illustrated that there’s not much difference…as long as the pot is nice and heavy, you’ll be OK.
I have one of the huge Rachael Ray ones that I got as a wedding present, and a smaller Le Creuset.
I can’t tell ANY difference between them in a practical sense.
All-Clad vs. other cookware… that’s a different story entirely.
Le Creuset is God. As far as a cooking pot can be a deity.
Check out thrift stores and garage sales. I only ever bought 1 new, the rest I’ve bought for as little as $1.99. As long as they are not chipped, the stains can be bleached out - if the stains bother you - they don’t bother me. I have dozens of them, some very old, some nearly new. I have every colour they ever made, some with floral designs on them. I have huge cauldrons and little wee gratin pans that hold one egg if I want to make baked eggs in cream. Beautiful, beautifully made, eternally functional. When I build my dream house, they will have their own room.
You absolutely need enameled and regular cast iron cookware.
Branding is not nearly as important.
I do however understand the allure to a beautiful piece of cast iron. I have many pieces in my collection but I long for some Staub cast Iron
Lodge makes great stuff. Enameled or regular and they are a bit more affordable.
I refuse to pay for the Le Creuset name. Other equally fine enameled cast iron cookwear is out for a small fraction of the price. I thnk my Innova 7 qt ran me about $35 - have been using it for 5 years and it’s still in great shape.
About that Marthaware… it’s being panned (heh!) in user reviews on Amazon - I saw a lot of “I wish I bought the LeC instead” and a lot of “the finish is chipping.” I looked at some in person at Macys last night, and the handful I saw were really unimpressive. Wobbly lids and just the overall appearance was not neary as good as the LeC across the aisle.
No, I definitely do not need the “pro” 6-quart KA mixer that’s sitting on my counter right now. No, not at all…
I need both my round and my oval Le Creucet ovens. You, however, do not. Nope. Not at all.
Okay, that’s bunk. If you use an oven at all, these make a world of difference.
I’ve used other brands and while some of them are okay, I’ve found chipping to be a problem in fairly short order. I’ve used my LeC saucepans, grill pan, French ovens and baking tray multiple times a week for more than 2.5 years and have yet to generate a single chip, and it’s not like I’m dainty with the things.
If something is delicate, it simply has no place in my kitchen. I make complicated dishes and I make many of them at once, which leads to bangin’ and clangin’.
One tip: If you get one, make sure to ditch the plastic knob and either get an inexpensive metal one or plug the hole thoroughly with a small piece of aluminum foil. I love my LeC, but charging what they do, sending the pieces out with plastic knobs that can’t take temps > 350 and then charging another $9 for a metal replacement/upgrade is just robbery.
This is so what you don’t need. I totally don’t need mine and it isn’t my favorite big pot ever.