A 5.5qt Dutch oven. I went to Crate & Barrel to get a set of Calphalon omelette pans on sale, and they had this beauty for $90 off regular price. I’m so stoked. I was also this close to buying an 8" Shun chef’s knife, but just couldn’t justify the $139 for it. They shure are purty, tho.
So what is the first thing you plan to make?
We have a large pork shoulder in the freezer, so I’m thinking chili verde. Next up will have to be beef bourguignon.
Oh, I love my dutch oven. It’s my favorite thing to cook with. Great for cooking Chili Verde and for beef stew. I got the purty red one. 
Color? Mine’s black on the outside, and beige on the inside.
When you brown meats, keep the flame way lower than you would in any other pot, and preheat for a long time. I still tend to end up with a charred layer on the bottom of the pot, but maybe I’m not lowering the flame enough.
My wife and I got a set of Le Crueset with some of our wedding gift money ($230 for a seven-piece set, IIRC). We’ve used it for nearly 25 years now, and it is every bit as good as it was the day we opened the box, except for one small chip in the enamel. Flame orange outside, off-white inside.
My first piece of Le Creuset is a metal knob replacement for a Dutch oven lid. It turned my $40 Lodge brand enameled cast iron Dutch oven, which had shipped with a plastic knob, into one that I could use under high heat/the broiler. 
This one is a green color that is made specially for Crate & Barrel. I’m eager to use it, for sure. Keeping the temperature down is always critical for quality cookwear. I use stainless steel, Berndes, and other quality clad cook items, so keeping the temp down comes naturally. I used one of the omelette pans today to make hamburgers and sauteed mushrooms/onions. Nice cookwear.
Just realized I spelled “Creuset” incorrectly. If I can’t spell it, I guess cooking with it is out of the question. :smack:
Oooh, thanks for reminding me! I need to order two knobs, one for my pretty blue Lodge Dutch oven (used it for the first time Easter Sunday to make Chicken Paprikash!) and one for the Tramontina one I bought my daughter. We both want to try the No-Knead bread recipe, and Cook’s Illustrated says to get the metal knob!
Nice. I have a 5.5 quart dark blue one. The color’s been discontinued, but I don’t really mind that future pieces won’t match. It’s great for making stock, curry, and the most amazing braised meats. When I bought mine, the clerk told me never to use it in oven for a sustained period of time with the dutch oven less than half full since it might damage the enamel. I’m not sure if this is true only for Le Creusets or dutch ovens in general. Let us know how the pork shoulder went.
I’ve heard that you have to be careful using very high heat with enameled cast iron, both on the stovetop and in the oven. Specifically, kittenblue, I’ve heard that the no-knead bread is particularly damaging, because I think you bake it at 450 degrees or something like that. I mean, it’s not going to crack after one loaf (or I wouldn’t think), but that’s just something to keep in mind.
I should note that I haven’t actually made the no-knead bread, and I’ve only read the original recipe, not the Cook’s Illustrated version. Maybe it addresses this issue.
A couple months ago, I spotted the bright orange box in the clearance section at Bed Bath & Beyond. They’d marked a $230 or so 6-qt Le Creuset pot down to $90. There was nothing wrong with it other than that they’d stopped selling LC and were tired of looking at it. Glossy black with a stainless knob and I had a coupon. Out the door for $72. Whee!
Its maiden voyage was beef stew.
I have the Jan/Feb 2008 issue in front of me, with their “No-Knead Bread 2.0” recipe in it (almost no-knead, and uses beer to help the bread rise). There is no warning of any kind about damaging the enamel or other indications that harm will or will not result. The recipe calls for a 500 F for 30 minutes pre-heat of oven and empty, covered pot, and then baking at 425 F for 30 minutes.
I have a brilliant piece that they have stopped making.
It consists of a large saucepan and a small omelette pan- the clever bit is that the small pan, when turned upside down, fits onto the saucepan as a totally ovenproof and tight-fitting lid to make a Dutch oven.
If you ever see one for sale, buy it!
Oh, here is an image of one.
I LOVE my dutch oven. Bright yellow she is… and I also have the grill pan.
Her first meal was braised short ribs. Amazing. Made the house smell good for a week.
love enameled cast iron cookware. I just refuse to pay for the Le Creuset brand name. Even if my knock-off versions doesn’t last as long, I can still replace it 4-5 times before I’m up to their price level.
I have that, in black. It was part of a basic set I started with 20 years ago.