# My first piece of Le Crueset **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 28, 2011, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-piece-of-le-crueset/580091 "2011-04-28T22:57:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-piece-of-le-crueset/580091/1 "2011-04-28T22:57:55Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-piece-of-le-crueset/580091/2 "2011-04-29T00:35:32Z")
So what is the first thing you plan to make? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-piece-of-le-crueset/580091/3 "2011-04-29T00:54:09Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-piece-of-le-crueset/580091/4 "2011-04-29T00:57:00Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > 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. 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. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-piece-of-le-crueset/580091/5 "2011-04-29T00:58:31Z")
Color? Mine’s black on the outside, and beige on the inside. ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-piece-of-le-crueset/580091/6 "2011-04-29T01:35:43Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-piece-of-le-crueset/580091/7 "2011-04-29T01:36:58Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-piece-of-le-crueset/580091/8 "2011-04-29T02:37:11Z")
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. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-piece-of-le-crueset/580091/9 "2011-04-29T03:31:44Z")
> [@Raginghormonal](#): > > 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. 🙂 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. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-piece-of-le-crueset/580091/10 "2011-04-29T21:32:56Z")
Just realized I spelled “Creuset” incorrectly. If I can’t spell it, I guess cooking with it is out of the question. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2011, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-piece-of-le-crueset/580091/11 "2011-04-29T23:34:44Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > 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. 😃 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! ---
**Author:** ![TheTerribleTako](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@TheTerribleTako](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheTerribleTako)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2011, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-piece-of-le-crueset/580091/12 "2011-04-30T00:24:47Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![MidnightRadio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@MidnightRadio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MidnightRadio)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2011, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-piece-of-le-crueset/580091/13 "2011-05-01T06:14:06Z")
> [@TheTerribleTako](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-piece-of-le-crueset/580091/14 "2011-05-02T03:57:11Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-piece-of-le-crueset/580091/15 "2011-05-02T11:09:10Z")
> [@MidnightRadio](#): > > 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. 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. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-piece-of-le-crueset/580091/16 "2011-05-02T18:43:08Z")
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! ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-piece-of-le-crueset/580091/17 "2011-05-02T18:58:00Z")
Oh, [here](http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/baking-supplies/le-creuset-twoinone-pans-130773) is an image of one. ---
**Author:** ![llcoolbj77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/eb9ed0/32.png) [@llcoolbj77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/llcoolbj77)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-piece-of-le-crueset/580091/18 "2011-05-02T19:09:28Z")
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. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-piece-of-le-crueset/580091/19 "2011-05-02T19:28:38Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-piece-of-le-crueset/580091/20 "2011-05-02T19:46:11Z")
> [@irishgirl](#): > > Oh, [here](http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/baking-supplies/le-creuset-twoinone-pans-130773) is an image of one. I have that, in black. It was part of a basic set I started with 20 years ago. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-piece-of-le-crueset/580091.md?page=2)