Le Creuset - are they worth the $$??

[sewarsh]

Saw this for only $100 (normally over $200) at Tuesday AM. Was going to pick one up but thought I'd see if they really are as unbelievable as people say....

[clc053103]

YES!!! I have a few pieces and love love love it.

[hillview]

Yes I have 2 pieces and love love love them.
/hillary

[ourbabygirl]

I'm not sure since I'm not much of a cook, but I love the style and colors and think they are good, high-quality pieces that last a long time. The daughter-in-law of my mom's friend is from France and registered for a big set of the orange-red pots and pans for their wedding. I figure if the French (known for great chefs) like them, they must be good! :)

[katydid1971]

Totally worth it especially if you can get it on sale. They hold up much better than the knock offs. You will be sick of looking at it LONG before they will ever wear out ;)

[ThreeofUs]

I use mine all the time. I adore it, have abused it horribly without noticeably changing its looks or abilities, and would buy it again in a nanosecond.

[daphne]

I love all of mine, but they are sooo heavy. I love that we'll have them for a looong time.

[larig]

worth it, but yes, heavy.

[Globetrotter]

I have wondered about this. We are vegetarians, so I wonder if it's worthwhile for us.

What makes them so special?

[kristenk]

It depends. I have two pieces. One I use all the time. The other barely gets used b/c it's just not a size I typically need/use.

I LOVE my oft-used pot, though. It's heavy, but not too bad. It heats wonderfully and is incredibly easy to clean, too.

[justlearning]

I love my LeCreusets. I just completed washing my 3 1/2 quart blue dutch oven and need to go back to finishing my dishes, including washing my 5 1/2 quart dijon dutch oven. So, yes, I use them a lot! You can get less expensive dutch ovens that would probably work just as well, but I like the look and quality of my LeCreusets. I had bought one from Walmart and it had a really wide rim of exposed cast iron, which I had read would take more maintenance of that. So I returned the pot.

I first bought a LeCreuset to make one-pot meals (from the book "Glorious One Pot Meals"). So I use my 2-quart red pot for those and then my blue pot when I double the recipe.

Here are some other examples of how I use the three sizes I have:

2 quart: Besides the one-pot meals, the only other thing I really do in this is rice or other grains or sauces.

3 1/2 quart: Spagetti (meat with the sauce), pot roast, no-knead bread

5 1/2 quart: bigger pieces of meat or a whole chicken, all kinds of soups and chili (the size I use most often)

They really are a luxury item but they make me happy every time I use them, so I'm glad I bought them (I got them all at a substantial discount). I like how nice the presentation is when I put them on the table and I like sticking the leftovers in the pot in the refrigerator. They also clean up very easily.

[SnuggleBuggles]

We have a knock off one and it has been great. I think it was $40? It was a gift but that sounds like what I remember it costing on the receipt. I mostly use the dutch oven.

Beth

[vonfirmath]

i have a piece that is enameled cast iron and one that is stoneware.

The stoneware is nice cause it goes in the microwave. But I have not found much to do with the (2 qt) enameled cast iron (and 2 quarters is a size I use a LOT for sauce pan recipes)

[Naranjadia]

I use my 5.5 qt Le Creuset all the time. I love the way it distributes heat evenly. I use it for stews, soups, ragu, chili - that type of meal. As people have said, it is easy to clean - even if you accidentally have the heat too high. But it is heavy. I consider that the trade-off for the temperature control.

ETA: I forgot my large soup cauldron is also Le Creuset. I have stainless steel ones, too, but the even heat of the LC is great for every stage of soup making - from rendering bacon fat, to browning onions to...

[septmama2b]

They are worth every penny. I have gotten two as gifts and my grandchildren will likely cook with them. I also have one knockoff, but it's not as heavy and the enamel has chipped. I'll be baking bread in one of mine in about an hour.