Le Creuset 7-Quart Round French Oven with Cover, Granite Kitchen

Average Rating:

This nicely heavy pot, along with the others in the Le Creuset line, is beautiful and functional. It is also quite expensive. The enameled interior of the pot is more delicate than you might think. You must cool the pot down before plunging it in cold water (if a little something is burned onto the bottom and you want to let it soak) or washing it (when you're in a hurry.) Kitchen physics; the time it takes the cast iron to cool is unequal to the time it takes the enamel to cool, and "crazing" of the interior enamel will result. If you really have food that is at all stuck to the bottom, the washing-up process is dicey, since the enamel will scratch easily. The bottom line is that after a number of years, the costly but wonderful pot that seemed like a good investment is not something you want to cook with any longer. Other brands of European enamel-lined cast iron are subject to the same problems.

But it's beautiful to look at, the colors are terrific, and it is a great thing while it lasts.

I don't know anyone who owns Le Creuset who doesn't rave about it. I agree with the reviewer who points out where this pot excels. Braised meats - Lamb shank, beef short ribs, Coq au Vin, etc... Sear meat, deglaze, yada-yada, place in oven. Heat retention is fantastic and it's very even which is important. Honestly, when you feel the weight of this thing you can guess as much.

Another person pointed out using this on the grill which I love as I've done the same thing. I don't do it often but this pan can handle serious heat. And because of the enameled surface it cleans surprisingly easily. This is where plain cast-iron pots are awful, not to mention their propensity to rust if not cared for properly.

As for durability, this is where this pan truly cannot be beaten, it's for life. I have to admit that my wife and I often abuse ours and it hasn't shown any effects (this is after six years). The enamel coating is as good as new.

One area where my kitchen differs from many is the induction range (magnetic energy transfer/heating element) which rules out non-magnetic pans. So I use this pot just about every day. With this rangetop it heats up *FAST* and seems to perform much better than the All-Clad pans (that work with induction).