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My co-writer loves hers: http://chewonthatblog.com/2008/10/30/an-investment/

Hillary
Chew on That

I bought a cheap one a couple years ago. Within a week I had a chip on the exterior enamel. No big deal, I thought, since the exterior doesn't come in contact with food. In under a year, the interior enamel had degraded considerably. It was rough instead of shiny, and it had discolored a lot. You could see scratches and pits in it. I finally decided that I wasn't comfortable putting food in it any more.

So I bought a Le Creuset at a local store that does a once-a-year sale on everything in stock. The following year, I bought another Le Creuset in another size. Neither are chipped, pitted, or discolored.

I looked at a lot of other brands. The Mario Batali ones are pretty, but comments on Amazon aren't so good. A lot talk about the interior enamel cracking and chipping. And those pots are made in China, which is another reason I'm skeptical of them. Maybe they've fixed the problem since the initial complaints, but they aren't cheap. If I'm going to spend that kind of money, I was to be assured of the quality.

The Lodge ones look good, and I've bought regular Lodge cast iron pieces that I like a lot. If I couldn't have Le Creuset, I'd probably trust Lodge, but I have no personal experience with their enameled cast.

There are a few other brands that seem to get good reviews, and I've got a few oddball pieces that have held up so far, but with a lot less use than the Le Creuset dutch ovens.

None of the brands that get consistently good ratings are cheap, but the way I look at it, I might be spending over $100 on a pot, but I expect it to last a long, long time. The one that I paid $40-50 for didn't last a year. Better to invest in the good stuff, particularly if it's going to see a lot of use.

YES! YES! Durable, beautiful, nearly indestructible. Well worth it. Lots of places to get them at a discount - Le Creuset outlets, also some stores will discount (like A Cook's Companion on Atlantic Ave in Brooklyn).

I've been wondering this same thing. My question for all you LC lovers is: have you used a regular, well seasoned, cast-iron dutch oven before and what's the difference between that and and enameled LC one? I grew up using a regular cast iron dutch oven and always thought it worked great; plus my parents have probably had it for about 30 years with no sign of it stopping now. What's the advantage of the fancy enameled version?

"what's the difference between [a non-enameled cast iron dutch oven] and and enameled LC one?"

The difference is that cast iron, even if well seasoned, is reactive. It will not be appropriate for many applications, specifically ones that involve high levels of acidity and salt. And yeast doesn't like it either. The enamel coating creates a non-reactive environment that is safe for all applications. Le Creuset cookware is the most versatile stuff out there. It can go from the range top to the oven to a hardwood or charcoal fire. The only place it can't go is in a microwave. There are other, more spendy brands such as Emile Henry and Staub that are similar, and they offer ceramic products. Ceramic is also very good, you can use it in the microwave, and in the oven, but can't take as much direct heat on the stove top.

I recently bought a 6.5 qt Tramontina dutch oven for less than $45 at Walmart per Cook's Illustrated recommendation. I have wanted a LC dutch oven for years but could never bring myself to spend the money on something I was not sure I would use enough. Is it as good as the LC? Maybe not, but for over $180 less I am loving it so far. I'll see how it lasts...

I'd never owned a dutch oven before I bought the one I own now, so I was loath to drop a bunch of cash on a Le Creuset that I might or might not even use. I ended up buying a Lodge on a magazine's recommendation (I want to say it was Consumer Reports, but I can't find the article on their website), for $40 on sale on Amazon, and I love it. It's held up very well under my less-than-stellar care, and has been a really great addition to my kitchen. I can't say how I'll feel about it in five or ten years, but at one year, I'm very pleased.

I used a great big Calphalon dutch oven (not even cast iron, just anodized steel or whatever) for years to braise. It cost me $30 from Amazon. This year I got a sweet deal on a 7-qt Le Creuset, $150.

I love the way the Le Creuset looks, it distributes heat better, it makes me feel good. It's extremely heavy. I smile when I see it on the stove.

The food tastes the same.

@lemons- that's what I was hoping to hear! I've never had problems with salt/acid either. Until I'm rich and famous, it's regular cast iron for me!

@lemons, are you saying that you've cooked things like tomatoes in your raw cast pot without it tasting like metal? A long-simmered tomato sauce?

I have a Lodge enameled, have had it for a year, so far so good. I don't use it as much as some bloggers do, so I didn't see the need to spend for LC. I just made a no-knead bread in mine, and it stood up to the 500degree heat with no problem.

I have my Grammie's cast-iron dutch oven and a LeCrueset. I tend to use Grammie's if I'm cooking for just me, and the LC when I am cooking pot-to-table for company. The LC has never cracked or chipped and I've had it 10+ years.

One complaint you sometimes hear about cast iron is that food sticks to it worse than to LC and that acidic foods taste "off" when cooked in cast iron. The cast iron works well for me for everything, but it might be the 50 years or so of seasoning it got before it came to me. Thanks, Grammie!

I think a Le Creuset dutch oven is worth it. As others noted, keep an eye out at TJ Maxx and Marshall's and the like for deals. Amazon has sales occasionally, too. I have an oval 5 qt model that is large enough for a sizable chicken or a roast for many people. I got it on a really good sale from Amazon a while back for about $100 after discounts. Money very well spent and I'd be happy with it had I paid almost double that, I think. I also have a Staub round oven I was given for my birthday a couple of years ago and it's a great pot as well.

For people wondering about non-enameled cast iron and salty/acidic foods; it really has to do with how well seasoned the pot is. Both lemons and Embackus wrote that the non-enameled dutch ovens they were writing about have been in use for 30+ years. If the pot is well enough seasoned, it can take a tomato sauce or something like that without imparting a metallic taste. I'd expect that if one were to cook tomato sauce after tomato sauce and not cooking something else in between to allow the season to recover that one could cook right through the seasoning layer, but after 30 years those things may well be indestructible.

On the whole, cast iron (enameled or not) is just a unique material for pots. It really can't be topped for many uses.

Seven years ago I sprung for a 5.5 qt Le Creuset dutch oven and it's the best $185 bucks I ever spent on myself. I use it constantly, it cooks evenly and consistently, and it still looks like new. On Sunday I wandered through a LC outlet store and restrained myself mightily only because my kitchen is so small. Buy it and you'll love it.

Yes, worth it...if you can afford it and you cook soups/stews/braises often, you won't regret the purchase. I have two LC ovens, one 7.5 qt and one 3 qt, and I use them all the time. Though I have never really been convinced by their skillets, grill pans, etc...regular cast iron or stainless are what I prefer there.

And now that I'm thinking of it, the local Tuesday Morning had LC stuff in stock when I was there earlier this week. I think they all get similar stuff, so if anyone want a bargain, and you have Tuesday Morning stores near you, this could be it. Might be worth checking Marshall's too. Sometimes they have the same name brands at the same time.

I didn't check prices.

No LC here, but we have a 4qt orange Mario that was a gift from the in-laws and it is a frequent flier in our kitchen. Had to get a special heavy-duty hook on the wall to hand it on, but it's jewel of a pot.

I actually let my ex have the LC. I never did like it. I didn't feel that it distributed heat any better than my trusty lodge, and over time the interior became discolored. I too cook any and everything in cast iron. I do use a bit of soap and water, just dry quickly on the stove and wipe a bit of oil on it with a paper towel before storing. Unfortunately, I can no longer lift the dutch oven and gave it to a friend. I use some steel thing I bourght at the restaurant supply store and it works fine. When making a dark roux I still use my cast iron frying pan and transfer it to the steel pot. Everything still tastes yummy. It's more about the ingredients and the cook than the tools.

dbcurrie, I cooked more oxtails when it was new than in recent years. I just never, ever had a problem, either in my grandmother's, or in my own. YMMV, but cross my heard, it has been fine. What I did spend big on was a fine 12" skillet from the Emeril line after they got a good recco in Consumer Reports. Not nonstick, thanks very much, and I love it. So my huge things are LC and Emeril, my Dutch oven is a funky Sixties heavy aluminum thingie I acquired when I married Mr. Meatloaf, and the rest is cast iron except for an inexpensive saute pan I got from a restaurant supply house, which is new.

Someone in another thread posted about a Lodge OUtlet Store, and I'm hot on the trail of that.

Like pooch, I recently bought a 5qt oval Martha Stewart dutch oven at Macy's for $53. I had checked LC prices at Marshalls and looked at the Batali and Paula Deen pots at Target, and the Martha Stewart seemed most like LC. I also really wanted the oval shape. I braised short ribs in it last week and plan to make Jamie Oliver's chicken-in-milk this weekend. So far, it seems to be doing just fine.

Someone please explain to me what a $100-$200 enameled dutch oven can do that a good pot or cast iron pan can't do? It seems to me like if you've already invested in a good set of oven-proof stainless steel pots, spending another couple hundred bucks on a dutch oven is kinda wasteful. And for the occassions where you really need cast iron, a $20 Lodge pan will do quite nicely. Sure i get that cast iron retains heat better than steel, but if its sitting over a flame all day slowly simmering anyway, what's the big deal????

Someone please explain to me what i'm missing here...

@mh330- I don't think you're missing anything, but I'm biased by my cheapness:) A regular, non-enameled, well-seasoned cast iron can do just about anything a Le Crueset can, with the exception (mentioned above) of highly acidic foods (i.e. tomato sauce). If you have a nice set of saucepans, why would you even want to make tomato sauce in a Dutch oven? It is, after all... sauce!!

I received a Le Creuset 9qt. Dutch Oven as a housewarming gift and I loved it and always wanted one. I know that this piece will continue to get a lot of loving use and be passed down. Now the 9qt can be to big at times so I decided that I need a smaller one such as a 6 qt. So I started researching and looked to the all mighty America's Test Kitchen and they said Mario Batali's received their highest recommendation but that is over a $100. Sorry can't shell that out. I ended up finding, buying and loving Lodge's enamel coating Dutch Oven(6qt) fairly new on the market. It works just as well. I am not kidding just as well. I found on line for $50. + shipping. Two nights ago I was in Target and saw they were selling Lodge's enamel coated Dutch Ovens a 3qt not 6 was $52. Save your money buy Lodge now before the price starts to go up. Le Creuset is of the highest quality but so is the lodge with out the price.

I was lucky enough to get my Le Creuset pots as hand me downs from my grandmother. These pots are probably 35 years old and they don't show it at all. Of course they are worth every penny! But it's nice that I didn't have to spend one for mine!

I love my LC dutch oven and have been using it lots lately for no-knead bread and soups. I actually found it at Costco - it's a large one for less than I would have had to pay someplace else.

Yes, yes, yes!! I just got my first one for christmas and I swoon every time I use it! Onions brown so beautifully, creating amazing brown bits on the bottom of the pan, which easily come loose when adding stock to the pot, thus enhance the flavor of my soups. And clean up is a synch. It proudly sits on top of my stove at all times, for all who visit my kitchen to admire. I know I will have and use this pot for the rest of my life (I'm 34 - so I've still got some years ahead of me).

Yes, worth it. I have a 7 qt. Dutch Oven that I got on sale several years ago (thank you Williams-Sonoma for discontinuing your Sonoma Green color...) and LOVE it. Some of the outlet malls around me have a Le Creuset store (off the top of my head I can only think of the one in Williamsburg, VA) where you can occasionally find a great deal. I cannot speak to the usefulness of a frying pan or saucepan, but for long slow cooking the Dutch Oven is fantastic. I have not tried any other enameled cast iron so can't offer a comparison but can say that I love my Le Creuset too much feel the need to try anything else.

No chipping, easy to clean, even cooking, incredibly durable...I dropped the Le Creuset lid onto my George Foreman grill. The Le Creuset won. I now have a new Foreman grill.

I have a set of LC that I acquired through a Credit Card's reward points system. The set included a Dutch Oven, a smaller saucepan that has a lid that is also a nonstick skillet and a gratin pan. I can honestly say that I never use anything except the Dutch Oven.

I love the Dutch oven to bits and am very glad that I have it. I also have a Cast Iron Dutch oven that was my husband's grandmothers. It is also an excellent piece of equipment but I prefer to use the Enameled one when I I doing anything that involves developing fond, making a roux or any other type of scrapey/wisky action.

That being said, if I had had to pay money for it - I still wouldn't have any.

Yes. Period.

If you have an outlet where you can get the "seconds" (it's always just a slight cosmetic flaw on the outside, that 7 times out of 10 I can't find the imperfection without asking an employee to show it to me) combined with being on their mailing list, so you know of the good sales, it is well worth it. Also having in-laws that are fans and know of the outlet seconds/Big November sale combo helps a young couple build a collection up a little more every holiday season.

I have 2 dutch ovens, a Lodge Enamel and a Calphalon enamel. No Le Creuset due to the price tag. I LOVE the Lodge, found it at Kroger of all places for ~$40, should have picked up one or two more. No exposed iron edges to rust. It is coated in black flat enamel with a white inside and a colored exterior. We use it almost as soon as we get it clean. The Calphalon is a huge 8qt. had to take the first one back as we got it home and the inside had cracks, so did the next three i opened up at the store. finally found one with no cracks. it doesnt get much use. unless something large is going in the oven

I got a LC dutch oven as a gift--my step-mom's aunt gave it to her (second hand), but my step-mom doesn't cook like I do, so she gave it to me. I don't use it a lot during the summer, but I sees a good amount of use in the winter and it one of my favorite cooking vessels for soups, stews, large quantity cooking, heavy frying... You name it, I've done it in this pot. One of the most versatile pots in my collection. Turned me back on to cast iron (my LC is enameled), so I now have a couple of good cast iron skillets that see about as much use as my stainless/non-stick Calphalon.

I have many LC pieces, most of them over fifty years old, and they are great. I notice no difference in quality between the oldest and the newest (4 years old) pieces. My favorite is the 15.5 quart "Goose Pot", which reaches across two burners and is great for stock, stews and soups for large crowds. And yes, it does weigh a ton.

SOOOO worth the cost!!!! I am just sorry it has taken me so long to start buying them. I have 3 round casseroles that I just LOVE and use all the time for everything. Soups, casseroles, sauces.......and the stuff really doesn't stick!

Go for it-they are my favorites along with my All Clad-another splurge well worth it!

I'm in love with the ones I own - dutch oven, square grill pan and baker. I would never ever pay full price though purely because I know I can get them cheaper and because I don't make that kind of money. My family has been getting our LCs for years at Liberty Village Outlets in Flemington, NJ. I even believe that they'll ship for a low charge for those not wanting to cart theirs home. They don't carry all of the popular colors, although they have "stone" and you have to make sure to check for any imperfections, I've never been unhappy with anything I've bought from there. Go here: http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/store_listing.asp?id=13 for info.

I have 2 Mario Batali Dutch ovens. They are great and I've had absolutely no problem with either one. I use one to bake my no-knead bread and it works great (the 5 qt. size). They are heavy, of course, so you have to build up some muscles if you want to move them around a lot.

A few weeks ago my answer would have be no ... "No pot is worth that much money!". But, then I won a doufeu from Saveur Magazine and after making a chicken in it I officially become a poster lady for Le Creuset ...
so much so, I exchanged my credit card points for a Sonoma gift card
and got myself the 2 3/4 quart caserole. The line is phenominal, especially
for low and slow cooking ... and braising ... what tender juicy results.

NO!!!!!!!

I LOVE my Le Creuset dutch oven pot! There are no substitute for this great product. Quality produces quality. I"ve made Osso Bucco, oven baked lambs, filet mignon, etc..and everytime it comes out juicier, tender and so tasty, not to mention how it perfumes the house with such a sensational scent.

Do NOT settle for less, plus the pots will last you a very long time. A good investment.

I just read all 77 posts. What strikes me funny is that most of the folks who love their LCs have not actually tried another dutch oven.
I also think this thread is funny in light of the buy local/buy American movement. Lodge is an American company, I believe, and their cast iron products are great.
I have the Tramontina, recommended by Cooks Illustrated (probably made overseas. I was happy to find it at Target since I can't support Walmart. I have used it a lot and have not had any probs. And LOL, I followed that Cooks Illustrated advice to get a metal LC knob that withstands higher heat, so now my pot has the LC logo on it.
The only thing I covet now is an antique LC. They sound awesome.

I'm spitting nails! I have been corresponding back and forth with LC to return a French Oven and I mean to tell you, they are giving me a rash.

/rant

Seriously - They better stop dragging their feet. Grrrrr....

I received the 6.5 qt Tramontina dutch oven for christmas last year. It was on my wish list based on Cook's Illustrated recomendation. I love it. I use it at least once a week and sometimes more and it holds true. I don't know if I would spend the money on the LC when this one is under $50 and I assume works just as well.

Loving mine. Finally received it as a C-mas gift so didn't have to bear the price brunt. Only prob. is the palstic-y knob which I needed to swap out for a metal one from the hardware store in order to put it in a super hot oven, the kind needed in which to bake bread.

I have a Staub and I love it. Have been tempted by the Mario Batali, RR, Martha Stewart, and other cheaper Le Creuset lookalikes but almost ALL of those are made in China. Sorry, but NO THANKS. Nothing from China will EVER be used in my food prep if I can at all help it. I'll stick with my French made Staub, thank you very much!!

LC are great. there was a competing brand - Cousances, i believe, that was as good, but LC bought them out years ago. Recently, I found some very good prices for LC on ebay.

The bottom line is you get what you pay for and QUALITY IS NOT CHEAP but you shouldnt pay extra for a name brand when the SAME quality is available from another manufacturer .
I need a new enameled 'Dutchoven' to replace the old one (30+ yrs) that wasn't a LC and it had developed crazing like antique china pieces on the entire inside surface and had started to lose little squares of enamel so I put it in the recycle bin and have been researching and comparing different products and manufacturers and have not deciced yet although I do have 2 Lodge castiron Dutchovens but need/want an enameled DO so this is good timing for opinions on brands .
But I would never buy anything made in China to be used in anyway associated with food as they have used questionable materials in innumerable products in the manufacturing process such as low level radioactive contaminated metals , plastics , recycled metals and other substances and chemically contaminated raw materials and recycled materials . Google chinese drywall [ used in the gulf coast to rebuild after the hurricanes ] purely as an example of what they do .

This Christmas, DH purchased a Kitchen Aid 5 qt. Oven Dutch Oven for me. It is enamelled cast iron, similar to LC. I have used it a couple times now and am very pleased. and the price was right, regular $175. (CDN) on sale for $49.99. I do have LC from the early 70s. It was my mom's and we use it for deep frying. We have always called it Grandma's Magic Chip Pot.

I'm still using the Le Creuset oven my grandmother got as a wedding present in the early '30s. It was probably expensive then too, but if you figure it has been used 200 times a year for almost 80 years, the per-use cost is pretty reasonable. I love the terrines and the ridged grill pans too, although the skillets are better for cooking down onions or tomato sauces than they are for searing.

I just checked out the lodge enameled dutch oven and IT'S MADE IN CHINA , probably has lead in the enamel , so I will not buy it no-matter what , give me one free I'll give it back. The lodge castiron D.O.'s are still made in the U.S. I used my 7qt. last night for an old fashioned pot roast and it was perfection as usual thanks to the dutchoven no-burning, no-scorching just thick rich full flavor melt-in-your-mouth meat falling apart moist with onions potatos carrots and garlic. now tonite I'm going for leftovers.