Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Le Creuset is a quality product but is not the only quality product available. I believe that cast iron products from Paderno are also top quality - http://tinyurl.com/b8gqg7 There are less expensive good products but some of the issues mentioned above could be a concern. The French developed products are of similar quality but less expensive (still not cheap).

yogiwan
Your Smart Kitchen

LC, Staub, and Lodge are expensive, but they've earned their good reputations with Dutch/French ovens. Personally, I was good with the gorgeous red $40 Tramontina I got from Target before they stopped carrying them. They sell a different brand now. I use the hell out of it, from braising, stewing, baking no-knead bread--it's held up awesomely.

Double-check your packaging when you buy something in a Le Creuset box from TJ Maxx, Ross, or Marshall's. That cookware is often enameled steel, not enameled iron. And LC's enameled steel products are often if not always manufactured in China.

sorry about the double post my laptop is acting funny and I'm a tool on the computer .

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 .

I finally spent the dough for an oval LC dutch oven (5 quarts, I think), and I love it. If I could start from scratch for pots and pans, money no object, I would buy the entire line. That, and maybe a few All Clad pieces.
Check your area to see if there is an outlet near you before you spend money on retail prices. I bought mine at an outlet mall in Aurora, IL for around $150, I think they were having a sale at the time.

As an additon to my comment above:

Here is a link to a page that has the history of Descoware for anyone who is interested: http://www.youpickedawinner.com/desco_hist.html

Julia Child apparently was a big fan and featured it on her show. I didn't know that until I went looking for this link!

Just do it and get it; you won't have any regrets. I first got turned on to LC when I got a "starter set" in red for Xmas about 7 years ago. I have the large Dutch Oven, large nostick frypan, the grillpan, the covered round casserole/gratin/saute pan, and the large lasagna/baking pan. All are wearing like iron, the no-stick surface of the grillpan and frypan clean up very well, and the Dutch Oven is indispensable for chili and slow-simmer soups and stews. My Mom still has a dutch oven in the original Flame from forever ago and while it's beaten to hell (she got it from someone else who abused it) it's STILL the best pot in her house! Just make sure to buy a "core" color (like the red or blue) and not get some trendy color that will get phased out. I happen to be in agreement with whomever upstream complained about the "trendy color" thing. I would also snap up some of the cute little cast iron pepper, apple, and pumpkin-shaped covered casseroles while they still make them just because they're future historical pieces.

Thank you celticbikerbabe, I'll try that.

Yes. There is a very simple way to get yourself an awesome substitute. Go on eBay and search for Descoware. It's old, heavy, well-made and it comes in a great array of shapes and sizes. There are frying pans, dutch ovens, round casseroles, minis, you name it. Plus, it is a fraction of the cost for Le Creuset! You will pay a good deal for shipping, but it is well worth it. Just be sure there are good pics, and look carefully at condition. Occasionally you can even find a cool old funky pattern. I lucked out and got a mint condition round casserole with a 50's futuristic abstract art pattern. $50 with shipping!

I love my LC dutch oven also. I won a shopping spree a few years ago and it is one of the things I bought--don't think I'd have bought it if I had to pay for it myself. My only complaint is mine is white enamel and the inside of the lid is stained. Have not been able to remove the stains even with an enamel cleaner.

i bought a martha stewart dutch oven about 2 years ago for much less $$ than the LC. had an LC in the past that i found difficult to clean. this new one cleans beautifully, cooks evenly and well and has been just fine for my needs,

@MMinNYC That sounds amazing! I've been looking for a freezer-stocking project for this weekend, and this sounds perfect! As an added bonus, I got pasta rollers for my KitchenAid this weekend, so it also gives me a chance to use them!

Any tips other than the ones you gave already? Have you tried freezing it?