For what its worth, I have a few Le Creuset pieces and use them on a regular basis and am more than happy. My sister gave me a “knock-off” from Bed, Bath and Beyond and while it serves it purpose, the paint e is chipping and it simply isn’t as nice to look at.
Didn’t say it was, but the cheap import knockoffs are usually cheap for a reason - they’re not as good. At the end of the day, I think it’s better to spend for quality stuff once then move on. Most of my kitchen gear is 20+ years old. I bought good stuff when I got out of college and it’s still with me. Plus, there’s something nice about using the same knives, pans etc as you used 20 or 30 years ago or the same cast iron pans my Mom used before she met my Dad.
So, guys…what are the comparably good brands of this stuff? I like to get the good stuff, but not pay for the label…just like in Burgundy. No need for DRC/Leroy/Vogue…when there are lots of others that are comparable and satisfying for less.
So…how bout of list , so we can see if there is agreement on what else is comparably good and ,maybe, a better value…
Lodge
Jay; I absolutely feel that the “Le Creuset” products are worth the money. As a matter of fact, if you don’t care about getting specific colors, you can get great deals at their outlets.
Cheers!
Marshall ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
I have a Lodge cast iron dutch oven that I really like. Cook’s Illustrated rated the Tramontina as their best buy in the category. I believe it was this one:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Tramontina-6.5-Quart-Cast-Iron-Dutch-Oven/5716477
Lodge would be my pick for the non-enameled stuff. Le Crueset for enameled or perhaps the Staub noted above. I simply don’t want a cheap Chinese import. Sorry, but given the issues with Chinese toys and other products, I’m not going to trust that the enamel is in fact food safe.
Plus, this isn’t at all like wine… wine is a consumable. Cookware is not. You can watch out and get deals (quick example is this 3.5qt French Oven at Sur La Table No Products Returned | Sur La Table). Yes, it’s $130. Sure, you can find some cheap knockoff for 1/3 the price. So you save, what, $60 for something that, unless you actively abuse it, will last decades? Buy one less bottle of wine this year and get a good piece of cookware that will last the rest of your life.
Regarding the Tramontina, read this review at Amazon. Um… the enameling wore out? INTO WHAT? The food? Note other reviews mention an ill-fitting lid, chips, etc.
Rick, what do you use a 3.5-quart Dutch Oven for? I can’t think of a thing since it’s so small. One of my observations about fellow amateur cooks is that there’s a tendency to use vessels (pots, pans, bowls) that are too small. Then they wonder why they can’t keep the food off the counter or the stove when they stir.
Osso buco, stews, etc. A 2-3lb hunk of meat will braise just fine in one. Now, if I was making it for a dinner party of 8 people… no. But a stew with that much meat easily serves 4 people. As for stirring… anyone who fills that close to the brim when braising needs to relearn what braise means.
Obviously, if someone needs or wants a 5 or 7 quart oven go for it. My point still stands about buying one quality piece and using it for years vs a cheap piece that chips and wears (I’m sorry, but I do NOT want the enamel from a cheap piece in my food…).
PS: I should note that I don’t try to have a special pan for every eventuality. I have two sauté pans, a 10 and a 12". I have one straightsided 12" pan. I have a set of plain cast iron in 3 sizes. Plus a 12qt stock pot, a handful of soup pots from .5qt to 2.5qt and the dutch oven. I’m sure there are specialized things I could do with, say, a crepe pan, but you know what? I’ve made crepes in my existing saute pans and it’s fine. The tools are there to serve me, they’re not collectibles.
Extra room helps for a lot of types of cooking, but I’ve read (in All About Braising, most recently) that one of the keys to a successful braise is to use a cooking vessel which doesn’t leave much air space around the roast (or whatever) in the pot. The idea is that this helps the cooking juices cycle through all the ingredients more efficiently and meld flavors together better.
I agree, Bret. I also know if I’m doing a braise or a stew I’m not going to mess around with quantities as small as the 2-3 pounds Rick’s talking about. I’m going to freeze the leftovers for later.
That’s the approach we often take as well, more often than not, hence the 5 1/2 quart one we own, which seems to fit a 4-5 pound roast plus aromatics pretty well.
And that’s fine. However it’s not the only approach. I get 3-4 meals out of a braise/stew/whatever in that size and that’s all I want usually. I’ll make another one if I want more and usually I’ll vary the flavors. I don’t want 12 meals of the same thing… and frankly, stews, braises and the like aren’t precisely the hardest thing to do. They take 30-40 minutes to prep and some time to hang out in the oven. It’s not like making another one means hours of intricate cooking…
To add on to this, Martha Stewart has a line with Macy’s of enameled dutch ovens made from China. Just been recalled for exploding pieces.
Get what you pay for from my people.
If you are ready to buy a cooking utensil that will out last you and your kitchen, go with the proven product - Le Creuset ( I have several and attest) or Staub and be done with it. You are not paying for the “name”, you are paying for a quality product. If you are ready to buy but can’t afford the best, save until you have the $.
I, as well as many other on this board will assure you, you will not be sorry.
Yep. And as to price, I just wait for sales. Every piece I own has been purchased at 35 - 50% off.
I have had one of these and given it heavy use over the last year+. I can’t recall where it is actually manufactured, but I have had zero issues with it (so far). In any case I am not dead from lead poisoning yet, and if it does crap out, I lose $50. Big whoop.
I get that there are religious issues around cookware, but assuming this pot does last for the long term, it just bought me 5 nice bottles for the cellar. Or perhaps a Falcon. - YouTube If it craps out, I am out one nice bottle of wine. It’s also not like I bought this at K-Mart. I actually trust Costco branded products for being (typically) high quality and good value.
Eh. Your choice Scott. I’d want to know where it was made because I simply don’t trust Chinese factories after all the pet food and toy poisoning issues. You want to risk it, fine.
Me, though, I just don’t like disposable crap which all too many of the really cheap things are. I like buying quality tools once, taking care of them and never having to worry about any of this again. Most of the stuff I use daily I got in my 20s when I bought kitchen stuff. I’m in my 50s. To me, there’s value in things that last like that.
To keep insinuating that I like cheap, disposable crap is, frankly, insulting. Just so you know. I have seen you play the same righteous, holier than thou attitude to others around here, so I should expect it, but I guess this is the first time I have experienced how iritating it can be personally. Have you actually cooked with the pot? Have you actually tasted the wine? If not, perhaps you should not frame such a global, know-it-all opinion.
I trust Lodge.
From the Q&A on the Lodge website:
Are Lodge Enamel products tested for lead safety?
Lodge utilizes the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Test Procedure 7.5.1.4a Leachability of Lead and Cadmium for Glazed Ceramic Surfaces. The FDA Division of Compliance Programs uses ASTM-C738 as the Standard Method of Test for glazed ceramic. In addition to information provided by vendors, Lodge Manufacturing Company uses third party testing to ensure that products with the Lodge name comply with standards set forth by the United States Food & Drug Administration. All our domestic as well as imported cookware complies with the FDA Standards. We are also in compliance with California Proposal 65, the world’s most rigid standard for lead and cadmium content.