Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Signature Round Dutch Oven with Lid, 5.5 Quart, Flame

OH, I WANTED SO BAD TO LOVE THIS THING VERY, VERY MUCH. It is absolutely perfect, except it's too heavy for me. I am a petite old lady, so it's too much for me to handle, weightwise. I wanted to cry, having to turn around and send it right back, but meanwhile, I'm waiting for a smaller version of this, it is arriving today, yay!!!I have always believed in the adage, you get what you pay for, most of the time. With Le Creuset this is absolutely true. They've been in business a hundred years, and multi-generational families have continued to work there since 1925, because it's a good, solid company to work for.You can't go wrong with Le Creuset, especially if you take really good care of it. Read the instruction manual that comes with it. It is in many different languages. Never heat it above medium, to avoid staining the sand colored enamel inside. If you do stain it, soak it in hot sudsy water during dinner, then later, pour out the soaking water, make a baking soda paste with baking soda and water and it'll come right off. And if it STILL sticks or stains, make a new paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, and slather it all over the stain. Leave it to sit and go watch a movie or something. It should come off with a soft sponge at that point. Never use anything that'll scrape this cookware, and it'll last for generations. No steel wool, and no metal utensils; wood or silicone.The things you learn from the instruction manual, holy smokes!! According to the manual, it can be put in the freezer!! 😲 it can also be put in the fridge because there are no raw iron parts. A lot of people think that the rim and lid have raw cast iron and they season it. You don't ever want to season Le Creuset. That's not raw cast iron exposed. It's a matte grey coat that they spray on the raw cast iron to prime it before they apply the enamel coatings and melt it in an extremely hot crucible. Le Creuset means The Crucible in French. If you go to the factory, you'll see that the crucible is actually shaped like a big sideways C! Which is in their logo!IT HOLDS COLD TEMPERATURE AS EASILY AS IT HOLDS HOT TEMPERATURE!You can fill it up with potato salad or any other cold dish, and put it in the fridge overnight, and then you can take it to a barbecue the next day. Keep it well lidded, perhaps even sitting in a larger container of ice if you're going to be there awhile.Speaking of ice, it can actually be used as an ice bucket, believe it or not! When you look at all the things Le Creuset can do, you realise what a bargain you get when you actually buy it. I don't think the knockoffs can do the same thing, I could be wrong, because I don't know very much about them. I only know what people say about them, and from what I understand they don't really last.But you certainly can't do any cold treatment with raw cast iron, and you definitely can't sit it in the fridge or the freezer for hours and hours on end.It is the ABSOLUTE VERY BEST cookware to use for no oil cooking. My head was turned for about five minutes to the latest trend, beginning with a C and ending with a y... 🤔, because of the high reviews. But then I saw the horror stories on the other side of that. They were REALLY bad, considering that people paid Le Creuset prices for a cheap, thin product that looked beautiful as long as you didn't use it. I had purchased a brand new set of every piece they had, and then paid dearly to send it all right back. Somewhat expensive lesson to pay but whatever.This is the first time in my life I've ever sent any Le Creuset back. And it's only because of the weight. It's just not a realistic choice for me. I told my husband I don't know how anybody can cook with the15.5 qt quart size!! 😲 If you are strong enough to wield a full pot of food in the 7.5 quart, and love plenty of room for mixing and stirring, then this is the pot for you. I couldn't even handle it empty! My hubs is taking it back for me. Hopefully, my next Le Creuset pot will be much easier to handle.

I am accumulating items from this brand. My first was a Large Dutch Oven which I use for soups and stews. Also, for pot roast and veggies. Another piece I love is a smaller crock with lid for smaller meals. I have the 10” skillet which is great. You must cook on low/medium in a seasoned skillet. I use Crisco to season. Read skillet directions to get the most out of your new skillet. All go into the oven too. Beautiful cooking!!!

My son is an amazing cook, and he really wanted this. I must say that it looks really cool when he cooks with it. There's something about it that just shouts, "Hey, this food is going to be great." He also feel that it cooks better than some of the lower priced Dutch ovens. It seems like it will last him a lifetime. It is the highest quality - super durable and with great heat distribution. Plus, a general great feel and great looks (like I already mentioned).

You really can’t go wrong when you buy Le Creuset. I really love this pan, I had to replace the one I’ve had for about 20 years because I dropped it on a hard surface and cracked the cast-iron. I looked everywhere to find out if I could get it repaired, but it wasn’t looking good so I went ahead and replaced my pot. Color is beautiful, and the inside finish on this newer pot is actually much easier to clean.

Yeah, it’s pricey but I really does a great job holding temps. I use it for popping corn, boiling pasta, chili etc. very versatile. It looks good. The cover is very heavy. Buy once, cry once… and you’ll have it forever. I’m glad I bought this..

I finally bought the coveted Le Cresut Dutch oven. I used it once but my beef came out scrumpdillyumptous

Best cookware!! I’ve had some for 40 years! Now gifting the next generations!

I was able to pick up my pot today from Whole Foods. Out of the box, it’s gorgeous. It’s also really big, and I’m feeling a little intimidated about using it. Nonetheless, I have been obsessing about Dutch oven cooking ever since, wanting to put it to good use. The 7.5 quart pot seems a bit large for my family, but I don’t want to exchange it for something smaller. I have an induction stove now, so I’m embracing cast iron and stainless steel pans. I’m sure I’ll get my money’s worth out of it. Also, I paid $300 for this thing- I found it elsewhere for much more- $460 on the Le Creuset website, so it makes sense to shop around and get it on sale.