Le Creuset

[megwoo]

I just bought a Le Creuset Doufeu off of eBay. It was something like $130, brand new.

http://www.lecreuset.com/usa/products/guid...category_id=140

It's the smaller, 7 1/4 quart model, but to me it seemed gigantic! Like, I could fit a whole chicken in it--and then some. It barely fits in my small, apartment-sized stove.

I can't even tell you how much I love it. It's so beautiful and unusual, but more than that, it makes incredible slow braises. I roasted a pork shoulder roast and it came out so tender that it fell apart when I touched it with my fork.

Recipe and more pics, if anyone's interested!

http://www.iheartbacon.com/index.php?id=271

Edited August 4, 2005 by megwoo (log)

[oraklet]

I have heard it said that one benefit of Le Creuset over Staub is that Staub's black matte interior makes it hard to judge the amount of browning. Have you found this to be an issue? I am trying to decide between Le Creuset and Staub for my first enameled cast iron.

One could easily say almost the opposite: one benefit of Staub's matte black interior over Le Creuset's shiny white interior is that it is much better at browning -- which I have found to be true.

Unless you have a dimly lit kitchen, it shouldn't be all that hard to judge the level of browning on a piece of meat, etc. It's just not something I have found to be a problem, and I like the fact that it's faster at browning. And, once you get past the browning part, I just think it's a better pan for low/slow/wet cooking. It's heavier and I like the basting spikes.

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you're absolutely right about the black matte's browning properties. it's almost like using raw cast iron. the two lc french ovens (perfects, picked up dirt cheap at flea markets) i own are both black matte, and i'm very very happy with them. however, they do not clean easily. i've tried next to everything, but they still retain a little smell of whatever's been cooked in them. almost like raw cast iron does. not that it matters much, as most casserolle dishes have flavour profiles that are somewhat overlapping, but still...

now, i also own a 1 liter lc sauce pan. it's blue, and darn pretty, and picked up at a second hand shop for 3$, so i couldn't resist it. but - i don't really know what to use it for. any ideas?

[EdS]

...however, they do not clean easily. i've tried next to everything, but they still retain a little smell of whatever's been cooked in them. almost like raw cast iron does. not that it matters much, as most casserolle dishes have flavour profiles that are somewhat overlapping, but still....

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Try Bar Keeper's Friend. I had an old matte black Le Creuset oval roasting pan and have a few matte black Staub pieces now. I've found that Bar Keeper's Friend will remove the residue and does not damage the finish over extended use. I don't use it every time I wash but rather only when detergent and scrubbing with a brush isn't enough. I've cooked some oily fish dishes that left me with a problem of "stinky pot" and the Bar Keeper's Friend erased those memories.

[oraklet]

Try Bar Keeper's Friend. I had an old matte black Le Creuset oval roasting pan and have a few matte black Staub pieces now. I've found that Bar Keeper's Friend will remove the residue and does not damage the finish over extended use. I don't use it every time I wash but rather only when detergent and scrubbing with a brush isn't enough. I've cooked some oily fish dishes that left me with a problem of "stinky pot"  and the Bar Keeper's Friend erased those memories. 

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i wish i knew what "bar keepers friend" is. there must be a danish equivalent, i guess. hmm.

but thanks anyway

[MelissaH]

i wish i knew what "bar keepers friend" is. there must be a danish equivalent, i guess. hmm.

but thanks anyway 

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I believe the active ingredient is oxalic acid. Don't know what else is on the ingredient list. Maybe scrubbing with a rhubarb leaf would do the trick?

MelissaH

[winesonoma]

Try Bar Keeper's Friend. I had an old matte black Le Creuset oval roasting pan and have a few matte black Staub pieces now. I've found that Bar Keeper's Friend will remove the residue and does not damage the finish over extended use. I don't use it every time I wash but rather only when detergent and scrubbing with a brush isn't enough. I've cooked some oily fish dishes that left me with a problem of "stinky pot"  and the Bar Keeper's Friend erased those memories. 

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i wish i knew what "bar keepers friend" is. there must be a danish equivalent, i guess. hmm.

but thanks anyway

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http://www.barkeepersfriend.com/products.htm

[MHarney]

does anyone here have experience cooking with "innova" brand of enameed cast iron? amazon lists a 7 qrt oval at $50.00 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...KX0DER&v=glance

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I've had the Innova enameled cast iron 7 qt. oval, 5 qt. round, 2 quart oval, and lasagna pan for more than a year now, and am quite happy with all of them. I use the larger two the most, most often for soups, pot roasts, and stews, and the lasagna pan is perfect for gratin dauphinoise à la Steingarten -- it produces a beautifully browned bottom and top. Cleanup is generally a snap -- if heavily crusted after use, soak them for a while and everything just wipes off without scrubbing. So far, each of them looks much the same as the day the UPS guy lugged all fifty pounds of them to my door.

All them are very heavy duty, and a glance at shipping weights on Amazon shows some of the Innova pieces are actually a bit heavier than the equvalent Le Creuset items (17 lbs. vs. 14 lbs. for the 7 quart size, for instance). I've never owned a Le Creuset and so can't directly compare, but I can say that, after a year of using them, it's hard to imagine in what way any one of the LC pieces could be worth its list price of three to four times the list price of the equivalent Innova item, unless you consider the French ancestry or color shading of the LC pieces aesthetic imperatives (the Innova are solid colors).

On Amazon, you can find all the Innova stuff with a search for Innova color where color is one of blue, green, yellow, and red (or search for Innova to see them all). It looks like some are not stocked at the moment; I don't know if that means Amazon is in the process of dropping them. In the past, you also needed to look at all the items returned in the search, because some third-party sellers on Amazon sold for a price 20-50% higher than Amazon's. Froogle (links to search for Innova blue) shows other sellers out there charging in the more reasonable Amazon range, and they show up on eBay from time to time as well.

[Behemoth]

This is possibly a dumb question, but is the Creuset matte black enameled? There is a 9.5 QT one at the local TJMaxx with a decent price on it but I don't want to buy something that will react with tomatoes. I'm not even sure it is matte black, it looks more like plain cast iron.

[CaliPoutine]

This is possibly a dumb question, but is the Creuset matte black enameled? There is a 9.5 QT one at the local TJMaxx with a decent price on it but I don't want to buy something that will react with tomatoes. I'm not even sure it is matte black, it looks more like plain cast iron.

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I took this from the amazon website.

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Beautiful enough to bring to the table yet durable enough to outlive its 101-year warranty against defects, this heavy casserole is perfect for preparing and ceremoniously serving dishes such as choucroute garni and braised lamb shanks. The oval shape is large enough for cooking a whole turkey or big cuts of meat. Use it in the oven or on the stovetop for soups and chili. Made of cast iron, with an exterior and interior clad in two coats of Le Creuset's famous enamel, the casserole holds 9-1/2 quarts. Cast iron is unexcelled for heat distribution and retention, so this casserole cooks foods evenly and gently at low temperatures without hot spots and is suitable for all heat sources. The plastic knob on its heavy, tight-fitting lid is ovenproof to 450 degrees F. This casserole is dishwasher safe and has loop handles for easy lifting. Like all Le Creuset cast-iron products, it is hand cast in a one-of-a-kind sand mold and hand finished at the Le Creuset factory in France. --Fred Brack

Product Description

9 1/2 qt. Oval French Oven - Matte Black

Im curious as to why tjmaxx would sell this when amazon is still carrying it. Matte black is a fairly new color. Are you sure its Le Creuset?

[oraklet]

Im curious as to why tjmaxx would sell this when amazon is still carrying it.  Matte black is a fairly new color.  Are you sure its Le Creuset?

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matte black le creuset must have been around for many many years, as i own two - slightly different in the way of design - vintage matte black french ovens which are both from the pre plastic lid handle era. one with a square handle, the other with a round handle.

Edited September 22, 2005 by oraklet (log)

[jayt90]

Im curious as to why tjmaxx would sell this when amazon is still carrying it.  Matte black is a fairly new color.  Are you sure its Le Creuset?

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matte black le creuset must have been around for many many years, as i own two - slightly different in the way of design - vintage matte black french ovens which are both from the pre plastic lid handle era. one with a square handle, the other with a round handle.

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I have a couple dating back to the 70's. The matte finish is interior only, and began to chip after a few years, so I gave up on Creuset for quite awhile. I'm sure they have corrected the problem, and recent smooth interior casseroles have been good for me. But I get good results from the Chinese copies, less well finished, at a much lower price.

[Behemoth]

Im curious as to why tjmaxx would sell this when amazon is still carrying it.  Matte black is a fairly new color.  Are you sure its Le Creuset?

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TJMaxx has been carrying "second quality" LC for a couple of years. It is basically real LC with some barely visible fault that keeps it from being sold in a regular store. For example, I got a blue 5.5 qt round oven for $99. It has a barely visible black speck on the inside of the lid. I also got an All-Clad MC2 12 inch skillet for about $50 -- little c-shaped ding where the handle meets the pan. It usually takes me a while to figure out what's wrong with them, and they are always just cosmetic faults. They also carry all the Oxo stuff, and the occasional John Boos cutting board, not damaged at all in this case. All in all, I would strongly recommend them. Then again, why am I sharing this with you? I hope not too many eGulleteers live in central IL.

Also: I just bought an off-brand 11" enameled cast iron gratin pan. $2.99. I figure if it falls apart I'm out $2.99. It sure looks nice though!

As for the 9 Qt oval, I really don't think it is enameled. What does the inside of a matte black one look like? Is it smooth, or rough?

It may be a moot point. I just ordered the 6 3/4 oval and free soup pot from Amazon. If you get them in white it is $139.99 for the pair. ($199 for any other color. Not bad, but not jaw dropping either.) Yeah, they don't match the blue one, but it's not like I'll have them all out at once. I needed something that would accomodate an leg of lamb, and I think the 6 3/4 should be just big enough.

Edited September 22, 2005 by Behemoth (log)

[oraklet]

I have a couple dating back to the 70's.  The matte finish is interior only, and began to chip after a few years, so I gave up on Creuset for quite awhile. I'm sure they have corrected the problem, and recent smooth interior casseroles have been good for me. But I get good results from the Chinese copies, less well finished, at a much lower price.

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i've had absolutely no problems with mine which are, incidentally, matte black on both inside and outside. and they've seen a lot of use before i aquired them, judging from the old burnt-on grease i had to remove from them.

[CaliPoutine]

Im curious as to why tjmaxx would sell this when amazon is still carrying it.  Matte black is a fairly new color.  Are you sure its Le Creuset?

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TJMaxx has been carrying "second quality" LC for a couple of years. It is basically real LC with some barely visible fault that keeps it from being sold in a regular store. For example, I got a blue 5.5 qt round oven for $99. It has a barely visible black speck on the inside of the lid. I also got an All-Clad MC2 12 inch skillet for about $50 -- little c-shaped ding where the handle meets the pan. It usually takes me a while to figure out what's wrong with them, and they are always just cosmetic faults. They also carry all the Oxo stuff, and the occasional John Boos cutting board, not damaged at all in this case. All in all, I would strongly recommend them. Then again, why am I sharing this with you? I hope not too many eGulleteers live in central IL.

Also: I just bought an off-brand 11" enameled cast iron gratin pan. $2.99. I figure if it falls apart I'm out $2.99. It sure looks nice though!

As for the 9 Qt oval, I really don't think it is enameled. What does the inside of a matte black one look like? Is it smooth, or rough?

It may be a moot point. I just ordered the 6 3/4 oval and free soup pot from Amazon. If you get them in white it is $139.99 for the pair. ($199 for any other color. Not bad, but not jaw dropping either.) Yeah, they don't match the blue one, but it's not like I'll have them all out at once. I needed something that would accomodate an leg of lamb, and I think the 6 3/4 should be just big enough.

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I got a 6 1/2 qt blue oval at tj maxx for 40 bucks, it had a big ding in the bottom, but it works well. Also, did you get your 25 bucks off as well when you spend 125?

[Behemoth]

I got a 6 1/2 qt blue oval at tj maxx for 40 bucks, it had a big ding in the bottom, but it works well.  Also, did you get your 25 bucks off as well when you spend 125?

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You mean by signing up for the credit card? Nope.

Edited September 22, 2005 by Behemoth (log)

[snowangel]

When I was at Target the other day, I noticed that they are now carrying two sizes of enameled cast iron casseroles -- 4.5 quart and 6 quart, as I recall. They were $39.99 each, and I think the brand was Chefmate. Red or blue. They are not featured on their web site.

[CaliPoutine]

I got a 6 1/2 qt blue oval at tj maxx for 40 bucks, it had a big ding in the bottom, but it works well.  Also, did you get your 25 bucks off as well when you spend 125?

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You mean by signing up for the credit card? Nope.

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no, not the credit card. if you spend over 125 in housewares, you get 25 off.

[Katie Nell]

Okay, so I need some reassurance that I did the right thing! I bought the 5.5 oval Le Creuset over the phone from one of their outlets this weekend for $69.99. It was between that or the 2.75 round oven for $49.99. Did I make the right decision?

[mrbigjas]

sure you did! great pan, convenient size. i use mine all the time (it's round, not oval, but is the same capacity).

[gourmande]

Okay, so I need some reassurance that I did the right thing!  I bought the 5.5 oval Le Creuset over the phone from one of their outlets this weekend for $69.99.  It was between that or the 2.75 round oven for $49.99.  Did I make the right decision?

You sure did, and my gosh, what a great price!

My oval oven is 6 3/4 qt and my round ovens are 2 qt and 4 1/2 qt... I also have a couple of sauce pans and two skillets and I love them all

Some of them are very, very old and will certainly outlive me!

[Allura]

Okay, so I need some reassurance that I did the right thing!  I bought the 5.5 oval Le Creuset over the phone from one of their outlets this weekend for $69.99.  It was between that or the 2.75 round oven for $49.99.  Did I make the right decision?

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Sounds like a great price to me! Mind sharing where you got it?

[Behemoth]

I got a 6 1/2 qt blue oval at tj maxx for 40 bucks, it had a big ding in the bottom, but it works well.  Also, did you get your 25 bucks off as well when you spend 125?

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You mean by signing up for the credit card? Nope.

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no, not the credit card. if you spend over 125 in housewares, you get 25 off.

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I tried. LC, All-Clad and most other useful stuff is excluded, unfortunately

[Katie Nell]

Okay, so I need some reassurance that I did the right thing!  I bought the 5.5 oval Le Creuset over the phone from one of their outlets this weekend for $69.99.  It was between that or the 2.75 round oven for $49.99.   Did I make the right decision?

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Sounds like a great price to me! Mind sharing where you got it?

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Not at all! I actually heard it about from someone else online. They had gotten a flyer in the mail that all of the Le Creuset outlets were having a big sale. Since there's not one near me, she gave me locations and phone numbers that were the closest to me.

Aurora, Il 630-851-3100

Michigan City, In 219-873-0090

Osage Beach, Missouri 573-302-4600

I called the Osage Beach one on Saturday and ordered... I think they only have both sizes in Dijon, but I didn't care. I wanted one that I could use as an all-around oven, and I was concerned that the 2.75 was too small and the 5.5 was too large (for me.) I guess that was what I was most worried about. That, and whether the oval would conduct heat as well on my electric stove. I guess we'll see! That's all the info I know, so I really kind of ordered blindly!

[gourmande]

...I wanted one that I could use as an all-around oven, and I was concerned that the 2.75 was too small and the 5.5 was too large (for me.)  I guess that was what I was most worried about.  That, and whether the oval would conduct heat as well on my electric stove.  I guess we'll see!...

2 3/4 qt would definitely be too small for an all purpose French oven, the size you got will be perfect. The oval works very well stove top to brown, but you will likely be placing it in the oven anyway for long stewing or braising, right? FWIW, I have an old electric stove/oven and my oval LC performs as well as my round ones on the stove top.

Edited for typos

Edited October 5, 2005 by gourmande (log)

[CaliPoutine]

I got a 6 1/2 qt blue oval at tj maxx for 40 bucks, it had a big ding in the bottom, but it works well.  Also, did you get your 25 bucks off as well when you spend 125?

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You mean by signing up for the credit card? Nope.

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no, not the credit card. if you spend over 125 in housewares, you get 25 off.

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I tried. LC, All-Clad and most other useful stuff is excluded, unfortunately

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No, LC isnt excluded, I got my 25 off and I bought a 7 1/4 qt.