Le Creuset

[snowangel]

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!

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This stuff conducts heat so well, I don't think you'll notice that it's oval on a round burner.

Quite frankly, for me, the only time the LC spends on the stove top is during the browning and deglazing process. The rest of the time, it is in the oven!

[Behemoth]

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

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apparently not this time:

All All-Clad, Capresso, Emerilware, Le Creuset, Orrefors, Kosta Boda, J.A. Henckels, Wüsthof, Riedel, Marquis, Shun, Komachi, Waterford, Weber, DKNY, Tommy Hilfiger, Nautica, and KitchenAid Pro products are excluded from this offer.

[Katie Nell]

I got my 5.5 oval oven yesterday!! It is beautiful! It is just the right size... all my fears went out the window! I don't know what I was thinking, but I was expecting this monstrous thing, but it is just right! I'm so glad I didn't get the 2.75 round. And.... it's a beautiful color! I was expecting a truly awful color, but it's actually the granite color and I think it's gorgeous! Thank you for all the encouragement! So happy and will be braising away this weekend!

[KarenS]

I love Le Creuset. It is an addiction though- I keep buying more pieces. My newest is a 9 inch gratin and I am very happy with it! I use my grill pan a lot too. My favorite is the 7.5 qt French oven.

[kalyson]

I just ordered several new Le Creuset pots, but the 6 3/4 qt has a lid that does not fit all that tightly. In fact, it rocks back and forth some when you press on it while its on the pot. None of my other LC's have this characteristic -- has anyone else had that problem? Thanks --

[Richard Kilgore]

I just ordered several new Le Creuset pots, but the 6 3/4 qt has a lid that does not fit all that tightly.  In fact, it rocks back and forth some when you press on it while its on the pot.  None of my other LC's have this characteristic -- has anyone else had that problem?  Thanks --

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That's a flaw, and I would return or exchange it, which should not be a problem.

[kalyson]

I just ordered several new Le Creuset pots, but the 6 3/4 qt has a lid that does not fit all that tightly.  In fact, it rocks back and forth some when you press on it while its on the pot.  None of my other LC's have this characteristic -- has anyone else had that problem?  Thanks --

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That's a flaw, and I would return or exchange it, which should not be a problem.

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Thanks - I'm sending it packing.

--K

[k43]

My Beautiful Doufeu

I broke down and got a 7-1/4 Le Creuset Doufou at the LeC outset store in Kittery, Maine. It weighs about 2 tons, the cover takes 2 hands to lift, and it barely fits on the stove-top. A small design problem is that the top gets too hot to lift without potholders, and there's not quite enough room to get fingers and potholders in between the sets of handles. They should have moved the handles on the pot down a bit, or bent the handles on the top up a little more. Also, the top is tricky to lift with water in it.

But HOO BOY, how it brasies. I browned a big slab of short ribs, put them in the doufeu, deglazed the browning pan with a couple of cups of beef broth, threw in an onion, a carrot and a parsnip, adjusted the heat, filled the top with water, and went away. I got it started at a little after midnight and stopped it when I got up early the next morning. The ribs were in their original shape, but were like butter, and beyond delicious.

It didn't need to be in the oven. The entire pot radiated heat. Besides, the water will evaporate out of the top if it's in the oven. Also, the interior is white, which gets around the dark interior problem with some of the other LeC pots.

Edited October 10, 2005 by k43 (log)

[snowangel]

TJMaxx has opened some new stores called Homegoods. So, during their opening bash, I went, clutching my $10.00 off your first purchase coupon.

Viola!

OK, so it's not Le Creuset. It's some other French brand (I don't remember the name, it begins with a P). It is 10-1/2" across at the bottom, almost 3-1/2" tall.

Cast iron, enamel in and out.

It is a thing of beauty. $29.99 before the coupon. I have used it every day since I got it except one.

[Dave the Cook]

Awesome, Susan. That pan screams "Fried chicken."

[Cleo]

I decided on a whim this morning that really want a piece of Le Crueset. I read through this thread and got some great information.

I've narrowed it down to the 5 quart or 6.5 quart Oval oven, mostly because that shape seems to be pretty versatile. Which one should I get? I'm not really sure what I'll be using it for, but I'm generally cooking for me, my husband and my 1 year old daughter, with the occasional larger group of family members.

I looked at Caplan-Duval and these prices seem really great.

This morning my idea was to let my husband buy this for me for Hanukkah, but with these prices, now I can't wait!

Help me decide! Thanks.

[snowangel]

6.5 quart oval. No question about it. I have never regretted buying that one (oval, 6.5 quart). I just wish I'd gotten one sooner.

[Richard Kilgore]

That's a very good deal. Go for the 6.5 qt, which will later want a smaller baby brother.

[Cleo]

So I did it! I am (almost) the proud owner of a 6.5 quart Azure Blue Oval French Oven. Should arrive next week. Can't wait to try it out!

[CaliPoutine]

So I did it!  I am (almost) the proud owner of a 6.5 quart Azure Blue Oval French Oven.  Should arrive next week.  Can't wait to try it out!

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If you have any TJ Maxx's around you, check them out. I bought a 4 1/2 oval for 40 bucks( clearance)

[snowangel]

This pan is proving to be my buy of the year, if not the decade. While I love my regular cast iron, I love the fact that this one is deep. I love the fact that when my family uses it, they can't wreck the seasoning. In fact, I love this pan so much, that it just sits on the stove, and I haven't needed to rearrange or prioritize my too tiny cabinets to accomodate it.

[fifi]

Heads up!

The nephew just called and ran into a bunch of Le Creuset and some Staub at Tuesday Morning. For instance . . . The LC 5 quart oval is $119 and the 7 1/4 quart round is $145.

This is at a Tuesday Morning in Houston.

[andiesenji]

Just a quick note. Consumer Reports new issue has a section titled "Best Gifts" and evaluates cookware.

They tested Le Cruset against the "Country Cottage" stuff from China, sold on HSN, and couldn't find any difference in performance. The one thing they did say was that there was no very large round or oval Dutch oven in the sets offered. However, the stuff is non-stick which, in my opinion, would mean it would not produce fond when browning meats. However if cost is important, one might make concessions.

I found it on line at this vendor.

Edited November 11, 2005 by andiesenji (log)

[Richard Kilgore]

Just a quick note.  Consumer Reports new issue has a section titled "Best Gifts" and evaluates cookware. 

They tested Le Cruset against the "Country Cottage" stuff from China, sold on HSN, and couldn't find any difference in performance.  The one thing they did say was that there was no very large round or oval Dutch oven in the sets offered.  However, the stuff is non-stick which, in my opinion, would mean it would not produce fond when browning meats.  However if cost is important, one might make concessions.

I found it on line at this vendor.

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Non-stick would not be my choice either. I think there are other inexpensive enameled cast-iron made in both China and France that would be more useful. Check out discounters like TJ Maxx and Marshall's in the US and Canada.

I am also curious about the cost and availability of good enamaled cast-iron in other parts of the world.

[snowangel]

Non-stick would not be my choice either. I think there are other inexpensive enameled cast-iron made in both China and France that would be more useful. Check out discounters like TJ Maxx and Marshall's in the US and Canada.

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Nor can I imagine why you would want this to be non-stick, since the enamel interior of LC cleans up beautifully and easily.

Don't forget the LC lookalikes at Target. They only come in two sizes (round 4 quart and oval 5+ quart, as I recall) and only two colors, but at $39.99, I could live with either color! Note that these are not featured on the Target web-site.

[Safran]

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snowangel,

I have pan envy! Especially at that price! Well done!

Edited November 11, 2005 by Safran (log)

[Wild Pegasus]

I just picked up a Staub set from a Canadian Costco store for $40 off the regular price. It included a 5 quart round, 2 quart round and a spatula, all in red, for just under $140 CDN.

[jayt90]

I just picked up a Staub set from a Canadian Costco store for $40 off the regular price.  It included a 5 quart round, 2 quart round and a spatula, all in red, for just under $140 CDN.

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I picked up that set today, as well; I think the rebate ends on Sunday.

[fleurdesal]

Does anyone know the meaning of the letter stamped on the bottom of the Le Creuset pots? I'm looking at buying a used one and have encountered the letters 'G', 'B', 'H' thus far. Does it have anything to do with quality (ie. factory seconds). My hunch was that it referred to a specific line, but when I went on their website, I couldn't figure out how those letters I had encountered fit into my hunch. Any illumination on this matter would be most appreciated.

zhourunping@yahoo.com

[Marc Olson]

Letters? Mine just say Le Creuset and <town> France in a circle on the bottom.

Where are the letters in question stamped?