I bought this because I had used a Le Creuset dutch oven long ago, in grad school. Several of our professors in the department were very good cooks and they all swore by a particular French pot that was the best thing for stews, braised meats, soups --anything, in short, you wanted to cook in a dutch oven.
We've had ours for quite some time. I leave it on the stove because it's heavy and because I probably use it once a week to cook a dinner to serve for the weekend and then pack up for busy weeknights.
It is true that the enamel is practically non-stick. If you do not let the pot get over heated, which it does NOT like, and which will damage the enamel, it will stay "non-stick" for a long time. If you do not scratch the enamel with harsh scrubbing pads or with metal implements, it will stay in good order.
The pot is HEAVY. Now, this is a consideration if you have arthritis. It sounds trivial until you develop joint problems (my thumbs and one wrist are not what they were....) and so lifting it in and out of the oven is an issue for some people. The lid handle, a flat knob, requires you to use a pot holder, and the same for the stirrup handles. I suggest glove-type hot mitts instead of a pad for a sure grip if you are removing it from a hot oven or hot stove.
Clean-up is easy. Let the pot cool, soak in some soapy water, wipe out and if needed, use a mild nylon scrubbing pad. There will be some staining (or patina) from some foods, and if this bothers you, you can use a special cleanser but I don't worry. Some people do clean the stubborn stains with a paste of Barkeepers Friend, which is said not to be abrasive. If you burn the pot, you can remove the burnt-on crust by an easy technique (applies to any pan.) Boil up some baking soda in water in the pan. Let it sit. The burnt stuff will peel off and you can then wash out the pot.
I will include here my recipe for French-Style pot roast, which we liked a lot and was my husband's absolutely favorite dish.
3 1/2 lb of beef shoulder or boneless chuck roast
2 Tbsp olive or grapeseed oil
Salt, pepper, and a bay leaf
2 medium yellow onions, cut in chunks
1 leek, well cleaned, just the white part cut into slices.
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/3 bottle of merlot wine
1/2 lb mushrooms (white or crimini brown) cleaned and sliced
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 Tbs Minor's Beef Base or substitute 1 cube or packet beef bouillon powder
Method:
Dry the beef and saute in hot oil in the dutch oven. Brown on all sides, remove to a plate to hold. Saute onions and leeks until they just begin to clear, add in crushed garlic and 1/2 of the mushrooms. Let the mushrooms wilt and add in the wine. Cook down until the wine is reduce by at least half. Add in the beef base, tomato paste, seasonings, bay leaf, add back the beef, the wine and reduce somewhat. Then add enough water to cover up to half the height of the meat. Cook on the stove top until the meat is very tender (about 2.5 hours, your time may vary.) Some people do this step in a 350 degree oven and you can certainly do that, too.
Remove beef to a plate, keep it warm, pour off the gravy, skim off the fat (I use a gravy separator) and puree the gravy if you want it smooth. Saute the rest of the mushrooms and add them to the gravy and reheat this sauce. (you can do the mushrooms ahead of time.) Slice the meat across the grain, serve with the sauce.
Bits of the inside finish chipped off after I had used it approximately 4 times to make onion soup.I sent it to Le Creuset to be replaced under the terms of their warranty which said that the warranty would be voided if the pot had been burned. I was completely confident that the pot had not been burned.There were no scorch marks, burn marks or any other indications that the pot had been burned. The missing chips were scattered at random on the bottom of the pot.(In other words, they did not show a distinctive circular pattern which may have resulted from the circular heating element.)
Much to my astonishment, they refused to replace it because they claimed that the pot had been burned.It hadn't been burned.They refused to return the pot to me so I had no way of disputing their claim.
However, they did offer to send me another pot for a fairly large amount of money.
Buy Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast-Iron 5-1/2-Quart Round French Oven Now
...it would, hands down, be this enameled cast-iron french oven.I found a Le Creuset 5 1/2 quart oven at a discounted price last year when the colors were being changed from solid to the ombre-like coloring they currently have.
Needless to say, I love it.
It browns, sears, develops fond, deglazes, fries, bakes, sautes; it does everything.In it, I have made soup, stew, red sauces, enchilada sauces, macaroni and cheese, as well as any dish that requires sauteing onions first. I have seared and cooked all kinds of meat, fried donuts, onion rings and french fries. I love using it. It does Everything it is supposed to do Perfectly. It cleans up terribly easily; you'd think it would be super hard considering the things I've made it in, but you'd be wrong. It is heavy and durable and will last forever.I love it and would never give it up.
It is, without a doubt, the single best thing I have ever bought to use in my kitchen, for cooking or otherwise.
Read Best Reviews of Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast-Iron 5-1/2-Quart Round French Oven Here
I've been switching out different pots and pans for Le Creuset items for about 2 years now and this dutch oven receives some of the heaviest usage. It was one of the first items that I purchased and has been used for baking bread, braising meats, soups, stews, steaming vegetables, caramelizing onions, mulling wine...you get the idea. Its in use almost daily and has been for going on two years and it still works like the day I bought it.
Thats part of whats great about the enameled cast iron. Its relatively non stick without the upkeep of seasoned cast iron or the durability issues of teflon cookware. Add to that that enameled surfaces are more heat resistant than the fancy teflon coatings and won't leach anything into your food and you have a great product.
I have noticed a bit of discoloration on the inside of the pot when I do heavily spiced dishes that cook for a long time (think chili, indian food, etc). It isn't easy to get this discoloration to go away but over the course of several use and wash cycles it does seem to lighten. I know there are websites devoted to cleaning your Le Creuset cookware, but I don't mind the staining, its not dirty its just well loved.
The same goes for the outside of the oven. I have noticed some darkening of the enamel (I have a cherry colored oven). It seems to happen when the enamel is exposed to high heat (i.e. the bottom of the pan gets a bit darker and if you bake a loaf of bread in the pan on broil instead of bake...oops...the lid turns a shade or two darker). Again this isnt I big deal for me it doesn't effect the pan's usage and I kind of like having a kitchen that looks like it gets used regularly.
So official rundown/conclusions:
The pan is incredibly versatile
The pan cooks like a dream
The pan's coating is fantastically durable and should last forever...lets hope..
The pan looks great on day one and, as long as you don't mind a kitchen that looks like it gets a bit of use now and again, could be a staple on your kitchen stove for years to come
Would I buy it again? A resounding yes
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I'm happy to have finally purchased my Le Creuset 5.5 quart pot.
From experience with my mother's 30+ year old 5.5 Le Creuset French oven I know that it will have a long life.The enameled cast iron is hard wearing, and is easily cleaned.
This pot is perfect for braising meat, making chili, browning onions, creating soup, etc (it's just the right size)!For $265 it's definitely worth the cost--not an item you use twice a year.
Don't be fooled by cheaper imitations:a family member purchased a Martha Stewart enameled dutch oven only to have it recalled over a safety issue.
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This is, of course a perfect fit to the pan.The domed lid makes for a good moist cooking environment, and you can see what is going on inside.The black knob is easy to grab and does not get hot.I vacillated between this and the steel cover, which looks easier to store.I am glad to have this but would consider the steel cover if storage is a problem.
