holy $$$$! Le Creuset!

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SwampDonkey said:
Anyone tried the Lodge enameled stuff?

I have a ~$75 World Market house brand oval 7 qt and the enamel started chipping pretty fast and the lid doesn't fit nearly as tight as a LC/Staub. Curious if Lodge would be a nice middle ground between the two.
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I bought a Lodge dutch oven 10 years ago for $70 and it has performed perfectly and the enamel hasn't chipped at all. I think you can still get it at that price or below if you wait for a sale.

IMO the Le Creuset/Staub/etc fandom is a bit over-the-top. It's a cast and coated piece of iron, their prices are absurd and the actual performance difference is marginal at best.
 
Justinv said:
My LC pots have raw cast iron rims on the pot and lid. I’m always worried the rough lid will scratch my counters.
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Curious... could this be an age thing? Where they have either started or stopped enamelling the rims at some point in the past? What's the vintage of your LC?
I think I last checked this in a store about 1-2 years ago.

mb1551 said:
I bought a Lodge dutch oven 10 years ago for $70 and it has performed perfectly and the enamel hasn't chipped at all. I think you can still get it at that price or below if you wait for a sale.

IMO the Le Creuset/Staub/etc fandom is a bit over-the-top. It's a cast and coated piece of iron, their prices are absurd and the actual performance difference is marginal at best.
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I think historically you have to keep in mind that, at least on the Dutch market, there weren't really many cheaper alternatives on the market up until about 10 years ago. Until then LC and Staub were the only ones still bothering in that market, and when at some point they became more succesful you suddenly had a lot of other players jumping on that because they wanted a piece of the pie. The main alternative before that was thin enamelled carbon steel, which just performs a lot worse.

Another factor is that whiel you might have been lucky in having good experience with cheaper stuff, many others did not. I'm generally a bang-for-buck kinda guy but for me that has been the reason to give up on the cheap crap because I just got burnt too often....
 
Jovidah said:
Curious... could this be an age thing? Where they have either started or stopped enamelling the rims at some point in the past? What's the vintage of your LC?
I think I last checked this in a store about 1-2 years ago.
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My LC were purchased in 2009 in Michigan, USA from Williams and Sonoma

Size 30 oval Doufeu - pot bottom is enameled
Pot rim not enameled
Lid rim not enameled

Size 28 oval Dutch oven - pot bottom not enameled
Pot rim is enameled
Lid rim is not enameled
 
My Staubs are about 2 and 5 years old. Pot rim and lid rim are both enamelled. Though it is a bit hard to see since it is colored slightly differently, so you could easily think they aren't. I think they work with a base coat and a top coat... the rims only get the base coat. But there's something there.

On another random note, since it often comes up: one thing I really didn't find a big deal at all is having a black inside. Somehow it often comes up 'can't see the color of the fond!' and I was worried about this myself but it's always been a complete nonissue.
The small benefit is that you don't see discoloration over time.
 
I have LC, which I bought so long ago that I didn't even know Staub existed at the time. They have held up really well, and still look great, even after a whole lot of use. An oval one, perfect for roasting chicken and duck, and for simmering Master Sauce Chicken without needing a lot of extra master sauce, as a circular pot would. Two big ones, including the largest size, for big and giant batches of stew.

Are they necessary? I have the impression that simmering stews are less likely to burn and stick on the bottom, because of the enamel layer, but that could be my imagination. I think it's a bit easier to scrape fond from enamel than from steel. I also find them a pleasure to use, but I don't know why that is. Part of it is I just like heavy pots and pans.
 
Rangen said:
I have LC, which I bought so long ago that I didn't even know Staub existed at the time. They have held up really well, and still look great, even after a whole lot of use. An oval one, perfect for roasting chicken and duck, and for simmering Master Sauce Chicken without needing a lot of extra master sauce, as a circular pot would. Two big ones, including the largest size, for big and giant batches of stew.

Are they necessary? I have the impression that simmering stews are less likely to burn and stick on the bottom, because of the enamel layer, but that could be my imagination. I think it's a bit easier to scrape fond from enamel than from steel. I also find them a pleasure to use, but I don't know why that is. Part of it is I just like heavy pots and pans.
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love me some heavy cookware. Cast iron, carbon steel and vintage extra forte tinned copper is the large majority of my cookware lol
 
Jovidah said:
I think historically you have to keep in mind that, at least on the Dutch market, there weren't really many cheaper alternatives on the market up until about 10 years ago. Until then LC and Staub were the only ones still bothering in that market, and when at some point they became more succesful you suddenly had a lot of other players jumping on that because they wanted a piece of the pie. The main alternative before that was thin enamelled carbon steel, which just performs a lot worse.

Another factor is that whiel you might have been lucky in having good experience with cheaper stuff, many others did not. I'm generally a bang-for-buck kinda guy but for me that has been the reason to give up on the cheap crap because I just got burnt too often....
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It's also possible you were unlucky in having bad experiences. I believe LC probably has better quality control than Lodge, but that would mean rejecting a few percent more as seconds and still wouldn't justify 5x on price.

As a quick check, the 7.5qt Lodge has comparable reviews to the 7.25qt Le Creuset on Amazon. Admittedly not the most reliable source, but it's not like Lodge isn't in the same ballpark.
 
Cast iron aside, whenever I see some coonass whip out one of these vintage bad boys I KNOW they're about to whip.

s-l1200.jpg
 
ian said:
Always nice hearing from y’all that have actually put the cookware through its paces.
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fwiw my main LC dutch oven is significantly older than I am, and had decades of use by my grandmother, and I have used it regularly.

I used a Lodge a lot for deep frying until ultimately getting a SLT one as part of some sale, it was quite inexpensive and a better shape IMO (more cube-ish) and I've used it a ton too.

Again I will maintain all of them are fine, but both LC dutch ovens I own are just easier to work with and I forgot about the difference in price of the one I paid my own money for a long time ago.
 
mb1551 said:
It's also possible you were unlucky in having bad experiences. I believe LC probably has better quality control than Lodge, but that would mean rejecting a few percent more as seconds and still wouldn't justify 5x on price.

As a quick check, the 7.5qt Lodge has comparable reviews to the 7.25qt Le Creuset on Amazon. Admittedly not the most reliable source, but it's not like Lodge isn't in the same ballpark.
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Admittedly my sample size of cheap enamelled cast iron was just 3, so being extremely unlucky is technically possible... but also not particularly likely. The problem of 'inferior enamel leading to long term problems' is something I've also seen other people encountering. But you're right it's possible I just bought the wrong brands; it's entirely possible that there are good cheap enamel cast iron pans out there. Problem is it's hard to find out which ones.

Admittedly none of my cheap ones were Lodge (Lodge is actually not cheap here at all because it's an import from the US), so I can't say anything specifically about them. But at some point I just gave up on playing Russian roulette.

Customer reviews like on Amazon are not particularly useful in this case because most people write them within a short time of purchasing the product when they're still in the honey moon period. Problems with enamel quality usually show more in the long term. I used to think all my cheap enamel pots were a good deal as well... until they weren't.

If you're lucky enough to find something that's cheap and actually lasts then that's awesome; I'm the first to admit that I never really saw (nor expected) any particular differences in thermal performance between the cheap stuff and the more expensive stuff. IIt all cooked pretty similar.
 
It appears I angered a petty god with my recommendation. I go to the kitchen this morning to find the Emile henry in the sink from my better half’s cleaning spree, and as I go to clean it I find a neat crack across the entirety of it. She pled innocent 🙃🙃 Enamel may be the way to stick with, they may be double the price and weight, but after 6 years even if the enamel fails you still have an iron pot underneath
 
Lodge enameled Dutch ovens are decent cookware. They lack the refinement of the LC for sure, but the Lodge pan also doesn't carry the sticker shock of an LC or Staub. The biggest downside of my Lodge is that the corners (where the sides meet the bottom) are more rounded than those on the LC, which means there is less surface area on the bottom for browning, etc. Not sure how much of a difference that actually makes, though. I've used and abused my Lodge for years and it has held up very well, unlike a smaller no-name enameled pot we bought as Aldi. The Aldi pot has begun shedding chips of enamel, so we're about done with it.
 
I have a lodge, I would buy it again. I have also heard good things about tramotina (sp?) from Costco.
 
Get a lodge. They have new , made in USA dutch ovens that are more pricey , but you can still get the cheaper ones. I have been using mine for years , and I also have a Le cruseut. I would never buy another kes Creuset. They are great , but not worth the money in any way. I sold my LC for double what I paid for it last year, because I never used . I bought it on an awesome sale a few years ago.
 
Actually something that came to mind about enamelled rims: I'm not sure one should even consider an enamelled rim an advantage at all. Because many of us have the habbit of slamming utensils against the top rim of the pot... which is fine with wood, but with metal utensils there's a risk of just chipping any enamel on the rim.
 
boomchakabowwow said:
I ordered one. Stayed in France. Ordered a Made-in. I punted wildly.
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While I don't have their Dutch oven, I do have several pieces from Made In to include some bakeware. Their products have all displayed excellent quality for me so far. It's a shame they've shifted their business model away from quality but affordable stuff the average person can get to high-end, premium-chef backed fare. They no longer represent the value they once did.
 
well, I hope it doesn't suck.

I got my brother one from Costco one year when he was gonna crockpot a stew. the lid chipped damn near immediately, but he kept it and is still using it. he is hamfisted. I am pretty sure he nestled it into a campfire before. hahaha.. I think he demoted his crockpot to "food warmer" at work parties.
 
boomchakabowwow said:
well, I hope it doesn't suck.

I got my brother one from Costco one year when he was gonna crockpot a stew. the lid chipped damn near immediately, but he kept it and is still using it. he is hamfisted. I am pretty sure he nestled it into a campfire before. hahaha.. I think he demoted his crockpot to "food warmer" at work parties.
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Oh I'm sure it won't. Like I said, all the stuff I have from them is very well made.
 
I find good deals on barely used and new le creuset and staub on Facebook marketplace. Some people get these large pieces as gifts and never use them.
 
HumbleHomeCook said:
While I don't have their Dutch oven, I do have several pieces from Made In to include some bakeware. Their products have all displayed excellent quality for me so far. It's a shame they've shifted their business model away from quality but affordable stuff the average person can get to high-end, premium-chef backed fare. They no longer represent the value they once did.
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Yeah it's like they decided that their 'straight to consumer' model should only benefit them and not the consumer.
It's a shame... combined with their insistence on shipping even European made products from the US it just prices them out of the market, even though they have some very interesting pieces. The carbon steel griddle and roasting pans looked just about perfect, and they're also one of the few who make a large 28 cm saucier.
 
Jovidah said:
Yeah it's like they decided that their 'straight to consumer' model should only benefit them and not the consumer.
It's a shame... combined with their insistence on shipping even European made products from the US it just prices them out of the market, even though they have some very interesting pieces. The carbon steel griddle and roasting pans looked just about perfect, and they're also one of the few who make a large 28 cm saucier.
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It's very much a different business than when I fell in love with their products. Their stuff is really good and combined with the "no middle man" platform and frequent discounts, I was all in on Made In. But the marketing shift to an elite brand and the subsequent price increases to position themselves more in that class are a real turn off. The stuff is still good I'm sure but they've put themselves among more competition now and that good value, David vs. Goliath aspect is gone. They used to run specials and send quality emails and give you 10% for a review, good or bad, but not any more. It feels sorta like a scam. They just did that to get business and once they had enough sales then see ya.
 
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It was once my purpose to assemble a set ECI from single pudding cup through 7+ qts., made up of a mixture of Staub, Le Creuset, Brexit, and Tramontina products. The colors brightened up my home kitchen. In addition to classic Dutch ovens, I purchased bean pots, soup pots, a brazier, "perfect pan"--round and oval versions--as my primary cookware for awhile. I even purchased a few early enameled steel Kobenstyle designs and a Le Creuset teapot. I focused on one pot meals that could be served as part of pot luck celebrations.

I found ECI in all price ranges, but specializded in getting really interesting pieces at very low prices on EBAY--sometimes through auctions from collectors or estates. Others I found by just looking around. My inexpensive Tramontina pieces showed very noticeable deterioration over time whereas LeCreuset, Staub, and Brexit have held up remarkably well. In the USA, OEM products from China sometimes show up at grocery stores at very low prices--or sponsored by brand name distributors --even big box stores--at slightly higher prices--and often work out very well in homes--but I've stuck with established brands that I could snag.
 
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If you want to collect Le Creuset and Staub aren't the only French brands. There's also Fontignac and Chasseur.
Then there's of course the million other non-French brands, and all the enamelled carbon steel...though the latter are less interesting since usually the carbon steel is quite thin, which is quite noticable in the abysmal thermal performance.

Never heard of Brexit pans, I thought they had gone back to eating rocks and dirt since leaving the EU. Something to do with 'regaining autonomy and seperating from those filthy french and their culinary traditions'....
 
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