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.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.
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.