Le Creuset Casseroles

Pros: Very Even Heating, Durable Ceramic Fused Coating Over Cast Iron Base
Cons: Is This Ever Heavy! Arthritics and Carpal Tunnel Sufferers Look Elsewhere

I've often thought Le Creuset was pricey cookware, but 25 years after buying my first piece, a paella pan, it looks like new and makes a colorful centerpiece for a casual buffet.

Having been raised by a grandmother who loved to cook, and...

Pros: This good-looking, even-heating, handsome devil graces my stove
Cons: So heavy I'm having a hard time lifting it - and that's EMPTY!

Many years ago, a friend of mine married a man who loved to cook. Paul came from an Austro-Hungarian family, with a genetic predisposition toward that culture's strong tradition of rich foods. Sally was of good solid Midwestern stock, but with an...

Pros: Durable, pretty, cooks well, cleans well, heavy
Cons: Expensive, heavy

My mother has several of these fabulous casseroles. I like them for several reasons:

1. They are very, very, heavy!
You know that your food is heating evenly and thoroughly in a La Creuset casserole. Actually, this applies to...

Pros: Wonderful results, and it looks great.
Cons: Expensive and quite delicate

When I was a child, my mother made soups and stews for our family in a large red LeCreuset casserole, so I have fond memories. When I started my own family, I also started a LeCreuset casserole collection. With each child, we add another pot. It's an...

Pros: Even heat distribution, and easy to clean.
Cons: Heavy. VERY heavy.

I love my Le Creuset cookware. My wife hates it, but we'll get to that later.

The casseroles are cast iron, coated with enamel. This allows for even heat distribution, while still being relatively non-stick.

Better heat...

Pros: Beautiful, indestructible, makes cooking feel elegant.
Cons: Watch your toes!

One of the things that I inherited from my grandmother was an orange Le Creuset casserole pan. I only wish I had found more pieces, because even though the color screams 1973 to me, I LOVE this pan. It is versatile, almost indestructible, and easy to...

Pros: The pinnacle of cookware. So versatile. A joy to use
Cons: Heavy, expensive (but last a lifetime)

My wife is an accomplished cook. I have had my moments in the kitchen too and enjoy practicing my culinary skills. We each have our special favourites (starters, roasts, puddings) and we overlap each other rather than compete. Our existing kitchen gear...

Pros: Cast-iron holds heat, versatility in oven or on range, beautiful, can't live without it now
Cons: Heavy, a bit pricey for building a collection (but divide the price by 101 years!

The Food Network (cable) reeled me in again for cookware two years ago with Le Creuset Dutch/French ovens. Emeril, Sara Moulton, Bobby Flay, and just about everyone else who has a show use it and on almost every show. Well, then, I HAVE to have some....

Pros: Even cooking, versatility, durability
Cons: A little expensive

Le Creuset cookware is fabulous. It's versatile enough to cook just about everything and it comes in the darn cutest colors. The above-mentioned casserole is fabulous, but would better suit a big family. The dutch ovens are very similar, but are perfect...

Pros: Beautiful and useful, a wonderful combination
Cons: Expensive and heavy

Nothing makes you feel like you know what you are doing (even if you don't) than using a really fine, professional product. That's how I feel when I use these casseroles, which I received as wedding presents. The price is a bit off putting at first,...

Pros: Maintains heat excellently. Looks great. Easy to clean.
Cons: A little heavy. Expensive.

When we decided to replace some of our old, worn out T-Fal cookware, we realized we only needed a few pieces and decided to move up to AllClad and Le Creuset.

My first time using the LeCreuset, I was amazed at how well it held the heat. After...

Pros: Good looks, even heating, helps you make delicious braises and stews.
Cons: Very high price.

I have had three of these for several years now, all blue. I have a small round one, a rather large round one, and an oval one of medium size, big enough for a whole chicken or a roast. As a food writer and impassioned cook, I am constantly at the stove,...

Pros: heat retention, rock solid, lovely
Cons: extremely heavy pot and price tag

Before writing this review, I looked up the word "Le Creuset" in my French dictionary. It means a crucible or melting pot. It is a perfect name, I think. Le Creuset is the kind of pot you want to hover over all day, adding a bit of this a dash...

Pros: Attractive for both cooks and diners alike
Cons: Shouldn't use metal utensils

A set of Le Creuset was given to us as a wedding present. Needless to say, it was a wonderful start to epicurean delights. I love to cook and these are made to make every cook look good. When it came time to add more cookware, Le Creuset was the...

Pros: Even cooking, heat retention. Very stable design--not easily tipped on stove. High sides.
Cons: Finish does not last a "lifetime."

Cast iron can't be beat for those slow cooking dishes. They heat up evenly, hold that heat, and these Le Creuset casseroles look good while doing it. I've used enameled cast iron for at least 40 years and I always have at least one. Currently I have ...