le creuset vs. martha stewart

[Anonymous]

A quote from Cook’s Illustrated,"We recommend the Tramontina as an inexpensive alternative to our favorite 71/4-quart Dutch oven by Le Creuset." I found the 6.5 quart at Walmart for $35 and have already made the No Knead bread and numerous soups and stews. Hands down my favorite pot in the kitchen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone tried Lodge enameled cast iron? They look similar to Le Creuset and I've read they are very good and much more affordable.

http://www.lodgemfg.com/lodge-enamel.asp

(It is made in China, though, and I'm skeptical of ANYTHING made there.)

Absolutely!

Cook's Illustrated did a test of 8 or 10 cheaper enameled dutch ovens because of the high price of Le Creuset. They found that Lodge was just as good (I think they said Tramontina was their other pick but you might have to look that up to verify). So I bought one for my SIL who is a serious cook and has a pretty well-stocked kitchen but she needed a new dutch oven. two year later she still says it is the best item in her kitchen. So I bought one this year and I have to say it is fantastic. I do not notice the difference between it and Le Creuset. And since it's only 45 bucks, I can treat it like a pot and not an heirloom.

Based on that same Cook's Illustrated comparison I bought a Mario Batali dutch oven, which got comparable ratings to the Le Creuset dutch oven and is about half the price. Only problem is it's a few pounds heavier, which is hard to believe. Empty, it's heavy - try holding it with one hand to scrape it out with a spatula. That said, it's my favorite kitchen piece.

[Anonymous]

Has anyone tried the Chantal brand of cookware - they make a Creuset look alike too.

[Anonymous]

I've noticed alot of CUISINART enameled cast iron dutch ovens at Marshalls.
Any opinions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tuesday Morning often has Le Creuset pieces as well.

And Marshall's on a good day, too

I've seen them (various sizes) priced anywhere from $40-$100.

Kinda makes you wonder why anyone would even bother to go to the Bethesda Row store and pay full price!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Try Staub, as well. It is also made in France, a little less expensive than Le Creuset (though still pricey), and a foodie favorite. I think many Americans don't know about Staub because Williams Sonoma doesn't carry it.

WS now carries Staub (finally!). Unlike the Le Creuset, Staub has a dark interior, whereas as the LC has a white one. Both are enameled cast iron. The other reason why I like Staub is that it's knob is metal, instead of plastic. At very high heats, the plastic knob of the LC can melt. Also, Staub lids have little "spikes" on the underside that are supposed to help with the even distribution of drippings.

[Anonymous]

My mother still uses the Le Creuset pieces she got when she got married, 48 years ago. They look as good as new.

[Anonymous]

Cooks Illustrated also says there are other options out there! I LOVE my Emerilware 6 quart Dutch oven, I bought it at BBB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Try Staub, as well. It is also made in France, a little less expensive than Le Creuset (though still pricey), and a foodie favorite. I think many Americans don't know about Staub because Williams Sonoma doesn't carry it.

WS now carries Staub (finally!). Unlike the Le Creuset, Staub has a dark interior, whereas as the LC has a white one. Both are enameled cast iron. The other reason why I like Staub is that it's knob is metal, instead of plastic. At very high heats, the plastic knob of the LC can melt. Also, Staub lids have little "spikes" on the underside that are supposed to help with the even distribution of drippings.

You can buy metal knobs for Le Creuset pots, if you are going to use them in the oven.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Try Staub, as well. It is also made in France, a little less expensive than Le Creuset (though still pricey), and a foodie favorite. I think many Americans don't know about Staub because Williams Sonoma doesn't carry it.

WS now carries Staub (finally!). Unlike the Le Creuset, Staub has a dark interior, whereas as the LC has a white one. Both are enameled cast iron. The other reason why I like Staub is that it's knob is metal, instead of plastic. At very high heats, the plastic knob of the LC can melt. Also, Staub lids have little "spikes" on the underside that are supposed to help with the even distribution of drippings.

You can buy metal knobs for Le Creuset pots, if you are going to use them in the oven.

i just unscrewed the knob on the lid when i put it in the oven.