I have an Aldi brand one, it works great. Have been using it for 10 years or so now.

Get one that is heavy duty and is safe for both oven and stovetop. Some of the brands have wooden or plastic knobs that will not be safe in the oven.

Anonymous wrote:I bought two Lodge Dutch ovens a few years ago and they are used not very frequently, yet the enamel on the bottom seems to be wearing off so that more food is sticking to the bottom and it is permanently discolored. Is this normal? Is this the kind of thing that would not happen with Le Creuset, or would it still happen after time (for PPs who said they've had theirs for 10-20 years)?

I’ve beaten the heck of my Le Creuset for over 25 years and they were handed down from my MIL. The insides are darkened and they are not meant to be nonstick but the enamel is still sound.

I bought two Lodge Dutch ovens a few years ago and they are used not very frequently, yet the enamel on the bottom seems to be wearing off so that more food is sticking to the bottom and it is permanently discolored. Is this normal? Is this the kind of thing that would not happen with Le Creuset, or would it still happen after time (for PPs who said they've had theirs for 10-20 years)?

Over the years I've used Staub and Le Creuset. Got a Staub 15 years ago as a birthday present from my then boyfriend, now DH. It was my kitchen workhorse for many years and was still in great condition when I gave it to my sister who was furnishing her first apartment and looking for cookware.

I replaced it with a Lodge, which is substantially cheaper and--I'm happy to say--works quite well for everything I'd used the Staub for: braises, stews, chili, sauce, and soup. I slightly prefer the Staub because it's heavier towards the bottom and weighted differently than the Lodge (and the Le Creuset), and doesn't slide around as easily on my budget electric stovetop without raised burners. But the Lodge is excellent quality for the price.