What size casserole dishes?

Nicki · 12 November 2011 at 6:48PM

We had a little catastrophe in our house this morning, when a child opened a cupboard door and managed to unbalance almost my entire stock of casserole/gratin/serving dishes. I had quite a collection built up over around 25 years, including a set of 5 hob proof pyrex which had been going strong for around 20 years! However, seeing the bright side in all of this, I now have an opportunity to treat myself to some nice new equipment and to declutter that cupboard!

At the moment, we are a family of 5, but would like to extend that to a family of 6. We like to entertain, usually also groups of 4 or 5 in addition to our whole family. I'd rather have something hardwearing and a bit more expensive, than something cheap and cheerful which won't last for long without looking stained and tatty. I also like to bring dishes from oven or hob to table when I can.

My regular crockery is this

http://chinasearch.co.uk/buy/denby/reflex---blue/138305?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=Products%2BSearch&utm_campaign=Google%2BProducts%20Search

and my special occasion stuff (also a wedding present) is this

http://www.matchingchina.com/replacement-china/section.php/409/1/noritake-impression-p576

so I am really looking for something in blue I think. I already have a 22 inch le creuset casserole in blue which I use a lot (and is probably about 15 years old) so would be open to buying more of this.

http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?hl=en&sugexp=ppwl&cp=11&gs_id=c&xhr=t&q=blue+le+creuset&qscrl=1&nord=1&rlz=1T4ADRA_enGB451GB452&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1920&bih=843&ion=1&wrapid=tljp1321120071822020&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=14306488293014035211&sa=X&ei=TLG-TtGaPMfJsgbQl53xAg&sqi=2&ved=0CHoQ8wIwAg#

So, getting to the question, if you were restocking your kitchen in this area completely from scratch for a family of this size, what items would be essential, and what size casserole dishes would you go for?

Thanks

rising_from_the_ashes · 12 November 2011 at 7:01PM

I'm not sure whether to sympathise at them being broken.... or congratulate you for being able to splash out on new ones guilt free:D.

I have lots of casserole / pyrex / stone (? clay?) dishes too (mainly inherited from both DGM's). I do actually use most of them (as they're there and suit different recipes) but if I had to choose one or two, it would have to be my huge le creuset style (different make) pot and the smaller "proper" le creuset one.

I love the fact that they can go from hob / oven - and I have to say that I use both of them on a very regular basis.

The huge one is fab for batch cooking (or a normal dinner in your house:eek:) and the smaller one for risottos etc.

Others I'd really miss / struggle without would be:

round glass dish for crumbles
huge glass dish (was the lid of a casserole set but the bottom got broken!) for lasagnes
Pyrex dish for pasta bakes / corned beef hash etc

HTH

ETA: have a look at John Lew*is website for dinner sets. I love this one but just can't justify them atm http://www.johnlewis.com/62937/Product.aspx (I like plates with sides!)

PixieDust · 12 November 2011 at 7:07PM

I'm no use to you......ours are either cast-offs from me mutha, or P0undland jobbies

rising_from_the_ashes · 12 November 2011 at 7:12PM

Not sure where you are ..... but there's a le creuset shop in the York Designer Outlet mall (good excuse for a visit if not too far!)

Nicki · 12 November 2011 at 7:20PM

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

I'm not sure whether to sympathise at them being broken.... or congratulate you for being able to splash out on new ones guilt free:D.

I have lots of casserole / pyrex / stone (? clay?) dishes too (mainly inherited from both DGM's). I do actually use most of them (as they're there and suit different recipes) but if I had to choose one or two, it would have to be my huge le creuset style (different make) pot and the smaller "proper" le creuset one.

I love the fact that they can go from hob / oven - and I have to say that I use both of them on a very regular basis.

The huge one is fab for batch cooking (or a normal dinner in your house:eek:) and the smaller one for risottos etc.

Others I'd really miss / struggle without would be:

round glass dish for crumbles
huge glass dish (was the lid of a casserole set but the bottom got broken!) for lasagnes
Pyrex dish for pasta bakes / corned beef hash etc

HTH

ETA: have a look at John Lew*is website for dinner sets. I love this one but just can't justify them atm http://www.johnlewis.com/62937/Product.aspx (I like plates with sides!)

Oooh! I love that link! Mmmmm could I use those for Christmas I wonder

But, must focus! Your post was really helpful. You are right, I need to think what kind of things I usually cook and then work out what I could make them in, and ideally have as many dual purpose things as I can. How big is your huge le creuset style one out of interest? I'm currently looking at the 29cm one online and wondering whether that would be a good size to get. It claims to hold portions for 6-8 but I can easily get 6 portions out of my 22 cm one, so am a bit confused as to how big it actually is!

I am in London so the travel costs to the outlet store would cancel out the savings I think, but once I know what I want I am happy to shop online for a good deal.

The debris this morning was quite something to see

. Once I got over the initial shock, and irritation at having to clear it all up, I could see the funny side. It must have scared the living daylights out of her when she did it! Fortunately she didn't hurt herself, and I can't say I didn't have my time and money's worth out of what got broken.

hotcookie101 · 12 November 2011 at 7:29PM

I adore le creuset, I use mine all the time

My most used is the 24cm one (it is in blue, the slightly graduated colour, but the enamel doesn't seem as long lasting on the edges of the lid compared with previous ones-OH killed my first one by totally overheating it and burning a curry to a crisp) I can make bolognese with 500g mince, lots of tomatoes etc in that one for 6-8 portions. For MAJOR batch cooking (shin of beef stew, 8-10 portions, huge pots of chilli) I have a 28cm one, it is great

I also have an heirloom 20cm, that was my mums, and is at least 25 years old (I'm 33 and I remember it clearly from my childhood) and a 30cm shallow (I think they call them buffet)

I have no le creuset stoneware, mine is all white ceramic type dishes, I have a 25x25cm deep dish, and various other small/medium and large ones. I use the square one, and a 20cm oval one, most frequently .The square dish can hold 6 GENEROUS portions of lasagne. I also have 2 pyrex (traditional glass casseroles with lids) a small and a medium, they get used for baking apples and crumbles and things like that

My le creuset, other that the heirloom one, has all been bought from amazon-I keep an eye out for it when it's on offer, I think I paid £70 or 80 for my 28 cm one (RRP is £155 now :eek:) and maybe 85 for the buffet-same RRP!)

rising_from_the_ashes · 12 November 2011 at 7:30PM

Just went & dug the measuring tape out .... it's 29cm almost identical to this one - DM brought it back from France for me many, many years ago (after several big hints whenever she got hers out). They've not got a make stamped on them but I know they were a lot cheaper than the "real thing".

It says 6 portions on the link but I def get way more than that out of it (I guess it depends on what you make).

ETA: have attempted to put the link to a word - fingers crossed it works (I've seen loads of people do this but never quite managed to:o)

hotcookie101 · 12 November 2011 at 7:32PM

Nicki wrote: »

I'm currently looking at the 29cm one online and wondering whether that would be a good size to get. It claims to hold portions for 6-8 but I can easily get 6 portions out of my 22 cm one, so am a bit confused as to how big it actually is!

My 28cm one is 6.7l, and I think the 24 was 4.8l, but the latest one doesn't have the volume printed on the lid.
I have NEVER come close to filling the big one, but I can easily get 12 portions when I make stew in it.

hotcookie101 · 12 November 2011 at 7:35PM

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

Just went & dug the measuring tape out .... it's 29cm almost identical to this one - DM brought it back from France for me many, many years ago (after several big hints whenever she got hers out). They've not got a make stamped on them but I know they were a lot cheaper than the "real thing".

It says 6 portions on the link but I def get way more than that out of it (I guess it depends on what you make).

ETA: have attempted to put the link to a word - fingers crossed it works (I've seen loads of people do this but never quite managed to:o)

That is one of the oval ones, I have never bothered with them, just the round ones, as the hold more for the same amount of cupboard space! Hmm, have I the space/money for a new one?:rotfl: (no is the answer)

Ben84 · 12 November 2011 at 7:36PM

Pyrex is pretty cheap now and still really good. Sainsburys often have offers on pyrex, so I'd watch their web site, as well as TK max who often have a good selection. I've also found good condition pyrex frequently in charity shops for very small prices, maybe £1-4 an item. However, I might be more tempted to buy new if I had to replace everything again so that I could get items which fit inside each other and save space.

Nicki · 12 November 2011 at 7:43PM

Am very tempted by the 29cm le creuset I have to say. And possibly to put maybe a 26cm one on my Christmas list for hubby. Added to my existing 22cm one, that should surely cover all the bases. And perhaps I need a small pyrex something for things which I might want to blast in the microwave.

On stoneware type things, I need something suitable for lasagne, cottage pie, chicken pies, etc. Obviously the same thing could do for all of those. I need something smaller to serve vegetables in, or to make veg side dishes like cauliflower cheese, or when I am just cooking for DH and myself if the kids have had a fishfinger night

It looks like the le creuset stoneware could come up with something to fit the bill as they seem to do a large one which looks like you could get 8 portions out of it, and a smaller one which looks like you could get 6 out. I could probably also use the smaller dish for things like crumbles.

I haven't even though of an oval one in addition to the round ones. What would be the advantage of that? I guess maybe you could fit a chicken or a joint in an oval one if you were a fan of pot roasts, but I have never done that. Maybe because I didn't have the right size pot though :rotfl:

Can anyone think of anything else which would be useful to have in the collection? I did use to use my large trusty pyrex with a lid to pop popcorn in the microwave. Obviously I can't use a le creuset for that. Anyone got any ideas for an alternative. At the moment, on the recommendations so far I think I can cook

lasagnes, pasta bakes, cottage pies etc
vegetable gratins
stews, chillis, bolognaises
crumbles
toad in the hole

Am I missing something obvious? My mind has turned to cotton wool

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What size casserole dishes?

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