Are cast iron Le Creuset casserole dishes worth the money?

hannahsmamma

nice pans but heavy. Pick one up in a shop and then imagine it full of liquid/food.Great for browning meat before putting in the oven, can bake a cake in it. If you have a bad back I wouldn't get one. Can you borrow one from friend to try out for a couple of weeks?

Caterina

I love my le creuset casserole. It keeps the heat beautifully and cooks stuff to perfection. Very useful if you have a woodstove, I cook porridge and lentils in it.

Eyes_wide_open

I've had a le creuset one and now I have a tesco own version. Can't spot much difference if I'm honest other that the price difference.
Love them but they are incredibly heavy when lifting in and out of the oven xx

Nicki

My most used pot in the kitchen is a le creuset cast iron shallow casserole dish that I bought about 5 years ago and still looks and performs as good as new. Can use it on top of stove and in oven and looks amazing as oven to tableware. Saves washing up too as you can brown meat or veg in it, then add your liquid ingredients and put it straight in oven, then straight to table when cooked. It was expensive but the exterior and interior have not worn at all with almost daily use and I love it. The weight hasn't been an issue for me but if you are older with weaker wrists or particularly not strong for any reason it might be an issue.

I have heard the cheaper versions you can pick up in Sainsburys etc do not wear well but haven't got one myself.

Pink.

I've added your post to our existing thread on whether or not le creuset are worth the money where you'll find lots of opinions.

Pink

floss2

Nicki wrote: »

My most used pot in the kitchen is a le creuset cast iron shallow casserole dish .....

That's the one I want and the large oval roaster-type one too.

I have 2 smallish & 2 largish 1980's Le Creusets in Volcanic (the original orange finish) that I got at a car-boot in 2000 for £8 They have been used almost every other day since then and are still going strong - DS2 has to be frisked & his bag checked when he leaves after a visit as he is so keen to get his hands on them!

I would recommend them - as others have said they are heavy, but as long as you look after them they will last almost for ever.

daffodiltulip

Nicki wrote: »

I have heard the cheaper versions you can pick up in Sainsburys etc do not wear well but haven't got one myself.

I got one of those and got rid of it after a few uses. It wasn't worth the constant disappointment whenever I used it. In use it didn't bother me, it was in cleaning it - the internal ceramic or whatever it is is clearly thin or weak and any scrubbing scratches (I have used Le Creuset before). Also, avoid Morrisons version. I went so far to get money back on that one. Also have Morrisons stainless steel pan, which has developed the odd tiny rust spot! No problem with Sainsbury's stainless steel pans.

LandyAndy

I have just replaced my aging Circulon pans (DS1 has taken them to university) with LeC aluminium non stick. They are really good. The saucepans are deep and the shallow casserole does so many things. I'd strongly recommend them and they feel far more substantial than Circulon although they are a bit more expensive.

I'd never really considered LeC before because I associated them with the cast iron pans that IMO are just too heavy to be practical. The aluminium ones I have are quite heavy but they do all have 'helper' handles.