Are cast iron Le Creuset casserole dishes worth the money?

notatvstar

We have a load of their stoneware (... I know - not what you asked...) - and I TOTALLY love it! I'm saving up for a cast iron set but also - keep an eye out for LC in Tea caKe MAXimus... some odd bits appear every now and then. That's where I get all my kitchen stuff (... Boden, Kenwood, Global knives etc).

I am a sucker for a label, but I won't pay their prices.

LC also have a couple of outlet shops which are fairly cheap as well.

You could try borrowing one to see if it suits you... I agree - it is a bit of an investment and also has a 'Marmite' element to it, so I wouldn't risk buying the stuff before you've had a try.

becs

One other thing I would say is if you're anywhere near Bicester there's a really good Le Creuset outlet shop there. The casserole dishes are expensive but they really are genuinely a once in a lifetime purchase.

sooty&sweep

Hi

I have a selection of the casseroles and I love cooking with them.

I had one of their non stick saute pans and the non stick coating bubbled and came off so I wouldn't buy another one of them but I have a Woll saute pan now and thats great.

Le Crueset is expensive if you pay full price but if you wait for the offers you can get some good prices.

Jen

thelawnet

We have a 28cm and a 24cm casserole and they are without doubt the best saucepans we own. Nothing is better for making curry, stew, spaghetti bolognese, etc.

Mr_Terrific

Stephen_Leak wrote: »

They aren't indestructible - they can crack if moved from hot to cold too quickly.

The same is true of any cast-iron cookware, regardless of the manufacturer. There's no reason to plunge cast-iron pans into cold water straight after cooking, and you should never do it if you want your pan to last.

pollys

Another thumbs-up for the casserole. I love mine and hoping to invest in another soon. Great for curry, chilli etc especially good if you have a large family.

Pollys

bogwobbit

Another thumbs up from me. I got a Le Creuset casserole dish as a wedding present all of 26 1/2 years ago (eeek) and it's lasted brilliantly. Despite the lid being dropped on the floor - yes they do get very hot and no it's not a good idea to take the lid off with your bare hands - and getting cracked it's still useable. Admittedly they're pretty heavy but I've never found them too heavy to use once you're used to them.

BitterAndTwisted

Cast-iron frying pans? Oh, most definitely but you have to season them properly first and never use soap or abrasives on them. Should last a non-stick lifetime if you look after it.

Casseroles? Yep. If you look after them your grandchildren will be using them and blessing you for your foresight while they're doing it.

Saucepans? No, not for me. Too heavy and too expensive for not much appreciable benefit. I like good, heavy-bottomed stainless steel.

valk_scot

Another vote for the casserole dishes. I have three and they get used a lot. I also have a large oval oven dish, cast iron, that will take a big leg of lamb and that's great too.

The rest? No thanks. I used to have a full set of pots plus extras, skillet, frying pans, griddle. I used to pick up odd ones at car boot and jumble sales. as long as you like the early colours like Volcanic Orange and the dark blue there are plenty out there, and they were great for the Rayburn. When the Rayburn died though I bought some good heavy bottomed stainless steel pans for the gas range, plus some good quality supermarket non stick. A couple of years later it dawned on me I hadn't used a Le Creuset pot since, so gave the whole lot away to a friend as she'd moved into a house with an old Aga.

Do I miss them? (Still talking about just the pots here.) Not at all. they look nice but they're far too heavy to be manuverable and you can end up getting a bit anxious about cleaning them properly. (You get hot spots if you don't.) They're absolutely not worth the price tag unless you've got a range cooker and even then, the cheaper versions are just as good and without the snob price tag. My suggestion is to buy one cheaper version lidded casserole first. You can use it as a pot or as an oven dish. See if you get on with it. Cast iron makes fantastic casserole dishes have to say, none better. But you've got to be really keen to have cast iron pots.

lally666young

DHs are Sweedish heirlooms and as far as I know they are very old. I love the stockpot. its cast iron but isnt as heavy as le cruset. I think you pay for the name. And snob value as well, but it is each to their own I suppose.