Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven 5.5 Quart Round Pot - Cerise Red | Perfect for Braising, Stewing, Baking & Slow Cooking Soups

I'm an avid user of the InstantPot for quick weekday stews, and I still get out my old electric Crock Pot from time to time. But let's be clear: braising in a Le Creuset is a sublime experience, miles beyond these other methods. There's something about the thinness of the cast iron, and the way the enameled surface shows the progress of the fond, and the evenness of the heat during a low-and-slow cook. After three hours at 265F beef turns beautifully fork-tender, and reducing the defatted braising sauce and developing the flavor further (in the same pot) is an absolute joy. (To avoid scorching the interior, sear meat and reduce sauces at a much LOWER flame than you're used to!) These pots are proven mainstays in French kitchens for good reason, and I think they are well worth the price.There's really not much to say in a review of a Le Creuset French oven. It's the best enameled cast-iron piece I've ever owned (I have the 5 1.2 qt./26 cm. cocotte in Cerise). Everything you've ever read about how evenly it heats, how long it holds temperature, and how amazing foods come out (even browning, amazing braising, stovetop or in the oven, etc.) is all true. I've been an every-single-day home cook for 15 years, and I was happily stunned the first couple of weeks I had mine.What I will say is I also learned how to take care of enameled cast-iron cookware--in order not to ruin my (with tax) nearly $400 French oven. (Which I cook with almost every day--just like my older, far cheaper French ovens.) This time, I also invested in silicone utensils (spoons, turner, tongs, whisk) to make sure I don't scratch the interior enamel. I don't turn the temperature as high as I would with an aluminum pot, since you can pretty easily get your temperature out of control in cast iron.I'm also being very careful to avoid thermal shocking the piece--no putting my hot French oven in cold water, or putting refrigerator-cold items in it while it's hot, to avoid banging utensils on the side of the piece, and to avoid the scrubber side of sponges. These aren't just good practices for Le Creuset--this is probably how, over time, I ruined the far cheaper (1/11th the price) off-brand French oven that I had used for the previous ten years. Metal utensils and thermal shock will cause micro-cracks that will destroy the interior bottom lining.I only have two caveats, and neither is negative. The piece is heavier than it looks, and heavier than some off-brand versions (except for Lodge, I believe, which is even heavier). Be prepared and be brave. Washing it requires a good grip, as does straining out liquid (i.e. to make a sauce or gravy) while holding onto the pot and lid, and a lot of confidence.And you will almost immediately have fond that sticks to the interior bottom and side enamel. This is TOTALLY NORMAL, so don't freak out--and DON'T scrub with anything but the soft side of a sponge. Just let the French oven come to room temperature and then soak it in the sink (I do anywhere from half an hour to overnight--it won't hurt the piece at all.) Then scrub with a soft sponge. Really stuck-on fond just requires a 10-minute simmer with a few teaspoons of baking soda in water--let it cool down and it sponges right off.Be prepared for the weight and for how to care for your Le Creuset piece (which you should do anyway because alarmingly expensive!), and there should literally be no downsides to your purchase.I've owned several ceramic coated dutch ovens before. I owned two Lodge's when I decided to break down and buy this one. I'd always heard that they're all about the same, and this one is SO much more expensive than the Lodge's. I just couldn't figure out WHY.I'm a single older guy who just really likes to cook. It's like a science experiment. I have time. I have money. I have appettite. I cook!I would stare at these and try to figure out why they're so expensive, but the only thing I could find was reviews telling me how the coating was so much smoother than the cheap models.When it arrived, I compared the finish, and honestly I couldn't tell the difference. If anything, the finish on this one wasn't quite as nice as the Lodges.Then I used it.Nothing significant to report when I used it.Then I cleaned it.WOW!Now I get it!Somehow, it's SO MUCH EASIER to clean! I don't understand HOW. It just is.WORTH IT.I'd buy this again. And again. And again!I affectionately adopted the name of "My Magic Red Pot" from another reviewer because I like it so much and it has helped me elevate cooking to a new level.I've cooked six dinners for four in it, all requiring stovetop-to-oven or oven-to-stovetop techniques within the same recipe. (Did you guess I'm a fan of America's Test Kitchen?) The pot worked like a champion every time.I've also used it in the refrigerator (after a brief cooling-down time for hot foods). No fussing with transferring food to another container for refrigerator storage.I can't believe how I managed to make so many nice dinners with a cabinet-hogging assortment of stainless steel and fairly high-end anodized aluminum pots, but this makes things easier with usually even better results. Not nearly as much stirring or monitoring is required, and cleanup is as easy as non-stick. I just use a supermarket Doby Pad and dishwashing liquid; nothing fancy is necessary.I bought the pot a couple of gifts: a big, big plastic spoon with a bit of a tilt between the handle and the spoon-part at my local thrift store. (That tilt of the handle makes it easier to degrease, spoon gravy, etc.) It cost 40 cents. And a $5 bamboo wood spoon. You don't want to use metal utensils in this or most other enamel-coated cookware.Perhaps you're thinking of outfitting a small RV kitchen or kid's college apartment? If there are a couple of stove burners and a small oven, your first instinct could be to "think small." With this pot, almost all they'll need for cooking, gourmet or not, is perhaps this pot (which seems large and heavy for the space but makes up for its size in versatility) and a couple of big spoons. Adding a small saucepan, a skillet, and baggies for storage could be all that is needed for cooking and storing some delicious meals.NOTE: I first bought the 7-1/4 quart Le Crueset, but sent it back. Beautiful piece of cookware, but was unwieldy in my medium-sized home kitchen by my smallish-sized self. I love the 5-1/2 quart one!Happy cooking!PamReally wanted this and really liked the colour but wasn't in perfect condition, which at this price it should be, as looked damaged/not cured fully on the bottom so is going back. But will buy another when it's in stock!Gorgeous. Pink cooking heavenAfter two years using, it became like this yesterday. The little piece come from the bottom suddenly almost hit my eyes. I’m very disappointed in the quality. It said whole life time warranty, now I cannot use it anymore. How can I give it to my next generation by your advertisement.Well worth the money. This thing is a beast for one pot meals. I'm making some braised beef shanks right now, and my whole house smells delightful. Solid, craftsmen quality construction. I was debating this or a Lodge for like $50. I'm glad I bought this because I'll likely never need to replace it, and I'll have this high quality item for my whole life. Browning the shanks was very easy as there was more than enough space on the bottom of the pan to brown 2 pieces of shank at a time. There's enough food in this pot right now to feed a family for a week! I'll be baking bread in there tomorrow... definitely a good purchase.The oven came in 2 days, has no chips or defects, and as advertised. I got the 5.5 litre. It's a little bigger than I expected, by about 1 inch. I probably could have gotten the size down from this.Esta olla tiene su calidad y su prestigio y no solo es marca, antes de comprar vean como fabrican le creuset y se van a convencer, ojo debe de tener sus cuidados.