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But had a shock when I saw how much the Le rip off ones are.....
Any others recommended?
Cue the replies that Le rip off are so much better than anything else....? 😀
We got a House of Fraser/Linea one years ago in a sale, and it's been absolutely fine. Can't see any difference (barring the logo on the lid handle)!
No idea but we've got a couple of original ones and they're still good 30 years on.
Wait for the sales?
Not cast iron but Pampered Chef stuff is excellent. When our roasting tray breaks we’ll be halving a wake.
Le Creuset are made in sand moulds in France; they have an outlet shop just off the M62 near Wakefield; don't know if that's of any use or relevance to you.
Others are usually made in China - possibly in a number of foundries but I'm no expert.
Sainsburies, their own brand one has been great.
Just don't ask for fennel
Decent size le creuset is what, a ton these days? It's been a while since I looked
The thing is, it's a pot for life. So even if you have it for 30 years it's damn cheap at £3.33 a year. It's like nice anything, if it lasts a lifetime its bogey cheap.
Other brands are available of course, most of which are also great.
Le Creuset warehouse sales in Andover are well worth a visit. Have lots of their stuff as a result.
Wouldn't use anything else. My parents have one they were given as a wedding present. Used regularly ever since, and is as good as new basically. A good long term investment, IMHO.
Second the Sainsburys option, does the job and easy to clean.
Staub is another french manufacturer which is comparable to Le Creuset, and the main difference between the two is that the Staub interiors are black enamel, unlike the light enamel of Le Creuset (light enamel means it's possibly easier to monitor the extent of browning of meat, but also has a reputation of eventually/sometimes staining, about which you can find many comments and suggested cures on the internet). Chasseur is another french brand which is less well known.
Both Le Creuset and Staub's owner, Zwilling J A Henckels, have outlet shops at Bicester village, and the discounts on Staub there can be very good, but it's pot luck what will be in stock, especially what may be heavily discounted (both seconds and perfect items).
That said, you need above all to decide first what type, size and shape of casserole you need/want. It doesn't matter how much of a bargain price a casserole is, if it's not really suitable for the dishes you want to cook. If you really need a 27cm oval casserole because that is the right size for a chicken for your family, then anything else much smaller or larger, or a round or shallow casserole instead of oval, no matter how cheap, may be a waste of money.
it's pot luck what will be in stock
I see what you did there. 😉
Decent size le creuset is what, a ton these days?
And some!
Picked up mine years ago as a bargain, one shop had it at £70, walked past another shop and it was £40, seen same size in JL and its nearly £200!
We inherited a full set of let crueset.
It certainly [i]weighed[/i] a ton.
We got rid, it's only a pan for life if you can lift the ****.
Le Creuset are expensive, no doubt. But I've a full set of pans and cocottes I was gifted nearly 30 years ago. All are still going strong and regularly used. I imagine I'll pass them on to one of my kids.
I dare say some of the cheaper stuff is also decent - but when it lasts 30+ years why argue over a few quid?
I’ve got a Sainsbury’s one and it’s ok but you can tell it won’t last that long.
Buy cheap, buy twice.
Some le Creuset stuff makes a difference (wouldn't be without my griddle pan, much better than a previous cheapie) but some doesn't.
We bought a big red casserole pan from Tesco when they had an offer. Might be Pyrex. Cast iron, white enamel inside, start frying stuff on the hob then finish in the oven. Perfect non burnt results every time.
Sainsbury's have got some of theirs in the sale now. Popped in yesterday as we had forgotten to buy soft drinks for the kids 😯 and picked up a 5l pan in grey for £25, the other colours weren't reduced as much.
It's a tiny bit thinner than our proper le creuset but at an eighth of the price John Lewis want for the same size I'm not complaining.
when it lasts 30+ years why argue over a few quid?
Because it's a few quid that you would have that you could use for something else. If you buy a house for 500k and haggle the price down by 1K, you have an extra 1K in your pocket, exactly the same as if you buy a car for 5K and haggle it down by 1K, or if you win 1K in a lottery. It doesn't matter if you keep the house for 30 years and only keep the car for 3 months, it's still 1K that you can spend on something you want.
Saving a few quid on something that isn't suitable for what you want is a different issue.
Our Aldi rip off is as good as the genuine article.
sweepy - MemberWe inherited a full set of let crueset.
It certainly weighed a ton.
We got rid, it's only a pan for life if you can lift the ****.
Precisely this.
If it's too heavy for the wife to lift then what's the point?
IKEA flog cast iron casserole pots. Cheaper than most, and who doesn't need to stock up on tealights
Precisely this.
If it's too heavy for the wife to lift then what's the point?
My wife is 5'2" and weighs 45kg, manages the big muckle le creuset.
Pyrex make a great alternative.
[url= http://netherton-foundry.co.uk/ ]http://netherton-foundry.co.uk/[/url]
Not cheap but will last forever!
I have some le creuset and some Aldi copies. The Aldi stuff seems just as well made.
Tesco cast iron casserole here. £30 I think, lasted 5 years (maybe more) so far. I'm not really sure why a le creuset would last longer? Although I would like one coz I love that orange colour!!
http://netherton-foundry.co.uk/Not cheap but will last forever!
Their products do not have a vitreous enamel coating. The frying pans might be very good, since they can be seasoned instead, but I suspect they would not be very good casseroles: acidic sauces would react with the iron and taint the dish, they would probably inevitably rust (and so not last very long, never mind 'forever'), and the wooden knobs would probably not survive prolonged use in an oven.
With regard to those commenting on whether weight of the casserole is or is not an issue for them or their spouse/partner, to state the bleeding obvious casseroles come in a large range of sizes, and the weights of different sizes when full undoubtedly vary hugely. It's meaningless to say that the weight is or is not a problem for you, without stating the actual approximate weight of your full casserole (and its size, which will limit the weight).
As to the quality or otherwise of the copies made by the likes of Ikea and Sainsbury's, they are relatively simple products, so I would have expected that providing there is generally good basic quality control in the manufacturing process (quality of iron and pour [no imperfections/large air bubbles], reasonable thickness of iron, good enamel coating), then they should last as long as - and perform as well as - Le Creuset. It may not be possible to judge the manufacturing QC of a copy just by looking at the finished article in the shop, but if it fails quickly due to a defect, you should be able to return it to retailers like Ikea.
Got some barely used but hideous green colour Aga cookware I'd like to get rid of if any one is interested...
Denby do some good Le Cruset copies. The Sainsburys ones are also pretty good value.
In that lovely orange colour
20 year guarantee included!
https://www.tesco.com/direct/go-cook-46l-cast-iron-casserole-dish-orange/266-0228.prd
Well, you've got somewhere flameproof to store those cheap lithium-ion batteries...
'Lodge' are, I guess, the American version of le creuset.
Don't know if they do enamel coatings though.
But you'll find their proprietary pan-scrapers on amazon.
If you've got any flexy silicon chopping mats, you could cut them into pan-scrapers.
And Tescos 'hungry student one pot cookbook' is well worth a read:)
Lots to look at cheers.
Hard to know if Le C quality is as good today as it was .. MIL has a pan 60 years old (**), looks as good as new frankly. Oldest one I have is about 30 years. You can find them on sale from time to time, worth waiting ?
(**) random factoid but we worked out this Christmas that she has some crystal glasses over 100 yeats old, she is very careful with stuff although the set is down from 12 to 7 I think.
Was hoping to use some Debenhamnumbnuts vouchers on a Le riff off pot but not got the £180-200 needed, and even if I did they can whistle for that amount.
Pan for life my arse.
I have two (bought on mega discount). A housemate knackered the enamel by burning something to it then trying to clean it.
On the other hand, a £10 stainless pan from the supermarket is still fine after being left on the gas over a weekend with a chicken carcass in it. Stainless gives you the option on rubbing it down with sandpaper.
I’ve got 2 gray Le Creuset casseroles (big oval & round) that I picked up in the outlet village 20 years ago. I’ve just seen they are now £200+ each 😯 . If buying now I would go for a supermarket version, or possibly an outlet purchase in a gopping colour. No chance I’d pay that RRP!!
I use mine a lot - being induction compatible is a bonus - for hob browsing, then into the oven for a slow cook.
I have two (bought on mega discount). A housemate knackered the enamel by burning something to it then trying to clean it.
They’re not unbreakable you’ve got to look after them. 🙄
The Tesco ones are very good copies ....
Nobeerinthefridge - MemberMy wife is 5'2" and weighs 45kg, manages the big muckle le creuset.
I'm pleased for you but not all of us have big biffa bruisers for wives, some of us prefer the petite.
They’re not unbreakable
So they last forever as long as you don't break them. Like most things then 🙂
My point was that stainless seems to be much more durable, and also cheaper. And lighter.
They might be easy to handle even for those who are 5'2 but not so good for people who are old or have grip problems etc.
My point was that stainless seems to be much more durable, and also cheaper. And lighter.
Of course it is but it’s not as good for casserole pans.
Drac - ModeratorOf course it is but it’s not as good for casserole pans.
Why not? 😕
Why not?
Stainless is a poor heat conductor, and there is probably a higher risk of burning the food/hot spots than with thick cast iron (which will act a bit like a heat sink and spread the heat away from the part directly over the burner on a hob. The properties of stainless mean it's fine for just boiling a liquid (although if it's poor quality with a thin base, the base will probably be prone to warping), but otherwise it works better in the sort of Tri-Ply pans that Tefal and some other manufacturers make, where the stainless is clad around a layer of aluminium (which is a better heat conductor). Some professional cookware manufacturers have a very thick disc of aluminium on the base of their stainless pans, to achieve the same thing.
The fact that you don't see many stainless casserole dishes compared with cast iron suggests that they are not very suitable for that function (I don't think I've ever seen an oval stainless casserole).
Apart from weight, the key weakness of cast iron is its brittle nature: drop it and it will probably break, unless you cushion its fall by dropping it onto your foot. It also does not like sudden extreme changes in temperature. It's good practice to heat it up gradually, and don't take it off the hob and plunge it straight into a washing up bowl: allow it to cool first.
If you stain the light interior enamel of a Le Creuset, I have read very successful reports of cleaning them with biological washing powder. As for staining stainless steel, I would suggest something like Oven Pride or Oven Mate (rather than sandpaper 😯 ).
What he said. Who sandpapers there pans? 😆