Customer Reviews

Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron 7-1/2-Quart Bouillabaisse Pot, Red

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Make no mistake about it, this thing is humongous. 32 centimeters wide, 17 pounds empty, and about THIRTY pounds full. Forget about bringing it to the table to serve from - just leave it on the stove with a ladle in it.

That said, I've had mine for about three years, and I love it. The small bottom diameter makes it easy to sweat onions, celery, and carrots to start out a soup or stew recipe. If you're browning meat, I've found what works best is to treat the pot like a wok - brown the meat in the center, right over the heat, and then stack the already-browned or waiting pieces around and up the sides to get them out of the way until you add the liquid. Once you've added the liquid, the tapered sides will reduce the dish quickly. If you dont' want evaporation, the heavy (HEAVY!) lid fits snugly, and lets the pot maintain a slow simmer for hours (I've let mine go overnight with no problems).

I regularly make triple batches of chili and spaghetti sauce in this, and occasionally use it for apple butter. (Six quarts of apples [peeled & cored], a pint of sweet wine or grape juice, and a quarter teaspoon of ground allspice down to one quart of butter in six hours. No fuss, no mess, no trouble). It's a wonderful addition to any serious kitchen.

The design of Le Creuset's "bouillabaisse pan" is highly desirable for long simmered broths and stocks because the design of the rounded base gently and evenly circulates heat without inclining towards hot spots. This is the only large capacity-cooking vessel that allows me enough peace of mind to slip in a nap during cooking without any fear of the contents taking off in a roaring boil, or scorching the contents while I rest.

This is a product from the French who some believe have created more soups than any other cuisine. Soup is the satisfying dish that can be made in any kitchen, and in any country. The construction of Le Creuset's bouillabaisse pan will champion excellent results due to its excellent shape and design.

This is the pot for a celebration of spring, with Vegetable Minestrone. On the other hand, Chioppino, the San Francisco favorite, a Genoese fish stew, originally made from small whole fish. - Don't forget to use pasta water, a restaurant "secret" - that frugal traditional housewife's broth that revived the spirit of early chioppinos and minestrone. Remember too, to save the rinds from Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, as they will greatly enhance many soups with their rich flavors.

Le Creuset's bouillabaisse pan is great for caramelizing onions when making the classic Baked French Onion Soup (Gratinee des Halles) - I use this pan for everything from pinto beans, to pre-cooking Haricot Tarbais for cassoulet.

Le Creuset's bouillabaisse pan will accommodate a whole five-pound fryer and enough water for a rich stock. The oven-to-table pan also accommodates a whole chicken and many vegetables, enough to serve six persons. - Toss a few fresh grapes in with the chicken before roasting, the grapes reduce and concentrate in flavor imparting a delicious piquant note to the dish.

The size and tight fitting lid, makes this the pan to use for preparing two uncooked pounds of "fried" basmati saffron rice that I freeze for later uses.

Cooking tip: Allowing any meat stock or broth containing fat to boil will produce a cloudy product. The boiling causes the fat to emulsify with the liquid in an irreversible chemical event. Too much agitation of the stock will also create a tendency towards murky soup stock.

This has become one of my favorite pots -- it browns things beautifully while the high sides keep the spatters contained. Compare to the Le Creuset "dutch ovens", it has a rounder shape at the bottom so it works well for stir fry too. Think of it as an excellent all-purpose pot and you'll find you use it many times a week.

I've had this 7+ Qt. soup pot for a little over a week and I have made several soups with it. These were soup recipes I had been making in an old non-stick pot. The only thing that changed was the pot and I couldn't believe the difference the Le Creuset made! It was like I had used a completely different and gourmet recipe!!! It cooks thouroughly and completely and with a 101 year warranty, who can beat it?

It may be a bit heavy, but if you want good iron that retains heat well, it has to be heavy.

As an added comment, the time it takes to decide which one of the brilliant colors you want, might be the only real downside to this cookware!

The Le Creuset 7 1/4-quart Bouillabaisse pot is a wonderful addition to any home cook's collection of speciality cookware. I have fixed great bouillabaisse recipes in this pot, making substitutions for some of the shellfish, firm whitefish, and eel as best as I could, not being in Provence. The shape of this pot is quite traditional for bouillabaisse, and this French stew simmers in it beautifully on gas or electric burners, or on induction range tops. It is also a good pot for gumbo. You do not have to add any liquid while your fish stew is simmering because of the close-fitting top.

The only drawback to using Le Creuset cookware is that, since it is made from cast iron, it can be quite heavy to lift when full. The Bouillabaisse pot can be brought directly to the table for serving. I place mine on a matching Le Creuset trivet. Clean-up is so easy because the pot is enamel-coated. I hand-wash mine, but the pot is also dishwasher-safe. You will love this pot and find many uses for it!

WOW! Do I ever enjoy using this 7-1/4 soup pot! I had second thoughts about getting it (the price) but I certainly have no regrets at all now. My husband even likes it too, anticipating wonderful soups,chili,stews,and even simple pasta in "your new pot" he says. The blue goes so well with everything in my kitchen and yes it has a very special place in full view on the lower shelf of my oak work table, custom made by my father-in-law. I even took my Bouillabaisse Soup Pot with me to the beach in Feb. so that I could cook a wonderful...VEGETABLE,BARLEY & CHICKEN CHOWDER... And yes, it is quite heavy, but such a pleasure to wash it by hand, all the time remembering the wonderful meals enjoyed by my husband and others. The weight...think of it as a great way to keep my arms strong so as to be in good shape for my additional purchases. Planning to get the 2-1/2 Buffet Casserole soon...not sure of the color yet....I love them all. So in conclusion, I'll say this has been a wonderful purchase, well worth the money and I look forward to my collection of more of the LeCREUSET products. All good cooks need to be proud of their kitchen and the quality therein....LeCreuset is great!

I've had mine for over 10 years and it's the go-to for any soup or stew. I don't use it as much as I used to, now that I have a small apartment and don't entertain as much, but boy, I wouldn't dream of making gumbo, chili, or any other soup or stew without it. It really comes down to the shape. The wide top reduces and concentrates flavors amazingly fast. You will be amazed. The ability to be able to quickly reduce down to the desired consistency is really more valuable than you think. If you throw in too much liquid, you don't need to worry about ladling out. You don't need to worry about the dish burning while you reduce it. You just put it on a low flame, leave it uncovered, and come back in 15 minutes to the right texture, concentrated flavors, and no burning.

Unlike the other sizeable (7.5 quart) pots on the market the Le Creuset Bouillabaisse pot has sides that gradually slope up from the bottom, somewhat similar to a wok. This design eases catching all the ingredients while stirring the food, and leaves no bits of food unturned and burned in the crevices that a large spoon can't reach in pots where the walls are straight up and down, or at a 90 deggree angle to the top and bottom. It is my favorite pot so I bought a second one since I cook often. It is wonderful for soup and for sauteing just about anything. The heat distribution is perfect for stovetop cooking and the construction lends itself well for oven preparation as well. Just turn on any cooking show and for the most part you will notice the chef will be using Le Creuset pots for cooking. This pot is on the top of my list.

This is my my first piece of Le Crueset and I can tell you it won't be my last! Something anyone looking at this should know is that this pot has been discontinued as of 1/09 by Le Crueset so what is out there is all that is left. If you want this one get it soon!

yes this is great on the stove top. The chili that comes out of this tastes better than the same recipe in different pots. soups too, especially those recipes that call for long slow simmering.

But I also want to point out that the shape of this pan is less cornered, more rounded and flat. I find it great for roasting meats like whole poultry or braising a leg of lamb, too.

It is big, but very useful and versatile.