Customer Reviews

Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron 13-1/4-Quart Round French Oven, Red

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is indeed a large pot, but I have found it extremely useful and use it at least once a week. I didn't want a large number of pots and pans, so I looked for versatile pieces. We are just 2 in our household right now, but I bought this size mostly because it will be even more useful for the future - a family, company. I use it to cook many things that I start on the stovetop and finish in the oven. For example, to brown chicken pieces on the stovetop, add herbs, ingredients, etc, and bake it in the oven. The heavy tight fitting lid keeps the steam locked in and the food moist. I bake entire chickens in it when I am short on time (skin isn't very crispy, though)- it really cooks a whole 4-lb chicken in about half an hour at 450 degrees with the pot and oven preheated. Works great with chili, soups, beans, tomato-based sauces, even jams. The cast iron heats slow and holds heat in - I don't burn anything in this. Clean-up is so easy!

This monstrous beast is the largest piece of cookware that we own. Once I manage to wrangle it out from the cupboard and heft it onto the stove, it's many uses range from cooking chickens, small turkeys, and roasts to making potato leek soup. The beautiful thing is that it really retains heat and cooks items thoroughly and evenly. The downside is that it can take a while to heat up, especially since it should heat up on a med-low setting so as not to burn items and/or damage the porcelain. Learned this the hard way by turning up my soup to med-hi in order to get it boiling more quickly (doh!). Now that we know how to properly use this type of cookware, we are enjoying it much more! Another clever use of this piece is to incorporate it into your weight lifting routine (did I mention this thing is very VERY heavy?). Now that we have tried the largest, we have begun collecting some of the smaller pots and really enjoying them.

Until recently I have been a Le Creuset crusader. I have converted most of my friends and family. My "religion" with their products parallels the excitement that I have for most Apple products. Unfortunately I have been shown the "not so happy" side of Le Creuset. My 13 Quart beloved pot is now a pot with a large 4 inch "V" on its side. I was making a rue, stirring and voila, a low pitched ping and then two cracks that converged from the rim to the base.

Le Creuset will replace it "if" its a manufacturer defect, but they suggest that it's probably not and will offer a new one at a discount. I stopped by Williams Sanoma yesterday and picked up their marketing material which states "Lasts a Lifetime" If a lifetime is a few years then they are correct.

I held off purchasing this behemoth--I thought I would never have a use for such a large "French oven." However, having taken the plunge, I find myself doing all sorts of new things in the kitchen. I have created vast amounts of jams and preserves, and have used this several times for giant family get-togethers (something I never did before).

My latest adventure was packing it up for a big family camping trip! I had a blast--the cast iron makes it very heat-efficient, so the unsteady heat of a campfire is no longer a cooking liability. Clean-up down at the stream was a breeze due to the super-hard porcelain enamel finish. The campfire did make a smoky mess of the exterior of my pot, but this was as easy to clean as the interior. Everyone thought I was crazy for lugging this giant on a camping trip, until they tasted the results: Lip-smacking-good campfire food, with a little gourmet pizzazz!

This massive, weighty, cast iron, ovenproof pot is a serious cook's dream. Though expensive, like all Le Creuset cookware, it's high value is proven by the stove-top and oven performance.

In the oven, internal heat distribution is perfectly uniform, eliminating sticking, beautifully cooking large roasts. On the stovetop, long, slow cooking is perfectly executed.

Though there is no "positive" seal between the pot itself and its lid, the high level of fit and finish between the two pieces retains all liquids and moisture.

Clean~up is a cinch..., just soak in warm soapy water and the surfaces wipe clean (you may however need to purchase a larger kitchen sink to accomodate this monster).

The company offers a lifetime warranty on the enameled surface they apply to their high~grade cast iron; the quality of manufacture is so supurb I cannot imagine ever having to make use of it (I own inherited Le Creuset pieces over 40 years old with still~perfect enamel).

If you are a serious home cook prepared to make a serious investment in a lifetime tool, buy this pot.

I cook all the time, and love it. My 13qt lecreuset dutch oven is on my stove at least twice a week. It's simply the best. It even cooks well on my electric range. I would buy a larger one if they made it.

This pot is fantastic for large pots of spaghetti sauce with plenty of meat and for double recipes of chilis and soups to feed a large gathering. I absolutely love it! It's wide-mouthed, spacious and keeps foods from sticking and burning during a long simmering time. It's VERY heavy, so be sure to have a big strong person available if you are moving the pot and contents from the stove to another serving location.

This is by far the most-used item in my kitchen. Think about it: If you could increase your cooking surface area when browning meat or vegetables or cooking soup, chili or spaghetti sauce, wouldn't you do so? This dutch oven does exactly that. I use it to brown everything--I rarely use my (very fine All-Clad) chef's skillet any more. And I actually love the high sides--they reduce spatters without reducing browning, since the cast iron almost guarantees perfect browning. This is a great pan if you need to develop fond--nothing burns in this pan once you get it up to temperature. I actually have 3 Le Creuset dutch ovens in varying sizes, but I end up using this big one most of the time. Come on--you know you want it. Buy it!

Can you love a pot?...I think I do. I know its love because even though I love it, it does annoy me, why, Well cause its heavy?...and even with our huge farmer sink it seems too big and heavy to clean sometimes. But I still love it. Thankfully it cleans fairly easily. Lamb, perfect. Roast, perfect. Duck, perfect. Meatballs, chili, soups, the list is endless. Very easy to cook without burning, holds heat so well. We can turn of the oven and 2 hours later the food is still warm. Really a nice piece for any cook. Just hit the gym first. (( when I say heavy I mean so heavy with a full pot it bows the oven rack ...lol) I weighed it empty @ 20#'s and full @ 40#'s))

I've been looking for a pot this big and I love it. It is HUGE and since I am a hobby cook and, Italian I can make Sunday Gravy put in containers and freeze it and have it on hand all of the time, not to mention how it retains heat. I could go on and on but I think you get my drift.