Customer Reviews

Emile Henry Flame Top 6-1/3-Quart Oval Oven, Red

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I did a lot of checking and lifting of various dutch ovens/casseroles/stew pots by Le Creuset, Staub, Emeril Lagasse, and many others. But when I picked this 6.3 quart oven, I was pleasantly surprised to find how much lighter it is than the others. I bought it from Amazon and cooked with it the other night, and the results were delicious. I cooked everything on a gas stove. It browns meat very well, retains heat evenly, and the braising dish that I made came out perfect. All of my guests ate in silence to enjoy the meal and they usually don't do that! I also bought it because it can be used both on the stove and in the oven. I look forward to using it often. Highly recommend it!

I was hesitant about the price of this oven, but it fit my needs in every way so I decided to purchase, and I have not been disappointed. The specifications of the product speak for themselves, so I'll explain the things that aren't mentioned, even on the manufacturer web site. This is where the magic comes in.

The pre-use instructions say to cover the bottom with milk and bring to boil on stovetop then let cool, or boil rice for a number of minutes. I took the rice approach. My first task for this oven was to bake a loaf of bread. Crusty bread requires steam, which is something hard to attain in a conventional residential oven. By enclosing the dough in a pot with the lid, the natural moisture in the bread will create sufficient steam in an enclosed space. The Emile Henry instructions mention that crackling of the surface glaze is normal due to expansion and contraction of the clay, so I expected this. I placed the pot in the oven at 450 degrees F and let it preheat for 20 minutes. When I came back to the oven 20 minutes later, I turned on the oven light and looked in the window, and the pot looked normal other than some crackling. But when I immediately opened the oven to take it out, I was shocked; the pot was actually a deep dark burgundy/brown, and was covered with "spiderweb" glaze cracks. I thought, "Oh no, I've ruined the pot." I tried not to panic and continued with the baking since there was nothing structurally wrong with the pot, and nothing else I could do at the time. I also noticed that where the glaze crackled, there was a very fine white almost imperceptible haze.

After the pot came out of the oven, I left it to cool overnight. I tried to take some digital photos of the pot color, but with the flash, the pot in the photo looked normal! When I checked it the following morning, it was back to the original color, and the crackling was gone! Apparently when the pot cooled and shrank, the cracks closed up. I washed the pot and the haze was gone. As for the color, I was clueless, so I called Emile Henry support to ask. They told me the color change is normal, and I was relieved. I just wish they would mention it in the instructions! Ever since that first use, the pot continues to change colors and return to normal, but the glaze crackling and haze never came back, and I cannot see them even under close inspection, so it's as if it never happened. Magic.

Although I own a lot of Emile Henry bakeware, I was hesitant to purchase this huge oval piece, wondering if I would ever use it and blanching at the price. However, next to the smallest flametop casserole, I use this piece more than any other I have. It is dishwasher safe, and spraying with a little cooking oil spray before using means I don't have to deal with the heavy item in the sink. It cooks evenly and well. It is the perfect size to cook large batches of "everything cereal" (like a granola, but better) in and provides more even, golden results than my old enamel roaster. It handles a turkey with aplomb and is wonderful for a combination dinner, since you can put in a small steamer basket for vegetables to keep everything from getting too mushy in meat juice. If you have one good wedding gift to give, something the person would not usually pick, this is the item. I highly recommend this addition to your kitchen.

I seriously do not know what I would do without my Emile Henry cookware. Vastly superior to every other kind of fancy stuff out there (you know who I'm talking about!), Emile Henry heats evenly, cooks perfectly, cleans up quickly, and generally makes my world happier.
Specifically, this dutch oven is just about as all-purpose as they come. I roast chickens. I make soup. I freeze the thing, I stick it in the trunk for picnics. I loan it out to friends, who immediately go out and buy one. If I thought it would help, I'd take a bath with it.
Heck yeah. Buy some of this stuff and cook with it.

I have a wood-fired oven and never know quite what to expect when I roast a leg of lamb. This pot has been remarkable. Even in a very hot (650F) oven, the lamb has come out slightly crispy on the outside, pink on the inside, and succulent and tasty in the mouth. I put a half bottle of red wine in the pot, brought it to the simmer on the stove, then put it in the oven and left the lid slightly ajar. Forty-five minutes later it was perfect.

This is my second Emile Henry Flame pot. I use one for meat and poultry and the other for fish. This ceramic pot is very durable and versitile with the ability to cook on a barbecue, direct flame on the stove top and oven. Unlike other ceramic pots you can brown vegetable and meat then bake or simmer. Light weight and cleans up easily. I plan to purchase other products from this line.