Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Round French Oven

by Le Creuset

• 5-1/2-quart round-shaped French oven made of enameled cast iron
• Cast-iron loop side handles; black, phenolic, stay-cool lid knob
• Heavy, tight-fitting lid helps lock in heat, moisture, and flavor
• Washing by hand recommended; oven-safe to 350 degrees F
• Measures 10-1/5 by 10-1/5 by 4-1/2 inches; limited lifetime warranty

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 10 x 10.8 x 4 inches ; 10.5 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 13 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B00004SBH4
• Item model number: L2501-26-67
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (141 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #46,292 in Kitchen & Dining (See Top 100 in Kitchen & Dining)

Product Description

Size: 5 1/2 Quart | Color: Cherry Red

Amazon.com

This 5-1/2-quart French oven by Le Creuset is the most forgiving pan I've ever used. If you just happen to forget you're sautéing onions for a soup while you answer the telephone, there's no need to worry--the onions won't burn. Enameled cast iron has been recognized as one of the best materials available for cookware because it retains heat and promotes gentle, even cooking at low heat ensuring that the best flavor is brought out from the ingredients. It's perfect for use on any heat source--gas, electric, radiant, ceramic, halogen, induction, or solid fuel. There's also a tight-fitting, enameled cast-iron lid that helps seal in heat and flavor. Food will be kept hot as you bring it to the table for serving. And you will certainly want to serve out of this beautiful piece--the deep color and shiny finish will brighten any table setting. --Jane DePaolo

Product Description

Beautiful enough for the table yet durable enough to outlive its lifetime limited warranty, this 5-1/2-quart round French oven blends a large capacity with a stovetop-friendly size that makes it easier to work among crowded burners while preparing classics like coq au vin or beef bourguignon, and everyday favorites like pot roast. Like all Le Creuset cast-iron products, it's hand cast in a one-of-a-kind sand mold and hand finished at the Le Creuset factory in France.

The heavy cast-iron oven provides a colorful, long-lasting exterior enamel that resists chipping and cracking and a durable, nonreactive sand-colored interior enamel that offers a smooth surface for cooking, as well as an optimal palette for food presentation. As cast iron is unexcelled for even heat distribution and superior heat retention, and enamel is impervious to acids and odors, the oven browns and cooks food uniformly and gently without hot spots and can be used for marinating, cooking on the stovetop, or finishing in the oven. Two loop cast-iron side handles help ensure safe transport and a steady grip even when wearing oven mitts, and the unit's secure-fitting lid locks in heat and moisture while cooking. The lid's phenolic knob withstands heat up to 350 degrees F, and the vessel can be safely used on any stovetop, including induction. Though dishwasher-safe, the French oven should be hand washed for best results.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

150 of 152 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Heavy Duty Cooking at a Great Price November 10, 2001

By MICHAEL ACUNA VINE™ VOICE

Color Name:Cherry Red|Size Name:7 1/4 Quart

Anyone serious about Cooking should have at least one cast iron pot and Le Creuset is the best quality available today. The 7 quart pot is perfect for anything which requires long slow cooking either on the stovetop or in the oven: stews, baked beans, pasta fagioli, paella, cassoulet, soups, etc., etc. An iron pot takes longer to heat up than say stainless steel or aluminum but it holds heat longer than either. I have even used my Le Crueset on the BBQ to bake a cake or make cornbread so as not to heat up the kitchen in the summer. In fact, this past summer when the electricity went out, I even made all the components of Lasagna Bolognese as well as baking it complete in my Le Crueset on the BBQ. It was round, shaped like a cake but it was delicious. I've had one of my Le Creusets for over 10 years (that calculates to 91 more years on the 101 years warranty!) with no sign of any obvious wear mainly because I have taken care when using it: wooden instead of metal spoons or spatulas and using non-abrasive cleansers on the interior.

148 of 152 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I thought I wanted All-Clad June 16, 2004

By A Customer

Color Name:Cherry Red|Size Name:7 1/4 Quart

Let me just say this: I thought my dream kitchen set was a basic 10-piece set from All-Clad, and one Le Creuset dutch oven.

After 10 years of wanting my dream collection, I finally decided to plunk down for the Le Creuset portion of it. (If you can buy at an outlet store, all the better. I paid $125 for this 7.25 qt. in French Blue).

So as I approach the register to pay for my purchase, I tell the ladies at the Le Creuset store about my dream collection ... and they just looked at me like I was a moron.

Them: "Why would you need All-Clad?"
Me: "Because everyone needs a stainless steel frypan, right?"
Them: "I only cook in LeCreuset! I even bake my cakes in it!"
Me: "What? Bake a cake in a roasting pan?"
Them: "Why not? They cook beautifully!"

So began my adventure. In a crazy, impusive moment, I got a small roasting pan ($90), a enamal coated stainless steel stock pot ($50), 2 small sauce pans (1 qt, 2 qt), and a grill ($50).

Let me tell you: This is the dream set I never knew I wanted. Not only do I have a set of BEAUTIFUL pans, but I think I won't need to buy as many fancy serving dishes now that I can cook and serve in the same Le Creuset pot!

It's true: the full cast iron allows for food to cook beautifully. Your pot roast, rice pilaf, casseroles, risottos never tasted more rich, flavorful and tender.

Imagine how you'd make a roast: First, in a fry pan, you'd brown it. Then you'd transfer to a Pyrex dish and bake. And if you have company over, you'd transfer to a third serving dish. All those dishes! What a mess!! With Le Creuset -- you cook & serve all in one pan. And it cleans up super easy, and even in the dishwasher for those who are lazy. Instead of 3 dishes, you use one -- gotta love the efficiency!

Plus -- with this cast iron, you cook on low heat, instead of high heat like you have to with stainless steel & aluminum. I never knew so much heat was lost into the atmosphere from my old stainless steel pans. The cast iron core of Le Creuset gets hot and stays hot -- Anyone can cook French cuisine like Julia Child, even on a hot plate!

Le Creuset is going to save me from buying a ton of serving dishes. I think I will cut my "dream kitchen" dish needs down by 2/3 with these Le Creuset investments.

I was really nervous the first week to make such a big commitment to a cookware set I didn't know much about. But as I try all my favorite recipes, and as I clean up the most stuck on mess at the bottom of the pans in seconds, I wonder now how I could have wanted anything else.

Le Creuset was the best gamble I've ever made. Now, I tell all my friends to forget all the other cookware -- Le Creuset all the way!!

82 of 83 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Dutch Oven You'll Ever Use February 17, 2007

By Patrick D.

Color Name:Cherry Red|Size Name:7 1/4 Quart

I bought my Red, 7-1/4-quart round Dutch/French oven in the early 1990s, cooked hundreds of meals in it and it still looks as good as the day I got it. Back then I lived in an apartment and didn't have much storage space, so I was looking for something versatile. Best kitchen utensil pick I've ever made. And it takes up no storage space at all because it's never put away; it looks beautiful sitting on top of the range even when the kitchen is cleaned up and it's not in use.

I've used it for braising, deep frying, poaching, oven roasting and making stews, soups and sauces. I've used it to cook beef roasts, just about every cut of pork available, whole and cut-up chickens, ducks and rabbit. It works equally well on top of the range or in the oven. It's perfect for pot roasts with the veggies cooked alongside the meat. You can render beef fat in it and make perfect oven-browned potatoes, starting on a range burner and finishing in the oven without having to use another pot or pan. For big batches of chili or jambalaya, this is the answer -- after you make it and have a meal, you can put the lid on and put the whole thing into the refrigerator. The next day, put it on top the range and let it stand for 20 minutes to shake off some of the chill, then fire up the burner on low and stir from the bottom with a wooden spatula. It reheats perfectly without scorching. It's great for frying anything because the sides are so high there are no grease splatters, making cleanup a snap.

Food will stick to the enamel lining, but it comes off easily with dish soap and a Scotchbrite sponge. Also, there's no problem putting either pot or lid in the lower rack of the dishwasher. Mine doesn't have a scratch or any discoloration after all this time. Just take reasonable care of it and use only plastic or wooden utensils, it'll last a lifetime. Heck, it'll probably last your children's and grandchildren's lifetimes too, giving full value for that 101 year warranty. Don't even think twice about getting one -- put it in your Shoppping Cart and just do it. In fact, you'll also want it's 5-1/2 and 3-1/2-quart cousins for those times when you need the same versatility but with smaller quantities of food. So you might as well order all three of them and get it over with. Yeah, your credit card will be smoking for a few months, but you'll quickly forget about it when you discover how nice it is to cook with enameled cast iron -- enjoy!!!