Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast-Iron 5-1/2-Quart Round French Oven

by Le Creuset

• 45% larger handles that provide a sure grip, even with oven mitts
• The superior heat distribution and retention of le creuset enameled cast iron
• An advanced sand-colored interior enamel with even more resistance to wear
• A larger composite knob that withstands temperatures up to 500şF
• Colorful, long-lasting exterior enamel that resists chipping and cracking

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 13.6 x 6.8 inches ; 11.2 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.
• ASIN: B0076NOGPY
• Item model number: LS2501-2667
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,047 in Kitchen & Dining (See Top 100 in Kitchen & Dining)
  • #16 in Kitchen & Dining > Cookware > Dutch Ovens

Product Description

Color: Cherry

Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast-Iron 5-1/2-Quart Round French Oven, Cherry

Shown in Flame Color

Shown in Flame Color

Also known as a Dutch oven, this updated kitchen classic enhances the cooking process by evenly distributing heat and locking in the optimal amount of moisture. With ergonomic handles and an advanced interior enamel that resists chipping and cleans easily, Le Creuset's French ovens blend the best of the past with the latest innovations in comfort and functionality.

• Colorful, long-lasting exterior enamel resists chipping and cracking; interior enamel is engineered to resist staining and dulling
• Sand-colored interior enamel makes it easy to monitor food as it cooks, preventing burning and sticking
• Oversized handles provide even weight distribution and a secure grip
• Ergonomic composite knobs are heat resistant to 500�F
• Built-in lid stabilizers provide a secure, no-slide fit
• The lightest weight per quart of any premium cast iron cookware available

Each piece from our extensive range of high-quality enameled cast iron cookware is designed for ease and versatility of use, fitting in with all styles of cooking, all types of cooking appliances and any style of kitchen or dining decor. Please read this section before using your cookware for the first time. The information it contains will help you achieve the best possible cooking results.

Enameled cast iron is a remarkable and robust material that performs well with modern requirements for food preparation and cooking. Whether you choose to stir-fry, slow-cook a casserole, sear a steak or bake a cake, there is a shape that is suitable. Cast iron performs well for either slow cooking or high-temperature searing.

Cast iron can be used reliably on any heat source, including induction, and with any oven or grill. It has the ability to retain heat efficiently, which allows for use of lower heat settings in stovetop and oven cooking. On the table, a hot covered dish will keep food hot for second servings.

Cast iron can also be used to keep foods cold. A chilled dish becomes an ideal cold food server on a hot summer day. It can also be placed in the freezer for food storage or advanced food preparation

High heat temperatures should only be used for boiling water for vegetables or pasta, or for reducing the consistency of stocks or sauces. High heats should never be used to preheat a pan before lowering the heat for cooking. Cast iron retains heat so efficiently that overheating will cause food to burn or stick.

The vitreous enamel surface is impermeable and therefore ideal for raw or cooked food storage, and for marinating with acidic ingredients such as wine.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

101 of 104 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Magic Red Pot March 26, 2012

By Joanna Daneman #1 HALL OF FAMETOP 10 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Color Name:Cherry

I bought this because I had used a Le Creuset dutch oven long ago, in grad school. Several of our professors in the department were very good cooks and they all swore by a particular French pot that was the best thing for stews, braised meats, soups --anything, in short, you wanted to cook in a dutch oven.

We've had ours for quite some time. I leave it on the stove because it's heavy and because I probably use it once a week to cook a dinner to serve for the weekend and then pack up for busy weeknights.

It is true that the enamel is practically non-stick. If you do not let the pot get over heated, which it does NOT like, and which will damage the enamel, it will stay "non-stick" for a long time. If you do not scratch the enamel with harsh scrubbing pads or with metal implements, it will stay in good order.

The pot is HEAVY. Now, this is a consideration if you have arthritis. It sounds trivial until you develop joint problems (my thumbs and one wrist are not what they were....) and so lifting it in and out of the oven is an issue for some people. The lid handle, a flat knob, requires you to use a pot holder, and the same for the stirrup handles. I suggest glove-type hot mitts instead of a pad for a sure grip if you are removing it from a hot oven or hot stove.

Clean-up is easy. Let the pot cool, soak in some soapy water, wipe out and if needed, use a mild nylon scrubbing pad. There will be some staining (or patina) from some foods, and if this bothers you, you can use a special cleanser but I don't worry. Some people do clean the stubborn stains with a paste of Barkeepers Friend, which is said not to be abrasive. If you burn the pot, you can remove the burnt-on crust by an easy technique (applies to any pan.) Boil up some baking soda in water in the pan. Let it sit. The burnt stuff will peel off and you can then wash out the pot.

I will include here my recipe for French-Style pot roast, which we liked a lot and was my husband's absolutely favorite dish.

3 1/2 lb of beef shoulder or boneless chuck roast
2 Tbsp olive or grapeseed oil
Salt, pepper, and a bay leaf
2 medium yellow onions, cut in chunks
1 leek, well cleaned, just the white part cut into slices.
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/3 bottle of merlot wine
1/2 lb mushrooms (white or crimini brown) cleaned and sliced
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 Tbs Minor's Beef Base or substitute 1 cube or packet beef bouillon powder

Method:
Dry the beef and saute in hot oil in the dutch oven. Brown on all sides, remove to a plate to hold. Saute onions and leeks until they just begin to clear, add in crushed garlic and 1/2 of the mushrooms. Let the mushrooms wilt and add in the wine. Cook down until the wine is reduce by at least half. Add in the beef base, tomato paste, seasonings, bay leaf, add back the beef, the wine and reduce somewhat. Then add enough water to cover up to half the height of the meat. Cook on the stove top until the meat is very tender (about 2.5 hours, your time may vary.) Some people do this step in a 350 degree oven and you can certainly do that, too.

Remove beef to a plate, keep it warm, pour off the gravy, skim off the fat (I use a gravy separator) and puree the gravy if you want it smooth. Saute the rest of the mushrooms and add them to the gravy and reheat this sauce. (you can do the mushrooms ahead of time.) Slice the meat across the grain, serve with the sauce.

93 of 105 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Great pot; lousy customer service October 30, 2012

By David Alan Thurn

Color Name:Flame

Bits of the inside finish chipped off after I had used it approximately 4 times to make onion soup. I sent it to Le Creuset to be replaced under the terms of their warranty which said that the warranty would be voided if the pot had been burned. I was completely confident that the pot had not been burned. There were no scorch marks, burn marks or any other indications that the pot had been burned. The missing chips were scattered at random on the bottom of the pot. (In other words, they did not show a distinctive circular pattern which may have resulted from the circular heating element.)

Much to my astonishment, they refused to replace it because they claimed that the pot had been burned. It hadn't been burned. They refused to return the pot to me so I had no way of disputing their claim.

However, they did offer to send me another pot for a fairly large amount of money.

31 of 37 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars If I could only cook with ONE item August 26, 2012

By Nic

Color Name:Cherry

...it would, hands down, be this enameled cast-iron french oven. I found a Le Creuset 5 1/2 quart oven at a discounted price last year when the colors were being changed from solid to the ombre-like coloring they currently have.

Needless to say, I love it.

It browns, sears, develops fond, deglazes, fries, bakes, sautes; it does everything. In it, I have made soup, stew, red sauces, enchilada sauces, macaroni and cheese, as well as any dish that requires sauteing onions first. I have seared and cooked all kinds of meat, fried donuts, onion rings and french fries. I love using it. It does Everything it is supposed to do Perfectly. It cleans up terribly easily; you'd think it would be super hard considering the things I've made it in, but you'd be wrong. It is heavy and durable and will last forever. I love it and would never give it up.

It is, without a doubt, the single best thing I have ever bought to use in my kitchen, for cooking or otherwise.