Le creuset: Is it worth it?

[cardamoncoffee]

I've been wanting to invest buy the largest casserole dish (6L) for ages but keep stalling at the price. Is it worth the £250? I'm envisaging me throwing stuff into it, bunging it in the oven for a few hours and then lovely meals.

Tell me the good, bad and the ugly please.

Keep an eye out for second hand. I bought one for £20. I definitely wouldnt spend £250 on one. The might last longer than a Sainsburys one, but it would have to last 10x longer to be worth the extra money.

Maybe get a cheaper one and of you use it loads and love it, get a Le Creuset one when it wears out or if you need a different size in future.

As for recipes, most casseroles just need to be bunged in the oven and stirred occasionally. If you follow a recipe you dont usually need to add extra water.

For me, no. It's just buying into a lifestyle a bit IMO. I just don't think a casserole dish can be called a legitimate 'investment' though they look lovely. I would drag out the individual casserole pots etc for guests but it's not an everyday thing for me- I get way more use out of far cheaper things that I've used daily for a decade.

I just never use any of ours (stupidly splashed out when we got our first home imagining I would suddenly become nigella and be endlessly hosting , theyre so heavy, especially when full that I just pass then over for more convenient cookware anyway so in that respect it's lasted brilliantly .

Nothing in the world could ever induce me to spend £250 on a dish.

My pans and frying pan are 23 years old and still look and perform perfectly. They've suffered burnt on potatoes and berry stains and have come out fine. Anything else feels flimsy and rubbish!

Ours were wedding presents more than 30 years ago. The wooden handles in the pans eventually cracked from going in the dishwasher (they weren't dishwasher safe) but casseroles going strong. I bought a Sainsbury's cast iron pan recently and it had chipped within days.
So, cost per use, go for Le Creuset but look in TK Maxx.

I gave away my Le Creuset frying pan, saucepans and casseroles because they were just too heavy. I have good stainless steel ones now.

Another vote for the Sainsbury’s but my branch never has it in anymore. I have a big shallow dish form a brand called Pro Cookware I got on amazon that’s good too and has the nice colours.

le crueset make for Sainsbury’s

I have 2 Le Creuset casseroles and their big shallow casserole. I've use them almost weekly for nearly 10 years and they are BRILLIANT. I was lucky to be given one and inherit another, so I've only forked out for one myself but I'd do it without hesitation.

Where do you live? If anywhere near Hampshire, they are having a big clearance sale on 2nd November at their Andover warehouse and I've seen real bargains there before. Downside is that they tend to be in the less popular colours but if you don't mind that then it's a great option!

I gave my set to a friend, too heavy and cumbersome to use regularly as DH had to be around to lift them ☹️

I have 2 large casseroles and love them for great quantities of food, but have found the coating has been damaged. Burnt bits that won't come off. Does anyone have a top tip on what to do?!!
Thanks!!

I've got quite a few LC pieces and compared to a non-LC cast iron casserole I have, there really is no comparison with regards longevity and performance. All my LC interior and exterior enamel is intact, not so for the cheaper one. I tend to pick bits up in the sale and have got a fair few from Ebay. I agree, it is expensive but it really can last a lifetime.

Love my Le Creuset, but also have the Sainsbury version, and they seem as good (and way cheaper). I note a PP says le Creuset makes for Sainsbury, so that would be why the pans are good.

Sounds like you're buying for the name really

I've got a copy le creuset and it's been a real champion : scared if I buy a le creuset I'll not use it!

I’ve had my Le Cruset casserole dish for nigh on 14 years now. It’s the best. Still cleans like a dream and slow cooked food tastes 100% better coming out of it than any other pan. I can cook anything it.
Had the saucepans now for around 20 years. They’re used everyday and still look brand new. You definitely need a gas job for the saucepans though.

Got bought a cast iron set from Tescos as a present and they’re not anywhere near as good.

Thanks for all of the replies. @managedmis I am not a name buyer at all, but I love the colours of LC A bit of a Google told me that Procook are the same as LC and a fraction of the price, so I'll most likely to with that. They don't do purple though

Cardamoncoffee
I say go for the one you like, if it’s the colour you like then so be it! It’s something that you will probably use a lot, so might as well buy what you really want,
Wait for sales, they are usually less ££

They're a bit marmite from what I've heard, and the most common complaints are too heavy and YES to food sticking, big time - must depend on what you cook.

I've got the most fab ancient cast iron pan that nothing sticks to - but it's nice and thin too. Wouldn't want something as heavy as LC and wouldn't pay lots for it - no way.

I hated the saucepans and the frying plans but I love the casseroles and have had those and my kettle for over 11 years and theyve been worth it for me. They are very heavy but mine look new still on the outside and well seasoned on the inside and I use them for all sorts. If I had to save 1 thing from my kitchen it would be the large LC casserole dish.

Agree with queenofarles, Get the one you want, it won't be long to the Black Friday sales and they may go on offer then.

I've bought Le Creuset from ecookshop before. If it's purple you are after then they stock the ultra violet colour way and the 29cm casserole dish is £200 rather than £250.

Can I ask what sort of things you make in the casserole dishes? Is it really a case of stick it in the oven and forget about it?

We have the massive LC one and a smaller Sainsbury's one.

The LC one is only suitable for stove top use as I find it really heavy to lug out of the oven, and as I'm not tall it's a bit dangerous to try and hoik out on to the work top.

The Sainsbury's one was a fraction of the price and realistically does exactly the same job. It actually looks better IMO as we have blue ones (good work DH ) and the LC one looks a bit wishy-washy.

I've also seen Ikea ones, I would definitely consider the if I was in the market for a replacement.

I put the big dishes in the oven and forget about them for loads of things. A family favourite is a Nigella recipe called “Praised Chicken” that we have often. Curries, Irish Stew and stew and dumplings all through the winter.

Hot pot, beef stew, chicken or sausage casserole, dahl, shepherds pie, soups, bolognese, chilli, risotto, paella, curry, biryani, pot roast, lemon roast chicken, gammon joint, lamb shanks in red wine, dauphinoise, braised red cabbage, sweet potato mash (done with no water, just cream and butter), gravy, various layered bakes inc veg or chicken and chorizo, mousaka, pulled pork, chicken supreme, cassoulet, sweet or savoury crumble, rice pudding... and many more