Le Creuset or Other?

[Smokeahontas]

I have wanted a LC casserole dish for ages now. I know the price tag is higher because of the quality, lifetime guarantee and all that. If you have one, do you feel it’s worth the £££? Or if you use something else, what do you use & is it as good?

They’re too heavy for me and I hate that you can’t see inside them through the oven door. I just prefer the standard Pyrex ones you can buy for £10 ish!

Our local TKMAXX / Homesense always has a good selection of cheaper LC items

I have two Le Creuset casserole dishes and one from Aldi which is just as good.

If you want quality don't buy aldi one as they chip fairly quickly, I've had two and wouldn't buy any more, I've 2 LC ones, matt black and they are fab. The pro cook ones look nice but no experience of the.m.

Mine are all Chasseur. Really good quality.

I love my round casserole (le cruseut) it's my second as I did damage #1. But I love my greenpan more.

I have a set of Sainsbury's . I prefer them to LC. They've lasted well but the coating has come off my LC. Good range of colours at Sainsbury's now and good value too.

My Aldi one must becover 10 years and hasn't chipped yet.

We got a casserole dish as a wedding present over 20 years ago and I've used it loads. The only thing I'd say is that they weigh a ton, and you wouldn't want to drop one on your toe.

Occasionally they are on offer in Amazon and some independent shops, I have never paid more than half price for it

I have absolutely loads of LC including four sizes of casserole dishes because my DB keeps buying it. He bought me a pink heart plate and mug with heard in for Valentine’s!
I find a lot it too heavy, the frying pan weight is ridiculous.

DH not DB, that would be weird!

I've got both LC and Sainsburys ones and can't tell the difference.

I binned a LC one last year when the inside enamel chipped after about a decade.

I volunteer in a charity shop and we quite often get le creuset donations - often brand new with the labels on, and for some reason, often pink.

The shop has quite high overheads, and supports a local wildlife charity, which we’re passionate about, so we don’t sell things cheaply. Things like this are immediately listed on eBay AND put on the shelf for the same price. I only work one day a week and it’s very very rare that the same stock is still available the following week, so someone’s buying it

I love le creuset and am not too fussy about colours, but pink isn’t for me.

@Tinacollada

Our local TKMAXX / Homesense always has a good selection of cheaper LC items

They aren't the cast iron ones though, are they?

I love, love, live my le creuset casserole. It's brilliant and has lasted years and will probably last forever.

My great auntie only had to get rid of hers after decades of use because she wasn't able to lift them anymore.

I have a small round casserole dish that my aunt got as a wedding present in 1973. I've been using it regularly since I was a student (so 25+ years).

I also bought a big oval one during lockdown to bake sour dough in (such a cliche). The first one I got chipped on 2nd or 3rd wash so I got a new one under warranty. I was astounded at how expensive it was. I probably would stick to LC or Staub but my inner scot found it very hard to hand over the cash.

I've got 2 LC casseroles, medium and large and love them. Everything cooks really evenly in them compared to my other casserole / pans and they clean easily too. I do have a Sainsbury's shallow casserole pan too which looks exactly like LC and cooks just as good as them. We bought our LC casseroles though while living abroad - we could access a duty free shop there and we got significant savings on them, otherwise I'd probably have just stuck with the Sainsbury lookalike's.

I use my le creuset casseroles daily, I have a wide based one , three standard round ones and a small oval. I use them for everything and have had four of them for nearly 35 years. They go in the dishwasher and function as good as new.

I love my LC casserole, although the enamel lid chipped after a couple of years

Mine are ancient IKEA dupes. You can get Le C quite cheaply in auctions!

I have a denby shallow Casserole. Price is £155, but I got in the 20% off sale and used tesco clubcard vouchers so it was only £42 worth of vouchers. I use it 2-3 times a week and love it.

TK Maxx always has them. You do have to keep looking but eventually you will find what you're looking for!

@HollowTalk

TK Maxx always has them. You do have to keep looking but eventually you will find what you're looking for!

I thought TK Maxx only sell Le Creuset stoneware rather than actual cast iron?

Whatever you do, don’t drop one.
I got this one in Carrefour in Caen in about 1990 - broke it 6 years ago - still mourn it