is this a good le creuset substitute??

[ricketyrock]

is this as good do you think?
www.houseoffraser.co.uk/null+Cast+iron+cookware+in+Teal/castirored,default,pd.html?cgid=S05123

It will cook your everyday casserole pretty much as well as a le creuset, but it won't last as long; you might only get a couple of years out of it compared to a lifetime with a le creuset.

Try looking at a brand called Chasseur.

We have some of their casseroles and they've been excellent, but not as pricey as Le creuset

I bought the houseof fraser casserole - it looks fairly good and has a lifetime guarantee so if it does give up I can presumably get a new one.

verysomething, just to check, enamelled cast iron is a very simple material that has been made for hundreds of years. What makes you think that putting one particular name onto it causes it to last longer?

pigletjohn - Er, I think there's an element of craftsmanship that goes into the manufacture of these things, like with glass, silverware, porcelain, you name it. Are you saying there's no difference between Royal Doulton and a plate from the pound shop .

I do agree that with some brand name products you are paying a lot just for the brand name, but you must admit that with many products there's a reason they cost more, and it's because you're paying for a quality product... I guess the trick is to know the difference, I don't pretend to have all the answers.

So if you're on a budget, give the cheapies a try. I hope you're pleasantly surprised. Have to admit I've never shelled out my own money for my Le Creusets, but then the only reason I agreed to have a big trad wedding was to get stocked up for life with all this shit wonderful stuff.

I'm saying that cast iron, made in a factory by Algerian workerts on the French minimum wage, is no better or worse than cast iron made in Korea or the Czech republic. It's not hand made, it comes out of a factory. The design and manufacture is simple bordering on the primitive. I'm willing to agree however that the factory workers in Indonesia take more time over the stuff with a Royal Doulton stamp than when they make stuff with a less prestigious brand name.

However clever marketing gives people the confidence that by paying 12 times the price they get a product that is 12 times as good.

I have heard very good things about the HoF cast iron stuff, may well give that a try myself!

it's on offer on the mo so get in there anchovies! 50% off in store.

Piglet and Very - thank you for your good points I'll report back in 5 years or so

p.s. I actually have some Le Creuset myself that I inherited, very good for starting roast potatoes, but I don't like the orange colour. If I was buying it myself I'd go for black, at a lower price but a name with a guarantee just in case, say, the enamel eroded.

It seems to me that wiping the surface with cooking oil after washing
(especially if you feel impelled to use a dishwasher) makes the surface less inclined to stick next time you use it. Just wipe a bit round with kitchen roll and polish off. The same works with non-stick pans if they are more than a day old.

I never use anything harsher than a nylon scourer on mine. The enamel will scratch and go dull and rough if you do.