Proper Le Creuset or Sainsburys own?

[bluecheesefiend]

Hi,

I need some decent cooking pots & have always quite fancied the Le Creuset stuff, especially since all the chefs on TV seem to find them so indispensable, but they are obviously on the pricey side.

I saw today that Sainsbury do their own. They're essentially the same shape, style & colour but for £40 rather than the nearly £200 that the Le Creuset equivalent would cost

So my question is, are Le Creuset worth it? Is this like a roasting tin scenario where you buy one from Sainsburys for £12 & within 3 Sunday roasts the black non stick stuff is dissolving into your gravy. Whereas the heavy duty thing that cost a fortune would have been with you for generations.

Can you really go as wrong with cast iron?

Your learned opinions would be most welcome

We bought a set of le Creuset saucepans around 1990 (the red ones with wooden handles) and have bought roasting dishes and frying pans since (so still at least 15+ years old). Thinking about it, we have A LOT of Le Creuset stuff.

We didn't have an Aldi or Lidl nearby until very recently, but we also snapped up a 30cm casserole dish (fab for cooking risottos). It seems very similar in terms of quality. I don't use it as often, but I am 2 years on and it seems no different.

The glaze on the china stuff cracks after a couple of years, but still seems to work.

Clarks Viilage also has (had?) an outlet. I am sur there is stuff on Ebay these days too

My Le Crusset went in the bin years ago.

I have Sainsburys Casserole ones though (in cream thankfully not the horrid orange I had before) They are brilliant and I could probably replace them three times over for the price of a Le Crusset - not that I'd need too as they still look like new.

There is a Le Cruset outlet in Portsmouth too - if you really want it.

I've just given mine Sainsburys one away. It was fine but far too heavy. I much prefer my slow cooker which has a removable pan to brown in and then I put it straight into the slow cooker itself. So much easier and lighter to use although I appreciate it's not as nice to look at. But seriously, try lifting a big cast iron pan full of stew - it's very, very heavy. I just found it a complete pain and do I didn't use it.

Bringing up an old thread I know - but I have the sainsburys shallow casserole dish in black, does anyone know of it can go on a glass hob ? Or is it oven only. Saw unthread about a LC one breaking on a hob so just wondered.

I actually think Le Creuset is pretty similar to Sainsbury. They are about the same thickness & weight & both clean well. My only issue is the top nob of Le Creuset always come loose.

Check out house of Fraser linear cast iron stuff. Only issue is it's really heavy so for bigger casserole type dishes it can be hard to lift it out of the oven when full.