Cast iron casserole dishes - le creuset likealikes

[Rainsdropskeepfalling]

I bought a used le creuset casserole off eBay and it's great but I'm thinking if treating myself to a new one heavy casserole

Doesn't need to be a fancy brand, just some that will last a decade or two.

Any recommendations?

I've got Le Creuset and I also had a Sainsburys one. The Sainsburys one lasted about 10 years then the enamel wore through. The Le Creuset is still going strong after 30 years.

However, I'm now finding it difficult to lift the cast iron dishes, so use them far less. I've actually bought a couple of aluminium casseroles which look just like cast iron but are very light. Obviously they behave quite differently though!

I also got a creuset on from TK Maxx.

It's huge. And was a complete bargain

The price tag/ barcode was damaged and I asked for a price. She went to look at others to give me an idea as she couldn't find one.

Then offered it to me at the same price as the smaller one - and even asked me if that was ok?!!!!!!

Errrrr yes!!!!!!

Oh and I paid £17 for it!!!!

I got a couple of a John Lewis ones as a wedding present nearly 15 years ago and they are still in perfect condition.

I have le creuset and the black has come through the bottom in the smaller casserole pan. I went to the le creuset shop in London and they told me it would be cheaper to buy new rather than have it resurfaced.

Mine are the racing green colour from about 25 years ago. I don't actually use them much now as find them too heavy

Thanks @ArcticBells, this is what I'm seeing too. My older Le Creuset pan is showing much less wear than the Aldi one I have to say. I have the Aldi one less than a year, use it about twice a week, am careful with washing (no steel wool or anything abrasive) but it's worn badly. It was much cheaper of course, but I don't think I'd buy there again all the same.

I’ve got some Aldi ones and they’re excellent. I’ve had them for years, there’s not a mark on them and I use them weekly at least.

Maybe a different manufacturer then? I don't know🤔

I've Aldi and Lidl versions, a mixture of sizes, small for sauces, bigger saucepans, large casserole and big rectangular griddle, all are a good few years old and still fine but last year I bought a petromax cast iron skillet/frying pan, its not enamelled but was preseasoned and I love it, steak is fabulous cooked in it so I bought a Dutch oven too, its great and I use it a lot, looking forward to bringing it camping next month.

Like @EmmaGrundyForPM I have 3 Le creuset and one sainsburys dupe, all about 15 years old. The sainsburys one has aged by far the worst, the enamel is chipped in multiple places including a couple of chips larger than a 10p coin and it's heavily discoloured whereas the LC ones are a little dark on the bottom and one is scratched up on the sides but otherwise perfect.

That being said I have got bloody good value out of the sainsburys one, it's probably worked out at £1 a year since it was only £15 when I bought it and I still use it today, chips and all.

I had a cream Sainsbury's one for maybe 15 years, it didn't get chipped but in the end got too badly stained so have replaced it with an orange/red one. We also have a cast iron griddle pan from Sainsbury's which works well, but the underside has a few chips in which are getting bigger.

I have a pale blue Denby cast iron casserole. It's very much better than the cheap one I had before. Anything I browned one that one used to stick to the enamel, which also stained a lot more. The Denby one's enamel is quite non stick, and much easier to clean, and it's SO pretty.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Denby-Round-Casserole-Pavillion-26/dp/B01LZBF5I3/ref=asc_df_B01LZBF5I3/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=231885836073&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8709370335687499034&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006728&hvtargid=pla-422016109338&psc=1&th=1&psc=1#immersive-view_1679866527674

Sainsbury sale, cream coloured, hand wash or the rims rust in the dw - the saute pan and large oval casserole we have bought in the sale, as wedding presents, well received, still going strong. We also bought Aldi online small red casserole pans as gifts, sturdy, attractive, non stick, in a box. Cast iron is heavy of course, but worthwhile.

I just bought a yellow one from Sainsbury. It made me more happy than a casserole dish probably should! It cost £45 compared to £290 Le Creuset. Seems every bit as good.

we have Le Creuset large casserole and a large Buffett, both 20 + yrs old, wearing well, used for baking sourdough regularly for past 3 yrs, had to get a new knob for the lid - from Amazon.
Also have a smaller one from Aldi in black which performs just as well but it is much newer

BTW - there are a lot of second hand Le Creuset's around because when people upgrade their kitchens they get an induction hob and the older Le Creuset's won't work with that (you need one with a magnet in it). The induction hobs are a sensible choice as very energy efficient. So probably best to check anything new is compatible with that if you are likely to upgrade (the Sainsbury/Habitat one I got is) .

I think Le Creuset give a lifetime guarantee

It depends when you bought the pot. Most of them have a lifetime guarantee with it.

"I think Le Creuset give a lifetime guarantee"

My set came from John Lewis and don't have a life time guarantee

I love my Staub casserole pot/dutch oven. Sturdy, robust and looks very pretty. Dark enamel means it doesn’t appear as stained as Le Creuset can get.

To be fair, not really any/much cheaper than Le C (though there are sales every now and again) but do expect it to last a very, very long time!

You can get induction converters! They are like a metal disk with a handle and allow you to use any pan on an induction job.

I've got a sainsburys one, was around £20 in the sale and it's as good as new. Even if it starts to degrade in a few years I won't care as it was so cheap!!

I was looking at Lidl's the other day and the one open had the enamel peeling off !

I'm.not sure this is true. Induction hobs work with Pans that are iron/magnetic, they don't have a "magnet" in them.

When we switched to an induction hob, all our le Creuset Pans worked, even though they were mostly 20+ years old at the time.

I have one from Le Creuset, Aldi and Sainsburys. I can't tell the difference between any of them, though I would never admit it to my DH. He scoffed at the price of Le Crueset. They're all between 5 and 10 years old and don't show any signs of wear and tear.

My ex's grandmother had her Le Creuset dish from when she got married 60 years before I met her. The only special care she took was to heat the pot on a low heat before cooking and to let it cool down properly before washing to stop thermal shock.