Le Creuset Dutch Oven?

[happi duck]

Le Creuset or Dutch oven fans:

I have some of my own money saved up and am thinking of buying a LC Dutch oven (6 qt ish)

I know that there are well thought of brands that are way less expensive and I feel guilty still wanting LC. (But I do!)

I want to cook more beans from scratch and I make soup often.  I currently have one soup pot and sometimes I need a second.

I would maybe try bread but that's a big maybe.

Even if the less expensive brands are good is LC great?

[Toocrazy!!]

I inherited my MIL’s LC. I love it! It makes me happy to cook with it. They’re a great, lifelong purchase. 

[freesia]

My mother passed on her mid-1960s one.  It's still in wonderful condition and I love it.

[gardenmom5]

If you have the money, and are willing to spend the money - don't 'settle' for something cheaper (lodge will cook as well, but the enamel isn't as durable.)

 

sometimes - you just have to get the one that you really want so you're not sitting there in the back of your mind always thinking about how "it's not what you really wanted."

[Corraleno]

I love my Le Creuset! I started with a cheaper brand dutch oven and it chipped on the edges and was really hard to clean. I also bought a Staub, but gave it to my son because I don't like the bumps inside the lid and I think it's harder to see what's going on when you're cooking in a deep pot with a black interior. I also prefer the wide range of gorgeous Le Creuset colors — if I'm going to spend that much money on a piece of cookware, I want it to make me happy every time I look at it. The interior enamel on the Le Creuset was noticeably smoother than on the other dutch ovens I looked at, and I think that's part of the reason it cleans up so easily, even if the food is baked on. I just fill the pot with hot water and a little soap, let it sit, and wipe it off. 

If you're anywhere near a Williams Sonoma, they have good sales and also have a lot of WS-exclusive colors. You can also get 20% off your first purchase if you apply for a WS card (which will generally be approved on the spot). I waited until they had a really good sale and then I applied for the card in the store and ended up with a combined 40-50% off.

[PeterPan]

I got tired of beans staining my LC. I now use an instant pot for beans. Soup is great in LC or IP. I’m keen on Demeyere these days too.

I have enameled cast iron of many brands and they’re all fine. LC is better in theory (thicker enamel is what I’ve heard) but the others are fine. I seem capable of destroying finishes irrespective of price point . 

Do you have an IP? How many are you cooking for? LC makes a bigger size that is nice for big batches of soup. 
 

You might see if Cutlery and More has any deals.

[bibiche]

I have several different brands of dutch ovens and although I prefer Staub, Le Creuset is also great. I find those two brands transfer heat better and more evenly than other brands and are worth the money.
 

For bread, I would pick up a comparatively inexpensive non-enameled cast iron Dutch oven. I am not convinced that preheating an empty enameled pot for some time doesn’t damage it, and as I don’t want to do a several hundred dollar experiment, I stick to plain cast iron for that type of bread.

[JustEm]

Le Creuset is fantastic. If you have the money for it go for it.  Helpful savings tip, check out Marshall's and Home Goods for a Le Creuset but at a cheaper price.  That is where I got mine.  It had zero defects and as far as I can tell it was just a less popular color and that is why it ended up there.

[Bootsie]

I prefer Staub to LeCreuset.  I like the dimpled lids.  The interior is black instead of cream--some people think it is harder to tell if things are browning but it doesn't stain as much.  I find Staub and LeCreuset to be similar quality but, in the US, Staub is not as well known so can often be purchased for less.   I have ordered several "seconds" and have been extremely pleased with them.    

[Starr]

I've read that Le Creuset has a big sale in the summer. There are also the sales mentioned above. My inlaws gave us several pieces from the outlet store 30 years ago and it's still going strong. 

[gstharr]

A couple of years ago I was given a Korean clay cooking pot.  Beans turns out so great after a low heat simmer that I don't use the dutch oven or other  pot now.

[catz]

I've had one LC standard size dutch oven for over 20 years.  It really is one of my favorite pieces in my kitchen, I use it constantly.  

[edelweiss]

I love my Le Creuset cookware!  I have 2 LC Dutch ovens, plus 2 other LC pans and they are truly workhorses in my kitchen.  I use them all of the time and it makes me happy to use them.  I also have 2 Staub Dutch ovens.  I like them a lot as well, but I prefer the LC, I think.

[Corraleno]

4 hours ago, happi duck said:

I have some of my own money saved up and am thinking of buying a LC Dutch oven (6 qt ish)

The LC sizes that are closest to this size are 5.5 qt and 7.25 qt. I have both. The 5.5 qt is the most popular size and is a good balance of size and weight. It'll hold a good size loaf of bread if you bake bread in it. The 7.25 qt is great if you have a big family or do a lot of batch cooking, if you cook large roasts (you can fit a whole chicken and lots of veg in there), or if you often brown meat (e.g. for beef stew or chili) since there is a larger surface area. Also, this may seem random, but it's also great if you use a ton of greens in your soups and stews. If you've ever tried to add a whole bunch of kale into a not-big-enough pot, you basically have to stand there and put in a few handfuls, wilt it down, add a few more handfuls, etc. What I like about the 7.25 qt is that I can dump multiple bags of kale/spinach/chard in there at once. The down side is that it's really heavy when it's full of soup!