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Item Info
Made of heavy-duty cast iron, the cookware's colorful, long-lasting exterior enamel resists chipping and cracking, while its durable, nonreactive sand-colored interior enamel offers a smooth surface for cooking and an optimal palette for food presentation. As cast iron is unexcelled for even heat distribution and superior heat retention, and enamel is impervious to acids and odors, the unit browns and cooks food uniformly and gently without hot spots and can be used for marinating, cooking on the stovetop, or finishing in the oven. The casserole comes equipped with two cast-iron loop side handles to facilitate convenient transport, and its secure-fitting lid locks in heat, moisture, and flavor. The lid also comes fitted with a black phenolic knob that's oven-safe to 350-Degree F. Beautiful enough for the table yet durable enough to outlive its lifetime limited warranty, the cookware can be safely used on any stovetop, including induction, and should be hand washed for best results.
Strong Feat
- 5-Quart buffet casserole made of enameled cast iron
- Cast-iron loop handles facilitate carrying from the oven or stovetop to the table
- Heavy, tight-fitting lid with phenolic knob helps lock in heat, moisture, and flavor
- Washing by hand recommended; oven-safe to 350-Degree F
- Measures approximately 13-2/5 by 16 by 5-4/5-Inch; limited lifetime warranty
Customer Reviews
Art
I wanted some "mid range" size enameled cast iron pots that would be a manageable weight and size and be OK when cooking for 2 with left over's, or occasionally 4-6 persons.The 4 � Qt Le Creuset Soup Pot and the 3 � Qt Le Creuset Casserole are perfect. I'm planning to purchase a 7 1/4 Qt Le Creuset French Oven in addition. It's a similar weight and diameter to the Casserole, but (unlike the 5 1/2 Qt French oven) is significantly larger than the 4 1/4 Qt Soup Pot, so I feel it is a worthwhile addition for the 20% of things that don't fit the other 2 Pots.I'm glad I chose the Cobalt Blue, -it adds some color to the kitchen but not too much. It will go well with a bit of red as well. The things I like about the large flat Casserole pot is that it is 3 � Qt, but the lid is 2 � Qt so overall it holds 6 Qt, for things like lamb or chicken roasts.And it's good for everything except soup. The 4 1/4 Soup Pot on the other hand is ideal for soup (no surprise there) since with it's bath tub shape, small soup batches fill up the side walls rapidly. It can be used for everything else as well, but it's not quite so convenient for dishes which are flat by nature like Salmon. The 4 1/4 Qt Soup Pot with lid is about 5 Qt and has almost an inch more headroom inside than the casserole for things like chicken or roasts. When you receive your order I recommend checking each piece thoroughly inside and out before removing any labels, and then returning any defective ones to Amazon shipping paid, -if you purchase from someone else this may not be free though. I think the Amazon prices are reasonable especially if you don't live near a Le Creuset outlet store, and if you can get close to 50% of list including shipping with an overall purchase of items, I think you are doing OK. Also keep in mind that the 101 yearowner warranty is all very fine, but you have to print the ownership paperwork on archival quality paper to be readable.
L. T. Beasimer
Le Creuset manufactures porcelain enameled cast iron cooking vessels as well as other products. Le Creuset casts these cooking vessels from molten iron poured in sand moulds that are used only once. For this reason, one pot may look like another, but each is unique in its own way.Cast iron is a highly efficient material which absorbs and distributes heat efficiently. It is recommended that cooking with cast iron is done on low to medium heat. However, there are exceptions like boiling water where cooking on high heat is appropriate and okay. Remove cast iron from the heat and it does not cool off quickly. This heat retention helps your food stay warm while serving. Beware; iron tends to be heavy so are these cooking vessels.Cast iron is an effective material for cooking so why cover it with enamel? Iron tends to rust; iron oxide (rust) doesn't add any complimentary flavors to your food. If your cast iron cooking vessel was not enameled, you would have to season and maintain your cooking vessel. Adding the porcelain enamel not only looks good, but has multiple benefits. The enamel, being a solid coating, is one of the most hygienic surfaces to cook on, does not stain, absorb odors, retain flavors, and is easy to clean. The enamel can be damaged, so limit cooking tools to plastic or wood.The benefits of cooking with Le Creuset cast iron are many, but lets get down to the buffet casserole specifically. The buffet casseroles are one of the most versatile pieces in the Le Creuset lineup. Use this pan as a sauté pan, a roasting pan, for poaching, or as a shallow braiser. The 3.5 quart capacity can is plenty of space when it comes to casseroles, so consider your recipes when determining the size you need. The buffet casserole tends to do best if at least three quarters full. Any less and you may overwhelm your food with the evenly dispersed heat in the pot.With a large flat bottom that curves up this pan resembles a curved sided saute pan the only thing missing would be a long handle. The tight fitting lid is mostly flat with curved sides. This lid seals in heat, moisture, and flavors and can be used to hold your meat while you are making a sauce from the drippings. Its shape and design makes this an extremely versatile pan.I tend to use this pot for basic dishes like smothered pork chops more than anything else. But once you get past the basic functionality that lends itself to recipes such as paella, frittatas, deep dish pizza, and casseroles, you can really open up the possibilities. Keep in mind this is a 3.5 quart pan, feeding two out if it is ridiculous unless you want leftovers. It is probably the perfect size for a family of four in most cases. Try baking pineapple upside down cake or bread pudding for when you need to please many guests, poaching fish, or Mac and Cheese. The possibilities almost seem endless.One feature that people tend to complain about is the cost. The cost does seem steep compared to other pans made from other materials. Heck, cast iron doesn't seem like it should be expensive when comparing to that old cast iron pan past generations have used for cornbread and camping. However the manufacturing process requires making a mould for each and every pan produced. They then go through the enameling process before shipping these heavy pans. If you take what goes into making and distributing these high quality cast iron products, the cost tends to make sense. Then consider that this pan will easily last a lifetime when taken care of.PROS:Extremely versatileEfficient absorption and distribution of heatHygienic enamel cooking surfaceDoes not stain, absorb odors, or retain flavorsEasy to clean when not abused or misusedCan be transferred from stove top to the oven to the tableCan easily last a lifetimeCONS:Its heavy, as cast iron tends to be weighing in at about 12.25 pounds.
Succubus
As seems the case with some other reviewers, this was my first piece of Le Creuset. It's wonderful for braising and easy to maintain. It has all of the benefits of uncoated cast iron, with an easy-to-clean enamel coating. While heavy, it is not unwieldy. It was my favorite piece (until the next piece, of course).
Rating: 5 5 reviews
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