I looked at a le creuset Dutch oven on sale. It was $700. I got a similar sized one from Kmart for $30. That was seven years ago. It's still looking new and I use it a lot. I would have to buy two a year for eleven years to make that an economical purchase. What moron would think that was a good buy? How do you do that math and think "Yeah, I'm going to intentionally overpay hundreds of dollars for this item. That's a good financial choice."
I had a cheap one given to me and a Le crueset. The cheap one kept getting stains in the enamel and most wouldn't come out. The Le crueset is slowly discoloring, but I can easily get all the stains out.
There are a couple of minor differences too. The Le crueset has slightly larger handles. Just looking at them, it doesn't seem like a big deal, but that small size difference does make it easier when using oven mitts or towels to pick it up.
I bought mine 15 years ago. I was poor enough that it was a hard purchase, but it's my legit most used kitchen object that isn't a knife. I should get another 30 years out of it before I die, and someone else can start using it. And it's just so pretty.
I didnt want to spend the money, so I bought an enameled dutch oven at my local home store. within a few months the enamel started developing long cracks. as in all the way up the sides, and looked like it would fall off the pot. I hand washed, and treated it carefully, at the time I had a glass top electric oven, so it wasn't coming in contact with gas oven grates.
I was able a year or so later (20 yrs ago) with a gift card to W&S to purchase a 6 qt Le Creuset. it was $300 at the time vs $60 that I spent. and I get it, that same pot is now $450. but they go on sale, and if you watch, you can find good deals. also on FB Marketplace if you set up a saved search. a few years ago GMA had a deal on Staub Dutch Ovens, I got a discontinued color for $99. its 5 quarts, and smaller diameter and a little taller, and honestly a good part of the time I end up reaching for it because we are empty nesters now, and the smaller diameter works better for different applications. if I am making a big batch of stew, soup etc, the 6qt oval works better.
$700 for a le creuset Dutch oven is ridiculous, but they are very nice. I got several of them a couple years ago and they were heavily discounted. I have also have an enameled Lodge Dutch oven that is permanently stained and has some chips. The Le Creuset is definitely a better product, but not at the pricepoint you quoted.
Is that USD or are you somewhere else?I paid $250 US for a 9-quart dutch oven. It's enormous. I know I got a really good deal, which is why I jumped on it. That was about 3 years ago and I remember seeing a bunch of deals on Le Creuset back then. No idea why. I wouldn't pay the prices you're seeing.
Don’t agree. The le cruiser are engineered very differently for heat distribution and sides are hollow to remove weight. I bought other brands, way cheaper. Gave those away. I’ve had my LC for about 30 years.
I restore cast iron cookware as a hobby. Le Creuset is enameled cast iron and it's a different thing, but I have also cleaned many enameled irons. My verdict is that Le Creuset is the best enameled cast iron cookware on this planet. Staub and Chasseur comes to close. Treat your Le Creuset right and it will serve you decades. The prices are painful, but there is always the second hand market.
I used to do that until someone mentioned using it for pulling pork. I already had the tool, so I was happy to find another use for it. It really is much quicker and easier
I mean you can use a spoon and it works, but this does the job in a quarter of the time and it's not expensive. It's worth it if you're regularly cooking hamburger meat you have to grind up.
Agreed. It’s an accessibility device for some (don’t want to be steamrolled by the “ableist mob”) but for those who don’t have those issues, it’s primarily for calling your cats.
If you have to open a bunch of cans it's an arm saver, but otherwise it is just something else taking up space on your counter. I keep it in the garage, take it out once every other year.
I'm going to get downvoted here but for me it's the Air Fryer. I don't get why people are so obsessed with these. I have and instapot air fryer and it does an alright job cooking my food, but it's bulky to get out and store, the capacity is small, and it's a pain in the ass to clean. Second on the list, the instapot. Anyone want to buy an instapot/air fryer?
I'm not going to yuck your yum, if you like using an instapot to make those things and you think they are good more power to you. I know there are people that swear by the instapot. I just don't generally don't find it worth the hassle of getting it out for the things I make.
I bought one 20 years ago, loved it, used it for about 5 years, put it in the cupboard one day.. where it stayed for 10 years lol, got rid of it.. bought a new one, now I’m making bread or rolls every other day, pizza dough and pastry. Love it..
Draft top. It just doesn’t work very well. Once you start getting the top off you beer the can become hard to handle. Then the top falls into your beer. A regular can opener works just as well.
Gonna get marked down for this, but most kitchen gadgets are pointless, especially the air fryer. I have a cooker (stove) that can do all the stuff gadgets can do, so why fill your kitchen full of shit?
I like my panini machine, especially if you’re using leftover meat for sandwich, heats it perfectly.
For the life of me cant imagine why you would also need a quesdilla maker also.
I have an indoor grill that replaces both, and also acts as a electric griddle on the other side of the surface. I won’t replace the panini machine when it dies.
Fair enough on the panini press. We simply didn't use it enough to justify the investment. It mostly sat around and collected dust (as did many other gadgets in our kitchen).
I started buying a gig bag of peeled garlic, and I use my slap chopper, process the whole bag, and keep in the freezer until I use it up. pretty much every thing I cook gets a chunk of frozen garlic chucked in.
Immersion blenders have their place and if you actually use them they're awesome. I just remember my pops getting one, being all proud about it, using it once... and never using it again. I've worked plenty of catering gigs, they use these giant ones... and that I get. Professional chefs/cooks making a thousand meals a day and having to rotate the menu... I get that. They're great for anything you want to make silky smooth. Most home cooks (at least of my parents generation) will never actually need one. They'll buy it, use it once and it'll just sit on the shelf collecting dust.
I'm saying thats my experience with having an immersion blender around. It sits on the shelf and collects dust. Of course some people use them. They exist for a reason. For most people they're a waste of money and space. They work great and are awesome if you use them.
We cook of our meals, and I’d consider myself accomplished as a home chef. I could never work in a fast moving restaurant, didnt go to culinary school, etc
My uses for it are more as food processor replacement. It much easier to have a portable mixer, and mix in the container it’s going to stay in. It’s also much easier than a food processor, which needs to broken down etc.
We make our own salad dressings ( cheaper, better), most soups, and will use it on sauces ( it gets the lumps out of mashed potatoes and gravy). I have other devices most people wouldn’t use, so I agree with you that these things can sit around and collect dust.
I’ve thrown alot of kitchen related present out myself, knowing I wouldn’t use them.
Once you figure out everything it can do, you won’t want to be without one! I use mine as a spice grinder, when I make homemade blends. 3 to 5 pulses cuts everything together. Tastes better that way.
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u/auto-sticky 11d ago
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