lady narcissa Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 I quick search on amazon showed me that Le Creusets go for around $300. Why are they so freaking expensive, are they worth it?They are worth it, I love mine. However, if you have a T.J. Maxx / Marshalls / Home Goods near you, start checking out their pots & pans section every few weeks. I've gotten all my Le Creuset pieces from such places at good discounts. Nothing wrong with them, just an out of fashion color or the store overstocked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kairparavel Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 They are worth it, I love mine. However, if you have a T.J. Maxx / Marshalls / Home Goods near you, start checking out their pots & pans section every few weeks. I've gotten all my Le Creuset pieces from such places at good discounts. Nothing wrong with them, just an out of fashion color or the store overstocked.you can find a great deal, but you have to be dedicated to tracking their turnover and visit often Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fragile Bird Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 A great deal here is $199 instead of $299.We drew names for Christmas, and were supposed to spend about $30 or so, but I drew a couple, which seemed unfair to only buy one present. But he's a really good cook and dreams of owning a Le Creuset. I bought a Wolgang Puck imitation for $70 instead, figuring he can experiment with it and buy his own in the future. That, or I'll drop the bigger bucks for a wedding present in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronn Stone Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Enameled Cast Iron is Enameled Cast Iron. The important thing is getting a lid with a handle that is oven safe. And that can be a problem with the Le Creuset as well as the knockoffs. You want to be able to put your sh** in the oven and not worry about whether you are over or under some temperature limit.It is my understanding that Le Creuset is not insanely expensive in France. But the US importer has created the illusion that they are 'worth' hundreds of dollars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolverine Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 I got a cheap enameled sauté pan for x-mas that I had circled in a Menard's ad (for like $30) and so far I love it. Distributes heat so much better than any of my other shitty pans (David Burke or something). There was also a 6.5 quart Dutch oven for the same price. I love to cook but have pretty low end equipment so this seems like a good starting point for non-teflon like surfaces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolverine Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Enameled Cast Iron is Enameled Cast Iron. The important thing is getting a lid with a handle that is oven safe. And that can be a problem with the Le Creuset as well as the knockoffs. You want to be able to put your sh** in the oven and not worry about whether you are over or under some temperature limit.It is my understanding that Le Creuset is not insanely expensive in France. But the US importer has created the illusion that they are 'worth' hundreds of dollars.Why would they not make the handles oven safe. That just seems stupid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolverine Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I am making New York Strip, not a steak I have cooked very often (was a gift from my parents for our anniversary among other meats). Usually I grill my steaks after seasoning and brushing with olive oil mixed with a little soy sauce (for some reason I love them that way).I was thinking about The Butter Steak, which I have never done. Any advice? Is New York Strip good for cooking that way? The steaks are only about 3/4 inch thick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Raidne Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I have seen some good deals on Le Crueset enameled cast iron on Amazon as well. 5.5 qt round (which I hear is the one you want if you're only going to have one) is $250 in red over there at the moment. Staub has a 7 qt oval cocette for the same price that looks a little more oven-worthy.I just picked up All-Clad's 3qt saute pan for $100, but I can't tell if the awesomeness of using it is just the pan or the fabulous gas range in the new house.I'm going to work on a version of a coffee pot roast. I'm thinking I'll using a braising liquid that is some mix of coffee, red wine, and beef broth, with a bit of tomato paste and either Worcestershire or balsamic vinegar. Also bay leaves and thyme and onion and garlic. I'm thinking I'll brown the beef, move it to a crock pot, saute the onions and garlic, mix the tomato paste in and cook with the garlic and onions (anyone know why this renders sauces, etc. unto awesome?), deglaze with the red wine, add coffee, broth, etc. and then pour liquid into the crock pot and eventually add some carrot and potato.Thoughts on ratio of coffee, wine, broth? Should I skip broth (I do not have actual beef stock on hand ATM)? Other flavor additions? Herbs? Any thoughts whatsoever? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Raidne Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I got a cheap enameled sauté pan for x-mas that I had circled in a Menard's ad (for like $30) and so far I love it. And I cannot for the life of me learn to cook well in my not-cheap le crueset enameled saute pan. What are you doing right that I am getting all wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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