Get stainless steel and a can of Barkeeper’s Friend cleanser.

“* Heavy-Weight aluminum cookware is also recommended. It conducts heat faster than other metals and cooks evenly. Aluminum residue sometimes appears as scratches on the cooktop, but these can be removed if cleaned immediately.”

if they’re not heavy-weights, they can warp and then not sit good on the glass top….

Our kitchen is black, white and stainless, like many. If yours is like that I highly recommend the Flame color. I thought it might be too strong and it’s not. It’s warm and happy. This was our first Le Creuset pan and we have continued with that color.

As for the pan being heavy, I’m not sure it is heavier than a big round casserole, but it is less stable to carry because it is wider and shallower. If you have it full of a stew, yes, you might want to plate that dish from the stove I also carry the lid separately if at all.

When you preheat the pan, if you will be using the lid preheat the lid too. Putting the heavy cold lid on something you are cooking sucks up a lot of the heat until the lid warms up.

Baking powder can be helpful for cleaning the enamel without scratching or hazing, inside or out. Avoid cleansers, green scotchbrite, metal tools. Pink scotchbrite is fine.
Score: 5 / 5

I also have every electric slow cooker from the tiny quart one to the huge 10 quart one. And in a variety of makers as well. Oval ones, rectangular ones, round ones. They each have their use and purpose.

People eating in my kitchen know what the menu is from which cookers are on the cabinet or stove! I very rarely change a recipe from one to something else.

Casseroles cook so very nicely in the rectangular one. Beans of course in the huge one, that way I only have to start one pot a week!

Each different pot in my kitchen has its purpose.

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. 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 helps your food stay warm while serving. Beware; iron tends to be heavy so these cooking vessels tend to be heavy as well.

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. 5 quarts can be a lot of space when it comes to casseroles, so consider your recipes when determining the size you need. The buffet casserole tend to do best if at least 3/4 full. Any less and you may overwhelm your food with heat evenly dispersed 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 simple braising more than anything else. It easily holds a cut up large roasting chicken and other ingredients very well. But once you get past the basic functionality that lends itself to recipes such as paella, coq au vin, and basic casseroles, you can really open up the possibilities.

Keep in mind this is a 5 quart pan, feeding two out if it is ridiculous unless you want plenty of leftovers. With that in mind, how about roasting a chicken in it with potatoes and vegetables all in the same pan soaking up those juices? Pineapple upside down cake or bread pudding for when you need to please many guests, making spaghetti sauce which you can later braise your meatballs in, poaching fish, or sauteing pork chops. 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.

Here is one of my favorite recipes I use this pan for:

JAMBALAYA

1/4 cup cooking oil

1/2 lb. boneless cooked chicken, cubed

1/2 lb. smoked sausage, sliced

1 large chopped onion

1 large chopped bell pepper

1 bunch chopped green onions

1 cup chopped celery

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 16 oz can tomatoes, drained (reserve liquid)

1 tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cup converted rice

1 1/2 cups chicken stock or water

1 1/2 tbsp. Worcestershire

2 lbs. peeled and deveined raw shrimp

1) In your Buffet Casserole, saute diced chicken if not pre cooked, remove and hold in the lid until later. Use oil as needed.

2) Saute sausage until lightly browned. Remove from pan and hold in the lid.

3) Sautee onions bell pepper, green onions, celery and garlic in meat drippings until tender. Add tomatoes, thyme, pepper and salt. Cook 5 minutes.

4) Stir in rice.

5) Mix together liquid from tomatoes, stock and Worcestershire sauce to equal 2 1/2 cups. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer.

6) Add raw shrimp, chicken and sausage and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes until rice and shrimp are done.

PROS:

Extremely versatile

Efficient absorption and distribution of heat

Hygienic enamel cooking surface

Does not stain, absorb odors, or retain flavors

Easy to clean when not abused or misused

Can be transferred from stove top to the oven to the table

Can easily last a lifetime

CONS:

Its heavy, as cast iron tends to be weighing in at about 15.5 pounds.
Score: 5 / 5

Well worth the money.

The “crock pot” or “electric slow cooker” can be great, if you do a LOT of unattended cooking, or you can not be in attendance while cooking.

For those that are “at home” more often than not, the Oven Method of using the Dutch (or Le Cruset’s “French Oven”) Oven does require a LOT more hands on approach.

I use both, but for different reasons and times:

Crock Pot is usually winter, and for longer periods than I would have to invest in standing around an oven and checking the contents every hour or so………

The Dutch Oven comes out when I want to make stocks, or things that I spend a lot more time with.

Each has it’s merits, but one VERY nice thing about a Dutch Oven, it’s NEVER going to go “belly up” electric wise……..Or during a power outage, if you have a gas stovetop……..

Christopher

My current roaster happens to be stainless steel, but I’d suggest you call them and ask why!