The Le Creuset
Is Le Creuset Worth It? Le Creuset vs a $73 Dutch Oven
A Le Creuset costs about six times what a good budget pot does, and on the stove they cook almost alike. The difference is weight, enamel that survives abuse, and how many years you plan to use it.
Side by side.
Tap either one to check today’s price.
The Cuisinart
Line by line.
Le Creuset has the edge on 2 of 10 lines, Cuisinart on 1, 3 even.
| Feature | Le Creuset | Cuisinart |
|---|---|---|
| Price on Amazon | About $455 (5.5 qt) | About $73 (5 qt) (the edge) |
| Capacity | 5.5 qt | 5 qt |
| Weight with lid | 11 lb 3.5 oz (America's Test Kitchen) (the edge) | 12 lb 6 oz (America's Test Kitchen) |
| America's Test Kitchen, 5 to 6 qt | Winner | Best Buy |
| Enamel under abuse testing | Resisted damage (America's Test Kitchen) (the edge) | Rim and lid chipped cosmetically when the lid was slammed repeatedly (America's Test Kitchen) |
| InteriorEven | Light sand enamel | Light enamel |
| Made in | France | Not stated on the listing |
| Oven | Safe to 500°F | Oven and broiler safe; no temperature on the listing |
| CooktopsEven | All, including induction | All, including induction |
| DishwasherEven | Safe per the listing | Safe per the listing |
The verdict
Which to buy.
Yes, if the pot will be on the stove every week for decades: it is the lightest pot in its class and its enamel resisted damage in independent testing where a budget pot chipped. If you braise a few times a month, the Cuisinart cooks nearly the same for about a sixth of the price.
The Dutch oven for sourdough bread.The cookware you do not have to wonder about.The cast iron skillet for a glass top stove.
The question deserves a straight answer, so here it is. Le Creuset is worth it for a cook who will use a Dutch oven several times a week for decades, and who will notice lifting a pound less every time it comes out of the oven full. For everyone else, a well-made budget pot does the cooking just as well.
The fairest comparison is with the pot America's Test Kitchen named its Best Buy in the same size class: Cuisinart's Chef's Classic 5 quart, which Amazon sells for about $73. ATK found it performed nearly identically to the Le Creuset, its winner, but was heavier, and its rim and lid chipped cosmetically in abuse testing where the Le Creuset held up.
That is the whole trade. Enameled cast iron is cast iron under glass, and a braise tastes the same from either pot. What the extra money buys is a lighter casting, a more durable enamel and French manufacture. Below are the numbers side by side, then the case for each, then three alternatives in between.
How we chose
- Independent testing. America's Test Kitchen's ratings and weights in the 5 to 6 quart class, where both pots were tested together.
- Enamel durability. Chipped enamel is what retires most Dutch ovens, so abuse-test results weigh heavily.
- Weight. A full pot coming out of a 450 degree oven is where a pound matters.
- Price per year of use. A pot that lasts forty years costs less per year than one that lasts ten, even at several times the price.
AThe Le Creuset
Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Round Dutch Oven, 5.5 qt., Marseille
The lightest pot in its class, with enamel that held up in testing where a cheaper pot chipped.
- Made in
- France
- Keeps for
- Generations, if kept away from thermal shock
- Capacity
- 5.5 qt
- Weight
- 11 lb 3.5 oz with lid (America's Test Kitchen)
- Interior
- Sand-colored enamel
- Oven
- Safe to 500°F
- Cooktops
- All, including induction
- Warranty
- Limited lifetime; thermal shock and misuse excluded
Le Creuset has cast in Fresnoy-le-Grand, in northern France, since 1925. The 5.5 quart round has a pale sand interior that shows browning clearly, loop handles that take a mitt, and low, straight sides. America's Test Kitchen weighed it at 11 pounds 3.5 ounces with the lid, named it the winner at 5 to 6 quarts, and found Le Creuset's pots exceptionally resistant to damage.
The case for paying more is time and weight. A pound and a bit less than the Cuisinart does not sound like much until the pot holds a braise for six. And Le Creuset pots hold their value secondhand in a way almost nothing else in a kitchen does, which tells you how long they last.
Skip it if you are not yet sure you will use a Dutch oven weekly. The pale interior also stains over years and needs occasional cleaning to look new.
The catch. About six times the price of a pot that cooks nearly the same.
Where to buy
AmazonCheck price →BThe Cuisinart
Cuisinart Chef's Classic Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven with Lid, 5-Quart, Round, Cardinal Red
America's Test Kitchen's Best Buy: nearly the same cooking for about a sixth of the price.
- Keeps for
- Years to decades; the enamel is the weak point
- Capacity
- 5 qt
- Weight
- 12 lb 6 oz with lid (America's Test Kitchen)
- Interior
- Light porcelain enamel
- Heat
- Stovetop, oven and broiler; induction compatible
- Care
- Dishwasher safe per the listing
Cuisinart's Chef's Classic is enameled cast iron with a light interior, wide cast handles, and a knob that goes in the oven. The listing rates it for the stovetop, oven and broiler, and it works on induction. America's Test Kitchen tested the 5 quart against the Le Creuset and named it the Best Buy in the class, finding its cooking nearly identical.
The differences are the ones the price predicts. It weighs 12 pounds 6 ounces with the lid in ATK's weighing, more than a pound heavier, and in abuse testing its rim and lid chipped cosmetically when the lid was slammed down repeatedly. The Le Creuset did not.
Skip it if you want one pot for life and will use it hard. Buy it for a first Dutch oven, a bread pot you do not mind scuffing, or a kitchen that braises a few times a month.
The catch. Enamel that chips more readily under abuse, and a heavier pot for its size.
Where to buy
AmazonCheck price →Also 01The budget pot with the better warranty
Lodge Essential Enamel Cast Iron Dutch Oven, 6 Quart
Recommended by America's Test Kitchen, and backed by a warranty that covers chips from cooking.
- Made in
- Imported (China or Vietnam)
- Keeps for
- Years to decades; enamel is the weak point
- Capacity
- 6 qt
- Weight
- 12 lb 14.5 oz with lid (America's Test Kitchen)
- Oven
- Safe to 500°F
- Care
- Dishwasher safe; hand washing recommended
Lodge's Essential Enamel 6 quart costs about what the Cuisinart does and was recommended, rather than named Best Buy, by America's Test Kitchen, which liked its low sides. It weighs 12 pounds 14.5 ounces with the lid by ATK's scale and is oven safe to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
Its advantage is the warranty. Lodge says its Made Right limited lifetime warranty will replace enameled cast iron that chips, cracks or is otherwise damaged during cooking; heating it empty on the stovetop voids that cover. For a budget pot, whose weakness is the enamel, that matters. Our Le Creuset vs Lodge comparison covers it in detail.
The catch. The heaviest of the budget options, and the sloped sides shrink the cooking surface.
Where to buy
AmazonCheck price →Also 02If you are paying for French enamel anyway
STAUB Cast Iron Dutch Oven 5.5-qt Round Cocotte, Made in France, Turquoise
The other French pot: heavier and darker, often a little less than Le Creuset on Amazon.
- Made in
- France
- Keeps for
- Generations; the black interior hides wear
- Capacity
- 5.5 qt
- Weight
- 12 lb 8.4 oz with lid (America's Test Kitchen)
- Interior
- Black matte enamel
- Oven
- Pot to 900°F without lid; lid to 500°F
Staub's 5.5 quart is made in France with a black matte enamel interior and a heavy lid with self-basting spikes. America's Test Kitchen weighed it at 12 pounds 8.4 ounces, recommended it, and found it very durable. The dark interior is harder to judge browning in, and the lid is harder to clean.
The pot is oven safe to 900 degrees Fahrenheit without its lid, and the lid to 500. Our Le Creuset vs Staub comparison goes further.
The catch. Heavier than the Le Creuset, and dark enamel hides the fond.
Where to buy
AmazonCheck price →Also 03French-made, for less
Made In Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven 5.5 Quart
French manufacture for about $155 less than Le Creuset, from a direct-to-consumer brand.
- Made in
- France
- Keeps for
- Decades, with the same care as the French classics
- Capacity
- 5.5 qt
- Weight
- 12 lb 15 oz with lid (America's Test Kitchen)
- Oven
- Safe to 580°F
- Care
- Hand wash only
Made In's 5.5 quart is made in France with a light interior and a dimpled lid that returns condensation to the food. America's Test Kitchen recommended it and weighed it at 12 pounds 15 ounces, the heaviest French pot here. It is rated to 580 degrees Fahrenheit, and Made In says to wash it by hand.
It suits a buyer who wants French enamel and a light interior but not Le Creuset's price, and who does not mind a newer name without decades of secondhand value behind it.
The catch. Heavy for its size, and not dishwasher safe.
Where to buy
AmazonCheck price →More head to heads.
Where the money goes
Not into flavor. The money buys a thinner, lighter casting, enamel that stands up to knocks, French manufacture, a wide range of colors and a pot that resells. If the pot will be used once a month, a $73 pot is the rational choice. If it will sit on the stove three nights a week for thirty years, the Le Creuset works out to about $15 a year.
What ends any Dutch oven
Thermal shock and impact, far more than age. Heat the pot gradually on medium, never empty on high, let it cool before it meets water, and use wood or silicone near the rim. Le Creuset's warranty excludes thermal shock damage, so these habits protect the expensive pot as much as the cheap one.
A chip on the outside is cosmetic. A chip on the cooking surface exposes the iron, and that pot should be retired from cooking or taken up with the maker's warranty.
Buying Le Creuset for less
Price varies widely by color on Amazon, sometimes by close to $100 for the same pot, so check several colors before paying full price. Secondhand Le Creuset is common; check the interior rim and base for chips and crazing under a strong light, and know that warranties generally cover original buyers only.
Frequently asked questions
Is Le Creuset worth the money?
For heavy, long-term use, yes: America's Test Kitchen named it the winner, found it the lightest in its class and exceptionally resistant to damage. For occasional use, its Best Buy, the Cuisinart, cooks nearly the same for far less.
What is the best cheaper alternative to Le Creuset?
Cuisinart's Chef's Classic enameled Dutch oven, America's Test Kitchen's Best Buy, or Lodge's Essential Enamel, which it recommended and which carries a warranty that covers chips from cooking.
Why is Le Creuset so expensive?
French manufacture, a lighter casting and durable enamel, plus brand and color range. The cooking itself is much the same as any well-made enameled cast iron.
Does Le Creuset last forever?
The iron does. The enamel can be damaged by thermal shock or impact, which the warranty excludes. With gradual heating and gentle tools, many pots last for generations.
Is a Le Creuset Dutch oven safe to cook in?
Enameled cast iron has no nonstick coating; the interior is glass enamel fused to iron. Our guide to non-toxic cookware covers what can and cannot be said about enamel, lead and PFAS.
Sources
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