Product Description

The cast iron oval French Oven has been long celebrated by French chefs for its incomparable heat retention which makes it easier to prepare and simmer tender meat dishes and savory soups at very low temperatures for extended periods of time. Limited lifetime warranty.

Product Details

• Brand: Le Creuset
• Model: L2552-3070-PARENT

Features

• Enameled cast iron
• Dishwasher, oven and freezer safe
• Resists chipping. cracking, scratching and rusting
• Tght fitting lid helps to seal in moisture and heat for a rich, flavorful finish.

Customer Reviews

Versatile size/shape -- perfect for double recipes, large roasts
I agree with the other reviews on the quality, beauty etc. I will concentrate my review on the size of this pot as I had a lot of trouble deciding on size when I was making my purchase.

Le Creusets are good at many things but IMHO the biggest reason for getting one is for its ability to cook gently and slowly over a longer period of time. This lets the flavors of your dish mix together beautifully and I have found more dimensions of taste when I cook this way. It's also very good for searing meats and then slowly cooking it until it literally falls off the bone. So the reason I got a Le Creuset oven is to make stews, pasta sauces, soups, and roasts.

The 6.75 quart, oval oven fulfilled my needs perfectly and I have found this size and shape to be quite versatile. I cook for just my husband and myself, but like many people today we both work so I like to make larger portions and freeze half. This pot will fit a double or even a triple recipe for spaghetti sauces and the like. The oval shape allows a rectangular roast or whole chicken or two smaller hens to fit inside. If you're having friends over for dinner and want to make a bigger roast for 4-8 people, chili for a crowd, etc., this is the perfect size to have.

Some people had told me to get a round one if I do mostly stove top cooking, in order to have more even heat distribution from the round burner. I have found that the heat distributes very evenly on the oval shape, so I prefer the oval because it is a better shape for roasts.

Assuming you already have other pots and pans, and are looking to finally add a Le Creuset to your kitchen, IMO this is a very good size/shape to have.

Utilitarian AND Gorgeous! What more could you want?
I love this pot! Like all Le Creuset products, this comes in gorgeous porcelain enamel colors (my favorite is their classic "volcanic flame"). It is also quite heavy, being a 6 1/2 Quart cast iron pot. This is actually an advantage when cooking--using only a low flame, it maintains perfect cooking temperatures, and the heavy lid ensures that you will not lose precious moisture during long simmering. It is very difficult to burn anything in this cookware when you follow the simple direction to avoid anything over a medium heat setting. If, however, you happen to burn something in the pan, cleanup is a breeze: simply fill the pan with hot, soapy water and soak for a little while. Everything then comes quickly off with minimal fuss, thanks to the very hard and smooth enamel finish.

This oval "French Oven" is the perfect size and shape for a nice beef roast, pork tenderloin, or a delectable Boeuf Bourguignon. Be sure to check out the Le Creuset website at lecreuset.com (US, UK, and France) for a large selection of delicious recipes for your cookware. The price may seem a little steep, but bear in mind the company's unparalleled 101 year warranty--this is cookware you will never have to replace!

Perfect for slow roasting roasts until the meat falls off the bone
Le Creuset manufactures porcelain enameled cast iron cooking vessels as well as other quality products. These cooking vessels are cast from molten iron poured in sand moulds which are used only once. For this reason, one pan may look like another, but each is unique in its own way.

Cast iron is a highly efficient material which absorbs and distributes heat. Due to this efficiency, it is recommended that cooking with cast iron is done on low to medium heat. Over heating may cause foods to stick to the pan, or worse burn and can cause the enamel to appear stained. Remove cast iron from the heat and it does not cool off quickly. This helps your food stay warm while serving. The opposite holds true as well, chill the pan and it will retain its chill for a surprisingly long time. Beware; iron tends to be heavy so these cooking vessels tend to be heavier than other pans made from alternate materials.

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 its cooking surface. 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 contact to heat resistant plastic or wood utensils to eliminate the scratching and scoring the porcelain.

The benefits of cooking with Le Creuset cast iron are many, but lets get down to the French oven, Cocotte or as it's also referred to, the Dutch oven specifically. French ovens have been manufactured by Le Creuset for over 75 years, and were developed well before then. In all this time the design has stayed constant, affirming the relevance of its cooking qualities. These ovens come in either oval or round shapes. The oval shape works well for roasting whole chickens and porkloin roasts, otherwise the differences are minimal.

This pan holds 6 3/4 quarts of food, measures 9 1/2 x 12 inches or 24 x 30 cm internal diameter, 4 3/4 inch or 11 1/2 cm deep, and weighs 13 pounds. The domed lid provides a tight seal, trapping in moisture to roll back into the dish. The lid may alternatively be used as a holding plate for chopped vegetables or meat during initial preparations. Be sure to lift the pan off of cooking surfaces to reduce damaging either the pan or the surface. French oven tends to do best if at least 3/4 full. Any less and you may overwhelm your food with heat evenly dispersed in the pot.

French ovens were developed for slow cooking by stewing, braising or boiling. Some typical dishes include roasts, and stews. Other possibilities include gumbos, chili, dirty rice, baked beans, Swedish meatballs, osso bucco, or curing ice cream to name a few.

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 the old cast iron pans 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:
Efficient absorption and distribution of heat
Hygienic enamel cooking surface
Does not stain, absorb odors, or retain flavors
Cleans easily when not abused or misused
Can be transferred from stove top to the oven to the table
Easily lasts a lifetime

CONS:
Its heavy, as cast iron tends to be weighing in at about 13 pounds