Thanks. He recommended the 3 most expensive brands (Le Cruset, Staub, and Made In), and for some reason his Best Economy Buy was the Lodge Essential, which failed his chip test (dropping a metal spatula in it.) Le Cruset had one of the worse heat retention levels because it's thin-walled (which makes it light.)
I want that titanium non stick but it is not inexpensive. So I will continue with my mom's stainless.
I can’t take much stock in his chipping tests mainly because most folks know that you shouldn’t use metal utensils in a “stick-free” pot or pan.
Maybe if I owned one of these throughout the years I might have gotten use out of it. But for the cost and the space they take up, relative to the infrequency of use, it just doesn't make sense. It seems their primary benefit is to slow-cook in a 300' oven like some accelerated Crock Pot.
I have owned LeCreuset and a few Staub for over 30 years. I use dutch ovens a lot for soups, stews, and other one-pot meals on the stovetop. They also work well as roasting vessels for the oven. I don't have a chip in a single piece, though the LC does eventually stain a bit after heavy use (the inside ceramic). I have never worried about using metal utensils in them and only recently learned it was "not recommended." I feel that the premium brands are worth the investment, but that's just me. LC also has a lifetime warranty on their products, so unless a person really abuses the cookware they will replace any item that fails. LC is extremely heavy so not ideal for people our age, particularly if lifting in/out of the oven filled with food. I don't find the LeCreuset to be "thin-walled" at all and they certainly are not "light" by any stretch.
Lodge also has a lifetime warranty, even on their economy line. The guy on the video said that they honor that warranty without issues, although he did not say how he knew that. His one ding with Le Cruset was its lack of heat retention because it's so light. There was one brand he tested that weighted nearly 20 pounds...EMPTY!!!! The Lodge 6 qt weighs 13.5#, and the Le Cruset 5.5qt weighs 12.5#. That's still much heavier than my stock pots. If I had a larger kitchen (or a basement or attached garage), I would already own one of these. But who knows if he tested specific models/versions etc.
I have no idea who that guy is, but I usually turn to a "test kitchen" for kitchen gadget reviews. I want to see items put through the paces.
That episode aired recently. They made oxtails with white beans, tomatoes and aleppo pepper in a dutch oven...then they did the dutch oven reviews. That's what restarted me on this journey.
I have actually never seen (or heard of) the "Made In" brand. I am a LC fan so when I'm looking for enameled cast iron I go straight to them. (Plus I live near an outlet store. ) I looked up the Made In brand and see that it was established in 2017, so not a lot of longevity info. Also looked at Amazon reviews and saw some pots with handles broken off and actual cracks in the cast iron, so I'm not inclined to buy that brand. I bought my first LC back in the early 90's; I was a huge "Food Network" fan and had to possess all the shiny objects that Ina Garten and Sara Moulton used on their shows, or things I coveted watching America's Test Kitchen. Of course I have used them over the years, along with my trusty All-Clad cookware, and never regretted the purchases. With some things, you really do get what you pay for. Kind of like the Breville ovens; you buy the best and never regret it.
Oh, you'll find a spot. A lot of people leave them out on the stovetop at all times as a "display". Or just slide it into the oven. That's where I keep my cast iron skillets; in my least-used oven. I figure if anyone were to accidentally turn that oven on it wouldn't hurt 'em.
My oven is in use as a drying rack. I lined the bottom with a couple of absorbent pads you put under the countertop dish racks, and stack the hand-washed stuff on the racks to drain. Some of it lives there. The only time I use that oven is to back cookies or Italian bread. I had to make a hanging rack for the cast iron, since the oven is otherwise occupied:
So I've decided that I would rather put money into a good pressure canner than a dutch oven. I want to check "Learning to Can" off of my bucket list, and the "Bone Broth" thread has me wanting to make broth and homemade soups. I don't have freezer room for soups, spaghetti sauce, etc. so canning seems to be the best solution. And as I said, I've wanted to learn for a while. American Canner is talked about as being the Holy Grail, but some folks reported "Inability to seal properly" problems. There's a bunch of American Canner sizes: At first glance, it seems that the 15.5 quart is probably the way to go, since I will not be doing a ton of pint jars and will not be using it to cook in. I'm looking for advice on the brand, the size and where I should keep my eyes open for sales. American Canner is advertised as Canner/Cooker, but people say the manufacturer recommends finding a stainless canner if you want to cook in one (A.C.s are aluminum.) There's a 23qt Presto new-in-box on Craigslist for $90 ($125 on Amazon.)
I bought a cast aluminum Presto canner 47 years ago when we got married and it is still in use every year. You have to maintain the gasket and replace it every 10 years or so, and I have replaced the pressure gauge twice in that time and one handle got broken when my wife dropped it after emptying it. We use it for both pressure canning and water bath for all that time. We do not cook directly in it though. It is used only for canning. If I had to do it again, I would probably buy the same thing. All American is a good brand however, and I might buy one if I could get it new for a low enough price. We have canned a lot though, and probably more than a single guy would ever do.