@naf
Thank you for your response sorry, I should have been more clear. The picture of the LC that you posted do you know what year it was manufactured?
Hi stockholm28,
The screw size for the Le Creuset and Staub knobs is the same, so knobs can be interchanged–or artists can make their own. I’ve substituted decorative “animal” knobs (from Staub) for both my Le Creuset and Staub pots: chickens, pigs, cows, fish, and rabbits. Sometimes, I re-attach a more conventional Staub metal knob–or even the Le Creuset phenolic one–for cooking.
Ray
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Nice to see you here Stockholm28. I just saw your post when Ray responded to it. Welcome !
It was created by Italian designer Enzo Mari in 1972.
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It looked 70’s ish it is gorgeous just gorgeous. Thanks for posting the photo.
Exactly. On stovetop, a plastic knob do not get as hot as a metal knob. Even from the oven, the plastic knobs may get pretty hot, but plastic knobs do not have heat capacity, so they don’t burn the users nearly as bad as a metal knob.
It’s not relevant. Don’t caramelize ingredients in ECI. Do it in a pan, deglaze, and add ingredients to your ECI pot.
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@JustCharlie,
Nice to see you here !
I really enjoy reading your posts as you give clarity to whats necessary and what is gimmicky.
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I always use a towel on the stovetop, even on the few that still have the plastic knobs. I never put any LC cocottes with a plastic knob in the oven.
I can’t look on the bottom the 5 Quart Indigo Blue Enamel Cast Iron Dutch Oven I got from World Market because it is full and in the fridge. But it I love it with it’s white interior. At $59. 99 it suits my budget perfectly. I like the color of the $400 5 quart Le Creuset Sea Salt better but with $340 in my pocket I am deliriously happy.
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I think you are asking me, but maybe not. If you are, hers would have been bought in the mid to late 1960s. 
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You’re too kind.
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Can not, even when I use at a lower temp for biryani (versus bread). My hands will confirm.
And reproductions:
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In a perfect world, Charlie is right.
Caramelizing in a pan build for searing, then deglaze and add to the ECI pot is the better way to do it, but I think my Staub’s and Le Creuset with the black interior does a pretty good job at it.
I do risk one day eating a tiny piece of deadly sharp ECI glass in my food - but I take the chance.
I have a totally unhelpful response but here I go. ha! I’ve used a Lodge ECI 5 quart dutch oven. It is less than $50. I used it several times a week for a couple of years but eventually the enamel started cracking and started chipping off. I don’t know if it was because I had started using it to bake loaves of bread at high temperatures with recipes from Flour Water Salt Yeast. I would give it as a gift to a young person just starting out as a housewarming gift.
I got into Le Creuset ECI after finding a baking dish at the local HomeGoods store. (discount store like Marshalls, TJ Maxx, etc) I really liked it and added a few smaller pieces. My MIL and sister gave me covered baking dishes as Christmas presents one year (8x8 square and 9x13 rectangle). My ex gave me a 7 quart covered Dutch Oven as a birthday gift several years ago. That sucker was over $300 and IMO worth every penny.
I do still make bread from Flour Water Salt Yeast but I bought a $50 Lodge cast iron Dutch oven for that purpose. (no enamel) I’m not going to risk my beloved Le Creuset DO for making bread.
I have no experience with Staub. . . which is why I forewarned you that this response was worthless. hahahaha
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Welcome and nice to see you @NJChicaa,
We are all here to have fun so all answers are useful. I found yours both entertaining and insightful. Thanks for posting !
I bake bread in my Le Creuset Dutch oven all the time. The recipe I use calls for baking at the oven’s highest temperature for the first twenty minutes. The enamel hasn’t cracked.
I bought one of the metal oven safe handles.
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I did read Flour Water Salt Yeast myself and was one of my first bread books. I learned about it through the James Beard Awards list.
I did bake the round loafs on a Staub 4 qt dutch oven with no damage - maybe no damage would occur to your LC?
I did baguettes for a while with the Emile Henry baguette crock
But lately I’ve been buying my baugettes from Costco and the quality of their bread is actually very nice so I didn’t bake bread for a few months.
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