A voice of reason!
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Fine. But the truth is: this is purely a matter of spousal relations, not economy or culinary utility. Nothing wrong with admitting that.
One should try very hard to please the DW’s heart.
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Are there Le Creuset shops or outlets in Denmark? Because here in the US we have outlets and the prices are quite good when they run sales.
I’m a huge LC fan, and find it hard to recommend other brands of ECI, mostly because the quality of their enamel is excellent.
I’ve had the Le Creuset shallow casserole, which I call a braisier, for many years.
I use it all the time for cooking vegetables when I want more evaporation than the Dutch oven provides. One example is caramilizing onions.
I bought mine from a Le Creuset outlet store at a great price.
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I have the braiser, (I think it’s a bit shallower and a bit wider than the “shallow casserole”- and I think they called it a buffet pan) and it’s probably my second most used piece of ECI. I mostly do brisket in it. I got mine for a great price, a long time ago 
(I wasn’t picky about the color).
Staub makes something similar, but I like the dimensions of the Le Creuset better.
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Hi Soren,
I own the similar shaped ECI pan from Staub.
Le Creuset in my opinion copied the Staub Chistera braiser, but chose to stay with the white enamel interior, which in my experience gives a less stellar searing result than the black enamel interior used by Staub and also used by Le Creuset on their searing pots and frying pans and I think there’s a good reason behind Le Creuset using the black interior enamel in most of their frying pans - it provides for a better more even searing result.
I use my Staub Chistera 28 cm braiser for certain specific dishes where I want a good sear on the meat and at the same time not going for a dish with a huge volume.
The braiser is great for butter chicken, smaller Indian & Nepalese inspired rice dishes and for a smaller sized coq au vin inspired stew dish.
It’s also great for ratatouille inspired vegetable dishes.
I own so many different pans, so I rarely use my Staub Chistera braiser, but I would miss it, if I didn’t own it.
I own many ECI Le Creuset and Staub pots and I enjoy both brands and both brands are high quality and great design but my preference has always been leaning towards the Staubs I own. I wish Staub had the larger handles similar to what Le Creuset, but you can’t have it all, I guess.
I also try to minimise Chinese made cookware in my kitchen.
It’s for two reasons - political and quality wise
China can produce high quality stuff if given the directives and funds to do so - Appe & Volvo for instance.
But China also has a culture where copying other peoples design and ideas are almost admired and totally acceptable. I’m against that.
I also simply don’t want Chinese made ECI cookware in my kitchen, if I can avoid it. Especially when I can get superior quality ECI cookware from Staub and Le Creuset made in France.
Precisely.
I in fact owned the Le Creuset braiser but sold it due to having too low sided walls. The Staub braiser solved that issue and I personally also prefer the searing results I get from using the black interior enamel.
I like both yours and ShDK’s. I think it would depend on whether I was already well set with a larger, traditional Dutch oven, in which case I’d opt for the really shallow one ShDK posted because I see it as having more flexibility in frying situations. But if I did not already have a regular Dutch oven, this shallow round oven might be a good compromise to use in either frying or more traditional “oven” applications.
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Hey Claus.
I actuality bought the staub braiser myself af few years ago. But in 26 cm. It is a nice piece of cookware and I actually think staubs collors are better then LC. I also agree the black enamel is great for searing.
However. I cook on a induction cooktop. And the thing was wobbly, and I mean really really wobbly. So much the the pan would woble and knock on the class cooktop when styrring in it.
Took it back to the store, and checked a few others and they where all like that. So I got the money back.
My personal experience is that LC just have a better and more consistent finish. Non of my LC wobbles on the cooktop.
Hi Soren,
Amazing how differently people experience things.
I own 6 Staub ECI pieces and they have all been used on induction and all sit perfectly square on the induction cooktop. Same with my 4 Le Creuset ECI pieces.
Shocking to read about your experience with so many Staub pieces with uneven bottoms.
What shop sold these Staub pieces ?
Hi Claus.
Indeed. I guess we have a tendency to look for different qualities.
It ain’t fair to say I have experienced “many” wobbly Staub pieces. I have only tried the chistera pans. I tried 3 they had in the shop. And they where wobbly. But I didn’t try other pots or pans.
I bought it at the Zwilling store at Købmagergade in Copenhagen.
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