Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review
(73 customer reviews) 181 of 184 people found the following review helpful
Price value good, but you can see why people LOVE Le Creuset.,
November 18, 2009 William C. Levitt (Fountain Hills, AZ) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Tramontina Gourmet Cast Iron Covered Casseroles (Kitchen)
The price can't be beat! $45 with free shipping is a great value regardless of what I write in this review. I was excited to open the box, and loved the color immediately! I continued to be impressed by the weight of the pot. But after completely un packing, I placed the lid on the pot, and looked at my wife and said, this is why a Le Creuset is $245, and this was only $45. The lid does not seal tightly, and you need to rotate the lid to find the position where it seals best, though it's still not 100%, closer to 90%.
Would I buy it again? Probably. Would I have bought it in a store, where the faults were clear before making the decision to purchase? Probably not. I just cannot justify the $200+ dollars for the "real deal".
I hope this helpful.
UPDATE: After using this dutch oven many times for a variety of dishes, I would increase my rating to 4 stars. The initial dissappointment of the ill fitting lid has faded, and what remains is a pot that does its job well...Read more
83 of 85 people found the following review helpful
After several years the cracks began to appear...LITERALLY!!! You get what you pay for with this imitator.,
April 7, 2010 TL (Huntington Beach, CA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Tramontina Gourmet Cast Iron Covered Casseroles (Kitchen)
I've used Le Creuset for years, but as my family grew, I wanted to get a larger Dutch Oven. I was hesitant in forking over the money for a 7 qt. Le Creuset, but when I saw the 6.5 qt. Tramontina for a fraction of the cost of the Le Creuset, I figured I couldn't lose especially since there was a Lifetime Warranty. I used this Dutch Oven for everything from braises, stews, to bolognese. My only qualm was that the interior would stain which I expected after reading the little manual...no big deal. I noticed that the enamel interior wasn't as thick as the Le Creuset, but I didn't care as long as I can cook with it. I liked the heft of the pot and its heat retention ability.
The fact that you can't use this pot at a setting higher than medium was ridiculous to me, but I complied so that my warranty would not be voided. I seared my meats in a stainless steel pan and then transferred the meat and deglazed the fond into the dutch oven. This was a bit of a pain, but it didn't...Read more
83 of 87 people found the following review helpful
heavy pot that's versatile,
October 8, 2009 penny pincher "two cents" (Georgia) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Tramontina Gourmet Cast Iron Covered Casseroles (Kitchen)
I bought this pot about a week ago and was amazed at just how sturdy (around 20 pounds in weight!) and versatile it is! I plan to use it to fry chicken on the stove and to bake bread in the oven. This pot was highly recommended by Cooks Illustrated so I feel confident that it's going to work like a charm! Couple things to note...the lid is only good to 400 degrees due to the knob, not 450 like the product description states. I purchased a Le Creuset knob to replace the Tramontina knob, but the screw for the Le Creuset knob is shorter and skinner than the one that comes with this pot so I'll have to get a new screw before I can make the swap. Oh, and you'll have to season this pan before you use it. That was no big deal really...just put a little shortning on the top of the pan where the lid rests and then stick it in the oven for an hour at 350 degrees and you're in business. All in all, I'd say this pan is terrific and I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for a versatile...Read more
