# Oh no! My workhorse Le Crueset pot failed.



## boomchakabowwow (Dec 10, 2017)

Ive admittedly brutalized it. Ive taken it to max temp cooking bread in it. Its had a hard life. 

TOnight I made Sunday gravy. I gave meals to my elderly neighbors. Washing the pot, I noticed two chips on the bottom. Half moon shaped. Pieces gone and missing. I hurriedly showed the pot to both my neighbors and warned them of then slight possibility of it being in their meal. Thats my main concern. That Sucks! Im more bummed about the missing pieces than the pot itself. The chips are deep. Right down to the cast iron. I must have knocked them loose with my tongs. 

Any good substitutes? Mine lasted 20 years. . I need another enameled cast iron Dutch oven for sure.


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## HRC_64 (Dec 10, 2017)

Just to be clear, you are talking about the ceramic coating?

Unfortunately, you need to catch them on sale to get a decent price, but 
if you amortize the price over 20 years 
maybe you don't worry about it so much.

So, I'd just get another one,
if you think its trashed.


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## laxdad (Dec 11, 2017)

Both Staub and Le Crueset are very good. If you are looking for a 4qt., Sur la Table, Williams Sonoma, and Cutlery & More have the Staub on sale for $99 (black or red only). We just picked one up for gifting. Stores don't seem to discount Le Crueset as much.


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## USC 2012 (Dec 11, 2017)

Contact Le Creuset to see if they will replace the piece. I dropped a Dutch oven a few years ago and conacted them to see if they would offer a discount on a new piece. They just replaced the Dutch oven. The only problem( if you can call it that) is that they may no longer offer the color you had.


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## gic (Dec 11, 2017)

I'm pretty sure they have a lifetime warranty so yes contact them!


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## Nemo (Dec 11, 2017)

gic said:


> I'm pretty sure they have a lifetime warranty so yes contact them!


They certainly did (maybe still do) advertise a lifetime warranty in Aus.

I had a very similar issue almost a decade ago. The warranty was not honoured. Suffice it to say, I didn't fork out for another one. I can't say whether this is a one-off, an Aussie distributor issue or a worldwide issue. Maybe they just had a different understanding of "lifetime warranty" to my understanding of it.

A much cheaper repalcement has had fairly similar performance and longevity to the Le Crueset in my opinion.

I hope you get a better run from the US distributor.


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## HRC_64 (Dec 11, 2017)

> WHAT DOES THIS WARRANTY COVER?
> Le Creuset offers a limited lifetime warranty on its nonstick metal bakeware products. The warranty applies from the date of purchase of the original owner, whether a self-purchase or received as a gift. The warranty covers faulty workmanship and/or materials when the product is used in normal domestic conditions and <in accordance with the care and use instructions provided> [see below].
> 
> WHAT DOES THIS WARRANTY NOT COVER?
> ...



If you're using metal utensils and chip the inside it seems a bordeline case. Two exclusions are: normal use/ and abuse if done carelessly. 
I would still ask and they may help you out--just tread softly--and get them to help you out of respect for their brand. 



> TOOLS TO USE
> For stirring comfort and surface protection, Le Creuset silicone tools are recommended. Wooden or heat-resistant plastic tools may also be used. Metal tools, spoons or balloon whisks may be used, but require special care  they should not be scraped over the enamel surface. Do not knock these on the rim of the pan.
> 
> Hand-held electric or battery-operated beaters should not be used. Their blades will damage the enamel. Knives or utensils with sharp edges should not be used to cut foods inside a pan.


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## TheCaptain (Dec 11, 2017)

You may also want to check and see if there is a Le Creuset outlet anywhere near you. With the exception of a few pieces that's where I obtained most of mine. 

Huh, I've been using some of mine going on close to 30 years. Thought the stuff was indestructible!


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## Noodle Soup (Dec 11, 2017)

Mine chipped on the bottom a number of years ago. Not sure why and I did use non metal utensils. I asked Le Creuset about their warranty and was given a long run around proving it wasn't my fault. I eventually gave up but I would not buy from them again. If it was my fault it means the coating is too fragile for normal use in my kitchen. I don't worry about that with my Lodge cast iron.


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## boomchakabowwow (Dec 11, 2017)

i'm gonna see if my buddy that owns a huge English Mastiff if he needs a "dog bowl" his beast wont be able to walk around the room while eating 

i bought the thing at a factory outlet so all bets are off with respect to warranty.

i just hope none of my neighbors swallow the chip..i felt pretty retarded warning them. the old lady next door smirked and said that's why she uses her ancient Griswold dutch for the same duty..i had no response for the win..


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## Noodle Soup (Dec 11, 2017)

Funny you mentioned the heavy dog bowl thing.  That is how mine ended up too.


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## chinacats (Dec 11, 2017)

LeCreuset outlet or try the Zwilling outlet online for clearance deals on Staub.


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## HRC_64 (Dec 11, 2017)

Remember that the ceramic coating is there so you can slow-cook acidic food...
if you go with something ancient (and uncoated), you're losing alot of utility of le-creuset.

just my $0.02


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## DamageInc (Dec 11, 2017)

Chances of finding Staub on sale after Christmas are pretty high.


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## boomchakabowwow (Dec 11, 2017)

the black interior of the Staub looks like a win to me. my LC is looking baaaaddd. it's almost black


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## aboynamedsuita (Dec 11, 2017)

Depending on the size you want, check staub at cutlery and more. The 4qt (about 24cm diameter I believe) is only $99 and it may get another 20% off. 

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/staub/round-dutch-oven-p116268


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## WildBoar (Dec 12, 2017)

Buy another one on sale. You paid only a little over $10/ yr for yours. They last a very long time, and provide great utility.

It's always a good idea to avoid using metal utensils with them. With that being said, we use metal tongs and metal spoons all the time with ours.


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## Dave Martell (Dec 12, 2017)

boomchakabowwow said:


> the black interior of the Staub looks like a win to me. my LC is looking baaaaddd. it's almost black




This stuff is _*incredible*_ at cleaning these pans. **Warning - wear gloves or it'll suck your hands inside out.


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## Dave Martell (Dec 12, 2017)

All of our LeCreuset is 2nds from their outlet store back when the store was nothing but 2nds. It was so cool to be able to climb through the piles and look for the best stuff...so cheap too. We got this stuff so long ago that (I believe) the color is discontinued. Not a single problem from the cast iron but we did have the enamel come loose from a LC steel stock pot we got at the same place. Never bothered to try for a replacement because of it being a 2nd.

I always liked LC but I'd try Staub now if I was to buy more enameled cast iron. I really like the Grenadine (?) color.


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## chinacats (Dec 12, 2017)

I've got one Staub and a handful of LC. I like both but in the future will likely only buy Staub in the future. Black interior rocks and I kind of dig the dotted lids.

Guess I should splurge on the LC cleaner.

As an asidei like Lodge for the "bowl effect" and wish either Staub or LC would adopt it.


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## Lars (Dec 13, 2017)

Black interior on my Staub is kind of annoying as it's hard to tell if you are browning or burning the food.

Lars


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## DamageInc (Dec 13, 2017)

Lars said:


> Black interior on my Staub is kind of annoying as it's hard to tell if you are browning or burning the food.
> 
> Lars



I go by smell.


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## Lars (Dec 13, 2017)

DamageInc said:


> I go by smell.



As I'm not blind(yet!), I like to use all my senses.

Lars


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## Seth (Dec 13, 2017)

I agree, I would like something other than black interior to see better. This is a shame because it is really the only criticism I have of Staub. I have about six of each maker and I most often go for one of the Staubs.


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## DamageInc (Dec 13, 2017)

Yes, the black interior of Staub isn't the best, but I still very much prefer it over Le Creuset due to the thicker cast iron, better lid, and better colors.


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## 9mmbhp (Dec 13, 2017)

Lars said:


> Black interior on my Staub is kind of annoying as it's hard to tell if you are browning or burning the food.



Never understood this criticism of Staub and find it somewhat specious.

Plain cast iron, many carbon steel and non-stick pots/pans have dark interiors/surfaces. 

Any cooking vessel has a learning curve and proper usage requires more than just sight.


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## HRC_64 (Dec 13, 2017)

9mmbhp said:


> Never understood this criticism of Staub and find it somewhat specious.
> 
> Plain cast iron, many carbon steel and non-stick pots/pans have dark interiors/surfaces.
> 
> Any cooking vessel has a learning curve and proper usage requires more than just sight.



UM....This is exactly the reason why you should have bright pans 
like copper and stainless around in addition to steel.

Not just for acidic foods, but for much better contrast
when needed to keep an eye on malliard, and also 
the better performance of copper/ aluminium conductors.

cast/steel is great and all -- I use it alot but
one is better off understanding the limits.


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## apicius9 (Dec 14, 2017)

Not everyones thing, but I picked up some reasonably priced used cast iron pieces at https://www.shopgoodwill.com/ or local thrift stores - just check the shipping prices, they sometimes are way off. Nothing fancy, but good enough for the occasional stew or baking bread. FWIW, I love Staub and find Le Creuset really stretching it on the prices. I was in the Alsace last summer, and - fortunately - the Staub factory outlet was closed over a long weekend or I would have had to pay for extra luggage back to the U.S....

Stefan


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## gic (Dec 14, 2017)

When Costco has the Kirkland version of STaub/Le Creuset the quality is hard to beat for the money, trouble is it only comes in occasionally 

https://www.costco.com/wcsstore/CostcoUSBCCatalogAssetStore/Attachment/cookwareinsert2013_print.pdf


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## zetieum (Dec 14, 2017)

I contacted once le creuset for a the life time waranty on their product (in Europe). On the phone, I just told them I had a problem with my 2-years-old pot. They told me to send it back wihout asking what was the problem along with purchase documents. I got a new one in my mail 2 weeks after.


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## Lars (Dec 14, 2017)

DamageInc said:


> better lid



+1 for a great lid on Staub.

Lars


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## gringoze (Dec 15, 2017)

Glad I read that. Exactly what I need. $99 is just excellent for that.


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## boomchakabowwow (Dec 16, 2017)

We are going to see what shakes out after the holidays. Staub is getting the nod for now.


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## TheVincenzo (Dec 16, 2017)

I'm a big fan a Staub now. I first learned of them from here on another thread. I have a couple of their dutch ovens in different sizes and one of their "universal pans". I use the pan all the time, definitely one of my favorites. They are on sale right now too.

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/staub/universal-pan-domed-glass-lid-p133930


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## aboynamedsuita (Dec 16, 2017)

Staub has some awesome knobs, I got the Jacques Pepin chicken
https://instagram.com/p/BQuc-8jAqni/


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## boomchakabowwow (Dec 17, 2017)

Staub. 

Cocotte vs Dutch oven? Whats the diff


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## charlesquik (Dec 17, 2017)

Wow what a nice deal on this one

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/staub/round-dutch-oven-p14828


The matte black is gorgeous

Too bad the shipping is 46$ usd to Canada


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## boomchakabowwow (Dec 17, 2017)

charlesquik said:


> Wow what a nice deal on this one
> 
> http://www.cutleryandmore.com/staub/round-dutch-oven-p14828
> 
> ...



Yea, I want a 5.5 qt which is way more


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## mille162 (Dec 17, 2017)

IIRC, Cooks Illustrated rated the Staub the best as their lids were dimpled and helped the liquid drip evenly/in the middle basting the meat vs the smooth lids which return it to the sides. I remember that being the only real difference between the enameled brands.

Discount stores like Homegoods, TJ Maxx and Marshalls alwaya have Le Creusette and Cuisinart brand enameld pots as well as a few off brand models. Prices seem to be around $50-$125 depending on the size/style as long as you dont care about specific colors.


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## TheVincenzo (Dec 17, 2017)

boomchakabowwow said:


> Staub.
> 
> Cocotte vs Dutch oven? Whats the diff



Without knowing for sure, I think Cocotte is just the French name for the style.


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## chinacats (Dec 17, 2017)

I believe the translation is to casserole and I always thought they were shorter vs the Dutch or more accurately French oven. That's just what I thought, I'd also like to know the difference according to Staub


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## aboynamedsuita (Dec 17, 2017)

I think that they're the same (cocotte vs Dutch oven vs French oven) and the semantics of Dutch vs French comes into whether it is seasoned or enamelled apparently LC started using French oven with their enamelled CI but Lodge for example calls them Dutch oven.

Check out the latter definition for cocotte lol:


> co·cotte
> /kô&#712;kôt,k&#601;&#712;kät/
> noun
> noun: cocotte; plural noun: cocottes; noun: en cocotte; plural noun: en cocottes
> ...


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## 9mmbhp (Dec 17, 2017)

boomchakabowwow said:


> Cocotte vs Dutch oven? Whats the diff



Both are heavy, lidded, low&wide cooking vessels designed for heat retention and even dispersion. Typically used for unattended, low&slow, one pot meals like braises and casseroles.

The original 'dutch' oven was plain cast iron, designed to be suspended over a fire or nestled into a bed of coals so it had a hoop handle and short legs. The lids were tight fitting with flanges so they they didn't slip off and had flat tops so that hot coals could be piled on. 'Dutch' probably references the Pennsylvania dutch who used them for campfire cooking during the western US expansion of the 1800s.

Le Creuset introduced enameled cast iron pots in the 1920s. They had small side handles and no legs, designed for use on cooktops or in wood-fired ovens. The enamel provided rust proofing, non-reactivity and eliminated the need for seasoning. These were marketed as cocottes and were called 'french' ovens in the US to distinguish them from 'dutch' ovens. 

'Cocotte' is from the old french word for chicken, it is the feminine diminutive declension so literally means 'little hen' or colloquially 'a young girl.' A french girl's traditional wedding dowry might include cookware to indicate she had kitchen training. There's a bit of a hidden pun too; 'cocotte' is slang for a promiscuous girl, as in 'a hot chick' or 'a cooker.'


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## Dave Martell (Dec 17, 2017)

http://www.cutleryandmore.com/staub/pig-knob-p134640


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## 9mmbhp (Dec 17, 2017)

aboynamedsuita said:


> a fashionable prostitute.



Not necessarily a working girl (i.e., paid) just one with loose morals :O

"_(The French have) more words for "working girl" than any other language I know....There's cocotte, horizontale, grisette, demi-mondaine, courtisaine, demi-castor, dégraffée, irregulière, femme galante...At some stage, disconcertingly, the definitions blur, and common prostitutes at the bottom of the ladder become revered courtisans at the top._"
--from True Pleasures: A Memoir of Women in Paris


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## Nemo (Dec 17, 2017)

9mmbhp said:


> Both are heavy, lidded, low&wide cooking vessels designed for heat retention and even dispersion. Typically used for unattended, low&slow, one pot meals like braises and casseroles.
> 
> The original 'dutch' oven was plain cast iron, designed to be suspended over a fire or nestled into a bed of coals so it had a hoop handle and short legs. The lids were tight fitting with flanges so they they didn't slip off and had flat tops so that hot coals could be piled on. 'Dutch' probably references the Pennsylvania dutch who used them for campfire cooking during the western US expansion of the 1800s.
> 
> ...


Wow, interesting. Thanks for the info.


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## OliverNuther (Dec 18, 2017)

Nemo said:


> Wow, interesting. Thanks for the info.



+ 1. It always amazes me how, no matter how obscure the topic, someone out there will have a detailed and expert knowledge of the subject. Well done 9mmbhp, I won't ask how you acquired your knowledge of round heeled French women&#128521;


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## boomchakabowwow (Dec 18, 2017)

9mmbhp said:


> Both are heavy, lidded, low&wide cooking vessels designed for heat retention and even dispersion. Typically used for unattended, low&slow, one pot meals like braises and casseroles.
> 
> The original 'dutch' oven was plain cast iron, designed to be suspended over a fire or nestled into a bed of coals so it had a hoop handle and short legs. The lids were tight fitting with flanges so they they didn't slip off and had flat tops so that hot coals could be piled on. 'Dutch' probably references the Pennsylvania dutch who used them for campfire cooking during the western US expansion of the 1800s.
> 
> ...



so a Staub 5.5 qt Cocotte is exactly the same thing as a Staub 5.5 qt round dutch oven?

maybe i'll go to a store and lay them out side by side.

thanks for the definition and history of the term tho..maybe i can impress the salesperson


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## 9mmbhp (Dec 18, 2017)

I've collected many Staub pieces over the years and done a lot of reading about the brand and enameled cast iron along the way. 

There are long CI/ECI threads on ChowHound, eGullet and ChefTalk with a lot of info. 

Staub was acquired by Henckels/Zwilling in 2008 and Amazon had great deals on Staub around this time. I never understood why the prices were so low since they weren't sold as closeouts or seconds and had full warrantees. I checked my Amazon order history and see that an 8qt round was $135 shipped and a 2qt round was $39. 

The Zwilling website's seconds and clearance deals can be very good too.



boomchakabowwow said:


> so a Staub 5.5 qt Cocotte is exactly the same thing as a Staub 5.5 qt round dutch oven?



As far as I know, yes. 

More confusing terminology trivia: Staub's lid design is known as a 'doufeu' so the pots are also often referred to by that term or as LC calls them 'La Cocotte doufeu.' A doufeu lid has a concave depression intended to hold chunks of ice promoting internal condensation. The LC doufeu is actually concave and has side handles while Staub lids have a lip and a centered knob handle.


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## Lazarus (Dec 19, 2017)

The enameled lodges are pretty cheap, but don't go any bigger than 10.5 qt if I remember correctly.


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## Qualitycookie (Dec 21, 2017)

If its not chipping anymore then it just has a partial cast iron bottom and I would think that you could just continue using it.


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## Noodle Soup (Dec 21, 2017)

Dog food bowl! My Chesapeake loves hers.


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## E56789 (Dec 22, 2017)

For once it pays to be Canadian. Hudsons Bay has one day sales every December and if you pay attention there are some deals to be had. 
Case in point, last Sunday LC 4.1 litre Oval was on for $179 Canadian ($140 US) with free shipping. Ordered mine at 12:01am in Oyster. Made Coq au Vin in it on Tuesday.


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## boomchakabowwow (Dec 26, 2017)

E56789 said:


> For once it pays to be Canadian. Hudsons Bay has one day sales every December and if you pay attention there are some deals to be had.
> Case in point, last Sunday LC 4.1 litre Oval was on for $179 Canadian ($140 US) with free shipping. Ordered mine at 12:01am in Oyster. Made Coq au Vin in it on Tuesday.



awesome deal!! doesnt make up for releasing Justin Beiber on the world.  happyholidays!


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## DitmasPork (Dec 30, 2017)

I'm assuming you could get a replacement through Le Creuset's limited lifetime warrantee?


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## Bensbites (Dec 30, 2017)

Is there no love for the lodge enameled DO? I have been told they are easier to get warranty replacement with lodge.


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## chinacats (Dec 30, 2017)

Bensbites said:


> Is there no love for the lodge enameled DO? I have been told they are easier to get warranty replacement with lodge.



The bowl shape is better than most imo. I don't think the enamel holds as well as Staub or LC.


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## boomchakabowwow (Jan 15, 2018)

I got a Staub coming in the mail. Black on black! Hehe. Opted for the coc au vin oblong shape.


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## WildBoar (Jan 15, 2018)

boomchakabowwow said:


> I got a Staub coming in the mail. Black on black! Hehe. Opted for the coc au vin oblong shape.


Great!

Now you just need to decide what you are going to get for the Dutch oven replacement... irate1:


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## boomchakabowwow (Jan 15, 2018)

WildBoar said:


> Great!
> 
> Now you just need to decide what you are going to get for the Dutch oven replacement... irate1:




Ha ha. It will have to do. Hope the chicken knob doesnt get offended perched over some braising beef


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## boomchakabowwow (Jan 28, 2018)

Interesting. The interior AND exterior are both less smooth than I imagined. Hmmm. 

I have not cooked anything with it yet. We shall see about this Staub.


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