I ordered this in red and its a beautiful vibrant color. I bought it to replace my stainless steel chili pot. Heats evenly and cooks my chili and other soups perfectly. I also bought the matching Individual cast iron serving bowls, which are perfect for french onion soup or individual pot pies, etc. Very happy with my purchase. Also, the pot cleans up so easy. No baked on food stuck to the bottom requiring a Brillo pad and elbow grease. Very easy to clean.

I got the Oyster color and didn’t know the Le Creuset wasn’t a permanent label but a sticker until the second time I washed it. I made a few things in this pot before finally going for lasagna noodles. I am used to cooking with fully nonstick cookware and was surprised to find a noodle completely hardened to the bottom of this pot by the end, along with random pasta bits from some of the others. Frustrated, knowing I couldn’t abrasively scrub it, I soaked the pot overnight and the pasta was completely off just from the water. What a relief! Still love the big size but wish the little bit of sticking didn’t scare me.

Can I give these bonus stars I bought 4 of these and expected great quality. My expectations were surpassed! They are way thicker than my grandmas enameled steel pots and the enamel finish hold up well, even when the clumsiest of my triplets kicks it against the sink when cleaning. Hes got Tourettes Syndrome and so be is super sensitive to any toxins and all my research indicates that enameled steel from a trusted brand like Le Creuset is the safest, and completely nontoxic. Every Sunday, each of the triplets take chicken and veggies from San Franciscos farmers market and make a pot of soup, with each seasoning their pot the way they like and with the veggies each one prefers. That has us eating super healthy until Wednesday, their early day from school, when we use ... MoreCan I give these bonus stars I bought 4 of these and expected great quality. My expectations were surpassed! They are way thicker than my grandmas enameled steel pots and the enamel finish hold up well, even when the clumsiest of my triplets kicks it against the sink when cleaning. Hes got Tourettes Syndrome and so be is super sensitive to any toxins and all my research indicates that enameled steel from a trusted brand like Le Creuset is the safest, and completely nontoxic. Every Sunday, each of the triplets take chicken and veggies from San Franciscos farmers market and make a pot of soup, with each seasoning their pot the way they like and with the veggies each one prefers. That has us eating super healthy until Wednesday, their early day from school, when we use these pots to make spaghetti with spinach and ground meat, refried beans without the lard or oil, and another meal or two. When shopping at a discount grocery that supplies restaurants, I noticed these huge aluminum pots many restaurants used and realized home cooking in safe Le Creuset enameled steel instead of unknown restaurants was the best I could do for my kids. Because these pots are steel, they are lighter than cast iron, but thick walled, so they keep food warm for a while, while not so long that they take too long to cool in order to put leftovers in the fridge. In a word PERFECT.

I love this pot! I got the 6qt. I can double many recipes or not worry about spillage. It could even fit a whole chicken. It’s a nice size, but not overly large to store. I like how it’s so easy to clean and I don’t really have to deal with staining like enameled cast iron. It’s so light weight also. If needing a pot for something like canning, I would look at the dimensions for 8qt or larger. This one is perfect for cooking stock pot recipes such as soups, stews, chili, etc.

"lifetime warranty" doesn't mean it's worth it

I would not recommend this product. I regularly cook and take advanced cooking classes to learn proper techniques, so I appreciate the quality of true french cookware and the difference it can make in your cooking. Everything I have ever tried to make in this stockpot, from soup to chili to pasta has immediately burned to the bottom of the pot.I contacted Le Creuset about making a warranty claim on the item, and was told to ship the item back to Le Creuset for inspection. At $83 to ship the item back to them, I could have purchased my own replacement. And as a bonus, if Le Creuset determines that the defect with your item does not fall under their warranty, they don't even give you your pot back! But they do offer you the chance to buy another one... after you ... MoreI would not recommend this product. I regularly cook and take advanced cooking classes to learn proper techniques, so I appreciate the quality of true french cookware and the difference it can make in your cooking. Everything I have ever tried to make in this stockpot, from soup to chili to pasta has immediately burned to the bottom of the pot.I contacted Le Creuset about making a warranty claim on the item, and was told to ship the item back to Le Creuset for inspection. At $83 to ship the item back to them, I could have purchased my own replacement. And as a bonus, if Le Creuset determines that the defect with your item does not fall under their warranty, they don't even give you your pot back! But they do offer you the chance to buy another one... after you have already paid $83 to mail yours to them. Thanks, Le Creuset, it's so nice to have a company that truly appreciates their customers (sarcasm intended).

Don't buy this

I used several of these to make large batches of jams jellies, salsa, and relishes. I tried really hard to keep stirring so the items I was cooking would not stick and burn on the bottom, but there were still times that things did stick and burn. Once something's burnt on the bottom of these pots, it WILL NOT come off. I've tried everything to clean them, researched different cleaning methods on-line, the only thing that will work is a pumice scrubbing stick, which damages the porcelain. So if you intend to use them for heavy duty, constant use, I would not buy these. I'm going to be buying some other kind in the future.

Great functionality, but perhaps quality is lacking?

My husband and I received this as a wedding gift a year and a half ago. We use it regularly, but reasonably and always follow the cleaning instructions. This week, we noticed several spots where the red enamel finish has flaked off on the outside, and it seems as though it did on the inside as well. We're really, really disappointed in the lack of quality. It seems we're not the only ones having this issue. I called LC to obtain a return number, and the representative couldn't seem to care less. I pointed out that there were reviews stating similar issues, and she did not even reply. We just received another stock pot, a larger one, and are now concerned that this one will fail as well. Given LC's reputation (and pricing) I would not place this stockpot above the ... MoreMy husband and I received this as a wedding gift a year and a half ago. We use it regularly, but reasonably and always follow the cleaning instructions. This week, we noticed several spots where the red enamel finish has flaked off on the outside, and it seems as though it did on the inside as well. We're really, really disappointed in the lack of quality. It seems we're not the only ones having this issue. I called LC to obtain a return number, and the representative couldn't seem to care less. I pointed out that there were reviews stating similar issues, and she did not even reply. We just received another stock pot, a larger one, and are now concerned that this one will fail as well. Given LC's reputation (and pricing) I would not place this stockpot above the clearance rack at your local department store. Hopefully this is a fluke and the replacement one will perform to expectations.

Lightweight, great for everyday

We primarily use our stockpots for making pasta, soup, boiling corn and crabs. I chose Le Creuset because we love the ease of the enameled finish, and the excellent heat retention, and we wanted a lightweight pot that was still manageable when full of water and food.This pot is miles better at heating and retaining heat than the cheap models I've bought in the past from department stores - but it's not perfect. The bottom still gets hot spots, hence I docked a star, but unless I am going for a much heavier, and difficult to handle, pot this is the best I've found.However, this is still an enameled product, and still requires care like all of them - don't use metal utensils, don't heat without liquid inside... LC is up front about the care of the pot, and the ... MoreWe primarily use our stockpots for making pasta, soup, boiling corn and crabs. I chose Le Creuset because we love the ease of the enameled finish, and the excellent heat retention, and we wanted a lightweight pot that was still manageable when full of water and food.This pot is miles better at heating and retaining heat than the cheap models I've bought in the past from department stores - but it's not perfect. The bottom still gets hot spots, hence I docked a star, but unless I am going for a much heavier, and difficult to handle, pot this is the best I've found.However, this is still an enameled product, and still requires care like all of them - don't use metal utensils, don't heat without liquid inside... LC is up front about the care of the pot, and the only glitch we've had is forgetting and using a metal spoon, we chipped the enamel i the bottom. That is OUR fault.A NOTE ON COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE:Some customers believe that the Thai/Chinese made products - which are generally all the stoneware or steel items - are inferior.Being made in France is no guarantee in and of itself of quality - there is a massive difference between enameled cast iron and enameled stoneware or steel.... The difference in the type of product is explained well by LC, and the care and usage instructions differ accordingly. Stoneware is easy to chip in general compared to metal - this is not a function of where the product is made. Many Americans believe by default a product made in China is 'crud' - but in truth quality is dependent on the factory controls and raw materials - not on the country of origin. e.g., a secret in the designer fashion world is that the majority of a purse or garment will be made in China, with finishing touches - like handles or buttons - applied in a European country, so that the designer can put a 'made in italy/france' label on the product to preserve the cache that comes from european manufacture.Bottom line: let your experience and the experience of other consumers be your guide - not the 'Made in' mark.

Stock pot

The perfect size for stock and soup. It is very sturdy. Cleans up really well. A beautiful piece of cooking equipment. It is what you would expect for Le Creuset. I am never disappointed with their products.

Wish I Could Return and Get My Money Back

I bought the 8Qt stockpot to use mainly for boiling water for pasta, corn on the cob, etc. The pot feels thin and flimsy and certainly not the quality I would expect from LC. I had a Calphalon stockpot that was made much better than this. I have used this pot maybe a dozen times and already the handles are chipped and there are chips all along the bottom edges of the pot. You must be careful not to use anything but nylon or wooden utensils or you will scratch the interior of the pot and leave gray scratch marks (I learned this the hard way). For the money this pot costs, I would expect the quality to be better. I love the LC enameled cast iron pots and pans and own several pieces. This, however, is not a quality piece. Stay away!