3.5-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Braiser

This braiser is the *best*. I, very sadly, had a bunch of Staub pieces stolen out of storage after I moved. This was the very first piece I replaced because it is so versatile. It is a must have piece in my opinion. Fry some fish? Make some ratatouille? Boil full length spaghetti? yes yes and yes. The grenadine is pictured here with a brass knob but I did not receive a brass knob - bummer : the knob I got was silver, FYI. I had the matte black before and that was my favorite.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Absolutely gorgeous and hardworking braiser!! This is my first piece of enameled cast iron by Staub (I own quite a few LC) and I love it. Cooks evenly no matter what you're cooking and it's a great all around pot. Plus it's beautiful on the table!! I look forward to many wonderful meals with this workhorse and love that we got a great deal via the website.

Ordered 25JAN21, finally after sending the fourth damaged and chipped up braisers back I received a fifth perfect unit on 05OCT21. Its not UPS, the blame falls on the engineer who designed a box where the lid and base aren't properly isolated. I'm sorry but all future purchases will be in a store so I can do a full chip inspection. I have to say it is BEAUTIFUL. Sorry the 8 months and 4 returns caused the low rating.

I have had my braiser for less than two weeks and there are a lot of hairlines cracks like crazing showing on the bottom already. I have followed the instructions to preheat in low (in my case the lowest heat setting for 10 mins) then slowly increase to no higher than medium but this is happening in less than two months. My other pieces did not do the same, so I’m not sure if this is a defective piece or the lighter color pots and pans tend to do this. This is b grade item but still it shouldn’t like this.....

I own a lot of cookware. A lot. From lots of other Staub pieces (also great) to French stainless steel and tinned copper pieces. This has really earned its keep - so much so that it just sits on the stovetop now instead of going back into the cabinet. Like others have mentioned, it heats evenly and is incredibly versatile - wide enough to sear meat without crowding, enough surface area for quick reductions, great for rice dishes, sautes, stews, shellfish, sauces, it's actually my go to pan for boiling spaghetti noodles (and uses less water) or cooking/finishing pasta in sauce. I haven't used it as a roaster yet but it would also do a fantastic job roasting a good sized bird because of the shape and depth. It really has a surprisingly generous size and width despite being only listed as 3.5 qts. The rounded sides are perfect for even heating and working with a spoon/spatula etc. and I do prefer them over a straight sided saute pan. If you're having a hard time deciding on this one, you should get it. This one piece can do the job of numerous others, cleans up well, and looks good doing it.