Tiffany N.
Yelp
Price: Signature line first quality 7.25qt Dutch oven $200 (on sale)
Some women love expensive designer purses. I love expensive designer kitchen things. I've been going back and forth on whether it's really worth it to buy Le Creuset, but after reading through tons of reviews by various experts on Dutch ovens, everyone seems to unanimously agree that this is the best one out there. A Le Creuset Dutch oven seems to be a buy it for life kind of item. It's much more durable than the other brands out there and is backed by a lifetime warranty. The main drawback of course is it's high price tag. There are a few ways to try to get around paying full price. Stores like Marshalls, TJ Maxx, or HomeGoods carry the cheaper seconds line (pots with minor cosmetic defects that don't impair function), you can try to wait for a sale at William Sonoma or Sur La Table, or you can swing by this outlet store.
We of course opted for the third option when we saw that they were hosting an after Christmas sale. The store itself is well organized and the staff were very helpful, especially Chris. Chris explained the differences between the different lines to us. The outlet store carries the Le Creuset Classic line. This is the older model. It's not the same one that's in William Sonoma, but it's still an excellent pot. Stores like William Sonoma currently sell the newer Signature line. The Signature pots come with handles that are 45% larger (nice when you have to wear oven mitts while holding the handles), a tighter fitting lid, a lid knob that can withstand up to 500 degrees (Classic can do around 380 degrees), and a stronger enamel. The Classic seems to just be made for the outlet stores now. If you plan on baking at high temps with the lid on, you can also just buy a replacement stainless steel knob in store to get the best of both worlds. The great thing about the Classic though is that it's 30% cheaper. We happened to luck out today because there were a few pots from the Signature line in store in a discontinued seasonal color that were going for the same price as the Classics. Chris was very helpful in letting us know about them, and then hunting down the last few remaining ones for us. On top of getting the outlet 30% off, we also got the after Christmas sale 25% off. In short, I'm pretty happy with my new pot. $200 is still pretty pricey, but given that a Signature 7.25 quart oven is $380 outside of the outlet, I'm decently satisfied.
This store is worth a visit if you want enameled cast iron. I've seen their stoneware items at lower prices in other stores, even with today's sale though. They will also hold your newly purchased items while you shop so that you don't have to lug around your heavy new pot.