Le Creuset Braiser Review

I just noticed this review sitting in my drafts folder from January 2017 - oops! I still love this braiser and it is great to use for making fall recipes (it is fall, isn't it?? it sure feels like it!). If you're interested in Le Creuset pieces, I have seen them sold at Home Goods before, or sometimes people sell them (both used and brand new) on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist.

A while ago, I posted a Le Creuset Dutch Oven Review, and I now have another piece of Le Creuset to rave about. I had been wanting to buy the 3.5-Quart Braiser (also called an Everyday Pan) for a while, but since it is so expensive I waited until I had enough gift cards to cover the majority of the cost. It took a while, but at one point I finally had $230 worth of Williams-Sonoma gift cards to put towards it and couldn't wait any longer. With their generous 15% military discount, I was able to purchase the $285 braiser for only $27! The color I chose was only available online, so I went to the store to place the order and was told there was free overnight shipping - I had the box on my doorstop in less than 24 hours!

Once I started reading reviews about this braiser a few years ago, I knew I wanted it, but I couldn't decide which color to get. Our two dutch ovens are both matte navy - a color exclusive to Williams-Sonoma, and the braiser is not made in that color. As someone who likes everything to match or coordinate well and look good together, I began looking for a color that would go well with navy, since most of our kitchen items are either white or navy (and our KitchenAid mixer is a matte navy/grey color). I debated long and hard between the Matte Mineral Blue (to keep with the matte trend) or the Caribbean. After going to Aruba with my husband for our 1-year anniversary, I decided the Caribbean would be a nice reminder of how beautiful the Caribbean Ocean is, and it's also a prettier color than the matte mineral blue. As a bonus, it pairs nicely with our blue byzantine and turquoise melamine dinnerware! Turquoise is also one of my favorite colors, so even though it doesn't match everything in our kitchen, it seemed like the right choice!

My husband kept asking me why we needed another pan when we have a full set of stainless steel pots and pans, two dutch ovens, and some cast iron skillets. But I knew the braiser would be perfect for some of the foods he likes to cook - like pork, chicken, and fish. It is also very different from a dutch oven, which is used to cook foods with a lot of liquid like soup, stew, chili, and sauce. A braiser is better for things like meat dishes with little liquid in them. Some people even bake in braisers but I have never done that.

I was told the 3.5-quart size is good for 2-4 people, while the larger 5-quart size is good for 6-8 people. We've been using this braiser a lot the past few months - to make tacos, fajitas, pork tenderloin, leg of lamb, chicken, etc. It really is a very versatile pan!

3.5-qt. Braiser in Caribbean color

The first meal I made in the braiser - pork tenderloin and vegetables