# Le Creuset 5 Quart Dutch Oven



## petitgourmet (Nov 12, 2006)

Is this oven big enough to feed a family of four or should I upgrade to the gi-normous 7 quart?


----------



## castironchef (Oct 10, 2005)

Depends on what you're cooking and how much your family eats. (In addition, do you like having leftovers?")

Remember, you can cook less in a big pot, but you can't cook a lot in a small pot.


----------



## dirk skene (Feb 13, 2007)

Mine is a Lodge, not a *Le Creuset , *& I am feeding 3 not 4, but I think the size is fine for you. Unless you just want a bigger Dutch Oven :chef: And there is nothing wrong with that. :smiles:


----------



## sweetnessx3 (Feb 26, 2007)

Hello,
When I was at the bbq cookoff this past weekend,( in Dothan) I bought a 10 in, oven and a 14 but havent seasoned yet !!!
we sit in on a class there and he cooked everything from chocolate chip cookies to cheese burger pie !!! We had a blast and I cant wait to use mine . 
can I cook in the oven or do I have to cook on coals outside?


----------



## muskyhopeful (Jun 16, 2006)

I have a 9 and a I think a 14 or 15. The 9 gets a lot of use. I see you are a Petit gourmet. You need to be strong to lift either of those two.  

I use them for all kinds of braising. When I braise, make soup or chili, sloppy joes, etc., I like to make a lot of food for leftovers, and both those pans make that possible. The 5 quart seems awfully small to me.

They are expensive, though. I bought mine at an outlet store in Kenosha, WI and did well I think. You have to check them closely for imperfections in the enamel. The person working at the store checked them very carefully with me and we went through a few of them before we decided. They are very helpful there.

Kevin

Muskies anyone?


----------



## petitgourmet (Nov 12, 2006)

MuskyHopeful;157609 said:


> I have a 9 and a I think a 14 or 15. The 9 gets a lot of use. I see you are a Petit gourmet. You need to be strong to lift either of those two.
> 
> :lol: So true! I ended up buying the 7 and I can just barely life the thing! LOL!


----------



## petitgourmet (Nov 12, 2006)

I think leftovers are always a good thing!


----------



## mikelm (Dec 23, 2000)

On the subject of Dutch Ovens, Cook's Illustrated two years ago made suggestions in case you didn't want to spring for $200 or more for a Le Creuset or All-Clad: they preferred the TRAMONTINA Sterling II 7-qt for $57, and liked the INNOVA 7-qt at $50, and the LODGE Pro-Logic 7-qt for $45.

They emphatically did not like the NORDIC WARE 6-qt for $18.

I get by with a Griswold #9 DO, and there's plenty of room to produce leftovers in it. :lips: 

Mike


----------



## jannie (Mar 17, 2007)

When I was cooking for three, I used a Lodge 5 quart a lot and there was plenty, but if my teenagers had been boys instead of girls, I would have had to go to a 7 quart. I did all kind of roasts and even cornbread on top of the stove with it...pretty neat.

Jannie


----------



## chefsresource (Apr 6, 2007)

5 1/2 is nice, but I think the 7 1/4 is the sweet spot for practicality without taking up too much storage space (or having it weigh a ton).

Or you could go for the 15 1/2 quart oval "goose pot", it's only 27 pounds empty.:suprise:


----------



## jannie (Mar 17, 2007)

I was in my neighborhood kitchen store yesterday and couldn't take my eyes off a deep red 5 quart Le Cruset Dutch Oven. I'm cooking mostly just for me and sometimes a friend, so that would be plenty large. 

I do think I'd like it just to have it sitting there on top of my stove...really pretty. They also had smaller ones on sale but I couln't see what I would do with them over what I already have in my copper sauce pans. But I almost got one anyway.

Jannie


----------



## texasflute (Jul 11, 2006)

I love my 7qt LeCreuset! I bought it for $12 at a flea market a few years back. I have three teenagers, two of them boys, and it sure comes in handy. They can clean that thing out in nothing flat if they are hungry enough.


----------

