@Sherry8aNorthAL, I found that Tramontina is all around a great brand. I don't think you can make a mistake buying any of their products. You miss out on some of the attention to detail that I see in my Staub pots. And yes, I do like these little improvements. But whether the improvements are worth 2.5 times the price is a very valid question. On the other hand, as others have said, these are pots that you'll use for decades to come. So, if you do decide to splurge, the cost does amortize over time. The heavy weight is an issue with any cast iron product. That's why, unlike for Dutch ovens, I prefer carbon steel skillets over cast iron. They handle very comparably, but they are noticeably lighter. Lodge makes a great and inexpensive model, and according to ATK, Matfer Bourgeat makes the nicest one, but I haven't tried that myself. Both cast iron and rolled steel, despite all their advantages, suffer from poor heat conductivity. So they work better on stoves that distribute heat evenly. We love to cook with them on our Bluestar range. The star-shaped burners are perfect for this application. We liked them a lot less, when we had to temporarily use the Viking in our in-law unit during our remodel. Hot spots were very obvious and annoying. Capped circular gas burners are a much poorer fit for this type of cookware. Of course, once transferred to a hot oven, all of that is moot.

My monogram oven had a small electrical fire and have been without oven for weeks. i have the 120V advantium ...but for last 10 years have really only used microwave feature, We too are empty nesters. without an oven I have learned to bake cookies, make a casserole and roast vegetables all in the advanutum and regret waiting so long to figure this out. I watched some UTube videos and experimented. I really love the speed cooI option. Give it a try and you won’t look back

I guess it depends on what you're planning on cooking, and if those programs cover your needs. I had an Advantium in my last house (for 6.5 years) and always used the programs. With the combination of convection oven, microwave, halogen lights, and cooking duration, it would take a lot of experimentation to find the right settings for each variable. I wouldn't have a clue what the optimal combo is to speed cook 6 chocolate chip cookies, for example. The Advantium made it easy because GE's experts already figured that out-- just scroll through the menu and find your food. I only used manual controls if I was using it as a standard convection oven or microwave, but never for combination speed cooking. I haven't used any other speed oven, so I can't comment on their ease of use.

I mentioned upthread that I ordered this set because my Lodge cast iron dutch oven has a problem with not seasoning properly on the inside even though I do everything right and my other cast iron pieces are all good due to doing all the right things. My Lodge DO has never been quite right in this regard. The set arrived the day after placing the order (!!). I've made a roast chicken in the large one just like I usually do with my problem dutch oven. I have to say it came out better for some reason and my roast chicken comes out nice in the old dutch oven. Not sure if it was a one-time thing or if the enameled dutch oven has some magic powers. I am making a batch of pinto beans in the smaller dutch oven from the set today. I normally make those in my problem dutch oven with good results, so I have high hopes for today's meal. For those on the fence about this set, the larger dutch oven is very heavy. If you think you might struggle with the extra weight, unless you work out with weights and have significant upper body strength, it's weight is likely to be an issue for you, just fyi. I can handle it, but I can see how some people could not. The smaller dutch oven is a nice size for just about everything else that isn't oversized. I don't find the smaller dutch oven to be a problem with the weight, but I am used to working with cast iron...