After a major kitchen remodel, I treated myself to some new pots. I ordered a bunch of All Clad from www.cookwarenmore.com (they sell seconds). However, my husband later bought me some Le Creuset pots as a gift. After using both the AC and the LC, I am totally devoted to the LC. So much so, that I may give away my AC and fill up my cabinets with the LC. I had read about LC for years, but thought it was all hype. It is not! Now I have heard about another brand, Staub, that is similar to LC and I am anxious to try it out. I should also mention that prior to buying the AC, I was using pans that I bought at Macy's called "Tools of the Trade" (previously called "Belgique"). For the money, I think these are the best pans on the market. All stainless steel, nice handles, and big, thick copper disc on the bottom to distribute heat evenly. They clean up beautifully and the non-stick pieces work great and last foreever. Especially if you need a full set of cookware and you wait for one of Macy's sales, these pots are a great bargain. I personally did not find that much of a difference in the performance between the "Tools of the Trade" and the All Clad. My vote is for the Le Creuset if your budget permits, or the "Tools of the Trade" if not. P.S. I have also cooked extensively on Calphalon and Cuisinart cookware, and did not care for either of these products. The Cuisinart pans, in particular, were very disappointing and the lids on every pot were easily dented. They were very hard to clean, as well, and foods burned easily. P.P.S. Cook's Illustrated recently tested enameled cast iron cookware and found a pot sold at Target (I forget the name) that performed nearly as well as the Le Creuset. Hope this helps!

Any brand suggestions for a stick blender? The pot I had in mind is a Staub, it was on sale and sold out this morning! I wonder about other brands of iron pots for slow cooking--any suggestions? Is it worth spending the money for the Staub? Rachel Ray and Emeril brands have put out iron pots that are a lot cheaper. Thank you, Dogitnice

I'm not sure if everyone here is on the same page (if so, then sorry), but Lodge does make enameled cast iron cookware. As to the China sentiment, I do agree to a point. But it also depends on how much you want to spend. You can go to Target and buy a Chinese enameled cast iron pot for 40 bucks, or you can buy an equivalent size Le Creuset (or Staub) pot for about $200 or more. Yet in the end, they will all perform basically the same. How do I know? Because I own a cheap Target enameled cast iron pot in addition to my Le Creuset and Descoware cookware. The only difference, IMNSHO, is in the attention to detail of the interior and exterior glazing. Other than that, they perform pretty much the same...

Here is a really simple Cream Of Broccoli soup recipe that I make occasionally. However it doesn't have cheese in it. Cream of Broccoli Soup 2c water 8oz fresh broccoli (diced) 2 oz carrots (diced) 3 oz butter 2 tsp instant chicken broth or boullion 1 small onion, minced 1 tsp salt ¼ tsp pepper 2-1/4 c milk 4T cornstarch In medium saucepan combine first 8 ingredients & bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender. Add 2c milk. Mix remaining milk and cornstarch in small bowl, slowly add to hot soup mixture. Heat until creamy, do not boil. Serves 6 Or if you want a hearty soup with meat, here's a really good one that will use up some of your carrots and celery. Turkey Spaetzle Soup Source: Betty Crocker 2T vegetable oil I large onion, finely chopped 1 medium carrot, finely chopped 1 stalk celery, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, finely chopped ¼ c all purpose flour 2tsp dried thyme 1/4 tsp black pepper 2 c diced, cooked turkey 6 c chicken broth 1 bag (12oz) frozen spaetzle Chopped fresh parsley (optional) In 4qt saucepan, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic, cook until crisp\-tender, about 2 minutes Gradually stir in flour, thyme and pepper, cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in turkey and broth, heart to a boil. Stir in spaetzle. Cook 2\-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Garnish with parsley, serve. Yield: 6 servings (1\-3/4 c each) Per serving: 240 calories, 10g total fat, 70mg cholesterol, 17g carbohydrate, My notes: I canÂt get frozen spaetzle so I made my own. You could also substitute egg noodles for the spaetzle. This soup is delicious and really quick to prepare! I would just toss the cherry toms in a container and bring along to snack on! Linda