Thanks for the comments. I just noticed on some ads for Staub similar dimples or protrusions on lids... I guess it helps to make the water/liquid drips more evenly dispersed. And yes that would be for braising, but I was wondering if enameled cast iron is great for any other method of cooking (besides "lid off" roasting & baking) that the Fontignac cookware wouldn't perform well. There was another even cheaper brand (couldn't see a brand name) at the same store... seemed lighter though. That would be nice for my weak-ish hands, but I'm kind of lusting after one of the pretty heavier ones... would probably keep it to either a 3-4 quart size, or maybe one of those shallow round casserole items with lid. In any case, I don't go much to the stores so will read more and probably take some time to decide.... especially since I'm reasonably well-stocked with stainless steel cookware. And also have Romertopf clay bakers that I picked up super cheaply at garage sale/second hand store. But that's not for stove-top use, and our oven's on the blink right now.... hmmm.... Meanwhile, I've learned a ton & really enjoy browsing some of the posts here - thanks!

How adventurous are you? Anything which needs long slow cooking will work. Its forte is braising meats: brown on the top of the stove, add liquid and cook slowly for a long time in a slow oven. Chili is really easy, as are pot roasts. Here are two classic dishes: "Gigot de sept heures" --seven hour leg of lamb. Brown lamb, add stock and vegetables, put in a very slow oven for 7 hours. Yes, it takes 7 hours to cook but your involvement is mostly about 20 minutes at the beginning. Perfect for when you have to be in the house all day doing other stuff, because you shouldnÂt be peeking at this dish anyway while it cooks. Do a google search and youÂll find a few versions of this recipe. The lamb comes out juicy, delicious and fork-tender. Another classic dish is "lapin en gibelotte"Âa fancy rabbit stew. The link below is to one version of the dish. If youÂve never tried domestic rabbit, give it a try: delicate, more flavorful than chicken, not at all gamy. Here is a link that might be useful: lapin en gibelotte

Like Linda and some others, I use all my cast iron Enamel cookware and stopped worrying years ago about some staining. Some of the newer pieces clean up beautifully. But one of my older pieces from Le Creuset is stained on the outside and very difficult to get cleaned. I use to go to all kinds of trouble to try and keep the outside of that pot clean. Now I don't bother. It is one of my favourites and you can tell by looking at it that it has been used often over the last 25 years. One method I found for cleaning up enamel coated pots that have staining is to soak them in a sink with dishwasher detergent.(Cascade). Softens the baked-on stains and they wash off easily. Kandm, I have a set of vintage Griswold cast iron and I often use it to cook chili and tomato based sauces in it. Hasn't harmed my pots and in fact, one of my favourite Tex Mex chili recipes actually states that "Chili just doesn't taste right if you don't cook it in an iron pot". LOL! Ann

Lara, don't worry about those edges. I have a lot of Le Cruset and other brands of enameled pots. What seems to happen is that the edges pretty much season themselves. When you cook with them some grease mixes with the steam/liquid and coats the edges and it ends up as seasoned rims. That's how it appears to me anyway. When I look at the rims on my pots they do look like they're seasoned and I sure didn't do it on purpose. It just happens. Smiles. Congrats.