I can't speak to enameled cast iron Dutch oven versus clad stainless steel Dutch oven. As for cast iron skillet versus clad stainless skillet, they would be ideal for different tasks. Cast iron is a poor conductor of heat, but will hold (store) a lot of heat. When you put a cast iron pan on the burner, it will take a significant time to heat up and may have hot spots while it is heating. After a while (on my burner, 2-3 minutes), it will be evenly hot. When meat is placed in the pan, the pan will stay hot because it has so much stored heat. This makes cast iron great for searing and browning. After the cast iron pan gets seasoned with oil, it is also practically non-stick, if you wash it properly (no soap). However . . . cast iron pans do not change temperature quickly. If you cook something more delicate than a ribeye and it starts to scorch, turning down the heat won't quickly cool down the pan. Rapidly getting to a particular temperature is a bit tricky. They are heavy, so flipping and tossing is hard. Clad stainless steel is almost the opposite. The aluminum inside is an excellent conductor of heat, but does not hold much heat. So the pan will heat up quickly on the burner, and cool quickly when you lower the flame, it is responsive. You can get the desired temperature - say, a medium-low heat - right away, and the pan will have an even temperature without bad hot spots. But when you put the cold meat on the pan, the pan cools down quickly, until the burner brings the heat back up. So it is not as good for heavy searing. Stainless steel is sticky, protein (meat, fish, egg) sticks immediately and stays stuck until it gets browned and releases. Even then, bits of crusty food are left on the pan. That is a good thing - it is ''fond'', the foundation of a pan sauce - but if you weren't planning to make a pan sauce it can be a pain. You can avoid stickage by using plenty of oil, of course. If you get a stainless pan really hot, food and oil will scorch onto it, making for a cleaning job. Basically, you should have both, and use each for what it is best at. I use my cast iron pan at full-hot, for searing meat mostly. I use my clad stainless for more medium and low heat cooking, or at high heat if I want fond. If I could only have one, I'd get the clad stainless.

If you look at the underside of your Staub lid you will see 3 little nubs cast into the rim. I called Staub about them, and they said it helps the raised dimples on the underside of the lid work better. They are there to allow the pot work more efficiently. Le Creuset's latest saucepans with the phenolic handles DO have a hole in the lid for some steam to escape. That is normal, and desirable on the Staub, as they were put there for a reason to allow some steam to escape.

I actually did some research since my original post and found this product sold on other websites for WAY MORE, so yes eandhl, it does appear to be "the deal of the century"! It aired this afternoon on QVC and after watching the demo, I decided to pick it up! Apparently, many others did too! It came in four colors -- red, blue, green and yellow. The green sold out completely in less than 4 minutes. Out of the 3 previous airings of this product, all four colors sold out the first 2 airings and the green sold out the last airing also. Homepro01 -- The Staub actually has the enamel finish both on the outside AND inside just as Le Creuset does. No need to season the interior at all! Regarding the "easy pay", that simply means that if you choose to, they will take the total payment and spread it out over two months -- kind of like "lay away" except you don't have to wait until you make the final payment. You get the product after your first payment. By the way, the total payment including tax and shipping was $60 and change. (I opted for easy pay so I paid $30 today and will pay the other $30 next month, but I get my pot via mail next week -- make sense?) For me, it was too good of a deal to pass up. QVC has an unconditional money back guarantee on all their products for 30 days, so I figure I will give it a good try and if I reallly dislike it, I can always send it back. Hope I don't have to!

Where are the chips located? The enamel will chip on the pan bottom if heated without oil or some other liquid in it. It could be from pan being hit by other pans,thin enamel to begin with or even a defect in the pan. I bought some of Martha Stewart's enameled au gratin dishes at K-Mart and it was not long until there were chips around the edges and a long scratch in the bottom on one. But to answer your question this is not normal. I have a skillet from Le Creuset that I have used for more years than I care to admit and while there is a small chip or two around the edge the bottom and sides are still fine.