Le Creuset Enamel-on-Steel 16-Quart Covered Stockpot, Red

This is a nice pot but chips easily. The overall quality is not the best. Defects can be seen on the pot if you look closely, especially on the handles. The pot cooks food well and is a great size when making food for a party. If you plan on buying this pot, be very careful when using it and when cleaning it. It will chip very easily. I only use a wooden spoon when cooking with mine. You should also inspect the pot when you first receive it to make sure you get a pot without defects.

I use this stockpot weekly, for stocks, and even as a pasta boiler when I am cooking large quantities (I just wish there were a pasta insert for this pot). The interior enamel is very durable, and clean-up is a breeze. A magnet sticks to it, so it can be used on an induction-type burner. I am going to get an induction burner, and I can't wait to see how it will perform.

I bought my stock pot about 2 years ago, and I have used it twice on high heat. For my 3rd use of the pot, I attempted to make spaghetti sauce. After turning up the burner heat, the pot began smoking almost immediately. Then it then started releasing an acrid/chemical stink that filled my home with choking fumes (the chemicals were actually bubbling up through the sauce). Needless to say, the sauce was ruined...but after emptying the pot my husband & I noticed that the enamel from the pot had melted onto the burner coil. This disaster cost us about $200 to replace all of the items ruined either by the smoke/chemical residue or the paint that had dripped off the pot. We were also conerned about our family's health because of the chemical smoke.

We took photos of the ruined pot and burner (luckily), and tossed everything. I initially contacted the Le Creuset company by email...with no response. Later, my husband called the company and spoke to a very rude customer service...Read more