4-Quart Staub Round Cocotte Dutch Oven (Various Colors) EXPIRED

the black interior will sear meat better than a white enamel.

people keep saying "you won't know how well you're searing if you can't see the bottom of the pot" which is ridiculous because you can see how well you seared the meat BY LOOKING AT THE MEAT.

More like $230 reg. Great price for this thing.

We have Le Creuset and Staub - the enameled interior of a Le Creuset is durable, that we know - very very durable - so it's what you want vs. price - a durable enamel interior or a matte cast-iron surface which will hold oils (but is *almost* just as easy to clean). Staub also has drip knobs on the underside of the lid to distribute precipitates. Quality-wise, they're the same - both are much nicer than Lodge, or China copycats (Martha Stewart, etc.) Bottom line, Le Creuset and Staub are equals and for $99, this is a rock bottom price so the nod goes to Staub.

If the price is the same, for the same thing, go Le Creuset. But if the Staub is 15% lower, go Staub!

See the America's Test Kitchen Review for a good summary/overview of what to look for: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDfNwXXESiU

Le Creuset vs. Staub:
-Both are high quality; Both are made in France, Both are highly reputable
-Le Creuset seems to be better known in the US, but this is not to discredit Staub in any way
-Le Creuset has a rounded dome lid, whereas the Staub has little points on the lid which encourage moisture to drop back down to the food (making for an ever so slight difference in causing food to be more moist; almost negligible difference, but for some a worthwhile feature)
-Le Creuset comes in many more colors, whereas Staub comes in a more limited number
-Le Creuset is a tad lighter in weight
-Le Creuset has a light enamel interior vs. Staub, which has a dark interior. The lighter enamel interior is nice as it provides greater contrast to the fond or brown bits of food you are cooling, which is nice in terms of keeping better track at a glance. Dark interior is nice for keeping clean, so if you know the Le Creuset's darkening interior will bother you (will turn golden yellow/brownish), then choose Staub (but it will be a tad harder to notice the darkening fond)

Enamel vs. Non-Enamel:
-Both can work equally well depending on what you're cooking
-For instance, if you are cooking tomatoes, which are acidic, it can strip away at the cast iron seasoning in a non-enamel pot. In contrast, this won't be an issue in the enamel dutch oven (i.e., Le Creuset, Staub).
-Enamel can crack, which doesn't affect the performance per se, but it can be somewhat unsightly
-Enameled coating is much more expensive, but there are some good inexpensive options out there (e.g., Cuisinart, Martha Stewart) that are made in China. These will likely chip sooner, but they're just as functional in a lot of ways

Size:
-If you're only going to buy one, then consider how big of a party you plan to realistically service with this most often. If you're planning to use this for hosting, then get a larger one. If you're going to use this for a daily driver, and your family is not much bigger than 4-5, then this is fine (likely not much leftovers)
-Also, if you buy too big of a dutch oven and you only use it for small portions, then your dish may over-evaporate/reduce, and so your dish will come out slightly dryer than if you had a smaller dutch oven, and there's less surface area for the liquids in your dish to evaporate off/reduce

When to buy:
-If you already have a solid, basic foundation stainless pot and pan set (ideally tri-ply or 5-ply), cast iron pan, and a few non-stick pans, then start to splurge and go for these Le Creuset or Staub dutch ovens.
-If you enjoy cooking and are looking to braise, make soups and stews, bake bread, etc., then it's an excellent option to have.
-If you are just going to seldom use it, then not really worth it; I would rather upgrade something else in the kitchen or use the money elsewhere (e.g., conical burr coffee grinder, ooni pizza oven, weber grill, etc.)