Crate and Barrel: 65% off Select Staub Cocottes

I'm deciding between the Staub 4-QT for $99 here vs. the $199 at Costco Le Creuset 6.5 Quart Dutch Oven. If I'm looking to cook bread loaves and entire chickens (not necessarily massive ones, just normal sized) whole chickens you see at the grocery would 4-QT be enough?

Are these made of gold or something

I'm deciding between the Staub 4-QT for $99 here vs. the $199 at Costco Le Creuset 6.5 Quart Dutch Oven. If I'm looking to cook bread loaves and entire chickens (not necessarily massive ones, just normal sized) whole chickens you see at the grocery would 4-QT be enough?

Yeah, 4qt is kind of small when it comes to baking birds and parts of animals.

Without going to a store, 4 quarts is a gallon, so imagine the same volume as a gallon milk jug.

Not many chickens would fit in a gallon jug without coming in contact with the top and sides of the dutch oven. You want a bit of airflow around the bird within the dutch oven to properly cook, self-baste, and ultimately crisp the outside.

Also consider any veggies you'd cook along with said bird. You want to be able to throw in some potatoes, carrots, onions or whatever else.

IMO, a 4qt is kind of pointless for cooking meats.

Unless you need the name, a $39 Walmart Tramontina does the same thing.

This comes up every time a Le Creuset/Staub deal is posted. The quality of the interior coating for most of the Made in China brands don't come anywhere near that of LC/Staub. If you're very careful with them maybe you can get them to last but when you have a family or roommates and you can't police everyone to baby your cookware when using it or washing it in the sink, the Chinese made enamel will last you only 1-3 years if you are lucky. If you're not going to use it frequently then it's probably more cost effective to get the $39 Lodge but if you're looking to use this for 10+ years then it's worth spending $100-200 on one of these. The only reason you'd pay $200+ for one of these is if you were in love with a particular color.

Also, people will think you're broke, poor, and posing if you have a Lodge enamel. If you're going to be cheap, a stainless steel Dutch oven will at least last you a lifetime. People won't necessarily think you're rich if you have a LC/Staub but they will know that you value quality that lasts and not just cheapness.

I have owned a Lodge which flaked and rusted after 2-3 years of my family stacking plates and silverware inside of it in the sink despite my babying (no metal utensils). After that I bought a 6.5 qt LC which has been in use for more than 6 years. I also own a 5 qt stainless tri-ply steel Dutch oven from a Tramontina/Member's Mark tri-ply set that gets some use when I don't need the larger size. The stainless steel is practical, indestructible, and can be found well under $100 but you can't flex with it as much as a prestige brand like Le Creuset or Staub. Whether you have a lot of money to spend or want to be more frugal, pick something that lasts.

I'm deciding between the Staub 4-QT for $99 here vs. the $199 at Costco Le Creuset 6.5 Quart Dutch Oven. If I'm looking to cook bread loaves and entire chickens (not necessarily massive ones, just normal sized) whole chickens you see at the grocery would 4-QT be enough?

Unless you need the name, a $39 Walmart Tramontina does the same thing.