Buying guide for your Le Creuset casserole

The Le Creuset cast-iron cocottes are ideal for slow cooking and for preparing traditional recipes. We’ve often talked about it, but we’ve rarely discussed the different casseroles that exist. There is a wide variety of Le Creuset iron casseroles, and the question often arises as to which suits you best or which casserole is most ideal for each recipe.

Cocottes are versatile kitchenware by definition, but it can be useful to know which of the cocottes in our store is best suited for each purpose.

Common points among all Le Creuset cast-iron cocottes

All Le Creuset cocottes share the same foundation: they are all pieces made in France from enameled cast iron. Cast iron gives us excellent cooking results, and the enamel helps protect them and provides an excellent cooking surface, natural and very easy to clean. All of them can go on the stovetop (including induction) as well as in the oven.

It is also worth noting that the black cocottes and the marmites have a black enamel interior (the rest have a cream interior). We also find some cocottes with a steel knob -suitable for oven use at any temperature- and others with a phenolic (black) knob, which can go in the oven up to 190º. This is specified on each product page in our store.

So, speaking of Le Creuset casseroles, apart from the enamel and the knob, the only aspect that can change from one casserole to another is its shape.

Types of casserole: which casserole is best for each type of recipe

Truth be told: all casseroles are really versatile, and you can make a wide variety of dishes in them. For example, you don't have to limit a stew to a stockpot-style casserole, a roast to the traditional casserole, or a sponge cake to the low Shallow Casserole...

At the same time, we must say that while all Le Crueset casseroles are made of the same material, their shape affects cooking results, since heat distribution varies depending on whether they are wider or taller. It's not the same to have the rice for a risotto spread across the base of a wide, Shallow Casserole-type casserole as having the rice piled up if you cook it in a normal casserole.

Old-fashioned chicken fricassée in an oval casserole and Bread in a round casserole

Round casserole and oval casserole

The round casserole is the most common; I’d even say it’s the basic one if you want a versatile, everyday casserole. A piece you’ll use for everything thanks to its shape and features: roasts come out perfect because of the material; its height also lets you make stews, soups, and creams; you’ll also cook fabadas or other bean recipes in it. Fish is welcome too—a zarzuela will turn out wonderfully—and the heat you get with cast iron also lets you bake perfect loaves. You can’t go wrong with the round casserole, because it also comes in a wide range of sizes so you can match your usual serving needs in terms of portions*

Now, if you usually prepare large quantities or if you often cook stewed chicken in a casserole or prepare all kinds of roasts, as well as whole fish, I would advise you to buy a oval casserole: it is exactly the same as the round one, but because of its shape you can better arrange the different pieces or cook larger cuts of meat or fish. Keep capacity in mind: it’s longer, but also narrower than a round one, so capacity stays the same despite the size increasing (a 27cm oval casserole will have a similar capacity to a 24cm round one).

Doufeu Cocotte

If you tend to do long, juicy braises, the Doufeu casserole is the most suitable: its lid has a special design so that, by placing ice on top, the steam released from its own juices during cooking condenses and falls back as droplets onto the meat or fish, basting it and making it richer, more tender, and juicier. This casserole is available in some sizes of both the round casserole and the oval one; you can see them all here.

Woodcocks in a Doufeu casserole

Low casserole and tall casserole

Sticking with round casseroles, the question often comes up about the difference between the low casserole, the standard round one, and the tall one. You can see the difference in the photo: the low one is a few centimeters shorter, and the tall one gains a few. The low one is one of my favorite casseroles and I almost always recommend it unless the casserole is going to be used mainly for soups or creams. With less height, the casserole heats up faster with the lid on; at the same time, the heat radiating from the lid toward the inside helps the food cook faster and helps us brown ingredients. It’s comfortable to use, takes up less space, and isn’t small either: in how many preparations do you really use all the height offered by the standard casserole? As I said, if you make soups in other casseroles or utensils, the low casserole can be an excellent option.

Low casserole, standard casserole, and tall casserole

Quite the opposite with the tall one: if you tend to make preparations that require a lot of height, such as creams and soups, the tall casserole will suit you great.

Low cocotte like casseroles and marmites

Then there's the low, Shallow Casserole-type casserole. As you'll see, I think you can take inspiration from recipes traditionally made in stoneware or terracotta pots to get the most out of it: stews, rabbit, brothy rice dishes, risottos... If you need a wide base without height, you'll work very well with this casserole, since you can stir comfortably while the cooking spreads beautifully across the entire base, also thanks to the lid being closer to the food.

Keep in mind that you have the Shallow Casserole with black interior and with enameled interior. Which one interests you? The one you like the most. The enamel helps somewhat to reduce sticking, although the black enamel, thanks to its vitrification, isn't really going to stick either and it may not be as elegant but requires even less care and is more rustic.

Finally, the marmite-style casserole. Its curved shape allows mixing that favors the natural movement of liquids. It's also widely used for making sautés, since its bottom needs less oil than other casseroles with a flat bottom. The stockpot is an intermediate piece between the normal casserole and the Shallow Casserole-type one, and for day-to-day cooking -creams, risottos, stews...- it's also very versatile.

Cod with onions in a Shallow Casserole-type casserole and of Monkfish a la marinera in a marmite-style casserole

New Le Creuset cocottes: the Balti Dish and the Cocotte Every

Recently, two new releases from Le Creuset have appeared that cannot be missing from this cocotte guide: first, the Balti Dish casserole, which sits between a casserole and a high-sided frying pan, making it very versatile and even usable as a wok. It doesn’t have a lid, which makes it more affordable and lighter, and its height and shape will let you use it for everything from roasts to stews, rice dishes, or for stir-fries and deep-frying.

On the other hand, they have also released the Every casserole, a small 18cm casserole designed for everyday use for frying or small amounts of soups and creams, stews... and especially rice, since it comes with a double lid designed especially to cook rice in the authentic oriental style.

Balti Dish Cocotte and Cocotte Every Le Creuset

*NOTE: We always recommend choosing the casserole that suits how many of you are at home. If you pick a large size thinking only about special and holiday days, you'll use it little, because it is heavy (and the larger it is, the more it weighs), and you'll also have more casserole than you need for the food you cook on a daily basis. Buy the size you really need and make the most of it. On special days, you'll use a second Shallow Casserole you have at home to cook for more diners... or the day will come when you'll buy a larger one for those special occasions.

Some casserole recipes to inspire you:

- Porrusalda with cod
- Lamb korma (Indian stew)
- Fish soup
- Pork loin with brandy
- Woodcocks in a casserole
- Fish and seafood stew
- Monkfish suquet with prawn, mussel and hazelnut allioli bread
- Pork stew in red wine with pancetta and onions
- Monkfish fisherman-style
- Honey lamb with red cabbage jam
- Brothy seafood rice
- Clam stew with broccoli
- Fisherman's soup with rice
- Old-fashioned chicken fricassee
- Spaghetti with meatballs in homemade tomato sauce
- Mussels in sauce
- Chicken drumettes with vegetables
- Spring chickens with honey mustard and lemon
- Canarian-style cod with onions and wrinkled potatoes in a casserole
- Winter cocotte: wholesome and comforting
- Braised stuffed rolled chicken in a casserole
- Roast chicken in a casserole with vegetables
- Asturian bean stew (fabada)
- Beetroot cream
- Pork loin in a casserole
- Beef stew in beer
- Beef cheeks with porcini

And some sweet ideas...

- Chocolate cake with raspberry sauce
- Bread with old dough in a casserole
- Cocoa-kissed sponge cake made in a casserole
- Fig jam
- Marble sponge cake in a casserole