Sep 1

Sep 1 Review of the Lodge Braiser

What's the best braiser? My ultimate vote goes for the Le Creuset Braiser. However, if you don't want to plunk down $250 for a braising pan, the Lodge Braiser is a terrific, less-expensive option. Here's my review of the Lodge Braiser versus Le Creuset Braiser.

Pot-Roasted Chicken with Mushrooms and Chervil, Seven-Bone Pot Roast with Coriander. Top right: The Le Creuset Braiser; bottom right: The Lodge Braiser.[/

Review of the Lodge Braiser

As you may know, I'm a nut for my Le Creuset Braiser—I have both the 3 1/2-quart size and a 5-quart size, and I use them all the time. In fact, every recipe I tested for my my braiser cookbook was tested in a 3 1/2 Le Creuset Braiser, with always-terrific end results.

But let's face it. Not everyone can (or wants to) plunk down $250 or more on a pan. That's why I've explored other options. To my mind, the best under-$100 braising pan is The Lodge 3-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Casserole. Although they call it a “casserole,” make no mistake: this baby is definitely a braiser. I cooked with this guy extensively for this review, and I found that the Lodge braiser looks and cooks like my Le Creuset Braiser.

Here's my report:

Lodge's 3-Quart Enamel-Covered Cast Iron Casserole (i.e. a braiser). The red braiser currently costs $69.90 on Amazon, compared to $250 for Le Creuset.[

Where Are Lodge Braisers Made?

Lodge is an American company that has been producing American-made cast-iron pans for years. Their enameled cast-iron pots, however, are made in China. They give pretty compelling reasons for this on their site.

The reviews on Amazon are mostly good, too—it seems the lowest ratings speak to the enamel's chipping off—but that could happen with any enamel-coated braiser if you take a sharp utensil to it or if you heat it over too high of heat on the stovetop. So if you're doing that to any enameled cookware, stop it!

Lodge Braiser Cost

Okay, friends, this is where Lodge is pulling out ahead. As of this update, both the blue Lodge Braiser and the red Lodge braiser are currently on Amazon for $69.90. Meanwhile, the Le Creuset braiser costs around $319 (which sometimes varies depending on the color).

Differences Between Lodge and Le Creuset Braisers

The Lodge and Le Creuset braisers truly cook the same: You can use them on the stovetop (for browning), then slide them into the oven. The braiser's wide, shallow base lets you brown lots of meat at once. The wide base also lets the liquid spread out so that the meat truly braises (rather than stews). Yes—the Lodge looks and cooks like a braiser.

A few minor differences between the two:

Le Creuset (top) has a more deeply domed lid.[/

• Le Creuset's top handle (on the lid) stays cooler than the rest of the pan, so I can generally take the lid off without using a hot pad. Lodge's top (lid) handle is made of metal, which gets warm. But for a near-$200 difference in the price, you might be just fine with using a hot pad.

• Le Creuset's lid is more deeply domed. That can give the pan more height when you're braising something tall like a whole chicken or a pork shoulder roast. But for most stews and braises, such as short ribs, beef pot roasts, chicken pieces, stew meat, cut-up pork and lamb shoulder, etc., the Lodge will be offer plenty of height.

• Le Creuset comes in amazing array of colors. The Lodge braiser is available in blue and red. They're very beautiful, deep, rich colors, mind you, but if you're looking for colors like Caribbean, Cassis, or Palm, you'll have to go the Le Creuset route.

Final Verdict: Lodge versus Le Creuset Braiser

Only you can decide if color selection, French pedigree, and the advantages of Le Creuset's domed lid and cool top handle make enough difference to you to spend $319 versus $60.90. I can assure you that I'm very happy with the Lodge Braiser. Because I’m “all in” when it comes to braising, if I had to choose one over the other, I’d go for the 3 1/2-quart Le Creuset braiser.

Quick links to products mentioned in this review:

1. Lodge Color Enameled Cast Iron Covered Casserole, Caribbean Blue, 3-Quart