OK I’ll be honest here and say that after watching numerous videos and doing a ton of research, at the end of the day, I think you need BOTH sizes. Depending on what you’re making/cooking, each size has a purpose. 😊 I recently got both (at incredible prices) so I couldn’t pass up. Cannot wait to use them!!!
Crate & Barrel is having a sale on the Le Creuset 3.5 quart Signature Sauteuse oven for $199.95. Also the 6.75 quart wide Dutch Oven for $279. I got the 3.5 Le Creuset at the store in Manhattan but since it's heavy I got it sent. They offer free shipping as well, William Sonoma charges for shipping. I got the color Marseille. The 3.5 quart size looked to be perfect for making a vegetable soup for one or two people. Remember to get wooden or rubber tools to use with Le Creuset as its enameled interior. I got it on Monday the 23rd so excited for it to come.
@@karenandmaya8329 Thanks, the silicone utensils I have are from William Sonoma and I think they are not that good. Yes I got a ladle from Crate & Barrel. I’m going downtown to Sur La Table to get the Victorinox Swiss Army Chefs knife. One that Americas Test Kitchen recommends, and under 75 dollars. I’m going to look and see what utensils they have. What sponge are you using to clean your Le Creuset? One I have the SOS one is too harsh. I looked in Target but all the same.
Thank you for your information. Told with pure honest insight from your own experiences and is so much more helpful that most tv personalities. Wish you all the best!
Hi Karen: amazing video. I really have no idea about any of this. I'm purchasing a braiser for my wife as a Christmas present. I was totally confused about which one to get. After watching this video I know the 3.5 will be perfect. Thank you for making this video!! Your awesome. Happy Holidays, Brian
Hi Brian, what a lovely gift to give, I am excited for her, lol!! The Braiser is one of my favorite pieces because it is so versatile and the 3.5 is the perfect size for everyday use! Happy Holidays!!
I really like the 5qt! It’s just my husband and I, but we like to batch cook. I was regularly struggling before with a medium lodge skillet (+extra pan) to braise, which was why I was looking to upgrade. I was worried about the 3.5 being too small, and I’m so glad I went with my gut! I love making massive meals 🥲
Ohhhh the lodge skillet, I have two of those and you are right that is what made me switch to the Le Creuset braiser. My mom has the 5 qt and it is just her!!! lol... I know I will likely purchase one at some point because I really don't know how to cook in small quantities! 😁
I have the 3.5 qt and even though it is only me I cook for, I found it didn't have enough surface to brown everything. I batch cook so it is like I cook for 4-6 people. The 3.5 qt looks large but when you actually go to use it, I regretted not getting the larger one. I find I rarely use my braiser because of it but it would come in handy instead of a stainless steel skillet. I'm debating whether to upgrade to the 5 qt or get the 7.5 qt dutch oven since the color I want is being discontinued.
I would love to see more videos with recipes to use the braiser ❤️ in November they include a spoon rest with any order over $200, I picked the meringue one because that’s what my Dutch oven color is in but I love the fig color, it is expensive for le cruset but I’m obsessed, I set aside money and wanted this since last Christmas lol so I’m beyond excited for mine to come in. What was your recipe for your macaroni and cheese?
I love it, oh and absolutely will have more videos using the braiser. I think I use it at 3 to 4 times a week in combination with my Dutch Oven. I do have an instagram, and I am slowly introducing my love of Le Creuset over there. This holiday season I am trying to catch the Le Creuset oven mitts and apron...lol
Thanks for the helpful video. Do you think the 3.5 qt is big enough to comfortably stir/sauce a pound of pasta, or probably not? I looked at the Mac and Cheese video but couldn't decide what I thought. Usually do a lot of italian pastas where you make the sauce part in one pot (probably the braiser), and then add the pasta to the braiser to finish it.
Thank you for watching, I definitely think that the 5 qt braiser is more suited for making the sauce and adding the pasta in afterwards. I found in the 3.5 braiser is that the minute I add the pasta to the sauce all of the contents will rise, almost to the top, making it difficult to stir. The wide round dutch oven is also a great choice for making sauces and adding further ingredients! I hope that was helpful, thank you for watching!
Do you like any of the more muted, matte colors? I just started collecting graphite, a color exclusive to Crate & Barrel, and I love its matte appearance. It looks very contemporary and goes well with my decor, and it’s a nice departure from the usually gradient aesthetic to most of the other colors. I also like matte white, which is exclusive to Williams Sonoma.
Not a fan of the mute or French Grey colors. I like the darker Fig, Agave, Oyster, Artichaut, Spinach, Cayenne, and Ocean colors. I find darker colors to be more fitting to my style, but I do like plain bright white, it feels bold.
So appreciate your vid! I had bought a meringue 5.25 quart Dutch oven little over a year ago and love it-now thinking of a flame braiser. Sounds like 3.5 is a solid choice based on your comments, weight (had checked Sur La Table for size comparisons), fit on the stove, etc. Thank you:-)
Hi! I can’t decide which braiser t get! now it is just me and my husband but we host around 3-4 people at a time maybe 1 time a month. However I do not see myself upgrading due to the price. I wanna get a size that will last as our family grows (god wiling a couple of kids ) and more guests (6-8 at a time)… i know for our expanded family and guests 5 qt would be suitable . Would it also be ok to cook for 2 people? Or would food burn?
Hi Natalie, what a great question! I would definitely purchase the 5 qt braiser. It will allow for cooking for two or more and there would be no need to upgrade in future. I also enjoy entertaining and on average I cook for 3 people daily and 5-6 people each weekend and I tend to grab my 5qt most often as it is the most convenient size for cooking most anything, I use my 3 qt for more searing and baking. I hope that was helpful! Thank you for watching! Happy Cooking!
You give Karens a good name. :) Thank you for your awesome videos. I'm new to the Le Creuset fan-hood and. Am. HOOKED. I bought the 5-quart because I have been annoyed over the past couple of years, at having to do multiple batches when frying chicken for my husband and me - using stainless steel pans which I kept having to let cool a little between batches. Way too labor-intensive -- as you would say: NOT handy-dandy! (I make enough for leftovers, since he gets hungry again a couple of hours later and I want him eating something homemade instead of highly processed convenience foods.) Hoping it'll work perfectly - am optimistic.
Hi There!!! Welcome to the channel! The Braiser is my absolute favorite piece from Le Creuset! That is one thing that I really enjoy about cast iron because it can tolerate the high heat so much better! Happy Cooking!!!
If you have a small oven don't go bigger than the 3.5 quart. I have one that I love and it just barely fits my tiny apartment range/oven. However, the braiser is wonderful at distributing heat from partially working coils.
I would have liked this video if you had actually shown the 2 sizes, next to each other and compared to something else so that we can actually see the difference. That's what no one is showing, not even Le Creuset's site. It's hard to tell by just reading measurements.
Hi Erica, I have another video on the unboxing and review of the 5qt Braiser in Chambray where it is side by side with the 3.5 Braiser. Thank you for watching!
Hi Karen, is the artichaut braiser I see in the thumbnail a 3.5qt model? I have the 7.25qt dutch oven in artichaut for bread and larger quantities but I love the idea of having a smaller braiser for some of the more "everyday" cooking.
Heeyyyyy!!!!! It’s me! Lol! Great video. I have a few questions. First can you use a stockpot for a seafood boil, just curious? Second what are the items that you mentioned are going to be discontinued? I’ve watched so many videos now I can’t remember lol. Are they the French oven and the essential oven? I’ll let you get those answered first before hitting with more… Thanks in advance lol.
Hi LaShante! You can definitely use the stock pot for a seafood boil! Oh one of the discontinued items off the top of my head would be the 3.5 qt Soup pot. You can find it over on Williams-Sonoma!
@@karenandmaya8329 awesome… I noticed the stockpot have bad reviews though. More so because of it being difficult to clean. Have you come across this issue?
@@lashante2793 Great question! I noticed those reviews as well right before I purchased the one I have. I read through most of them and I think it's difficult to clean depending on what it is being used for. I specifically purchased one to do water based cooking and nothing more. So I am making a vegetable stock, boiling pasta, making soup or canning it works well and cleans well. But I haven't used it for anything outside of that. I have had it for over a year and I haven't had any issues. Maybe I should do a follow-up video on it...?
@@karenandmaya8329 I agree with you that the stockpot should be used only for water based cooking ( boiling pasta, stock, soup). Definitely it can be used for seafood boil. That’s what the sales associate from Le Creuset store told me. She even mentioned that if the soup recipe requires braising meat, she recommends to use another pot first then transfer the meat and the stock / liquid in the stockpot…. The store associate also mentioned that most of their stockpots are sold to restaurant owners because the majority of restaurants use them for making stocks….
Hi Karen! Thanks for another considerate video - I appreciate your thoughts as I am buying my new kitchen products with familiarity of the brand but not getting to see and feel them up close (online shopping 🙄). I also don’t want a cupboard full of stuff I don’t use! I currently don’t have a frypan but actually don’t use one that often so my 5qt (32cm) is also used for some frying?! 🤷♀️ Thinking maybe of the crepe pan though if it goes cheap for Black Friday sales, it looks fine for the type of frying I do (pancakes, veggie burgers, etc). Have a great day!
I really like the fact that you use the braiser in a such a multipurpose way! I am currently watching to see what Le Creuset might do for Black Friday, hopefully they will have a really good sale.
3.5qt =I can't cook, people are skinny and don't want to have seconds of my food. 5qt= People think my food is ok but only want one serving. No left overs. 7.5qt=People love my food and have seconds and love the left overs. 😂😂
OK I’ll be honest here and say that after watching numerous videos and doing a ton of research, at the end of the day, I think you need BOTH sizes.
Depending on what you’re making/cooking, each size has a purpose. 😊 I recently got both (at incredible prices) so I couldn’t pass up. Cannot wait to use them!!!
I agree, I think it is good to have both, for sure!
Crate & Barrel is having a sale on the Le Creuset 3.5 quart Signature Sauteuse oven for $199.95. Also the 6.75 quart wide Dutch Oven for $279. I got the 3.5 Le Creuset at the store in Manhattan but since it's heavy I got it sent. They offer free shipping as well, William Sonoma charges for shipping. I got the color Marseille. The 3.5 quart size looked to be perfect for making a vegetable soup for one or two people. Remember to get wooden or rubber tools to use with Le Creuset as its enameled interior. I got it on Monday the 23rd so excited for it to come.
yes, the round wide oven is quite heavy. the rubber tools are so useful, just got a set for my daughter's home as well!
@@karenandmaya8329 question is it ok to use silicone utensils? Or should I get Le Creuset tools
@@cherylelinsmith743 Silicone utensils work really well with the Le Creuset items. I pick up the silicone utensils from target or crate and barrel.
@@karenandmaya8329 Thanks, the silicone utensils I have are from William Sonoma and I think they are not that good. Yes I got a ladle from Crate & Barrel. I’m going downtown to Sur La Table to get the Victorinox Swiss Army Chefs knife. One that Americas Test Kitchen recommends, and under 75 dollars. I’m going to look and see what utensils they have. What sponge are you using to clean your Le Creuset? One I have the SOS one is too harsh. I looked in Target but all the same.
Thank you for your information. Told with pure honest insight from your own experiences and is so much more helpful that most tv personalities. Wish you all the best!
Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment! Have a wonderful day!
Karen, thank you for your videos. You have proven to be a great resource for my choices while on my Le Creuset journey.
Awwww thank you so much for the awesome feedback! I am so glad you found the videos helpful. 😊
Hi Karen: amazing video. I really have no idea about any of this. I'm purchasing a braiser for my wife as a Christmas present. I was totally confused about which one to get. After watching this video I know the 3.5 will be perfect. Thank you for making this video!! Your awesome. Happy Holidays, Brian
Hi Brian, what a lovely gift to give, I am excited for her, lol!! The Braiser is one of my favorite pieces because it is so versatile and the 3.5 is the perfect size for everyday use! Happy Holidays!!
Thanks for explaining. This video helped immensely ❤
Thank you so much for watching!
I really like the 5qt! It’s just my husband and I, but we like to batch cook. I was regularly struggling before with a medium lodge skillet (+extra pan) to braise, which was why I was looking to upgrade. I was worried about the 3.5 being too small, and I’m so glad I went with my gut! I love making massive meals 🥲
Ohhhh the lodge skillet, I have two of those and you are right that is what made me switch to the Le Creuset braiser. My mom has the 5 qt and it is just her!!! lol... I know I will likely purchase one at some point because I really don't know how to cook in small quantities! 😁
I have the 3.5 qt and even though it is only me I cook for, I found it didn't have enough surface to brown everything. I batch cook so it is like I cook for 4-6 people. The 3.5 qt looks large but when you actually go to use it, I regretted not getting the larger one. I find I rarely use my braiser because of it but it would come in handy instead of a stainless steel skillet. I'm debating whether to upgrade to the 5 qt or get the 7.5 qt dutch oven since the color I want is being discontinued.
I am so glad you made this video!! I just wanted to tell you I purchased one in fig yesterday! I’m so excited to receive it!!
Do you have an Instagram?
I would love to see more videos with recipes to use the braiser ❤️ in November they include a spoon rest with any order over $200, I picked the meringue one because that’s what my Dutch oven color is in but I love the fig color, it is expensive for le cruset but I’m obsessed, I set aside money and wanted this since last Christmas lol so I’m beyond excited for mine to come in. What was your recipe for your macaroni and cheese?
I love it, oh and absolutely will have more videos using the braiser. I think I use it at 3 to 4 times a week in combination with my Dutch Oven. I do have an instagram, and I am slowly introducing my love of Le Creuset over there. This holiday season I am trying to catch the Le Creuset oven mitts and apron...lol
Fig is gorgeous!
@@maryam6712 I'm excited for you!!!
Thank you for making this! I have been looking everywhere for someone to compare the difference in the two sizes. ❤️
My pleasure Anna!! Happy to help!!! Happy Cooking!
Thanks for the helpful video. Do you think the 3.5 qt is big enough to comfortably stir/sauce a pound of pasta, or probably not? I looked at the Mac and Cheese video but couldn't decide what I thought. Usually do a lot of italian pastas where you make the sauce part in one pot (probably the braiser), and then add the pasta to the braiser to finish it.
Thank you for watching, I definitely think that the 5 qt braiser is more suited for making the sauce and adding the pasta in afterwards. I found in the 3.5 braiser is that the minute I add the pasta to the sauce all of the contents will rise, almost to the top, making it difficult to stir.
The wide round dutch oven is also a great choice for making sauces and adding further ingredients! I hope that was helpful, thank you for watching!
@@karenandmaya8329 Thank you! That's really helpful. I'll check out the wide round dutch oven too.
@@matthewmaclellan_ Happy Cooking!
I just bought three Le Creuset pieces during the Holiday sales (my first purchases from them). Your videos have been super helpful :)
I'm so glad! Thank you for watching!!!
This is exactly the video I needed ❤
Thank you so much for watching! Happy cooking!
Thanks for the great advice!
Thank you for watching!!
Very informative Thank You!
Thank you!
Do you like any of the more muted, matte colors? I just started collecting graphite, a color exclusive to Crate & Barrel, and I love its matte appearance. It looks very contemporary and goes well with my decor, and it’s a nice departure from the usually gradient aesthetic to most of the other colors. I also like matte white, which is exclusive to Williams Sonoma.
I like the matte white and matte French grey colors. I just haven't found an item to purchase in those particular colors yet. Graphite is gorgeous!
Not a fan of the mute or French Grey colors. I like the darker Fig, Agave, Oyster, Artichaut, Spinach, Cayenne, and Ocean colors. I find darker colors to be more fitting to my style, but I do like plain bright white, it feels bold.
God Bless Ladies! It’s like you read my mind! I needed this video! Thanks for sharing!
Oh I am so glad! ❤
So appreciate your vid! I had bought a meringue 5.25 quart Dutch oven little over a year ago and love it-now thinking of a flame braiser. Sounds like 3.5 is a solid choice based on your comments, weight (had checked Sur La Table for size comparisons), fit on the stove, etc. Thank you:-)
My pleasure Ann!!!
Hi! I can’t decide which braiser t get! now it is just me and my husband but we host around 3-4 people at a time maybe 1 time a month. However I do not see myself upgrading due to the price. I wanna get a size that will last as our family grows (god wiling a couple of kids ) and more guests (6-8 at a time)… i know for our expanded family and guests 5 qt would be suitable . Would it also be ok to cook for 2 people? Or would food burn?
Hi Natalie, what a great question! I would definitely purchase the 5 qt braiser. It will allow for cooking for two or more and there would be no need to upgrade in future. I also enjoy entertaining and on average I cook for 3 people daily and 5-6 people each weekend and I tend to grab my 5qt most often as it is the most convenient size for cooking most anything, I use my 3 qt for more searing and baking. I hope that was helpful! Thank you for watching! Happy Cooking!
You give Karens a good name. :) Thank you for your awesome videos. I'm new to the Le Creuset fan-hood and. Am. HOOKED. I bought the 5-quart because I have been annoyed over the past couple of years, at having to do multiple batches when frying chicken for my husband and me - using stainless steel pans which I kept having to let cool a little between batches. Way too labor-intensive -- as you would say: NOT handy-dandy! (I make enough for leftovers, since he gets hungry again a couple of hours later and I want him eating something homemade instead of highly processed convenience foods.) Hoping it'll work perfectly - am optimistic.
Hi There!!! Welcome to the channel! The Braiser is my absolute favorite piece from Le Creuset! That is one thing that I really enjoy about cast iron because it can tolerate the high heat so much better! Happy Cooking!!!
If you have a small oven don't go bigger than the 3.5 quart. I have one that I love and it just barely fits my tiny apartment range/oven. However, the braiser is wonderful at distributing heat from partially working coils.
Sara, this is an excellent tip! Do you mind if I include this on my list of tips?
@@karenandmaya8329 Sure thing!
@@sarabartel4285 Thank you! I'll make sure to credit you and I'll likely use It in a follow-up video. Thank you again!
I would have liked this video if you had actually shown the 2 sizes, next to each other and compared to something else so that we can actually see the difference. That's what no one is showing, not even Le Creuset's site. It's hard to tell by just reading measurements.
Hi Erica, I have another video on the unboxing and review of the 5qt Braiser in Chambray where it is side by side with the 3.5 Braiser. Thank you for watching!
Girl.... this one has got to be speaking to me! A sister was stressed. 😂 Great topic! 👏🏾
Hahhahahahahaha!!!
Hi Karen, is the artichaut braiser I see in the thumbnail a 3.5qt model? I have the 7.25qt dutch oven in artichaut for bread and larger quantities but I love the idea of having a smaller braiser for some of the more "everyday" cooking.
Hi Daniel, yes, this artichaut braiser is the 3.5 model. I really like this size and it is my favorite for everyday use!
@@karenandmaya8329 thank you! I love your videos; keep up the good work.
@@dback68 Thank you so much!!!!
Heeyyyyy!!!!! It’s me! Lol! Great video. I have a few questions. First can you use a stockpot for a seafood boil, just curious? Second what are the items that you mentioned are going to be discontinued? I’ve watched so many videos now I can’t remember lol. Are they the French oven and the essential oven? I’ll let you get those answered first before hitting with more… Thanks in advance lol.
Hi LaShante! You can definitely use the stock pot for a seafood boil! Oh one of the discontinued items off the top of my head would be the 3.5 qt Soup pot. You can find it over on Williams-Sonoma!
@@karenandmaya8329 awesome… I noticed the stockpot have bad reviews though. More so because of it being difficult to clean. Have you come across this issue?
@@lashante2793 Great question! I noticed those reviews as well right before I purchased the one I have. I read through most of them and I think it's difficult to clean depending on what it is being used for. I specifically purchased one to do water based cooking and nothing more. So I am making a vegetable stock, boiling pasta, making soup or canning it works well and cleans well. But I haven't used it for anything outside of that. I have had it for over a year and I haven't had any issues. Maybe I should do a follow-up video on it...?
@@karenandmaya8329 I agree with you that the stockpot should be used only for water based cooking ( boiling pasta, stock, soup). Definitely it can be used for seafood boil. That’s what the sales associate from Le Creuset store told me. She even mentioned that if the soup recipe requires braising meat, she recommends to use another pot first then transfer the meat and the stock / liquid in the stockpot….
The store associate also mentioned that most of their stockpots are sold to restaurant owners because the majority of restaurants use them for making stocks….
Hi Karen! Thanks for another considerate video - I appreciate your thoughts as I am buying my new kitchen products with familiarity of the brand but not getting to see and feel them up close (online shopping 🙄). I also don’t want a cupboard full of stuff I don’t use! I currently don’t have a frypan but actually don’t use one that often so my 5qt (32cm) is also used for some frying?! 🤷♀️ Thinking maybe of the crepe pan though if it goes cheap for Black Friday sales, it looks fine for the type of frying I do (pancakes, veggie burgers, etc). Have a great day!
I really like the fact that you use the braiser in a such a multipurpose way! I am currently watching to see what Le Creuset might do for Black Friday, hopefully they will have a really good sale.
3.5qt =I can't cook, people are skinny and don't want to have seconds of my food.
5qt= People think my food is ok but only want one serving. No left overs.
7.5qt=People love my food and have seconds and love the left overs.
😂😂
LOL!