Staub Cast Iron 4-qt Round Cocotte with Glass Lid - Black

Perfection. Since receiving this put I've been using at every opportunity I can. Have made stews, roasts, soups and baked Mac n cheese. Today I'm going to try bread. With the kids out of the house the pot tells me when I'm making to much. I've cut my recipes in half for hubby and myself because cooking for 6 is just to much and I like to cook and I don't always want leftovers to freeze!

This 4 qt. cocotte is great for any recipe asking for a Dutch oven. Because it is smaller than your average Dutch oven, it is great for recipes for 2 people with leftovers or 4-5 for dinner. (As a gauge, I made a half recipe of Ina Garten's Coq au Vin from Back to Basics, and it was a perfect size pot.) I have also made rice in it (great) and the typical No-Knead Bread recipe (think Jim Lahey) and it is terrific. (I have preheated it empty for bread or put the bread in cold, and either works well. Some say you can't preheat it empty, but Staub actually has a recipe on their site for this exact pot and they say to preheat it empty. Do what you feel safest about.) Caveat: I did buy this for a spectacular price during Cyber Week almost 75% off, and that really “sweetened the pot”. Not sure I would be quite as pleased if I'd paid full price, but for what I paid, it's totally worth every penny. It's heirloom quality. Excellent pot.