Gear Heads | What is a Braiser and Why Does it Deserve a Place in My Kitchen?



On today’s episode, we have a special guest, Riddley, the editor on the team who tested braisers! She loves them because they are ready to tackle anything from chili to sautéed greens to shakshuka to roast chicken. Follow along as she and Lisa compare them to Dutch ovens and skillets.

Disclaimer: This video was filmed earlier this year and our team is currently working on exciting new content at home for the foreseeable future. Stay healthy and hope you enjoy!

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27 Comments

  1. I can't understand how someone has a problem or issues with a dark interior like the Staub but yet be okay with non-stick cookware, carbon steel and natural cast iron for the last forever years of the past. If nothing else being a positive I bet the bottom of that darker interior is not going to be all stained up like the white ones in 10 or 20 years either. Just saying.
    If you can manage cooking with non-stick , carbon steel and cast iron then the dark Staub interior is not going to be a problem.

  2. I am so scared of all that fancy Dutch oven I bought one at the Goodwill today and it's good shape it's not as tall I think it's like a 4 quart or something it's a big side for me it's real big it's had not been cook in the bottom is green and on the side is green and inside is cream color I am so scared to cooking with it I am use of cast iron the black one you don't have to pray to use it or nothing you season it and everything go on with the flow I am so scared of using the Dutch oven with the cream color in it I don't want to mess it up so I just put it in the cabinet just look at it every now and then

  3. I've seen some of these models that are offered with GLASS lids rather than cast iron. have you found serious disadvantages (or "glass half full" person that I am — any ADVANTAGES) to the glass lid? there is a Staub that is on sale but has the glass lid — which is why I'm asking. thanks.

  4. I have the 5QT Le Creuset braiser in indigo blue and it looks gorgeous and the food tastes gorgeous. I’ve used it almost everyday since the day I got it couple of months ago. Handles so many recipes for the family – pad Thai, one pot pasta, zucchini noodles, curried paneer, paella, chunky soups, quesadillas, red and green shakshouka, stir fries 😋. I absolutely love it because it’s super easy to clean and it looks as good as the day I bought it (I only use wooden spoons and tongs). Besides it’s the only brand that passes California prop 65 standards. I wish we invested in it earlier in our life. We would have cooked more at home and been healthier for it.

  5. i get tired of the throwaway comments – ceramic isn't as good retaining heat – and then X over a great product as if that's all viewers need to hear. and no explanation why a black surface is hard to see browning on but a white surface is ok with onions, etc – and the color means nothing once you start adding enough ingredients to fully cover the surface. how much contrast do you need to evaluate a pan full of sauce & chops?

  6. Turns out, right now, a braiser is much more useful to me than a Dutch oven. I'm hoping to get the latter eventually as well but for now, anything I can do in a Dutch oven I can also do in a regular, big pot. But the braiser is great for finishing dishes in the oven or roasting meat and then making a gravy out of the burnt juices.

  7. I have the Le creuset braiser and honestly if I could go back I would have bought the same braiser but with the glass lid. For what I use it for, which is stroganoff, chicken parm and sauces/gravy, the CI lid is overkill and just heavy. For something like a Dutch oven, yes get the CI lid, but for an everyday pan you use a lot for weeknight dinners in place of a skillet, go with the glass lid.

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