So I am trying to learn to make really outstanding bread. I am tired of the poor quality and flavorless bread from the grocery stores. So I found a recipe I really liked and they HIGHLY suggested it be cooked in a Dutch oven. I have a Le Creucet Dutch oven I inherited but it wasn't the right size for what I wanted to do. When I checked the prices it was kind of shocking, but I know they are regarded as the best, plus they have a lifetime warranty. I don't want to be one of those people on Amazon that bought one and liked it for the first 3 times I used it, then the enamel starts flaking off.
I looked at the Amazon ones and it seems that some people like them but there are also a lot of problems, same with the Lodge. Kind of a crapshoot. I actually had one from Made In in my cart, but then they said the 15% discount they offered me was not available, so I started looking on eBay for a used Le Creuset. I was also a bit taken aback at what they still bring used, often after suffering serious abuse. While I was searching for other sources I realized that there was a Le Creuset outlet store about 10 miles south of me. After reading the reviews I was a bit apprehensive that the drive would not be worth it.
So, first off, this store is small, but nice. Everything the have is on display nicely. The guy that helped me (sorry, I should have gotten his name) was super helpful and knowledgeable. The items I was looking at were at a discount to the normal Le Creuset prices, but not anything crazy -- then I noticed the discount table in the middle of the store. Everything on it was 40% off the lowest marked price! So, long story short I was looking at a slightly larger Dutch oven, but one size down was 40% off. That was hard to pass up. In the end, I got a super nice Dutch Oven for about half what they go for online.
So as for the people that didn't think the discounts were enough, there is a whole table of stuff in the middle of the store at large discounts. You have to realize it is an outlet store, they mark down what they want to move. It is also a great full service store with nearly everything that Le Creuset makes. It is a business, not a charity. They have a new sale every week, I do wish they had a mailing list or such to let people know what is going to be on sale that week, but they don't. Obviously they want you top visit the store, and I can accept that. Just know, that there will be *something* on sale, maybe not just what you wanted that week.
In the end, I ended up with a Dutch oven, one size smaller than I had planned to buy. I used it for the first time today, and I was so happy when I took the lid off and saw the bread I made. I don't think it could have been cooked any better. The price I paid on the sale table was only slightly more than what I would have paid for a used one in decent shape on eBay. That is something you might consider, as its pretty crazy to imagine selling a used pan for anywhere near what you paid.
Anyway, I am super excited to taste this bread and use it again. I am very glad I made the drive to the outlet store. read more