40509-480-0 Cocotte Round 16cm Black

I have many Staub cocottes, from the 11cm oval to the 23cm oval, including several round ones. I also have some Le Creuset oval cocottes (in 25,27 and 29cm) in Satin Black because the domed shape of the lids on these is better for roasting such things as chicken. Generally speaking, though, the quality of Staub is much superior to Le Creuset. For one thing, they all have a black interior, which is much preferable as it will become non stick with time. By contrast, only the satin black range in Le Creuset has this feature. Secondly, the enamel on the outside is beautiful, with semi transparent hues. Thirdly, the design is better: the lids are heavier, which means that more moisture stays in, they have inner spikes which redistribute cooking juices, and the handles stick out a little more and are rectangular instead of semi-circular, which means that you can hold them with less risk of burning yourself against the body of the cocotte. As you probably gathered I'm a great fan of good quality cast iron. You get a crust on meat with it that nothing else provides, rice cooks up fluffy and light, and most importantly for me bread comes out perfect everytime. It has a crust like artisan bread and a wonderful taste. Contrary to what many recipes stipulate, I do not heat up the whole cocotte before hand. I preheat the lid to the maximum temperature my oven allows (245°C) for about 40mn. Meanwhile I let my dough (made with very little yeast and left overnight) rise again in the body. I put to hot lid on top, turn down the oven temperature to 200°C, and then bake. I get perfect results, chewy, flavoursome crust and tender inside. Anyhow, these Staub are versatile, durable and beautiful. What more do you want? (ah, I know: a cheaper price. But you get what you pay for...).

I've recently fallen in love with Staub cast iron products, so I’ve started collecting them one by one. Since I live alone, I really enjoy small, cute cookware that's just right for me—and this 12cm cocotte is the perfect size! 🥰 In the picture, I’ve put it side by side with my 10cm dark blue cocotte so you can see the size difference. Both are adorable, but the 12cm gives me that little bit of extra space I needed. The package arrived safely with no damage, and the product was in perfect condition—no defects at all. Plus, I managed to snag it at a sale price, which made it even better! Super happy with this purchase. One small wish though—I really hope they release more pastel colors in the future!

Keep food warm, good quality 💯❣️

Perfect for cooking single portions from scratch. Worth the investment. Looks great left upon the side.

When I open the pracel, I found the handle was broken...

My first Staub piece, this was so good that I got another slightly larger Staub cocotte in less than a month. I got the 14cm cocotte specifically to cook rice and other grains in. The well-designed, tight-fitting, heavy lid works well with keeping moisture in so steamed rice and slow-cooked stews don't dry up by accident.

Very expensive, in fact like another well known French make over priced. I bought a similar sized cast iron dish in a local super market 2/3rds cheaper and just as good quality. Like 'the other' make you are paying for a name. There is no doubting the quality and of course it works beautifully well, if you want one to make a meal for one, which was my plan, I would say this one is a little small, if I could rewind my life a few weeks I would buy the next size up. If you want to impress people and let them think you are rich or if you are rich go for it.

Just large enough for two.Prep cook on the hob. Perfect for slow cook in the oven.No messy extra pans. When used, a little soak in soapy hot water and then easy to clean.The perfect colour I needed. A good robust product I would expect from a traditional French brand.