# **Platform:** youtube **Duration:** 8m **Source:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h5Z97JBzKU ## Summary This video provides a detailed comparison between Le Creuset and Stobe Dutch ovens, focusing on their design, performance, and unique features. It includes test results that highlight the differences in moisture retention and lid design, ultimately helping viewers decide which brand might be better suited for their cooking needs. - Stobe features a self-basting lid design with small bumps that effectively distribute moisture, outperforming Le Creuset in moisture retention tests. - Le Creuset knobs are larger and easier to grip, while Stobe's knobs are smaller and made of steel, oven safe up to 500°F. - The side handles of Le Creuset are wider, providing a better grip for moving hot Dutch ovens. - Le Creuset has a smooth sand-colored interior for better visibility of food doneness, while Stobe's matte black interior is stain-resistant. - Stobe Dutch ovens are thicker and heavier, which contributes to better heat retention, but Le Creuset is lighter and easier to handle. - Both brands are high-quality, made in France, and come with a significant price difference, with Stobe generally being more affordable. - Le Creuset offers a wider variety of vibrant exterior colors compared to Stobe's more limited options. - Ultimately, both brands are durable and well-designed, making them excellent choices for cooking enthusiasts. ## Transcript [[0:00]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h5Z97JBzKU&t=0s) foreign [Music] I give you a side-by-side comparison of Le Creuset versus stobe you'll learn how their dutch ovens differ in design performance weight and more I also reveal my test results that show if stobe's self-basting lid actually makes a difference let's get started when you look at stobe and La Crusade dutch ovens side by side the first difference you'll notice is the knob attached to the [[0:32]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h5Z97JBzKU&t=32s) center of the lid stobe's lid knobs are made out of steel with nickel or brass exterior they are oven safe up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and get extremely hot whether you're cooking on the stove or in the oven you can buy replacement handles in the shape of different animals like a cow a rooster and a pig which is a fun way to label what's inside if you have multiple dutch ovens going at once La Crusade dutch ovens [[0:54]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h5Z97JBzKU&t=54s) come with either a black phenolic knob that has a rubbery texture or a smooth stainless steel knob in addition to the standard stainless look the steel knobs are available with a decorative metallic gold or copper finish the main difference between the black and the steel knobs is the oven safe temperatures the classic black knob is oven safe up to 380 degrees the signature black knob is oven safe up to 480 degrees and all the steel knobs can [[1:19]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h5Z97JBzKU&t=79s) handle up to 500 Degrees if you look closely at the knobs you'll notice that stoves is smaller with a thinner stem La Crusade knobs are thicker and give you more to grab onto and squeeze the larger size also gives you more control when tilting the lid to check on the food Dutch oven Lids are heavy so having a bigger knob makes handling lockers say easier and safer especially when you're wearing a bulky oven mitt another significant difference between stove and [[1:44]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h5Z97JBzKU&t=104s) lucrece Dutch ovens is the size of the side handles La crochet handles are much wider and roomier than stobe La Creuset handles have a 1.25 inch opening for you to get a sturdy grip the opening on stove handles is less than an inch this may not seem like a significant difference but when you go to move a piping hot Dutch oven full of food from the stove to the oven you'll appreciate crusade's wider handles as you can see I [[2:08]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h5Z97JBzKU&t=128s) can easily fit an oven mitt around the luxury handles you can fit your hands around the stob handles but it's much more snug except for the rim of the pot every exterior inch of La Crusade dutch ovens is coated in enamel including the handles at a glance it appears that's the case with stove too however if you look closer you'll notice that the inside of the side handles is bare cast iron it seems like stoves sprayed the [[2:31]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h5Z97JBzKU&t=151s) enamel but didn't angle the sprayer to reach the inside of the handles you can't see the bear cast iron at most angles but you can feel its rough texture when you pick up the Dutch ovens without gloves if you turn over the lids you'll see a pretty significant difference between stobe and la Creuset stove Lids have small bumps that capture evaporated liquid and drip it evenly across the center of the pot luxurusa lids are smooth but do the bumps matter [[2:56]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h5Z97JBzKU&t=176s) do they really distribute moisture more evenly across the pot to find out I put these dutch ovens to the test first I poured 32 ounces of water in both Dutch oven then I brought the water to a boil and let it continue boiling for 10 minutes to gather enough steam inside after 10 minutes I lifted each lid without tilting it and slipped the sheet pan with a paper towel on top right beneath the lid I let the lid rest on [[3:19]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h5Z97JBzKU&t=199s) the paper towel for 20 seconds not only did the stove lid distribute the water droplets more evenly but the lid also captured significantly more water as you can see the paper towel under the Le Creuset lid had some water around the edges but only a little bit in the center while the paper towel onto the stove lid was almost completely saturated with water these results confirm that the design of stove Lids traps and distributes moisture better [[3:44]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h5Z97JBzKU&t=224s) than Le Creuset so yes the bumps on the lid really do make a difference now does that mean that food is going to taste better when cooked in a stove well that depends if you're cooking a meal that benefits from continuous stealth basting like a roasted chicken then yes but if you're cooking soup or sauce having the condensation drip more evenly across the pot won't make a noticeable difference the heavy tight fitting lids on Dutch ovens lock-in moisture resulting in [[4:08]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h5Z97JBzKU&t=248s) tender juicy meals it's one of the main reasons people love Dutch oven so much to find out which Dutch oven retains moisture the best I conducted a simple test first I poured precisely 64 ounces of cold water into both dutch ovens and secured the lids on top then I placed them on the stove and turn the heat to high after the water began to boil I turned the heat to low and let it simmer for 30 minutes after 30 minutes I let [[4:31]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h5Z97JBzKU&t=271s) the Dutch ovens rest on the counter for another 30 minutes with the lid still on finally I poured the remaining water into a measuring cup to determine which Dutch oven retained the most of the 64 ounces of water I poured at the start of the test stove retained 56 ounces and Le Creuset retained only 52 ounces although both dutch ovens retained most of the moisture stove is superior to Le Creuset in this category another key difference [[4:57]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h5Z97JBzKU&t=297s) between stobe and La Crusade dutch ovens is their Interiors La crusade's interior is smooth and sand colored while stoves features a matte black interior that is stain resistant and won't show discoloration over time there are pros and cons to each Brand's approach La crusade's sand colored interior allows you to clearly see and monitor the Browning and doneness of your food stove is dark interior hide stains better but makes it more difficult to monitor Browning and fond development both [[5:26]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h5Z97JBzKU&t=326s) Interiors can scratch and stain but because Le creuset's interior has a lighter collar the damage is more noticeable both Brands offer a variety of exterior colors but la Creuset is the clear winner in this category while stove has around a dozen colors la Creuset has nearly 20 and they are constantly adding new ones many of their colors are bright and distinct like their iconic orange flame color and their Caribbean Blue during the enameling process two separate colors [[5:54]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h5Z97JBzKU&t=354s) are applied to create a beautiful two-toned gradient that you'll see on most pieces another key difference between stove and La Crusade dutch ovens is their weight and thickness stove dutch ovens are made with a noticeably thicker walls the top part of stobe's walls are 4.6 millimeters and la Creuset walls are 3.8 millimeters because of their thickness stove dutch ovens are heavier for example this stove around 5.5 quart dutch oven weighs 12.8 pounds while this la Creuset 5.5 quart dutch [[6:25]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h5Z97JBzKU&t=385s) oven weighs 11.5 pounds although dutch ovens are heavy in general Le Creuset pieces are a bit lighter and easier to maneuver which is especially important if you plan to do stove to oven meals that require you to lift the Dutch oven when it's full and piping hot both brands have a long history and a reputation for producing some of the best enameled cast iron cookware in the world but with that comes a price both brands are expensive but stove dutch [[6:50]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h5Z97JBzKU&t=410s) ovens are slightly more affordable the price varies by size and color but expect to save between 20 and 50 dollars with stove if both brands are over your budget sign up for my free newsletter in the pinned comment and I'll email you when they go on sale so should you buy a stove or a La Crusade Dutch oven the key advantages of La Crusade dutch ovens are that they're light and easier to maneuver the handles are larger the sand colored interior [[7:16]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h5Z97JBzKU&t=436s) makes it easier to monitor Browning and the exterior colors are nearly Limitless but there's a lot to like about stove dutch ovens too they're thicker and heavier which allows them to retain heat and moisture better the self-basting lids distribute liquids more evenly over the pot and stains and scratches are less noticeable on the dark colored interior ultimately you can't go wrong with either they're both High performing durable and elegantly designed and they're both made in France by expert [[7:42]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h5Z97JBzKU&t=462s) Craftsmen and unlike many other brands both operate their own production facilities which helps maintain strict quality standards if you're ready to buy or just want to learn more I'll link to websites that sell both brands in the description of this video those are affiliate links so I'll earn a commission if you click and buy but at no extra cost to you if this video was helpful check out this video where I highlight the best La Crusade [[8:06]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h5Z97JBzKU&t=486s) Alternatives and don't forget to click the logo to subscribe to the channel thanks for watching we'll see you in the next video