ottawa foodies

So, while in the USA on the weekend, I set out to buy a Chefmate branded enameled cast iron dutch oven... $40, and Cooks Illustrated stated, after their tests, that it was on par with le creuset, which is around $150-200... no thanks. I'm going to be making some soups and stews in the next few days, so I'll report back with my first impressions. Aesthetically, it's got a nice finish on it, and is quite heavy, but not unmanageably so. Tomorrow, I think a pozole soup is on the menu, and then later this week I'll be using some grass-fed stewing beef cubes I picked up from the Carp farmer's market. I can't wait! Oh, and I have to try baking the no knead bread in my dutch oven as well... the list goes on!

Sounds great, best of luck with the pozole! The Heartland Farms grass-fed beef is awesome -- let us know how it turns out in your stew.

Giant Tiger has enameled cast iron cooker for about $8 a piece as I recall. Yes, I am morbidly curious :-)

Whoa... that's just WRONG... $8... LOL... I'd be scared to use it. Hell, buy it and post a review!

So what are your impressions with the Chefmate dutch oven? I'm in the market for one and I'm not sure that I want to shell out the $150 for a Le Creuset (although Home Sense have factory seconds for a good deal).

The Chefmate is very good. I've used it extensively since I bought it and the only complaint I would have is that it's surface area is not capable of searing large batches of meat, not that that's important to me since I'm not cooking for 5-6 people anyway... the enameled surface is very easy to clean, the pot is very responsive to heat and retains heat very well. Aesthetically, it's very nice (use Borat accent there).

Conclusion: save some money, buy the Chefmate!

I picked up the Mario Batali enamel coated Dutch Oven about a year ago when it was on sale for about $70, and it's been perfect so far. It got good review in Cook's Illustrated as well, with the only complaint being that the handles are a bit small. It has "self-basting" spikes on the lid that actually work great.

Thanks Chimichimi. I always wondered about the Chefmates.

As it happens, I just bought a Le Creuset from Homse Sense last night. I got a 7 1/4 qt french/dutch oven for only $140. One tiny surface scratch is the only defect I can see. I smell a pot roast coming this weekend!

Actually, I just saw 2 le creuset dutch ovens for $150 (a piece) at Winner's in Bayshore. They are factory seconds, but they looked very nice! Ottawafoodies take note, go to Bayshore Winner's to get your Le Creuset!

The Home Sense on Innes Road (near the Home Depot) has a whole bunch too. That's what I got, it was a factory second.

Perhaps I shouldn't give away her secret but my wife picks up Le Creuset at attractive prices in local antique shops. It's 30 = 40 years old but still basically like new. About the same price as new Chefmate.

Yeah, antique shops are good places to find used le creuset at a good price. I'm going to be heading down to the US soon so I'm going to be picking up a couple of chefmate dutch ovens as christmas gifts.

I never thought of checking antique stores for old Le Creusets. That's a brilliant idea, but I'll be sure not to share the information ;)

We found a Mario Batali cast iron enamelled Dutch Oven at Zellers some months back for about half price - maybe because it was green (oh, sorry, "pesto"). We have seen a similar pot at HomeSense. For a quite good deal on new (non-enamelled) frying pans and Dutch Ovens (Lodge brand) I would recommend the Scout Shop on Baseline.

Canadian Tire has Kitchen Aid cast iron enamel cookware on sale this week for 50% off. Prices range from 49.99 to 74.99. I have never used, but thought it was worth mentioning.
www.canadiantire.ca

Costco's website has a bunch of Le Creuset at very good prices.

5.4L dutch oven - $70
6.5 L - $79
6 piece set - $120

Tagine - $150

Was just there tonight and Costco also has some enamel ware from another company whose name escapes me. Big dutch oven dealy.

I've purchased Staub, which might be better quality then Le Creuset, from Costco before and at a really good price.

With the exception of the Tagine pot, the enamel on the Costco web site is in fact Le Cuistot. I don't know much about their products.

www.costco.ca

I hope this helps!

Whoops! Sorry about that.

Good catch ottawa_adam! I've googled Le Cuistot, and there are lots of advertisements, but absolutely NO CORPORATE information came up. It seems that it normally sells for about 1/3 of what Le Creuset costs.. which would mean that although it may or may not be quality cookware, the deal at Costco isn't quite as sweet as it may appear. I also take issue with a knockoff that specifically chooses a name that is easily confused with the original... smacks of dishonesty.

I was at the Costco on Merivale today and they had the large green Mario Batali cast iron dutch oven in stock for something like $80.

I just found a... warning of le cuistot on the american test kitchen message board, take it with a grain of salt, though the person does have some valid and entirely plausible complaints about their le cuistot cookware:
www.americastestkitchen.com

Ikea also seems to have cast iron now, both enameled (Senior) and not (Bravera). Prices seem pretty reasonable too.

Hmmm I finally found some (albeit brief) info on Le Cuistot. From the website here ( www.findownersearch.com ) it appears the brand is owned by a Montreal based company called Orly Global Trading Inc. which also owns the brand names Cool Kitchen and Josef Strauss. It looks like this company is more of an importer, than a manufacturer/designer... but who am I to say?

PiH thanks for your investigative skills. I have seen some of those Cuistot kitchenwares at some of the stores around Ottawa (possibly Costco - I spend way too much time in kitchen stores LOL) and am leary about brands I don't know. I just like to know what my bakeware is made of. I keep thinking about those toys with the lead based paint.... However if anyone is looking for cast iron, the antique stores are a great idea but you could also try flea markets, garage sales, or estate sales. I'll bet you could find some really good bargains at any of those places.

I forget if I've mentioned this around somewhere else, but may as well chime in.

As unenameled cast iron went, I took a bit of the cheater's way out and picked up a pre-cured Lodge at The Bay for sixty bucks. After putting another two layers of cure on it (make the fat vegetable shortening and the temperature high, please) it's definitely one of my favourite pans.

The only issue I have with it is the issue I have with almost all of my cookware: it never seems to be big enough. at 11", you really have to work to fit a pair of ribeyes in there ;)

But it's made the best salmon I've ever had.

Yes those Lodge cast iron ones are supposted to be excellent quality - just as good as Le Creuset but cheaper. One of my friends has her grandmother's unenamelled cast iron skillet which I think is nearly 70 years old. She covers in Crisco then bakes in a low slow oven and has never had any problems with it.

I should qualify by saying that I had to return the first one I got due to a manufacturing defect. It cracked during my first round of curing, which was surprising to me considering I hadn't dropped it or subjected it to massive changes in temperature.

This one seems intact, and I've been using it for months.

On sale at Canadian tire for 1/3 regular price - Kitchen Aid enameled cast iron dutch oven

www.canadiantire.ca

Thnaks, amazing find Zymurgist...I hope that this one is big enough for me and can be heated on the stove top.

Went to check it out last night... it's not that big... I'd say about 1 foot across the long part and about 6-8 inches high.

I sent it to my wife too and she says this :-)

"The KitchenAid ones are kinda sucky because they've the stainless steel covers. Lose heat that way. The IKEA ones and the Le Creuset "french ovens" are cast-iron top and bottom and what I'd prefer. I wouldn't pay $20 for one w/ a steel cover, honestly. I want the whole thing in enamelled cast iron."

BTW, I forget the brand name, but I saw some really nice enamel cast iron cookware at the Scout Shop on Baseline.

bit.ly/ScoutsCanada

Hmmmmm Le Crueset gear is certainly awesome...but the price is prohibitive. Maybe I will check out Ikea....

Winners and HomeSense are good places to find enameled cast iron cookware, sometimes you can find a decently priced Le Creuset hanging around.

The Calaphalon stuff looks pretty nice.

For Le Crueset I love shopping (read looking) at Williams and Sonoma.

I'd love to get one made by Le Crueset... guess I'll have to watch for a sale. I currently use either a Paderno stainless steel dutch oven or a Lagostina non-stick (the latter cannot go in the oven). Both came as part of larger sets. Unfortunately, my Paderno now has blueish spots in its interior (was told it was because I had put it in the oven). Not sure if there is anyway now to remove these :-(

Snoopy Loopy - Love Willams & Sonoma make a stop there whenever I get to TO.

Yes... it's a great store!

As for the bluish tints on stainless steel, I was told that occurs when you improperly heat it, or heat it too high. Can someone confirm?

On the Creuset subject: I bought a beautiful Le Creuset dutch oven (Tropical Blue) this summer for 2$ at a garage sale. The only problem is, the inside has lots of mileage.. and it almost look like something was burnt in it.. I Knew a place in Gatineau, Chapman that can refinish Creusets. It is $80, however considering that I only paid 2$ and they are worth over 200 I think it's still a good deal. The only problem is that they have to re-fire the paint as well. Apparently it melts in the process and they only have red-blue-black and orange I think. I really want to keep the original color. Anyone know where else I could have this done? Does not have to be in the area...

Pretty sure the Kitchenaid cover is cast iron. The handle only is SS...

I picked it up when I was at C-Tire yesterday, and it seemed cast iron to me. But my wife said that in the description it says enamel on steel, not cast iron. And she said it can appear a lot like cast iron but does not keep the heat in the same way. I dunno - she didn't want one in any case :-)

I like Lodge's cast iron skillet, which is not enameled.
www.lodgemfg.com
My cooking teacher loves Staub www.staubusa.com/index.asp
better than Le Creuset, she told me many reasons why, but I cannot remember...
I would love to get a set of "Sonoma Blue" Le Creuset... but $$$ it's quite expensive:(

I went out and got the kitchenaid dutch oven for 33 bucks. It seems pretty well made (lid seems enameled cast iron to me), very heavy, and just big enough for me, probably not ideal for someone who cooks for 5-6 people. I was impressed how well it sealed and how well it cleaned up. I made a pretty quick leek and broccoli soup in it just to see what it was like on the stovetop, although I actually bought it for slow cooking stews in the oven. Takes time to heat up as it is massive, but certainly keeps heat well once it is hot. I think I can safely say it is a good value at that price...

Hmm, I gather then what I got from my mother is indeed a Dutch Oven (didn't know that was what a "cocotte" is in English). It's enamelled cast iron, and probably descoware instead of Le Creuset. I can see it in this series of photos, at #10 of 11, the one on the left with white handles.
descoware.com

Little by little I'm amassing more of her battery of descoware. I recently rescued her larger skillet from storage. Now if I could only figure out how to better use them. :)

Well I saw the one on offer at Canadian Tire... and I have to say that "in person" it seemed smaller than I had hoped for... so I will continue to watch for a sale (particularly, anyone hearing of a Creuset Sale, let me know).

F&T - you should check out the ones at Ikea. I seem to recall the being in the $50 range

A chance to win a blue set of Le Creuset here...on until 11 tonight.
thepioneerwoman.com

The 5L Chefmate is a fantastic deal for $40.00 at Target. I'm not much into cross-border shopping but this deal was just too good to pass up. It is rated on par with Le Creuset as pointed out earlier by Chimichimi and has really great reviews from several sources on-line. The Ikea one is good, but too small. I have a Kitchenaid and can tell already that this one is better.

I guess I can update my experience on the Chefmate one now... it's been a couple of years... the enamel on the inside has discolored a bit, but is performing just as good as when it was new. I've really abused it, made bread, stews, soups, etc. and it's done very well. The only complaint I have is that the lid (not 'stippled' on the underside) does not redistribute the condensation that builds up back into the pot... otherwise, excellent for $40!

I see by the flyers that came with today's Ottawa Citizen that Home Outfitters is having a sale on Creuset French Ovens ($ 50 Off). Still pricey at $ 120 to $ 325, and no mention of sizing, so I'll have to go see them and give it a bit more thought.

BTW, there is also a Cuisinart Sale... Classic 2-Slice Toaster, Cordless Stick Blender, 12 Cup Coffee Maker and their ever popular Cordless Electric Jug Kettle (which I love and own, as well as some other OF Members) any one appliance is $ 70.00

They are also featuring a KitchenAid Artisan 5 Qt Stand Mixer for $ 370 (Reg. $ 500).

Flyer deals run from October 16th thru to October 22nd.

Not to shill, because I haven't actually used my Creuset yet, but Linen Chest usually has prices that are better than HBC/Home Outfitters sale prices. We registered for a 2.4L casserole that's listed on their website for $110, regularly priced--I think it was on sale for $80 when our friends gifted it to us.

Similarly, our Monique Lhuiller dinnerware (*sigh*) was only $149, whereas the sale price at HBC was $169.

Lady Who Brunches - Thanks for the tip, I will check it out.

Costco now has a nice looking Kirkland brand which is 6.0L but I did not see a price on it or near it.

I invested in the Le Creuset enameled cast iron dutch oven years ago and have never looked back. It does have some burn marks inside on the bottoms thanks to my ex using it when I was away on a trip, but other than that it has been treated properly by me and is fabulous. I love this piece and fill it up with spaghetti, pot roast and soups regularly during the winter. I find it has a great even heat for both low simmers and browning off meat.
Best of all, hopefully my kids like blue as I'll be able to pass it on to them.

Regardless of brand, with the cold weather setting in I am starting to view a cocotte/dutch oven as indespensible for fall/winter cooking. I have been making oxtail stew, lamb stew, classy bolognese sauces, cassoulets and soups constantly since I have got mine and it has only been a few weeks.

I have gotten into the habit of putting a stew in the oven at around 215F at 10 in the morning and 8-9 hours later enjoying some incredibly tender and tasty yet still very moist results.

Thanks again to zymurgist for the tip on the Kitchenaid CdnTire deal...my dinner guests are indebted...although perhaps a little tired of stew already hahaha

With it getting into that infamous Ottawa cold weather season, I have been dying to make a cassoulet or beef bourguignon. One of the only items I don't have in the kitchen however is a dutch oven. I was at Homesense today and saw some - not sure which brand - that looked pretty nice. Any in put would help.

Anyone ever seen one of these cast iron pizza pans for sale in Ottawa?

secure.lodgemfg.com

Not necessarily that name brand though

since we're on this subject, i'm looking & researching for a cast iron skillet.. if anyone can reccomend any? so far, i'm stuck on a Le Creuset one, i've seen online :) thanks

Are you looking for an enameled or uncoated cast iron skillet? I'd recommend Lodge, affordable and tested and true...

either or, whichever is more practical. maybe enameled? i'm still researching the differences.
i will look at lodge's pieces as well, thanks!

make sure you read this whole thread smartcookie

There is a store in the GTA, near family that has some on sale there and I am quite tempted: www.cayneshousewares.com (Note there are 2 pages of it.) Has anyone heard about or have experience with Starfrit Cast Iron cookware?

One of the reasons I have recently converted to cast iron cookery is the no stick properties of a well maintained pan.

Check this out - 1/2 teaspoon of lard for a whole hour of cooking pancakes, and I do not even need to wash the pan in the end.

I'm new to this site as of today. Just letting those intersted in dutch ovens that Costco has their 5.69 liter cast iron red enamel dutch oven on for $49.99. I believe their regular price is $64.99. Great price and after inspecting the oven at home there are no flaws. cheers

I thought long and hard before I bought my Le Creuset dutch oven - as many have pointed out, they really are an investment. However, a year later, having used it more times than all of my other pots and pans put together, I would say it's worth every penny. I've had other, cheaper brands, and found that between the uneven heating, staining, chipping, they just were not that much of a bargain in the long run. The fact that you can buy Le Creuset in antique stores says something about how well they last. I'm planning to use this for a very long time, and then pass it along to whichever offspring seems most interested in cooking when it's their turn to feed me.

Welcome to the site, Derwilk!

I'm wondering of enamelled cast iron is the way for me to go, given how rarely I use my plain ol' cast iron skillet.

Ok so I have a question about what to do when you have a chip in the interior enameled surface.

My KitchenAid dutch oven gets a lot of use...I make pilafs and soups in it as well as a lot of slow cooking, so it is getting used 4+ times a week. The enameled coating covering the little "condensation bumps" on the underside of the lid are starting to chip/flake away. Can anything be done about this? Am I stuck with the options of using this one until it is truly unusable or buying a new one?

Anyone else have a problem with the KitchenAid dutch ovens?

I had a pot re-enameled and gave it in at The Cookware Centre - 220 Bank Street Ottawa, ON K2P 1X1. Call ahead and ask about more information: (613) 235-6020

I know that Chapman in Gatineau does it also. I had an estimate done on a large creuset pot. I think it was around 80$, the only problem is the have to redo the outside paint as well when they "fire" enamal and they only do the 3 or 4 Creuset colors. Mine is a vintage aqua blue, and I really don't want to change the color...

What color was yours live4food?

I got my Kitchen Aid 3.5 quart dutch oven (see pic) from Cdn Tire in an after Xmas sale. It was 1/2 price ... $50 bucks of $100.

I noticed that Cdn Tire has run the same item sale for 3 years in a row at the exact same time.

If 3.5 quart is the size you need it maybe worth the wait o see if they run that sale again this year.

BTW Ilike my KA dutch oven and used it quite a bit both on the burner and in the oven. No problems of ceramic coming off.

Thanks guys for the suggestions...I'll look into this and see if it is economically feasible to repair a midrange dutch oven at the cookware centre.

It was a multi tonal blue and I miss the colour badly BUT it is now more functional and things no longer catch/burn on the bottom. It is now more of a darker one tone blue (a light navy) and the inside is charcoal coloured and I prefer the white BUT again its more functional now. In retrospect since mine was a Le Creuset, I wish I had enquired about repair/replacement from the company first.

I had an original Le Creuset for decades, but its usefulness was limited by a spot where food had burned to the surface and took the finish off, creating a permanent sticky spot. Then I found a President's Choice knockoff on clearance for $19.99 at the Kanata Superstore. It's the same size as my old pot, and maybe better. Certainly the ceramic interior is better than the painted interior of Le Creuset. It cooks every bit as well, and nothing sticks. I gave the Le Creuset to the Salvation Army.

I just did a 3 part video on caring for cast iron. Feedback (positive and negative) welcomed, as always

The Canadian Tire on Carling by the Corel building has a crapload of different enameled cast iron on sale right now. Most of it Kitchen Aid. They have :

- 1 L KA saucepan for $15! (regular over 50)
- 3.5 L KA dutch oven for $49. (regular $99)
- 5.0 L KA dutch oven for $49 (regular $150)

The 7.0L KA dutch oven is not on sale.

And the dutch ovens do have a cast iron lid, contrary to the ones I looked at before which seemed to be mild steel with enamel coating.

See the picture that Captain Caper posted above - that is the 3.5L version.

They also have a name brand 10" cast iron frying pan on for $20 regular $30. It is not maple lodge - I forget the name but it was nicer than the maple lodge in fact, with a longer handle (my only complaint about my 12" maple lodge). I'd have bought the 10" were I not unemployed.

Another quick video on cleaning cast iron - did not want to give the impression in the last ones that water if verboten. You can definitely clean your pan with water - just be sure to dry it off immediately.

Oh,oh,oh! And here is the Hillbilly method!

Git 'er done!

;)

Cast Iron dutch ovens are now 75% off at Canadian Tire

Yes, as I reported above about a week ago :-)

I think this is mentioned above but Costco has a house brand dutch oven, about 6 L (red, I think) that is 60 bucks or so. Looked like decent quality and value.

I bought a Le Cuisitot dutch oven from Paradis, but the enamel flaked off the lid shortly after purchase. It was about half the price of Le Creuset. I took it back about 18 months later and they exchanged without question--"lifetime guarantee." I asked the clerk whether this was a systematic problem, and she said "no." I have a replacement now--will let everyone know if I have a problem. Paradis is such a pleasure to work with--rare these days...

Benix in the Carlingwood Mall has a 4 or 5 litre cast iron dutch oven with lid on for IIRC $45

there is another post about it somewhere, but Cook's illustrated now rates the Lodge enamelled cast iron almost as highly as the Le creuset. I got a 6 litre at walmart in ogdensburg for around $50, but the price is higher in Canada. You can order it online and have it shipped to the store which is only an hour away. I have the Lodge and Le Creuset, and I'd say in terms of performance they are almost identical, but the lodge is a fraction of the price.

I wonder how hard it would be to make a cast iron pot at home?

www.backyardmetalcasting.com

I'm delurking since I appreciated everyone's thoughts here before my recent purchase of a 7 1/4 quart Le Creuset (round, Dune White), which I actually ended up buying via phone order from the Le Creuset Signature Store in Maryland and having shipped to NY for pick up when I'm down there next weekend. Not having received or used it yet, I can't testify to the success of the phone order system. But I would note that I had originally purchased a 5 quart wide round (the largest I could find) at the Homesense on Merivale for $200 (with tax) and returned it after concluding it was too small for my family of four (two of whom are future teenage boys) or for entertaining. I ended up paying basically the same amount - I believe the final total was $207 - for the much larger item, plus it isn't a factory second like the ones at Homesense. That being said, I was completely open to purchasing factory seconds, based on my inspection of those at Homesense, which appeared to be in excellent condition with only cosmetic issues. But I decided to pay a bit of premium to have the colour I wanted, which was only available at the Signature stores. So, in theory, I could have placed a phone order with one of the Le Creuset outlet shops, which carry factory seconds, and gotten a 7 1/4 for even cheaper. (I note that someone on this thread got a 7 1/4 at Homesense for $140, but that was back in 2007. I highly doubt you would find that size or that price today based on my experience.) Le Creuset often runs promotions. In my case, they were running a scratch card promotion, in which you were guaranteed a discount of at least 25% and up to 35%, and I just trusted the fellow taking my order to scratch the card on my behalf and got 30% off. A lot of people on Chowhound recommend getting on their mailing list so you get a heads-up on these offers, but, in my case, that wasn't even necessary. I'd like to get a smaller 3.5 quart Kitchen Aid from Canadian Tire at some point for no-knead bread, but decided that for the bigger piece I wanted to make the investment as I will be using it all the time. If you're heading down to the States, it's just something to consider.

chicken 76 I can't find the website for the online le creuset store. Can you please help with a link?

Canadian Tire has a 10" kitchen aid frying pan on sale right now for 20 bucks. It has a really long handle which is nice to have on cast iron pans.

blubarry - Sorry. I should have included it in the first place. Here you go: www.lcstores.com/

Just a follow-up message to note that I picked up my french oven a couple of weeks ago and there were no glitches with the phone order. They even delayed mailing for me so that it wouldn't sit at the post office for too long. I put my new pot to work for the first time by making this menu for Christmas dinner: smittenkitchen.com They were crazy good and, with a toddler and six-month old, all the more amazing for being (mostly) make-ahead.

Several different sized cast iron pans at Princess Auto in the surplus section ranging from only about 4 or 5 inches up to about 10 inches, the largest being about $15. Better looking pans than the cheap ones at the superstore

live4food: thank you for mentioning the Cookware Centre, I didn’t know they did re-enamelling. I nearly destroyed my smallest Descoware pan which I got from my mother and is probably older than me. Can you say if yours was as bad as mine? I attach a photo, closeup can be seen here: home.mycybernet.net I’d be very impressed if they can redo this. (I cooked a batch of sweet peppers and I think I forgot to put in any butter/oil. I always used plastic utensils only.)

From what was said, do they re-enamel the outside as well as the inside? Or can they just do the inside? And is the inside now all charcoal/grey? I’m wondering if it’s even worth it with this small a pan, and should just find something new instead.