Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Signature Oval Dutch Oven - 3 Quart, Black - Perfect for Braising, Roasting & Slow Cooking

I just recently discovered Le Crueset and this is one of my favorite pieces. I use this almost every day. It’s a great shape and size and is so versatile. Roast chicken, baked salmon, stuffed shells, sausage and peppers, reheat pasta…and much more. Washes up so easily with a few minutes soapy water soak. You can’t go wrong with this.A great pan, not a huge surprise there.Cleans easily, works great on the stove top and the oven, cleans like a breeze (seared beef, creamed potatoes).One minor issue is that after a couple of uses there are a few scratches at the bottom. Invisible, won't affect cooking, just something to know about.Recommended w/o hesitation.Quality product as far as I can tell. I double checked and as far as I can tell it seems to bethe real deal and not counterfeit.Horrible packaging though. The box showed signs of being previously opened. There was packaging material missing from the inside of the box so the baking dish was rattling around during shipment. It seems like it was a returned item and someone forgot to put all the packaging back in.I may consider buying again for myself but it made for an embarrassing holiday gift. Disappointed.For the kind of cooking I do (lots of roasting, one dish meals), I love this piece. Or, I would have if it hadn't arrived chipped. The gray color is lovely. I had to return it, so can't review specifics, but Le Creuset is always reliable.Great heat distribution, easy and o clean, attractive cookware.We got this because, well, we LOVE Le Creuset.. and we got a convection oven. For the best use of convection, they say you should use a shallow pan to allow the air to circulate, so we got this pan (the 3QT size). It fits a chicken PERFECTLY, and does a really nice job roasting. Clean up is EASY. Love it.I received the 3-quart oval baker, for Christmas, and had to try it right away. Absolutely perfect for my Potatoes Romanoff ... so much better than in a deeper dish. The baker went directly from the refrigerator to the oven (as the oven was heating up); the food released easily, and clean-up was a breeze. I absolutely love this piece; and, I'm so pleased that I asked Santa for the larger size.The Le Crueuset gratin dish is wonderful for gratins, scalloped potatoes, etc; you can heat it on top of stove when you add the milk, then pop in oven, heats evenly, keeps food warmer longer when on the table, and is super easy to clean, just soak it for a few minutes.