Staub Cocotte

A Staub cocotte sits on my stove looking like a piece of industrial sculpture. A matte black enameled cast iron pot with a brass knob on the lid and a weight that tells you immediately this is not a pot you move around casually. I looked at Le Creuset and Staub side by side for weeks and went with the Staub because the interior enamel is black rather than light-colored. Hides staining better and develops a natural seasoning over time that makes the cooking surface more nonstick with each use. Self-basting spikes on the inside of the lid are the clever detail. Small pointed ridges that collect condensation and drip it back onto the food in a pattern that keeps braised meats moist without needing to open the lid and check. I use it for everything from chili to no-knead bread and the heat distribution is even enough that nothing sticks or burns. Even on the electric stove in my apartment that has hot spots with every other pan I own. At $350 for the 5.5-quart round, the price made me hesitate, but my plan is to own this pot for 30 years. Twelve dollars per year, which is what it works out to, feels like a reasonable cost for something I use 3 times a week. Heavier than the Le Creuset equivalent at about 13 pounds, the Staub requires 2 hands and a stable grip when transferring from stove to oven. But The black exterior doesn't show grease splatters, meaning it always looks presentable.