This is an incredibly versatile pot. If you're going to get just one piece of Le Creuset, I would go with this (even over my beloved 5 1/2 quart dutch oven!) For me, it does everything I used to do in my dutch oven plus more. It's heavy, browns beautifully, distributes and retains heat evenly, and goes from the stovetop to the oven and back with no problems. I use it like a large skillet for stir fries and veggies, as a roasting pan, for browning and braising meat, and to make gorgeous paellas with crusty bottoms. It is perfect for one pot meals with some rice/potatoes and chicken.

Cleanup is super easy. Soak for a few minutes and most crusted on stuff comes off easily. For really stubborn stains (I once burned some food really badly in this pot), put some water and baking soda in it, bring to a boil for a few minutes, and the burnt on crud almost floats off. I was AMAZED when I tried this!

Looks beautiful as all Le Creuset pots. Will last you a lifetime of wonderful meals!

THIS IS BY FAR MY FAVORITE KITCHEN PAN.
~It is used for so many meals, from cooking eggs, sauces, roasting pan for meats, cooking down greens, heating tortillas, etc. We use it almost daily, as it seems to be the perfect size for most of our meals.
~I have used it for just over one year and it still look awesome. It cleans super easy.
~It is a bit heavy, so if you have a far amount of weakness in your hands or arms, you may not appreciate it as much.
~Heats excellently on my induction stove top.
~Guests have said they really love the kiwi color.

I wanted some "mid range" size enameled cast iron pots that would be a manageable weight and size and be OK when cooking for 2 with left over's, or occasionally 4-6 persons.
The 4 ¼ Qt Le Creuset Soup Pot and the 3 ½ Qt Le Creuset Casserole are perfect. I'm planning to purchase a 7 1/4 Qt Le Creuset French Oven in addition. It's a similar weight and diameter to the Casserole, but (unlike the 5 1/2 Qt French oven) is significantly larger than the 4 1/4 Qt Soup Pot, so I feel it is a worthwhile addition for the 20% of things that don't fit the other 2 Pots.
I'm glad I chose the Cobalt Blue, -it adds some color to the kitchen but not too much. It will go well with a bit of red as well.
The things I like about the large flat Casserole pot is that it is 3 ½ Qt, but the lid is 2 ½ Qt so overall it holds 6 Qt, for things like lamb or chicken roasts.
And it's good for everything except soup. The 4 1/4 Soup Pot on the other hand is ideal for soup (no surprise there) since with it's bath tub shape, small soup batches fill up the side walls rapidly. It can be used for everything else as well, but it's not quite so convenient for dishes which are flat by nature like Salmon. The 4 1/4 Qt Soup Pot with lid is about 5 Qt and has almost an inch more headroom inside than the casserole for things like chicken or roasts.
When you receive your order I recommend checking each piece thoroughly inside and out before removing any labels, and then returning any defective ones to Amazon shipping paid, -if you purchase from someone else this may not be free though. I think the Amazon prices are reasonable especially if you don't live near a Le Creuset outlet store, and if you can get close to 50% of list including shipping with an overall purchase of items, I think you are doing OK. Also keep in mind that the 101 year
owner warranty is all very fine, but you have to print the ownership paperwork on archival quality paper to be readable.

As seems the case with some other reviewers, this was my first piece of Le Creuset. It's wonderful for braising and easy to maintain. It has all of the benefits of uncoated cast iron, with an easy-to-clean enamel coating. While heavy, it is not unwieldy. It was my favorite piece (until the next piece, of course).

Le Creuset cast-iron products really conduct the heat and are great products to have in the kitchen. One drawback, they can be difficult to clean. If you sear meat or fry, burnt remnants cannot be removed. Overnight soaking will help but you cannot use soft scrub or hard scrubbers on the enamel. The product still functions well, it just does not look as nice as an expensive piece of cooking gear should be! Would buy it again.