Anyone have any thoughts on how to choose an appropriate braiser size? I'm thinking of getting either a 3.2 L or 4.7 L le creuset enameled cast iron braiser, but I'm torn between the two sizes.

I have a household of 2 (but like having 1-2 guests over occasionally). My stove is unfortunately electric, and I'm worried that 4.7L will be too big for it to sear ingredients evenly. (Certainly the pan would go well beyond the largest burner.)

Other than quantity, what kind of added versatility would the 4.7 L braiser have over the 3.2 L? (For example, would the 3.2 L be too small to roast a small chicken and some vegetables in?)

Any other thoughts/experiences?

Thanks!

If you search "Le Creuset" and then go to the "forum discussion tab" will find a few threads on this same subject. Here is a link to another thread that also talks about "round vs. oval". My advice would be to not go too small. I think the ones I use the most often are the 5 1/2 qt., at least when I am cooking for only 4-6 people.

You might also find it helpful to watch the lesson called "Combination Cooking Fundamentals" as this lesson goes into quite a bit of information on choosing pots for this type of cooking. The lesson on "Braising" also goes into a bit of detail about this as well. Hope this helps. Cheers!

Yes, I had already read through the forums, before posting my question. I didn't find anything that really spoke to my issue.

I guess I was hoping someone would have some thoughts on using a large enameled cast iron piece (such as the 4.7 L braiser) on a typical electric coil stove top. That is, will it making browning uneven/difficult to achieve, given the pan is so much larger than the burner?

It seems as though, if the larger capacity doesn't work well on a typical electric range for searing, I would lose a large part of the versatility of the piece, making it less clear that it's a good purchase. A braiser that doesn't work well for preliminary searing might not be worth the money.

After all, what makes it nice (in my mind) is the ability to do stove top searing & then move to the oven. It's an added bonus that it would work well for roasting things like chicken, but not the main functionality I had in mind.

Out of curiosity, are you referring to an actual Braiser or are you referring to a Dutch or French Oven? I ask this, as this would make a difference in the size that you may want. Cheers!

A braiser.

I have a 3.5 qt one that I really like. I do have gas but I am sure that it would not be too big for a regular electric stove top, as it's only about 10" inches on the bottom. Another benefit of these types of dishes is that because they are cast iron they heat up evenly and also maintain heat very well.

I have roasted a chicken in the 3.5 qt before (in fact, it is the same one that is in the Roasting Chicken Lesson). There is not a lot more room for vegetables etc. but there is a bit.

I imagine if you are generally just cooking for 2 then the 3.5 qt would likely be enough. I cannot really comment on the 4.7 qt as I am not sure of the measurements etc. Perhaps someone else might be able to jump in to give you another opinion.

Here is another thread I found, Le Creuset 3.5 or 5 qt Braiser? that you might also find useful. Hope that helps. Cheers!

the 4.7 liter should be just under 12" diameter (30cm).