Holiday Kitchen Goodness With Le Creuset Cookware

Regular Truly Obscure readers probably know that we're big fans of Le Creuset. Check out our reviews of Le Creuset's Braiser Casserole, Saucier Pan, and unique Doufeu. Our experience with Le Creuset's Tri-Ply Stainless Steel 8-Piece Cookware Set kept our appreciation of their craftsmanship intact.

The set includes an 8" nonstick omelet pan, 9.5" frying pan, 2-quart saucepan and cover, 3-quart saucepan and cover, and a 7.5-quart stockpot and cover. A beautiful set, the items feature a brushed stainless exterior that is easy to clean. The items are constructed of steel/aluminum/steel, which ensures heat is evenly distributed and eliminates hot spots. The bottoms are flat, ensuring even heating and excellent performance on today's popular flat stoves. We like that the tri-ply construction runs up the side of the pots and pans, not just on the bottom- making the pans more solid, evenly heating, if a bit heavier.

Another great common-sense feature that is oftentimes overlooked by manufacturers is that the pots and pans fit inside each other. The handles are riveted to give you added strength when transporting- heavy-duty rivets too, solidly constructed. We love how tight-fitting the lids are, which seals in the heat and all the yummy flavors percolating below. Other thoughtful features include rims that are designed for pouring while eliminating liquid from dribbling down the side (how does that sneaky liquid always make its way onto my clothes?), and the pots' interiors have measurements, which are especially useful when reducing liquids. We're impressed that these puppies are dishwasher safe, though we may stick to hand-washing…at least until the novelty wears off.

One note of caution is that the pots and pans are heavy. So, these might not be the best gift for your awesome-as-ever but frail grandmother. Also, we experienced a little bluish discoloration, but we were told this is from having the pans on too high heat, and that lowering the heat one or two notches should eliminate discoloration. The set retails for around $450, but watchful eyes will probably be able to find the set on sale, especially with the holidays in full swing. As with other Le Creuset cookware, while pricey, these items are designed to provide a lifetime of enjoyment, and are backed by a lifetime guarantee.

What better way to cook in our lovely Le Creuset cookware set than with Le Creuset's 7-piece Spatula Set with Crock? Featuring five silicone spatulas with wooden handles – mini, small, medium, large spoon, and jumbo slotted spoon – as well as a silicone basting brush, we quickly found ourselves reaching for these cooking utensils over and over. The basting brush worked well, although we didn't necessarily think it was better than your average, ho hum basting brush. But the spatulas were quite cool- a bit firmer than many others we've tried, and with small tweaks to shape that made them easier to use for both cooking and scraping.

The silicone heads are designed to resist high heat (we tried to burn them but couldn't), and won't scratch nonstick pans. The spatula heads pop off the wooden handles to throw them in the dishwasher – awesome! And wooden handles feel classy and old-school with heads that held up well after several rounds in the dishwasher. The set comes in a beautiful crock that graduates from a dark color to a lighter color at the top and is emblazoned with the Le Creuset name. We got the set in blue, while it's also available in red and white. The color is bright, fun, and sure to cheer up any kitchen. While we bristled slightly at the $70 price tag on Amazon.com for a similar set, the set delivers a better performance and more pleasurable cooking experience than other spatulas out there. The set makes a great gift for a special cook in your life, who will no doubt think of you every time he/she reaches for a spatula!