I have collected ALL of Le Creuset's fruit and vegetable shaped cast iron enameled casseroles. In my 40+ years of cooking these casseroles are at the top of the list for fun, functionality and beauty all rolled up into one. They are beautiful to display on a table or on a kitchen counter and very practical in cooking superb casseroles, soups, stews and other wonderful dishes. The color that they can add to a kitchen brightens every vist there. The exterior and interior enamel coating is very durable and easy to clean. I have cooked a multitude of dishes in these casseroles and have found them to be excellent in heat conduction and preventing "hot spots". The wider and lower shaped casseroles are a little better in spreading the heat.

The warranty against defects of 101 years will certainly last beyond my expected needs but it is nice to know that I have the protection since these are not inexpensive purchases.

The comments of guests served from these casseroles is always positive and never fails to bring a smile to my face. I use them regularly for the family as well.

There is a drawback to these whimsical cookers and that is the rim of both the top and bottom of the casseroles. There is no enamel on these rims and they can rust if not dried immediately after hand washing. They are dishwasher safe but I do recommend that you hand wash and dry immediately. I also recommend that you let them sit out for an hour or so to air dry before storing them.

When wet this casserole can be very slippery and the handles on the bottom and top help in preventing dropping them. Be really careful!

Finally, closely inspect your casserole when it arrives. My first garlic casserole had a two inch crack in the enamel. I did not have to contact Le Crueset since Amazon.com immediately sent a replacement to me and had the defective item picked up at my home at no charge. I commend them for standing behind the products they sell.

This casserole is excellent. I bought this one, and the green pepper, as a set to use when serving salsas and sauces. They look great on the table together. Then I went and gave them their own shelf and they've been so pretty together up there. I get compliments on them EVERY TIME someone new comes into my kitchen - often from regulars who just admire them all the time. I think they are worth the money just for the quality and uniqueness of the product but make no mistake, as darling as they are they are real workhorses when it comes to cooking and serving and a delight to use for host and guest alike.

Both of my pots came with a "stemlike" handle, not the round handle shown in the pic. Check out the yellow pepper to see the handle you'll probably get.

This piece from Le Creuset is pretty enough to leave out on top of your stove. I use mine constantly, from soup to rice to baked items in oven. Great tip: warm in oven and use to transport/serve food made in a different kettle. Great for keeping mashed potatoes HOT until served. Also, incredibly useful for anyone who prepares and transports meals... keeps food warm -- recipient of your dinner-gift will be thrilled to receive ready-to-eat food. I have owned mine several months and it has never made its way into the cupboard.

$100 for a casserole dish? You have got to be kidding. I don't care how good it is. For $100 it better load itself up, walk itself over to the oven, turn it on and get in. I pity anyone who buys this. $100 is bad enough but look at it. What's wrong with cookware that looks like cookware?

Pictures don't do justice to the brilliant red of the Le Creuset tomato - it's adorable and very cheerful. It's highly durable, and the interior is incredibly easy to clean!

One reason I always end up reaching for my Le Creuset pans is the formation of "fond" (the little brown bits) which is so impossible to manage when browning meat in a non-stick pan. Le Cresets seem to promote fond creation, and this allows you to make magnificent sauces with what's in the pan once you're done cooking the meat. (That's a definite advantage if you're learning any French cooking.)

These pots are also amazingly flexible - you can take it from the stovetop to the oven with no problems! (Be forewarned, though, that the cute 'stem' of the tomato can only withstand temperatures up to 400 degrees F. But I have yet to have this be a problem.)

There are two small downsides to this particular Le Creuset pan. One of which is common to all Le Creuset enameled cast iron pots - you cannot use these over high stovetop heat, or you risk damaging the beautiful enameled surface. These pots are made for a "slow and steady wins the race" method of cooking, not a quick sear. (Save that for your Lodge cast iron pan.) However, this is not really a handicap - because once you heat this vessel up steadily, it holds the heat for an extraordinary amount of time, and it heats very evenly. It's great - when you take the dish to the table, the contents stay warm throughout the meal!

The second down side of this pot is the lid - the quirky tomato shape, while adorable, causes the lid to only fit snugly in one way. This can be minorly aggrivating when you're in a real rush. (I always put the lid on the wrong way the first time.) This is the only reason for my giving this pot a four-star rating, in lieu of the five stars it would have normally earned.