I have a smaller Le Creuset frying pan and a dutch oven as well as some specialty pieces. I have an issue with chipping on my dutch oven and one mystery spot on my tea pot where a small circle of enamel just came off for no reason. I have not had any issues with chipping on the fry.
I like but don’t love the fry. On the plus side, its basically non-stick and cleans up easy. It is well balanced and not-too heavy On the negative side, I don’t feel like it does as good a job of putting a crust on meats. I have wondered how much metal is really in the pan given that its not too heavy and it seems to lose heat more rapidly than other cast iron pans which is why I think it doesn’t do as good a job of crusting things.
See lots of neato looking cast iron pans and chicken fryers/dutch ovens, some from the 40’s and some with names mentioned here on Ebay. May give one of the old ones a try. Prices don’t seem out of sight.
I have an older Lodge pan, and several Le Creuset pans, along with an LC dutch oven. So far, no problems with chipping, etc. BUT, reading this topic, I got all twiterpatted about the Griswold pans. Found one on Ebay, and bought it. It is a small logo pan, 699X, #6 with 2" sides. Somewhere in the 1944-1957 era, from an estate sale. When I get it and re-season it, I will let you know how it seems.
I love my finex… have had it for a couple years and cook with it almost every day. It is heavy and takes a while to heat up but, d*** does it work well. Handle presents no issues for me but i have very large hands. Love being able to pour from any direction. I’ve been looking into buying a Butter Pat as well but want to try and find a vintage pan somewhere first for fun.
The Butter Pat is great. Probably the pan I use the most now. If you can’t find a vintage pan that meets your standards you may want to consider a Field. I have a 10 inch and love it almost as much as my Butter Pat but it’s made to resemble a more traditional cast iron pan. Don’t let the lack of a pour spout concern you. I have no problems pouring out of it and since there is no spout, can pour at any angle. And as a bonus, it’s cheaper than the Butter Pat.
Bought one last year to replace a very old Griswold that cracked, and I’ve been very happy with the purchase. Looked at Finex, Butterpat, Field, and Smithey, but Stargazer reviews were as good or better at a very fair price.
I think people are talking about two different things here, cast iron skillets and enameled cast iron. I’ve had an enameled LC dutch oven (standard size) for about 13 years that I use almost every day except in summer. Just purchased a slightly smaller Staub cocotte because they have had good pricing lately. Never had a problem with my LC, though an LC kettle a few years back lost a round chip as described upthread. For me an enameled LC or Staub serves a different purpose than a cast iron skillet, and think both are essential kitchen tools.