Jennifer Pattison Tuohy is a senior reviewer at The Verge covering the smart home, Internet of Things, and, as she puts it, “as many kitchen gadgets as I can get my hands on.” In her four years here, she’s tested everything from smart locks, lights, and doorbells to robot vacuums (some with arms), robot lawnmowers, and an actual home robot. But, she says, “the heart of my home is my kitchen, and I love a good smart kitchen gadget. I’ve tested a smart trash can, smart mixer, smart pizza oven, smart ice maker, and yes, even a smart fridge. But none of these could ever replace my favorite kitchen gadget — my Le Creuset sauté pan.”
When did you get your Le Creuset pan?
My Le Creuset pan was a wedding gift. I’m about to celebrate my 20th wedding anniversary, so it’s been around a while!
Its official name is Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast Iron Deep Saute Pan, 4 1/4-Qt., and you can only get it at Williams Sonoma, which I discovered when I tried to buy one as a wedding gift for my brother-in-law. I did buy it for them, and I also got one for my sister-in-law as her wedding gift a few years later! Thankfully, I am now out of in-laws to buy them for. They’re not cheap.
What do you use it for?
I use it almost every time I cook a meal. It’s hands down the best, most versatile pan I’ve ever owned. Some of my favorite dishes to cook in it are frittatas, stews, and bolognese sauce (it can simmer in the oven with the lid on at 200 degrees for 8 hours).
I also use it for searing meats like chicken thighs and pork cops. It’s also great for fish, and I love to make Yorkshire puddings, Dutch baby pancakes, and even the occasional pizza in it.
This Le Creuset sauté pan has seen years of good use. Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
What do you like about it?
I love that it’s big enough to cook a beef stew or a whole batch of soup, while also easy to just scramble eggs in. I also love that it has a handle and a lid and that everything can go in the oven — up to 500 degrees! And it all goes in the dishwasher — though I generally hand-wash it, as it takes up an entire rack.
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