I love these pans, the finish, the thickness of iron for mostly even heat, etc. but I'm always looking for something where the knob on the lid never comes loose. Sadly, this was manufactured with a single screw (like previous versions of this as well as le creuset pans I have) from the underside of the lid into the handle which can easily become loose. No locking washing, no other-facility to make it sturdy and immobilized forever. I guess that gives you the ability to replace just the lid knob but I personally would rather it was forever fixed. I hate grabbing it sometimes and it goes loose and turns in my hand, makes me think it's cheap, and then I have to tighten it, but not strip it, blablabla.Looks great and good qualityI have been using "other" french cast iron pots and pans for years, then I read Ivan Orkin's Gaijin cookbook, saw some of his cooking shows and noticed that he uses Staub pots a lot. So I bought Staub French Oven 3.75qt and made one of his recipes in the book Chicken cream stew...... and it turned out fantastic! I realize it now why Staub is so popular."Other" brand offers many colors, shapes and "exclusive" colors of pots and pans every so often, Staub is kind of not that flashy but it's worth every penny, plus, I enjoy cooking and searching for new recipe, trying something new, etc... So I really recommend this, my pot is Matte Black, it is really a beautiful color and I am in love with this!Yes It helps to have a great recipe but really, I made a lot of stew type dishes over the years but the one I used Staub, there is something magical about it.I've only had this Staun French Oven for about a week, but got right to work using it. I ordered this from Amazon but due to coupons I had with other companies also ordered the Staub Teapot, 10" Skillet, and Vertical Chicken Roaster.I didn't waist time getting started with using each piece as it arrived. With this one I began last week with lamb breast. The heavy lid kept the meat thick and juicy during the cooking process. This weekend I found and prepared a recipe for shrimp ratatouille. This was a new dish made simple with this cookware.I'm a single man and plan to cook healthy meals on the weekend that I can eat on during the week. So far, so easy, so good. Clean-up has been easy as well (hand washed, no dishwasher). Like my traditional 8" cast iron skillet that I've had for some time, I expect this cookware to out-live me with continued, proper care. The quality is worth the price. Just save up and purchase one piece at a time.And, no, I'm not at all a cook or chef. I'm just a music teacher who knows how to follow a recipe.Great quality Dutch oven and so worth the money. I've gotten it in burgundy and I think I have started to cook more stews just so I can enjoy the look of it on my stove, lol. I really like that the knob is metal and I can stick it in the oven.Staub ... 'nuff said, really. It's incredible, amazing price. This is heirloom quality cookware. I love it for baking bread, in addition to all the other things a Dutch (or French) Oven is great for.We have a 7 qt. iron/enamel dutch oven but were looking for one a little smaller to cook veggies in and this is perfect. Great quality and as heavy and easy to clean as other well-known brands. We use it on an outside burner that heats much higher than our inside stove and this is perfect, because there is not the scorching that we get using lighter weight pans. An excellent buy.Love the thickness and quality. I have made bread in it and cooked meat to perfection. Highly recommend this pot.I loooove Staub products, unfortunately, on description, the dimensions were off .It says 32 x 30 x 15.01 cm; meaning 30cm being the diameter,however, the diameter was hardly 17cm.Very small and on the lid the size was 24 .So,not suitable for me. I was hoping for a size 28 or bigger considering the dimensions provided by Amazon. Anyway,I had to return it??I have 5 pieces of staub in various sizes n configuration. They are reliable n good uses. Easy to clean, food doesn't stick much, thanks to the black enamel cooking surfaces. Meat browns faster too.Was as expected. Looks nice. Good to brown and then to slow cook. Had a cheaper one years ago was no where near as good.Definitely Authentic, this is a perfect size for beginner and cooking dishesMy wife loves it. She has been using it daily. Highly recommended.