Braiser: Who has one? Would you buy it again?

Hi,

I read an article about braisers recently, which caused me to wonder was I missing out not having one? Braisers can be heavy beasts like a Dutch oven. They are wider than a Dutch oven, shorter walls and a domed top.

Ever since I read this article (do not even know what I read presently), I have been wondering if I am missing out on something quite useful.

Any thoughts?

Regards,
Cathy2

I would not buy one again. In fact, the one we own may have been gifted to us. But in any case, I find it to be too small to be consistently useful. I'm also not a fan of the sloped sides because I find them generally unnecessary in braising. There's virtually nothing you can do in a braiser than you cannot do in a dutch oven. However, there are plenty of things, like actually braising larger cuts, you can do in a dutch oven that are difficult or impossible in a braiser.

=R=

This is obviously not a braiser, but it sounds similar. It is heavy clay and I like for baking bread much better than the dutch oven.

That was marketed as 'La Cloche' back in, um, the 80's? It is good for baking bread. The instructions told you to soak the top 'hat' part for a while before baking so the clay would release moisture (giving you better oven spring?).

Giovanna

I spritz the top of the bread with water before putting in oven. No need to soak the top.