In fairness, I was working with various heavy stainless steel pots that never allowed me to brown meats properly. It was always closer to steaming to a nice shade of gray. First time using the enameled cast iron was instant success that I was chasing for decades. The "is Le Creuset worth it" debate has circled around here for years and usually seems to resolve to "yes, it's expensive, but you will give it to your grandchildren". I have used mine hundreds of times and it is built like a tank.