My sister just got a set of Le Creuset cookware. I was so excited for her. So the question arose, why cook with enameled cast iron? The quick answer: it's not bad for you like teflon, and it lasts forever! I'm sold. But what about how it cooks? I found out from The French Culinary Institute's Blog that cast iron surprisingly doesn't heat as evenly as aluminum and steel over a small cook top range- it takes longer for the heat to inch out to the edges. So use them on a flame that is as big as their base. That should solve that problem. However, cast iron retains heat much better than steel and aluminum, so its better for long, slow-cooked stews, soups and roasts. After three hours of simmering, the heat will have reached the edges for sure! Another great thing about these pots? You can transfer them right into the oven or over an outdoor flame because they can withstand extremely high amounts of heat.