A heavy, cast-iron pot is a kitchen staple – but they’re not all made (or priced) equally. I put three to the testAldi recently launched the new colour range of its budget cast-iron casserole dishes, an annual occurrence since at least 2015. While other retailers including Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s, Argos and John Lewis also stock cheap cast-iron, Aldi’s, at £19.99, is by far the cheapest. It’s also only available “while stocks last”.Any cookbook worth its salt will, at some point, tell you to simmer/boil/fry/saute something in a “heavy-bottomed” pot or saucepan. Contrary to lightweight postwar aluminium fare, a pot with a decent weight to it retains and distributes heat more evenly, ensuring food cooks better (and slower). The ultimate in all-round heavy pots – and kitchen status symbols – come from Le Creuset. Founded by two Belgians in the tiny northern French town of Fresnoy-le-Grand, this foundry produced its first bright orange (a colour known as Flame in Le Creuset parlance) cocottes in 1925. Such was the international engouement they provoked early on, that the company still makes exactly the same products, in the same way. Continue reading...