Le Creuset Bouillabaisse Pot

That said, I've had mine for about three years, and I love it. The small bottom diameter makes it easy to sweat onions, celery, and carrots to start out a soup or stew recipe. If you're browning meat, I've found what works best is to treat the pot like a wok - brown the meat in the center, right over the heat, and then stack the already-browned or waiting pieces around and up the sides to get them out of the way until you add the liquid. Once you've added the liquid, the tapered sides will reduce the dish quickly. If you dont' want evaporation, the heavy (HEAVY!) lid fits snugly, and lets the pot maintain a slow simmer for hours (I've let mine go overnight with no problems).

I regularly make triple batches of chili and spaghetti sauce in this, and occasionally use it for apple butter. (Six quarts of apples, a pint of sweet wine or grape juice, and a teaspoon of ground allspice down to one quart of butter in six hours. No fuss, no mess, no trouble). It's a wonderful addition to any serious kitchen.