I am a comfort cook. There, I've admitted it. I don't DO gourmet...and I don't do haute cuisine. What I am in the line of is big, calorie laden, steaming bowls of comfort food. I am the queen of stews, casseroles, cassoulets, hearty pasta sauces and pot roasts. It is therefore perhaps unsurprising that a hefty cast iron pot takes pride of place in my kitchen. What is perhaps surprising is the fact that it has almost become an extension of my person, something that I am loathe to ever consider doing without, and for which no alternative will suffice.

Le Creuset is a name synonymous with quality and style, and as they are at pains to point out, it genuinely is used by professional chefs the world over (just look at any TV chef's kitchen for long enough and your guaranteed to spot one). They are very distinctive, with the pots in question in round or oval shapes, always in very vibrant colours on the outside (we currently have a deep, royal blue, but I am determined to get one of the lovely turquoise ones when I move out at the end of the year), and a cream colour on the inside. They are made out of cast iron and come with a LIFETIME GUARANTEE.

And here is the bit where my opinion comes in - you DON'T need the guarantee - this genuinely will last a lifetime. I use mine on a gas hob and in the oven on a daily basis - it's more than 10 years old, but you'd never know - it still shines like new and there's no damage (some slight discolouration to the inside but really - that just adds to the character!).

The price tag on these will undoubtedly put some people off but I can assure you they more than pay for themselves. The convenience of not having to transfer things into different dishes to move them from the hob to the oven, the classic style and the longevity of the product are more than recompense for the price. They also add to the feel of any kitchen, and should be displayed, PROUDLY, as they give the room an air of rustic charm and domesticity that you just don't get from 'regular' kitchen equipment.

(See - a design classic, your room's focal point, and a genuinely useful pot - I think it's already paid for itself!)

One small downside - as you'd expect with a cast iron pot, there's no non-stick coating, and while you don't really need one, it does mean you need a good glug of oil before starting to fry anything and you should take good care when cooking at high temperatures on the hob for extended periods of time - otherwise it can take a good half hour of elbow grease to get it really clean!