VickieB, I too am a huge fan of Le Creuset (and have owned my own set since my early twenties). But you can get decent enamelled cast iron that is less pricey and performs well including Lodge and Mario Batali’s line of pots. I am much pickier about plain cast iron where the quality and grain of the cast iron is much more important, and that is why I prefer older American-made cast iron over more recent products.

As for size, I suggest that you actually pick the pots up and see how you feel about handling them as I know some people cannot deal with the weight of cast iron, enamelled or not. I usually prefer stainless steel for tasks like boiling pasta or making stock…though for a slow cooked soup or stew I would probably use one of the Le Creuset pots.

I find that I frequently use a smaller French oven (covered casserole) for risottos, the larger French ovens for braises, curries, etc., and baking dishes for roasted vegetables. I like the ridged grill for grilled bread and quesadillas. Come to think of it, I don’t have a single Le Creuset item that I don’t use. :)