About 6 weeks ago, I happened upon a sale at Dillards and snagged some Le Creuset Dutch ovens at excellent prices. For less than the price Williams Sonoma wants for a single Dutch oven, I scored 3.
The 5-1/2 qt round, 7-1/4 quart round and a 2-3/4 or 3 qt oval (for small sides/casseroles or when I am by myself). Appears Dillards is discontinuing carrying Le Creuset and will now carry Staub instead, thus the sale. (Le Creuset is French, Staub is also pricey enameled cast iron but is German.) I was a bit leery because I had never cooked with cast iron. My old stainless Dutch oven bit the dust a while back, and it was time for a replacement (or 3 lol!).
I have used them various times and come to the conclusion I AM IN LOVE and how did I manage without them! A stainless Dutch oven does not hold a candle to these. These are exceptionally awesome pans! 
The cleanup is a breeze! Just a simple dish soap and a soft scrubbie (ie the "won't scratch" scrubbie sponges) are all it takes.
The cast iron holds its temperature exceptionally well. You can cook at lower temperatures and the pans will still maintain a simmer. So you can use less tender cuts of meat, which are typically cheaper so a budget saver in a way. This is very helpful living in Phoenix where it gets very hot. I would do a stovetop dish at a simmer before I would turn on the oven for 3 hours when it is over 110' outside. The oven heats up my entire living area, where stovetop does not. (These pans are both stovetop and oven safe.)
One note: if you are considering LeCreuset, go to Williams-Sonoma or Sur la Table and for $10 buy the Le Creuset replacement stainless knobs right off the bat, unless you intend to only do stovetop uses. The plastic knobs they come with are only oven safe to 375', whereas the stainless knobs are safe to any temperature. Granted most cooking in a Dutch oven won't need higher temperatures than that, but I do have a few recipes that do. And I have developed sort of a phobia of plastic at high temperatures anyhow. The knobs replace with just a screw sort of like a kitchen cabinet pull.
They are low maintenance. Simply wash and dry and they look brand new. Not fussy like my All-Clad stainless where you can see every smudge. (I would love a copper or copper/stainless saucepan, but hesitate based solely on the excessive maintenance real copper requires, not to mention the price it commands....)
They are also very decorative and come in assorted pretty colors. I have Chestnut (brown which has been discontinued unfortunately), Dune (a dark beige-ish color) and have my eye set on a piece in Flame (orange). These are all the colors for my house so they look very pretty on display, as well as functional.
Tho of course the 2 downfalls. a) Being cast iron they are HEAVY to state the obvious. b) Price. Tho if you find a sale like I did, they are a lot more reasonable. You also will need a place to store big HEAVY cookware from which you can retrieve it without injury lol! Or have a helper with significant upper body strength.
Basically these pans are worth the investment, even at full price. If you are just starting out and assembling a kitchen, strongly suggest a 5-qt. or larger enameled cast Dutch oven in your collection. You will get many uses from it, whether for soups, pasta, stews, casseroles, roasts, just about anything.