HELP! Le Creuset Transport?

[theamusedbouche]

Hi Chowhounders,
I live in downtown DC and I don't have a car. I also love cooking and often bring casseroles, stews, roasts to friend's houses and picnics.
The problem is that I cannot find any good way to transport a hot Le Creuset pan! I have the round 3 quart, the oval 7 quart, and a round 5 qt braiser.
I also have some general casserole type dishes that need some help in the transport department!
One big problem is that most of the "casserole carriers' out there aren't REALLY meant to be carried, they are meant to be brought out to the car, and that's it. Case in point, the Rachel Ray carriers, which insulate great, but you can't carry them by the handles if the casserole is full or else the velcro comes apart.
I have also found many (on Etsy etc) that caution against putting anything heavy in there. A full cast iron dutch oven IS HEAVY!

I need something that is REALLY for transporting - that I can walk with, or even bike with!

While I never bring all these dishes at once, I would like to find something that fits at least a few of them so as not to have 5 different cases.

I have scoured the internet and come up with nothing - does anyone have any suggestions?

[rasputina]

Don't bring it hot. Put it in tupperware and then pour in the pan and heat up at the location.

[escondido123]

I think that is the solution. Just because you've cooked it in LC doesn't mean you have to schlep that all over town. Put it in a light, sealable container and then reheat at your friend's house--they do have stoves, no?

[theamusedbouche]

I was actually taking it to National Presbyterian Church for a bible study meeting, and they might have stoves, but I don't know where they are :)

[Allice98]

I do have to ask - these lids on the Le Creuset's don't seal so what manner to you intend to use to keep the contents from coming out? Keeping things warm and carrying them are one thing but you mention stew for example.... how will you keep the contents in the containers?

[theamusedbouche]

I just tried really hard to keep it level! aslo wrapping tightly in the towel helped to keep the lid on :) Admittedly, the towel got some beef bourguignon on it and it wasn't a perfect solution.

[Allice98]

Dang, I was hoping you did find the perfect solution so that i could steal from you!

Personally I have been wanting very badly to get a travel slowcooker. I have many slowcookers but think if I find a good deal over the next Black Friday when they tend to go on sale that i will finally get one of those. I want one that I can lock down the lid. This might be a solution for you though for going to other places. Make something on your stove and transfer it then when you are at someone else's home you don't even have to worry about getting a burner to warm things up.

[theamusedbouche]

I've been wanting a pressure cooker for a long time and they have the snap down lids. But alas super tiny DC living space doesn't allow for all my culinary desires ;-)

[theamusedbouche]

Thank you all so much for the suggestions - so helpful!

[Jay F]

So, how did you schlep everything to where it needed to go?

[theamusedbouche]

I ended up wrapping the pot (6 qt oval dutch oven) in a beach towel and the putting it in a big duffle bag - was physically able to carry the bag for about 3 blocks before biceps completely gave out and I caved and hailed a cab.

On the way home the pot was empty, so even though it was heavy it was carry-able.

[EWSflash]

Honestly, I wouldn't try to transport a LC anything without a car, and a box and towels to put in the box to cushion the LC, which pretty much makes biking it a non-issue. I wouldn't ever try to take LC on a bike without a trailer for it.

[kaleokahu]

Hi, theamusedbouche:

For the round ones, you might try: http://www.chuckwagonsupply.com/

Cabelas also carries them.

Both look stout enough. For anything big, the Space Shuttle transport crawlers are on the market...

Aloha,
Kaleo

[mikie]

If walking I would suggest a faux cambro, this would work well: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000G66GS8?t...
You will want to line it with old bath towls to insulate it from the heat of the enameled cast iron to prevent the liner from warping. I use a similar device all the time, sans the wheels, to transport hot items in the car, for up to a couple of hours or more and they are still hot when we get there.

I don't think carrying a 7 qt oval LC with contents for any distance would be much fun, this device will make that trip much more enjoyable and keep your food nice and hot.

[greygarious]

I would suggest a wire supermarket hand basket as pictured here: http://www.shopequip.co.uk/cat.asp?pageid=55&subid=83 For moving more than one: http://www.versacart.com/ezcart.php
http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_kw=versa...

I don't know if they are sold singly - perhaps on eBay, or perhaps a local store would sell you one of theirs. Such a basket has the advantage of being a multi-tasker. Some are large enough to hold a cooler, which would keep things warm, but wrapping the LC in towels or newspaper, then a plastic bag, will do a fairly decent job

[sweetpotater]

Google "Reisenthel collapsible basket." It's the best bringing-food-places device (cakes, casseroles, etc), great farmers market tote, picnic basket, and more—and it gets so many compliments.

[escondido123]

This would be my suggestion, but only if you're walking.

[theamusedbouche]

lol this made me laugh so much - and actually would totally serve my purposes! Alas, no place in small apartment for wagon storage :(

[escondido123]

You don't store it, you use it as a side table until needed for transport!

[Allice98]

Could a personal folding shopping cart work? Some are big enough to hold a big pot at the bottom.

[theamusedbouche]

ooh good idea!

[Jay F]

When I did catering in DC, I would occasionally want to transport something I'd made in an LC that was still hot. Because I would want to heat it up again in said vessel when I got to my location, I also wanted to bring said vessel.

So what I did was separate the two for the journey. I took what I had cooked, put it in something transportable, usually something plastic, washed and dried the LC, and brought both.

I *strongly* advise getting a cab or a zipcar. Trying to walk or bike it could end badly.