HIC Kitchen French Onion Soup Crocks with Handles and Lids, Ceramic Stoneware, Brown, 14-Ounce, Set of 4

I will start by saying that the bowls are not the color in the photo. I was expecting yellow, but they are indeed brown. I suspect it's an optical illusion created by the lighting. However, the color does not detract from the quality and versatility.Initially, I was concerned that they would be difficult to clean, based on other reviews. But that was not the case. A small sponge with a scrubby side worked beautifully. All dishes here on the ranch are washed by hand. We don't trust our dishes, or our health to automatic dish washers. So, if you use a major appliance, I can't vouch for how clean they come out.Also of concern was a comment that the rinse water can not be removed. Balderdash! Tipping the bowl upside down and giving it a couple sharp shakes removes 99% of the water. The rest dries as quickly as any other dish in the strainer.If you can't find a myriad of uses for these bowls, you aren't trying hard enough. So far, and I've had them less than a week, we've had Boston Baked Beans, Lancashire Hot Pot, French Onion Soup, chili, and horror-of-horrors, Ramen Noodles. Some things were prepared directly in the bowls, and others were just served in them. How much more versatile can you get?If I were to score these on a scale of 1 to 100, I would give them a 95. The other 5 is for them not being yellow.

They broil well and hold approximately 14 FL oz. As for cleaning, I hand washed them. There is some water that gets stuck in the handle after cleaning, but all you have to do is position the handle downward on your drying mat and let it air dry properly. These are made in China. My grandmother and I made french onion soup from scratch together. We finished it in these crocks with bakery made croutons and Colby Jack cheese slices, then broiled. We put the covers on, transferred them to tray tables in the livingroom and both tasted our successful recipe! The soup even stayed warm long enough for my slow eating habits! We had a genuinely great afternoon together, all because of these authentic crocks!

There were a lot to chose from and many for a lower price. The handles and Lids are nice but totally unnecessary. I don't like that they did not leave a notch in the lip that supports the lid as it makes it impossible to drain all the liquids out of it, you have to use a towel, paper or cloth to absorb what you can't drain.

I am very happy with these bowls. They are big enough to make a nice crock of onion soup, chili and more....but not too big. The color is more brown and less red than the photos show but this is classic onion soup crockery. They are nicely formed and I can't find a single blemish, pinhole or anything else.....the finish is excellent.They were also a good bargain since I got free shipping and the price was lower than anywhere else I could find these bowls......when I could even find them. For some reason, a quality set like this was only at a few stores on the Internet. One store price was nearly double the Amazon price, and most places didn't have sets of good quality and classic design.

Received them before the expected date, which was great, however one bowl arrived broken so had to reorder and ship back the 1st set. I did follow the advise of previous reviews and held onto the original set until the 2nd set arrived to ensure that I ended up with 4 good crocks.I like the size as they are larger than most of the other crocks I looked at, and the lids are great for keeping the adults soup hot while allowing the kid's soup to cool before serving.The only negative that I have found is that the handles all have a small hole on the bottom side. The packaging states that they are dishwasher safe, however after running them through a cycle I found that water is now inside the handles and is impossible to get out. I fear that eventually the water will deteriorate the inside of the handles since they cannot be glazed inside, or that the water will not be able to evaporate/dry and result in issues with mold, or break when used in the oven.

Bought this set specifically for French Onion Soup. There is a very deep lip under the rim. When you put the cheese over the soup it settles under this rim. Even with boiling water and scotch brite scrub pads the hardened cheese is next to impossible to remove. Finally resorted to using small pieces of hard plastic scrapers. While I congratulated myself for finally winning the "now remove the cheese" battle, I turned the bowls over in the soapy water, rinsed them, and tried turning them upside down to drain. THERE IS NO WAY YOU CAN GET WATER TO DRAIN OUT OF THEM! the deep lip strikes again. I had to take wads of paper towels to soak up the 1/2 inch of water left in each bowl. My husband did not believe me, and tried turning the bowl upside down, shaking it, and finally saying a few colorfull words as he thrust it back at me. I have put them on a lighted glass shelf in the dining room where they now will live out their soupless lives as useless decorations.

I've been looking for onion soup crocks at a good price. I love these - the perfect size, ceramic, and love the handles.Mine arrived in good condition. If others have received the crocks with broken bowls/lids, I urge you to contact Amazon customer service. Amazon customer is fan-freaking-tastic. In my experience, when Amazon, itself, doesn't sell an item, Amazon customer service then refers you to the customer service of the company which sells the items. Usually these are US companies that import the products, and those companies count on good reviews here and other sites to stay in business.

I was hesitant at first to purchase these, but so glad I did. Most of the other crocks that I had found were too small. These were just right! I just wish they came in a different color, but I can live with that! Before placing in the dishwasher, I have to hand wash the lip of the bowl, but that is a given because cheese likes to stick. You can't go wrong purchasing this item and that is coming from a VERY picky shopper.