I am a huge Le Creuset fan...I don't cook with anything else. My cast iron cookware is cherry so I thought I"d buy some of the stoneware pieces to match. I love this salt crock...I cook a lot and I use a variety of different sea salts and other coarse grinds. As i cook and season, the wide opening is perfect to just grab a pinch of as much or as little as I need...and being Le Creuset the quality is as expected.