Is Le Creuset worth the money? If like me, you have experienced cooking with Le Creuset, you will already know the answer.
Yes. It absolutely is!
However, I can wholly understand why some people might have reservations.
When one Le Creuset pot can cost more than an entire set of seemingly similar cookware, it can be hard to justify the hefty price tag.
But, quality always comes at a price. And this legendary French cookware is the epitome of quality.
So, without further ado, let’s lift the lid on why Le Creuset has been the gold standard in the kitchen for over 100 years.
Mulitple pans in one
If I were to find myself stranded on a desert island with only one pot, there’s no doubt which I would choose – my trusty 5.5 qt Le Creuset Dutch oven.
It is, by far, the most versatile piece in my kitchen.
It can boil, braise, deep-fry, sear, stew, and steam with ease. As if this wasn’t enough, it can even bake bread and act as a panini-press. It is a real workhorse.
It can be used on multiple heat sources. It is compatible with both gas and electric hobs, as well as with induction cookers. Plus, it is oven-safe to 275°C,
This adaptability has made it my ‘go-to’ pan through three different house moves and a recent kitchen refit. Four different stoves – one reliable piece of cookware!
A century of quality
Le Creuset pots have been handmade in France since 1925. The rigorous production process sees each piece inspected by over thirty craftspeople before leaving the factory. This ability to oversee quality control distinguishes Le Creuset from many other manufacturers that outsource their production to save costs.
If a piece falls short of the exacting standards, it goes back into the melting oven, and the process starts again. Nearly a third are refused on the first inspection and returned to the fire. Nothing but the best will do!
The pots themselves are made from a mixture of molten pure and recycled iron. They are baked in sand moulds, left to cool, and then sprayed with two protective enamel layers.
Next, they are baked at 750°C before finally being sprayed with a finishing coat of coloured enamel.
First-rate customer care
Le Creuset’s attention to detail does not stop at the door of their factory. The brand is famed for its professional after-sales service, and each of its pieces comes with a lifetime warranty.
On the rare occasion that there is a problem with your pot or pan, they will replace it with a brand new equivalent. This process is explained in further detail here:
Cooking with Le Creuset
So, there’s certainly no doubting the build quality.
But it is not until you start cooking with Le Creuset that you begin to appreciate the features that really put this cookware in a league of its own.
The cookware’s cream interior is ideal for braising batches of meat. The light-coloured cooking surface enables you to monitor browning with a great deal more accuracy than a darker pot allows.
Also, when I am heating oil for frying, the lighter interior allows me to position my cooking thermometer correctly. When using pots with dark interiors, it can be easy to let the thermometer’s tip touch the sides. You can often find yourself taking the temperature of the metal rather than that of the oil itself.
Another reason that I relish cooking with my Le Creuset is its low, straight sides. These make stirring comfortable and allow me to quickly and easily see into the pot. Some Dutch ovens on the market can be very tall and narrow. Because of this, they tend to have smaller cooking areas. Also, their height means that you can often struggle to get them in and out of the oven.
One of the most important features of any Dutch oven is its handles. Even empty, my Le Creuset weighs nearly 5 kgs, so tough, reliable handles are a must.
Le Creuset pots have large, robust looped handles that enable you to move them around the kitchen with ease – even whilst wearing thick oven gloves!
An iconic look
There’s no denying it, a Le Creuset pot is a thing of beauty. These iconic, flame-coloured pieces sit proudly on kitchen shelves around the globe.
While other, more run of the mill pots and pans tend to get returned to the cupboard after use, Le Creuset cookware owners like to show their cookware off.
Despite the famous ‘Volcanique’ flame-orange hue having become synonymous with Le Creuset cookware, many of their pieces are also available in various other colours. From rose to teal, meringue to cerise, there will undoubtedly be a Le Creuset colour perfect for your kitchen. Most of them have a beautiful two-tone gradient, their colours fading from light to dark.
Typically, I would not be influenced by a pot’s colour. I like to think that one should choose a pot for its cooking capabilities rather than its palette.
However, I love the fact that a few strategically placed Le Creuset pots and pans can be an innovative and simple way to revamp your kitchen’s décor
There’s a reason that they feature in the backdrops of so many TV cooking shows!
As we all know, nothing in life is perfect – even Le Creuset cookware. Let’s have a look at a couple of downsides that might be worth considering:
Expensive
There’s no denying it – Le Creuset is expensive. In my opinion, it represents excellent value for money, but nevertheless, it is still a substantial investment.
Slow to heat up
Le Creuset cookware is not ideal if you need a quick stir fry or a hurried meal on the go. The thick cast iron takes some time to heat up, so fast food is definitely off the menu!
Staining
Over time and with heavy use, the interior can become discoloured. Luckily, there is a little trick to help you: