Why You Will Love The Le Creuset French Oven

Overview

The Le Creuset French Oven is probably the most recognizable pieces of cookware in any kitchen. It is also one of the most coveted. You see this pot in movies, on TV shows, on the covers of cooking magazines adding to the visual appeal of the dishes. This cast iron cookware icon is often looked at as a collector’s item, a functional heirloom that you actually use and one day pass down to the next generation. There are many imitators that look similar, but only one Le Creuset French Oven.

Process of Manufacture

The Le Creuset French Oven is created from a blend of pig iron, recycled steel and iron, other mineral ingredients(the exact blend is a company secret), which is melted down at over 1000c. The resulting molten iron is then poured into a creuset (French for melting pot. The mix is then injected into a custom sand mold for its unique shape.

After it comes out of the mold, the pot is sanded, polished and fettled to remove any excess sand and rough edges. The pot is then shot blasted to remove any oxidization and create a rough porous finish to allow a good adhesion with the enamel.

The three part enamel process consists of:

• Ground coat- This seals the entire pot with a clear enamel
• Colored interior enamel
• Outer colored enamel which gives the Le Creuset French Oven the look that has become so recognizable

What do the numbers on the bottom mean?

One of the most common questions about the Le Creuset French Oven is about the number stamped on the bottom. The number is the diameter of the pan in centimeters.

Is the French Oven Non-Stick?

The vitreous enamel interior is not ideal for dry cooking, but you do not need to season the pan keep food from sticking. It is advised that you use a bit of liquid or oil when cooking, if for no other reason, you will make your clean up easier, and never let a pan boil dry.

As stated before, you will not have to season this pan like you would a traditional cast iron pan to keep the non-stick qualities, but you will have to take some steps to care for it:

• Let it cool completely after cooking
• Do not immerse in cold water while still hot
• Avoid banging the pot around

Are other brands of enameled cast iron cookware just as good?

Not even close. There are other brands, some of them are even the larger well respected names, that make similar looking Dutch ovens, however they do not use Le Creuset’s secretive process, which not only presents a beautiful piece of cookware, but one that will last a lifetime and more.

Sizes and Colors

The Le Creuset French Oven comes in 8 different sizes:

1 Qt – 2Qt – 3.5 Qt – 4.5 Qt – 5.5 Qt – 7.25 Qt – 9Qt – 13.25 Qt

The colors available are updated fairly frequently. Right now the colors available are:

• Cherry
• Marseille
• Flame
• Dune
• Dijon
• Caribbean
• Fennel
• Cassis
• Ocean
• Truffel
• Coastal Blue
• Aubergine
• Spinach
• Indigo
• Ink

Warranty

Le Creuset’s Lifetime Limited Warranty covers the original purchaser or a person who receives the utensil new and unused as a gift from the original retail purchaser. The warranty isn’t transferable and lasts as long as a covered consumer owns the pan.

Bottom Line

You will really be hard pressed to find a pan that can cook meats so tenderly, do vegetables really well and if you want to see something amazing, try baking a loaf of bread in the Le Creuset French Oven. The versatility and overall functionality of the French Oven make it extremely desirable. The fact that you will have this pot for a lifetime, executing dishes like a pro, make this a must have in many kitchens.