Le Creuset, colourful cooking companion

Forty pairs of hands inspect every curve and fine detail of le Creuset’s iconic cast iron casserole, whose origins date back to 1925 France.

From Nantes to Newtown, inside ovens and on fiery cooktops across the world, there’s a high chance of catching a glimpse of a cast-iron casserole from premium French cookware company, Le Creuset. Almost a century since these hand-finished gems emerged from a French furnace in Fresnoy-le-Grand, they remain enduring kitchen companions – whether for a celebrated cassoulet or a warming white wine coq au vin.

Cast-iron partnership

Inside a busy foundry in the small village of Fresnoy-le-Grand, in northern France was where pioneering industrialists Armand Desaegher, a casting specialist, and enamelling expert Octave Aubecq came together in 1925 to crack the code of the cast-iron coloured casserole. Fiery molten iron used in the casting process was the inspiration behind naming the first coloured casserole, named ‘Volcanic’ orange.
Today, the colours of Le Creuset are as wideranging as the hues dotting the fields of France – colours that complement all manner of kitchen decors. In 2022, Volcanic (a signature hue and bestseller) is joined by enticing hues of Cerise, Bamboo, Cayenne, Meringue, and many others.

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Quality remains a foremost aim of Le Creuset since its founding in 1925 (photo © Le Creuset).

The exceptional heat retention of cast iron allows for slower cooking, keeping food moist, tender and flavoursome (photo © Le Creuset).
The exceptional heat retention of cast iron allows for slower cooking, keeping food moist, tender and flavoursome (photo © Le Creuset).

Skilled hands, keen eyes

Le Creuset’s colours may change, but the precision production behind its durable, high-performance products – and the selection of high-quality materials such as recycled iron and steel – hasn’t. Each time a newly-cast casserole (with exceptional heat retention from stove to oven to table) emerges from its individual sand mould, a team of 40 craftsmen are on hand to individually hand-inspect them, scrutinising every curve and detail. Pots are protected with a two-layer minimum of enamel before handfinishing. Finally, the completed pieces are inspected and safety-tested to the highest standards. For the final finishing touches, individual knobs and handles are attached. Le Creuset’s original foundry in Fresnoy-le-Grand continues to produce every piece of the company’s highly acclaimed cast iron.

Forty craftsmen hand-inspect Le Creuset (photo © Le Creuset).
Forty craftsmen hand-inspect Le Creuset (photo © Le Creuset).

Built to endure

For many Australian households a Le Creuset casserole is a cherished heirloom. For evolving times - when design aesthetics or cooking requirements change - the knobs of Le Creuset cast iron products can be easily switched out. Today Le Creuset’s premium cookware range includes enamelled cast iron, toughened non-stick, stainless steel, stoneware, and complementary accessories (from plates and dishes to salt and pepper mills).

From casseroles and cookware sets to frying pans and woks, Le Creuset offers cast iron classics and modern kitchen essentials (photo © Le Creuset).
From casseroles and cookware sets to frying pans and woks, Le Creuset offers cast iron classics and modern kitchen essentials (photo © Le Creuset).

Further Information
Le Creuset Australia
www.lecreuset.com.au (External link)

Discover our Explore France magazine 2023 and download it

Discover our Explore France magazine 2023 and download it 2Download here (External link)