Le Creuset Cast Iron

Le Creuset cast iron — mostly indestructible (except one rebel skillet). I’ve had several Le Creuset cast iron pieces for decades — a skillet, 20 cm casserole, 30 cm shallow casserole, and 28 cm oval baker — and overall they’ve been incredibly… Read more

reliable. - The 20 cm casserole and 28 cm oval baker are absolute workhorses. Same age as the skillet and still fabulous — cook evenly, clean up well, and just keep going year after year. Proper “buy once” pieces. - The 30 cm shallow casserole is newer and has quickly become a favourite. Super versatile, cooks beautifully evenly, and handles everything from braises to one-pan dinners. Honestly, I reach for it constantly — love it. Now, the skillet… this one’s been the problem child. Food has always tended to stick, despite trying different oils and being told it’s all about temperature control. Maybe so — but my other cast iron pans behave perfectly, so who knows. More recently, the enamel chipped, which ended its career. That said — full marks to Le Creuset customer service. Even though the skillet was way out of warranty, they offered a very generous discount as a goodwill gesture, and a compensatory item arrived within days. Impressive service and much appreciated. Overall: one troublesome skillet, but several outstanding pieces that have lasted for decades. I still love Le Creuset cast iron — and their customer service absolutely deserves credit.

A once trusted brand; Non Existant customer service – We have been waiting 3 weeks for even a courtesy response to our complaint email and phone calls . There was no non stick on our pan at all ! I have only bought Le Creuset previously but no longer; they are not the credible company and product they used to be. Show details

Handle with care and keep to a gentle heat – I’ve found my le creuset fry pan beautiful to use - I was very surprised to read some poor reviews - if the pan is seasoned first, used with a low to medium heat and handled with care the results are great! Show details

Best frypan ever! – Cooks like a dream. Looks gorgeous. I seasoned my Le Creuset frypan when l got it. I slow heat it to medium heat, l cook no higher than 5 or 6 heat. Cooks eggs, omelettes, battered fish, fried flour coated fish, plain fish, steak, stir fries,tomatoes cooked to a sauce, plums to a sauce, on stove top fruit is softened and caramelised then pudding/… Read more

cake batter added and transferred to oven to bake, all perfectly, no stick, no burn, no problems, delicious results, then quick and easy cleanup afterwards, no scrub, no hassle, just rinse, wipe, dry, oil, reheat on low on stove to set the thin oil layer, remove,wipe out, cool, ready for next use. Sits gorgeously on my stove top. I bought the silicone handle cover to use with it, great must have accessory for comfort, ease and safety from burns. Also the silicone trivet, versatile for many uses, looks pretty and great to sit hot frypan on if serving at table.I purchased the latter at Le Creuset store. I purchased the frypan at Myers, great deal, worth every penny. I've tried the Aldi brand, and many others, but variously they explode the enamel off dangerously in cooking, or heat unevenly burning parts of your meal, food sticks despite seasoning pans, just no good, better to spend the pennies for the best quality, Le Creuset is great. I now wait for a good sale to add more Le Creuset to my kitchen.

Love Le Creuset! – After having purchased a used 26cm Casserole a few years ago.... I fell in love. I now have several pieces and in my opinion it is by far and away the best cast iron available. Yes, it is expensive - but I believe worth every cent. If treated properly it will last many lifetimes...... and stay looking good. Tips - Start heat on low - wait… Read more ·  1

for a few minutes before raising heat to medium. There is no need to cook on high....just wait a little while for the pan to heat. Best way to remove stains is soak it in sudsy water for awhile. Wait for the pan to cool a little before adding water to soak. Bar Keepers Friend (the powder) or Jif cream cleanser works a treat cleaning Le Creuset.... take your time and be gentle - and do not use anything abrasive. Hand wash only - no dishwasher. Use timber or silicone utensils only.

Do not buy from Facebook there scammers – I took the risk got tracking etc and only received a spatula don’t do it. Le Creuset would be wonderful but not from Facebook. Obviously false but the contact was ritalaura@outlook.com she’s running the Le Creuset down. I am not Show details

Sticky Non Stick Skillet – I agree with all the reviews about this skillet. Unfortunately I came across these reviews after I bought the product. Save your money cheaper skillets are better quality and don't be fooled by the lifetime warranty that supposedly comes with these products. Le Crueset skillet has only non stick coating that can be covered under warranty but it's… Read more

not covered so not sure what else comes under this warranty and the customer service representative at Melbourne office could not answer this question either. I found out the hard way like the rest of other people who paid good money for an inferior and faulty product. Customer service is terrible too and it seems that anybody that complains gets the same scripted reply to the problem.

Le Creuset WOK – I have had Le Creuset pots for about 40 years & love them. I bought the WOK about 2 years ago. I was disapppointed early on but I persisted. It is a disaster. I figure a WOK is the go to for stir fries but cooking eggs or rice in it is impossible...it just sticks. Looks lovely but it sits on the shelf while I use my much cheaper non stick WOK which cooks to perfection  Show details

Terrible experience on such expensive frypan – I strongly advise anyone to not to buy this product as all food stick into it Even you put heaps of oil the food just stick into it . On top of all above it’s way to heavy so not easy to handle Show details

Waste of time and money – Unfortunately, this is no better than a generic $50 cast iron pan. The handle is ridiculously weak and cannot manage the heavy weight of the pan. It’s always coming loose, and now, after 100 or so uses, is starting to crack. The surface shows cracks on medium heat, and the heat is not distributed evenly. They claim these to be the best cast… Read more

irons, however, it is nothing more than good marketing.

After sales support is non-existent - notice that there are no replies to these reviews? Problem here is, that in Australia, the brand is managed by a third party. This licence will accuse you of using too much heat or wrong utensils (if there is such a thing) or simply ignore your emails. The ‘lifetime’ warranty is a load of non-sense.

Spend your money on a cheaper set and save yourself the trouble of having to deal with these demons.

Horrible product – I purchased nearly two thousand dollars of various Le Creuset cast iron enamel pots, non stick frypans and a stainless steel cookware set. When my three nonstick frypans began to deteriorate, losing their smooth surface so food stuck, I took them back to Le Creuset to complain. After examining them and condescendingly accusing me of overheating… Read more

them they offered me a discount on a replacement. As an ex chef I knew that I hadn't overheated them so decided to buy only one replacement from Le Creuset which was the cast iron skillet. The sales-people did an excellent job raving about how good food cooked in the skillet tasted and how easy it was to keep it in a non-stick state. Unfortunately it was all bull. Despite seasoning the pan by rubbing vigorously with oil on a low heat prior to cooking everything stuck. The pan is way too conductive of heat which makes things easily burn on the lowest of heat. This pan is far from a joy to use. I've place this expensive pan at the back of the cupboard never to be used again. Complete waste of money. Le Creuset have certainly lost me as a customer.

Stay away from this Fry pan, a waste of money and rip off – You may think this fry pan is has better coating than $60 Tefal and will last longer. You may also be attracted to the so called "lifetime warranty". However, this good is a complete rip-off and only lasted for 6 months before the coating came off. When I sent my fry pan back to the store, they said I used wrong utensil and high heat, which… Read more

resulted in damaged surface and refused replacement. I used wooden utensil and this is a STIR FRY pan which costs me more than $200 dollars and you expect me to take extra care of it by just using low heat every day? ridiculous and please stay away from it.

This is a con – The service team say I burnt food in it that has ruined the surface and it’s my fault. I use dishwashing detergent and don't over cook my food. What a waste of $400! I will never buy another piece of this so called Quality cookware with a lifetime guarantee.  Show details

Dont buy. Not made for cooking – GF bought one from david jones in the brisbane city, last year near new years eve, everything cooked in it sticks to the pan and gets burnt. Lose half the food to the pan (being stuck to the pan). Burns everything. Do not buy highly recommend not buying this is ridiculous. Made for not cooking with.  Show details

Poor products, worse service – Non stick peeled off into or food in less than a year (no metal utensils or dishwasher used). They did not stand behind their guarantee and offer a replacement. Do not buy.  Show details

Will not honour the lifetime warranty! – The base of our Casserole pot started chipping and without even physically looking at the damage they assumed it was a result of over heating. Lifetime warranty was not honoured but they kindly offered us a new one for the cost of a brand new one! Bargain! If this was a $50 pot i wouldn't care but we paid a premium and expect a premium product that can handle more than 5 uses. Absolute Crooks!  Show details

Horrid! – I've purchased and loved several La Creuset items in the past, but this cast iron skillet is horrible. Everything sticks to it. I was told by La Creuset that I couldn't cook eggs on it, and that it wasn't for frying veggies in the regular stir-fry sense (though other cast irons I own cook eggs and veggies perfectly). So I tried to stick to… Read more

veggies and fish, specifically searing, but it's as though the bottom of this pans clamps on to food. I'm not sure I've seen anything like it. As in, half my salmon or halibut fillet sticks to the pan and rips off when I try to remove it—not only poorly cooking it but effectively destroying it. I saw online that seasoning might help, and so tried this again and again, but it did not work. Tried to contact La Creuset, and they were entirely unhelpful, at first redirecting my question and then blaming me for the issue, though I've seen multiple similar reports online. Do not buy. Not sure I'm keen to buy La Creuset again given their response to the issue.

Thrown Out - Le Creuset Signature Cast-Iron Square Grill Pan – Had this square skillet for 6 months and after countless washes it still leaves black residue on my plastic wash brushes after its just been washed. The non stick coating is obviously faulty. Pity for such a well known brand as this. Ive thrown it out and gone back to stainless steel.  Show details

Le Creuset enamel flaking off the inside base – My wife wanted a Le Creuset pot and was initially very happy with the new blue pot from David Jones. 4 years later the base has chips all over it. We took it back to David Jones and they had the rep look at it. I was not concerned as it had a lifetime warranty. I was shocked when they refused to warrant the product as it "showed signs of over… Read more

heating"! This is not the case. From the many similar reviews on this website the quality in this brand is clearly no longer there. Don't buy Le Creuset!

I subsequently asked David Jones to Warrant the product they sold me. They were very helpful and went back to Le Creuset. They agreed to refund the value of the pot. I purchased an Esteele Cookpot the same size and we are very happy with the pot and Esteele's lifetime warranty!

Going to buy another – Have had mine for 10 years. Never read the instructions, constantly put it straight onto gas, previously used it on a standard element. It is fantastic. Always cooks perfect. Super easy to clean too. I just quickly clean it after cooking and put it back out ready for next night. Love it. Looking for a smaller one.  Show details

Disappointed in product, warranty, and customer service – I purchased a Le Creuset 10 quart enamel steel stock pot. Within 3 weeks of mild use - boiling water for pasta - a chip appeared on the bottom. The retail establishment assured us that Le Creuset stands behind its products and would replace it. I called and left 3 messages before they called back and I was told I could return it to them and if… Read more

they evaluated that the damage was not my responsibility that they would replace it. They said if they decide the chip was from misuse, they would allow me to repurchase it at at 30% discount - Ha! Then they explained that they considered exterior chips merely cosmetic and that do not replace because of exterior chips. I argued that the thing was less than a month old. They said return it and take my chance and if I was not happy with their verdict I could call back and talk to a supervisor. I will never buy Creuset again. Their days of being a good company must be long over.

Quality is so disappointing – We don't own a microwave so decided to spend the extra money and purchase a 'good quality' pan, given we use it on a daily basis. I felt re-assured by the 10 year warranty, but surprise surprise it doesn't cover the fact enamel damage. We've had the 3-ply omelette pan for a little over 6 months and the enamel has started to peel off. I've NEVER… Read more

put it in the dishwasher or even used metal accessories. So according to their warranty I must've heated it too high from time to time. Like other reviewers, what a load of crock if the pan can't handle higher heat levels.

I gave the pan 2 stars instead of 1 because it actually works wonderfully in terms of non stick and heat distribution, but unfortunately thats where it stops, and I'm now looking for an alternative brand to replace my existing collection of older pots and pans.

Never worked but the company says all the faults are with me – With all the fan fare surrounding this brand, I bought their expensive enameled cast iron casserole as a prized addition to our kitchen. Red through all the instructions carefully and very first cooking in it, didn't work as promised! Everything would just stick! Took more oil to finally finish a simple vegetarian curry than my regular stainless… Read more

steel pans. But, since this is such a big brand, we thought we probably have not used it correctly. So, next cooking, even more careful and same result. After some more iterations, I decided to take it to the retailer, in this case Myer, Chadstone. When I explained the problem, the staffs reacted as if it's a personal attack to them! As if the product is designed by them and manufactured in their own company! I was told I am the first person ever to say anything negative about this brand! Anyway, I asked them to log a repair/return request. Yesterday they called me and told me that the company has reviewed the item and they say that there is no manufacturing defect and the reason for excessive sticking is, you guessed it, the item is not being used properly, as instructed. They said they can't do anything about it and I should take it back.

Bottom line, this is an overhyped brand and this is my first and last Le Creuset product.

Never worked – This product has been a major disappointment really from day 1. It never really worked. Had the same experience as William. I have owned Le Creuset products previously but for some reason this one despite following all the instructions for first year etc has flaked and always sticks. It was a Christmas present otherwise I would have returned it.  Show details

First and last le Creuset – After using my creuset about twice a month for about 8 years, flakes of enamal started to come off the inside of the base. Since it came with a lifetime warranty I hauled it to a le Creuset store where they told me that I had been using the pan incorrectly! They alleged I heat the pan up to quickly and therefore the enamel cracked. Rubbish! I… Read more

always slowly heat the pan through, always hand wash it and never let it get temperature shock. Even if I would do that, you would expect a $500 pan to be able to handle heat! First and last le Creuset. I was offered a 'special' discount of 30% on a new pan. Don't bother, I am now an ex-Creuset customer.

Totally in Love!! – I first bought the 30cm shallow cast iron casserole I thought that was enough - cost so much! but I fell head over heels in love with it! Cook with it ALL the time! I then purchased the grilling pan as I thought it would quite practical. I now grill anything and everything!! Love it!! So I then bought the 24cm dutch oven and now I have… Read more

purchased the signature 22 cm round wide dutch oven! These casseroles are a dream to cook with and so easy to clean. The trick for me is to start them off medium to high heat then once hot turn the heat down a notch once you start cooking - this depends on what it is you are cooking of course as some dishes require a high temperature e.g. grilling meat. For me these casseroles have been well worth the (huge!) investment and if you can afford at least one I would recommend you buy one - you will not be disappointed .

fantastic!! – This is a great product that is used all the time and never falters. I would highly recommend this to all good cooks! I purchased this pan with some apprehension however, it's just fantastic. I am very satisfied with it and I am looking forward to making many meals with it.

chipped enamel – same problem as mentioned by other reviews. My red cast iron round french oven pot has lost a small piece of the enamel on the base of the pot. If this is due to overheating, then it is disappointing the pot cannot stand the heat and I will go back to using my 20 year old pot purchased from Myer. Also noticed small chips of the enamel along the rim of the pot, not sure if this is from the lid. The pot is 3 years old in November this year.

Warranty void if you cook with it – I have bought my wife many Le Creuset cast iron enamel cooking dishes over the last 15 years, 1 large pot, 1 small frypan, 1 large frypan, 1 grill plate ect... It's expensive but it makes a nice gift, until now. While heating some olive oil in the large cast iron pot (about 5 years old) a piece of enamel (5mm x 5mm) literally popped of the… Read more

interior base of the large pot, exposing the cast iron. We took the pan to the Minimax store in Camberwell where it was purchased, they had a Le Crueset 'rep' examine it and they decided the fault was not covered by warranty. They said that the pot had been 'over heated' and been 'cleaned abrasively'. I confess that the pot has been used for cooking and been cleaned quite a few times so I can only conclude that the pot is not warrantied if you use it for cooking.

Lifetime Warranty, what a load of rot. I bought a cheap cast iron enamel pan from Aldi today, I think I'll just by cheap stuff from now on if the expensive Le Creasust items aren't really warrantied at all. I can just buy cheap and replace them if need be. I am very disappointed that the investment I thought I was making in a reputable product was just throwing money away. If though we had overheated it, or cleaned it in a damaging way I would not have bothered taking it back to the shop, I wish I could show you a picture of this will kept pot, I am very fair, but I don't like being ripped off. Slow even cooking Warranty is not valid if you cook with it

The perfect toxic free fry pan – I purchased this fry pan as I've been searching for a toxic free alternative to teflon and hard anodised non stick cookware. I've had it for a couple of months now I am very satisfied with it. Enamel cast iron offers a "fairly" effective non-stick performance but it is not quite as nonstick as a teflon pan, so just keep that in mind before… Read more ·  1

deciding to invest so much money to buy one. I was looking for a toxic free alternative for teflon or hard anodized fry pan for eggs, salteeing and pan frying and I've found it. This fry pan has worked brilliantly for me.

I've found that greasing the pan evenly with a litle bit of oil just before placing onto the cooktop and then allow the pan to heat up enhances the non-stick performance of the enamel. I only use on low to medium heat and the pan gets quite hot on medium. So far I've been very happy with this fry pan. I just wish it was a little bit taller as pan frying can be quite messy, so next time I will consider a tall sautée pan for steaks and stir-fries.

The fry pan is also quite easy to clean, but it does take me longer to clean it when I pan fry steaks seasoned with crushed garlic and the garlic does get stuck to the pan. In this case I soak it with warm water while I wash the dishes and I leave the fry pan last and it is quite easy to clean it then. Very sturdy and high quality enamel cast iron inside and out. Indeed made to last a lifetime! Enamel cast iron is also dishwasher and oven safe. No cons to the cookware quality and performance! I love it!!! Just wish it was a bit taller and cheaper. Even though Le Creuset is pricy it is worth the investment as teflon and anodized fry pan do require to be replaced after a period of time and most important there's the health issues with the use of PTFE in the conventional non-stick cookware..

Good – Although enamelled cast iron has long had advantages over raw cast iron (chiefly, it can deal with acidic foods far more easily), and a far higher price to match, it has long had a downside. The glossy enamel used to mean that it was impossible to season the inside of the pan, and get a lovely nonstick coating which made unenamelled cast iron so… Read more

great.

Staub (another French cast iron brand) has been using a matte black enamel on the inside of their dutch ovens for quite a while now, and it is good to see LeCreuset finally following suit. This non-glossy, porous enamel IS capable of being seasoned, which means over time, this pan becomes incredibly non-stick.

What this also means is that you really, really should season this pan. You won't know how you did without. There are some directions on the LC website (or use google), but in brief -

1.Wash your pan out really well. Soap and water, all that jazz.

2.Chuck it on the heat for a minute to make sure it is completely dry.

3.Coat the entire black interior surface with any kind of oil other than olive - vegetable oils can get sticky but have a high smoke point (so no burning in the curing process), bacon fat is good because it doesn't get sticky. This should be a reasonably thin coating. Get rid of any pooling oil with a paper towel.

The aim is to keep this oil at a gentle heat for a while. In doing so, it will bond to the metal and make it deliciously non-stick. You can either do this over the burner, in which case you have to sit there for an hour making sure it is hot enough but that you're not burning the oil, or:

4. remove the handle. wrap the silver loop in a dishcloth to protect it, then grab it with a pair of pliers and twist anticlockwise. At the factory it's put on incredibly tight, but have no fear, it's not like you can damage the thing. Once loosened the handle practically falls off (more on that in a sec). It's very easy to take off and put on, quickly, once you get the hang of it (finger tightness is fine), so don't be afraid of doing it - and it means that you can use the pan in the oven. So:

5.Chuck it in a 150 degree C oven. Leave it for an hour. Turn off the oven. Leave pan to cool. Reattach handle. Congratulations! You have now seasoned your pan.

The best thing is that the seasoning builds up over time, until the pan surface becomes incredibly slick. Food don't stick, cleaning up is a breeze. I would suggest cooking a few fatty meals (fry some eggs, whatever) at first to start building up this layer. You will still need to use a fair amount of oil in these early stages.

And now, the important part - if you scrub the pan with soap and water, you're washing away all your hard work and all the nonstick glory. But the good news is that cleaning it becomes super easy because nothing will stick to it. just throw some boiling water in after you've finished cooking, and all the crap in the pan will fall off if you give it a prod. Make sure you dry it well afterwards. Or, if you're like me, you can get away with just wiping it clean with some paper towels. All the stuff comes off, and it's not like bacteria can survive on a red hot pan. For the early stages of building up this patina (which will only get better over time), you might want to reapply a thin coating of oil after cleaning.

If all the above sounds like too much work to you, I promise you'll make it all back, once it takes you all of 10 seconds to clean the pan when you're done.

Now, to the review!

I'm not going to complain about the weight of the pan. It is as heavy as it should be. Any lighter and it wouldn't diffuse heat as well and you'd get hotspots.

There's a good amount of surface area. The pan fits well over most burners, and gives you plenty of room do work with. The curved edges are very well done, you can flip pancakes in the thing quite easily and if you're strong enough, you can actually do all the fancy sautee flipping. The 'helper handle' is a godsend with a full pan. And even if you cook with this thing for 4 hours, the handle will not get hot. Which brings me to my only potential concern...

Once you take the handle off,you see that all there is holding this heavy pan (heavier still once full), to the handle, with all the weight being increased by leverage, is a worryingly thin rod of galvanised steel, which kind of wedges into place into the cast iron half of the handle, and the silver loop at the end screws in to the end of this rod. While this DOES have a plus in that it means the wooden handle is barely touching any metal, and so is extremely reluctant to warm up, it also means that you're not holding a cast iron pan by much. If you drop it, it will break. It will likely be full of hot fluid, which will go everywhere. Don't get me wrong - when the handle is screwed together it feels rock solid. I'm probably being paranoid, but I just wish that steel rod was thicker.

But, on the plus side, if the handle DOES fail, Le Creuset will give you a new pan! Looks great, even heat diffusion, matte black enamel interior lifetime warranty Wooden handle cannot go in oven, but this can be removed. Handle may not be held on well enough.