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Le Creuset (French pronunciation: [lə kʁøzɛ], meaning "the crucible") is a French-Belgian maker of cookware. They are best known for producing enameled cast-iron cookware.[1] The company first manufactured their products in the town of Fresnoy-le-Grand in France in 1925, which are similar in function to a Dutch oven but with T-shaped handles. The company also makes many other types of cookware and bakeware, from fondue-sets to tagines.
 | |
| Company type | SAS |
|---|---|
| Industry | Cookware |
| Founded | 1925 |
| Founder | Armand De Saegher (Belgian) Octave Aubecq (Belgian) |
| Headquarters | , |
Key people | Paul van Zuydam (president) |
| Revenue | 194,814,200 Euro (2021)  |
| Owner | Paul van Zuydam |
| Website | www |
History
editLe Creuset was founded in Fresnoy-le-Grand, Aisne, Picardy at the crossroads of transportation routes for iron, coke, and sand. Armand De Saegher (a Belgian casting specialist) and Octave Aubecq (a Belgian enamelling specialist) opened the foundry in 1925.[2] [3] That same year, the first cocotte (or French oven) was produced, laying the foundation for what is now an extensive range of cookware and kitchen utensils. Flame (orange), was used for the first piece.
During World War II, Le Creuset began to focus on continually improving cast iron.
In the 1950s, the designer Raymond Loewy introduced a futuristic type of cookware.
In 1957, Le Creuset purchased a competitor, Les Hauts Fourneaux de Cousances, and began producing items such as a grill and a fondue set.
The cookery writer Elizabeth David promoted Mediterranean cooking in the UK and was a Le Creuset promoter, particularly in her 1969 booklet 'Cooking with Le Creuset'. One of the colours of blue in the cookware range was created for her.[4]
The current Le Creuset logo was introduced in 1970 as a symbolic representation of metal casting and moulding.
In the 1970s Enzo Mari designed distinctive Dutch ovens and saucepans with domed lids and typical handles. In the 1980s JC Barrault's "Futura" line was launched.
The Le Creuset Dutch oven is on display in the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. as a part of the recreation of the chef Julia Child's kitchen.[1] It has been widely reported to be her favorite cooking pot, though specialist sources hold that it was the Dutch oven of Le Creuset's less-remembered competitor Descoware that was her real favorite.[1]
The company was purchased by Paul van Zuydam in 1988.[5]
In 1995, Le Creuset began exploring new product categories: stainless steel, stoneware, silicone, enamel on steel, textiles and forged hard-anodized aluminium.
Le Creuset offers a variety of colours, from bright (e.g. cherry, a gradated red) to muted (e.g. dune, a gradated off-white).[6] Its discontinued colours include cobalt (gradated blue-violet), black onyx (solid black), kiwi (gradated light green),[6] as well as slate, granite, cactus, and citron.[7][8] In addition to their standard colors, Le Creuset partners with major kitchenware retail brands such as Williams-Sonoma and Sur La Table to offer unique "exclusive" colors which are only available for purchase through their respective stores.
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Le Creuset kitchenware gained new fans amongst users of social media in 2020 as a high value designer brand.[9][10]
Production
editTo manufacture their cast-iron cookware, the Le Creuset foundry uses standard sand casting methods. After hand finishing, items are sprayed with at least two coats of enamel. The Le Creuset Signature range of cast iron cookware is coated in a minimum of three coats of enamel.[11] The enamel becomes resistant to damage during normal use. Currently, all Le Creuset cast-iron cookware is still manufactured in the company's foundry in Fresnoy-le-Grand. The process was featured on BBC Two's Inside the Factory.[12]
Le Creuset products that are not cast-iron may be made in other countries, such as China (accessories or silicone products), Thailand (kettles and ceramics), England (enamel cleaner), Portugal (stainless steel),[citation needed] and Eswatini (clay pots).[citation needed]
Image gallery
edit-
Vintage casseroles by Raymond Loewy -
Individual casseroles -
Shallow casserole in 'Cassis' colour -
Fondue pot designed by Enzo Mari -
Le Creuset shop display -
Le Creuset tea kettle -
From left: Le Creuset Dutch oven, saute pan, small wok, and rectangular baker
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See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Little, Harriet Fitch (3 September 2022), "The home in 50 objects from around the world #44, Julia Child's soup pot: The 1960s celebrity chef introduced Americans to French cooking and quality cookware", Financial Times,
Le Creuset is the long-reigning heavyweight champ of the wedding gift registry. This makes sense metaphorically: a cast-iron vessel with a lifetime guarantee must appeal to nervous couples on the cusp of forever. This 1973 cocotte, also known as a French oven, is functionally identical to the company's first prototype, forged in the French town of Fresnoy-le-Grand in 1925, although the T-shaped handles were the innovation of Italian industrial designer Enzo Mari. What really distinguishes it is its provenance. It was the favourite soup pot of chef Julia Child and is now on display at the National Museum of American History as part of an exhibition that recreates the revered chef's home kitchen. ... Although her allegiance to the brand is now legend, many specialist sources suggest she was more fond of the competitor brand Descoware.
- ^ Guardian, David Levene for the (7 September 2015). "Le Creuset celebrates 90 years - in pictures". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
- ^ "The Secret History Of: Le Creuset". The Independent. 19 November 2010. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
- ^ "First. Finest. Favourite". Le Creuset. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
- ^ "Historey". Le Creuset. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- ^ a b "True Colors". Cookware.lecreuset.com. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
- ^ "Kitchen Classic Conundrum: What Color Is Your Le Creuset?". Epicurious.com. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
- ^ "Where can I find discontinued colors of Le Creuset? - Cookware - Chowhound". Chowhound.chow.com. 26 November 2010. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
- ^ "TikTok Has Become Weirdly Obsessed with Le Creuset". Food & Wine. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
- ^ Chen, Connie. "Le Creuset cookware is pricey, but its cast iron and stoneware pieces can last for years, if not decades—here's why they're worth the investment". Business Insider. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
- ^ "What's the Difference between Staub, Le Creuset and Chasseur French Ovens?". Everten Blog & Reviews. 15 March 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
- ^ "Inside the Factory". Housewares. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
External links
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