Le Creuset cookware has been a mainstay in French restaurants and home kitchens since 1925—and a fixture at Williams-Sonoma after Chuck Williams discovered the pots and pans while visiting Paris in the 1960s. Back then, he recalls, Le Creuset was "the premier manufacturer of enameled cast-iron pots and pans—and still is. They developed a way of casting metal into beautifully shaped pans, coating them with an antirust finish and then a thick, durable enamel. We were one of the first to sell Le Creuset in America."

Distinguished by its traditional design and rustic beauty, Le Creuset cookware is still handcrafted at the original factory in northern France. There, artisans sand-cast each piece from a single mold that is then destroyed, making each pot unique. It is then perfectly finished with durable porcelain enamel in vibrant, glowing colors. This time-intensive procedure yields cookware designed to last a lifetime, delivering unsurpassed performance and superb results.

Construction

Cast iron is prized for its ability to gently absorb heat, transfer it evenly and retain it well.

With its heat-moderating quality, cast-iron cookware is especially recommended for slow-cooking soups, braises and stews, then keeping them hot after they've cooked.

Design

The weight of the tight-fitting lids helps lock in flavor, so foods emerge moist and tender.

The phenolic knobs are oven-safe to 450°F (230°C) and will stay cool on the stovetop.

Integral handles ease transferring a pot from stovetop to oven to table.

Finish

Le Creuset provides the benefits of cast-iron cookware, but its cooking surface requires no seasoning.

Multiple coats of porcelain enamel are applied and baked at exceptionally high temperatures for a durable, glossy finish.

The low-maintenance enamel resists chips, cracks, scratches and rust.

Enameled cast iron performs admirably on gas, electric, induction and ceramic stovetops.

The cookware is dishwasher safe.

Colors

Distinctive hues are a Le Creuset hallmark.

Colors include Sonoma blue and Dijon yellow (both created exclusively for Williams-Sonoma) plus red, flame, jade, blue and white. (Granite is available by special order.)

The Dijon yellow, red, flame and jade exteriors darken from the top to the bottom, giving them the look of a mellowed patina that would otherwise result from years of use.

The interiors are either white porcelain enamel or a dark nonstick surface, depending on the pan's function.

Not all pieces are available in every color; please ask a sales associate for assistance.

Use

Use Le Creuset cookware to bake, broil, braise, sauté, marinate, refrigerate and freeze.

Attractive and colorful, Le Creuset pots and pans are designed to travel from the kitchen to the dining table.

Special Orders

Williams-Sonoma offers a wide assortment of Le Creuset cookware in a range of colors.

For special orders, please ask a sales associate for assistance or go to williams-sonoma.com