Le Creuset - worth it?

[escape]

Just wondering if there are any die hard fans or is it a case of style over substance before I invest?
TIA

[MildredH]

We love ours.. Cooks beautifully and washes easily. However, sainsbo's have copies on offer this week which a friend of mine has and says they are fab too so I'd say unless you're caught up on having the brand, shop around for a good quality copy made of same material.

[SwedishEdith]

I have Creuset - 35+ years old, still going strong, Chasseur - 10+ years old, still great and the Sains copy- 1 week old,still great .Just could not bring myself to spend £100+ more just for the name

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

Yes.

I love mine, and I've got one which was my grandma's which I still use weekly.

[bakingaddict]

I have a Le Creuset griddle pan.....it's so bloody heavy I very rarely get it out of the cupboard. Put me off buying anything else although they have these cute little Le Creuset casserole pots in John Lewis at the mo

[ouryve]

They're great - but only if you're sure you can lift the pans when they're full. They're a bit blinking heavy.

[MildredH]

If you decide to invest in the real deal make sure you shop around. We got ours from outlet at Bicester Village but I've since noticed that John Lewis and Debenhams often have 20-25% off them for a week..

[littlermissstan]

My mum still uses the set she got for her wedding almost 40 years ago every day. The big pans are very heavy when full, but brilliant in terms of heating evenly and last so long that I'm adding a couple to my wedding list too!

[Beamur]

We've got a couple and they are such good quality and last well.

[FrazzleRock]

Don't use the ovenware. It cracks!
It's no wonder they've got shitloads of the stuff in TK Maxx all the time.

Pans are lovely though

[escape]

Frazzle - interesting, have seen those there!
Thanks for input guys

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

Frazzle really? I've got several things and they are all fine after many many uses - how bizarre!

[nilbyname]

I have LeCrue pots and pans and they are fantastic. I imagine that they will last my lifetime and I will pass them on to my children.

[AndBingoWasHisNameOh]

We have them but only buy them when on offer in a store or at the outlet where you can normally get 40-50% off. Not sure I'd buy at full price.

[CointreauVersial]

They work on induction hobs, which is a bonus, but the saucepans are too blinking heavy for me (especially with the amount of grub I have to cook for my hungry lot).

[Mondrian]

We have a set of 8 that have served us well over past 10 years, love the pans as they can be used on the hob or in the oven and also great when deglazing is required. Even if on a budget i would definitely recommend a couple of deep pans/casserole as they add to the kitchen decor and are very versatile. Not a great fan of the frying pan unless you must deglaze at some stage so not very versatile.

[olgaga]

I have a couple of Le Creuset - a huge casserole (which is indeed very heavy when full), a Marmitout, and a griddle for steak (hardly use it now steak is so expensive!). They are brilliant for slow cooking, either on the hob or in the oven. It's nice to be able to brown meat in the dish.

I did get a Sains knock-off (lovely purple one) but the bottom would stick, and it also raised in the centre slightly after a bit of use. I send it off to the charity shop.

However I can recommend the Homebase knock-offs, I've got one of those, a mid-size oval, and it's as good as Le Creuset.

[IslaValargeone]

I don't like mine, I don't find they clean well and they are ridiculously heavy.

[GandalfsHat]

Totally worth it.

[olgaga]

Isla soak them well and use a plastic scourer, dry them then oil the inside before you put them away. They do get a bit discoloured with use but that's ok!

[IslaValargeone]

Thanks olgaga I've never done the oiling thing, that being said I'm ready to dump my set.
One or two of mine are rusting and the handle broke off my frying pan.
I shall be buying something that I can lift without fear of pulled muscles.

[FrazzleRock]

Yup. I heard an almighty bang from the oven and it was my lovely Le Creuset oven dish which had broken in two

I'm sure I've heard of this happening to other people

[busygirl]

i keep thinking about buying one,but they usually say"not to use on direct heat",so can't goon the cooker?thats what outs me off.i have a ceramic hob cooker.they r nice,but not if i can only use them in the oven

[LadyIsabellaWrotham]

They are fantastic, but the Sainsburys ones are probably 90% as good for 25% of the price - v tempted to get some this week.

[pettyprudence]

i have some cast iron, stainless steel and ceramic le creuset and love it all.
my mum bought Tesco cast iron pan and finds it a LOT heavier than my le creuset.
my sister had some ceramic le creuset but dropped it and it smashed.
i probably wouldn't bother with the ceramics but the cast iron and stainless steel have been worth the money.