Le Creuset - middle class nirvana or unnecessarily heavy con?

[PersonaNonGarter]

The Le Creuset from my wedding list (10yrs) is coming to it’s life end and tbh it hasn’t been a great ride. Each one is stained, with chipped handles, horrible to clean etc.

Do I repurchase at £££ or is there something better out there?

Agree with pp btw, mine are all lidded casseroles , I use them as saucepans in and on the AGA. I don't like the saucepans with wooden handles as they are heavy and can't go in dw or oven. If I were in the market for actual saucepans I would get stainless steel.

I think we bought our saucepan set in the late 80's (wooden handles, so we can't bung them in the dishwasher anyway). This was back in the days when you bought five saucepans in a wooden holder. They clean up after slow simmering curries. We did crack the lid of our 22cm pan 20 years ago and didn't fancy paying £90 to replace it (but our local kitchen shop used to sell spares) but it continues, rust free.

Our non-stick frying pans fared less well. I am not sure they are even made these days.

The Aldi casserole dishes seem well made We have one of the wide, shallow ones (probably 5+ years old). The knobs on the lids aren't great in hot ovens, but can be replaced.

I had problems with my Staub fondue set cast iron base going rusty in the 90's, but John Lewis replaced it a couple of times. The cast iron dish still gets pressed into service occasionally, but it has stained.

We were given a casserole dish 20+ years ago as a wedding present, and it is going strong. Stained inside and out, but no chips or anything - in the winter it gets used at least once a week.

tagines.... not tangines!

10 years? What did you do to them?!

Mine are still going strong 20 years later, and apart from a couple of broken handles, which they replaced FOC when I called them to ask about buying spares, are great.

Yes they do have a tendency to stain but I cant get worked up about that!

10 years? What you done with it? Had mine for 25 years and apart from a few scratches and curry stains it's still going strong

I've always wanted a casserole dish of theirs, I'm not bothered about anything else, though I do have a few LC jugs which are lovely with flowers in.

What sort of size would I need? Family of four, one a teen and one a toddler.

I love mine, use nearly everyday. Ten years is ridiculously too short a life.
I have some 20 years plus still fab. The older they are the more enjoyable. I stop worrying about them.

My local TKMaxx always has Le Creuset casseroles for half the usual price, maybe it is worth having a look?

We have Le Creuset casseroles and roasting pans that are 8 years old and look as good as new. We don’t use then every day though.

I have had several but prefer my IKEA own brand and Pro Cook ones. They don’t have enamelled linings so can be scoured and don’t chip or discolour but give the same great results.

They are also ££££££ cheaper!

Mine long outlived the marriage it was a present for in 1992 and is still going strong. I wouldn’t be without it and would buy another if it died.

I use my parents' 54-year-old LC casserole pot. Sometimes I wish it would reach the end of its life so I could replace it with one that matches my kitchen, but it just keeps going :)

I love mine - bought in France in the 1980s when they were much cheapervthere than here.
However, I equally love my Sainsbury's versions purchased over the last couple of years, which look identical, work just as well, and cost less than half the price.

I find them too heavy to be practical. Personally I would seek to replace with a good quality but lighter product.

I like it but only buy in sales or TK Maxx, I have had good bargains from John Lewis, HoF, Harts of Stur and Amazon, I’m not too fussed about colour though, if you want everything matching or a particular colour it’s very expensive.

Overpriced and over-rated. I've had mine for 30 years, and looked after them but yes, they are chipped and stained. DS has an el cheapo John Lewis version which he's used regularly for at least ten years and is still delighted with.

I had a bunch of le creuset, kept it all for ages but hated the weight so I gave it all to charity.

What have you done to have them wear out after just ten years? Ours are 30 years and going strong. I extort wear out before they do. The only downsides are they don’t stack like Aga pans and handles get hot.

I really like the sainsburys dupes.

I had a bunch of le creuset, kept it all for ages but hated the weight so I gave it all to charity

I would love to go to a charity shop and find le creuset!

Circulon pans are good, though also bizarrely heavy.

I love the casserole dishes, but the saucepans are just too heavy to be a pleasure to use

same here

I had them sat I the pantry for a few years and just recently got rid of them at a car boot for £25 a set of 3 in good condition.

I love my casserole dish and use it a lot though the winter

@dudsville

I had a bunch of le creuset, kept it all for ages but hated the weight so I gave it all to charity.

I am a Le Creuset foster carer.

PM me next time you feel the need..... ;)

Mine are inherited and about 40 years old. I hate hate the saucepans they are just too heavy. I do love the casserole though.

No issues with staining / cleaning / chipping.