A lot of you know of my somewhat “mild,” all together healthy obsession with Le Creusets. How and why can a piece of enamelled, cast-iron cookware give so much joy and delight? By being super durable, eternally dependable, and gorgeous to boot. These are pricey puppies, but worth saving all your pennies for.
In fact, I scrounged for months to buy my first mini set of three in 2001. I was then recently out of college, working and living the single-gal life in New York, and just starting to putter about the kitchen. I had the requisite miniscule Manhattan studio apartment, equipped with an equally miniature kitchenette with only two cabinets. So I needed basic, versatile cookware, which could go from stovetop to table, and withstand plenty of wear-and-tear. Le Creuset was the perfect answer and came in a glamourous selection of colours. I, of course, settled on flame—the original and signature colour—a gorgeous mandarin orange hue, which graded down to a vibrant red at the base.
I’m not one for anything matchy-matchy at all; in fact matching sets are an aberration to my aesthetic sensibilities. But it seems as though I cannot have enough of these orange lovelies! My first three pieces were a 10-3/4” skillet, a 2¼ qt saucepan, and 3¼ qt round French oven. Over the years, I’ve slowly added to those starter pieces and have now accumulated quite a bounty. They range in size from the oft-used, behemoth 13¼ qt round French oven (dubbed “Big Bertha” by Tastey Boy), which was a wedding gift from my dear friend Nicola, to the 1/3 qt mini cocotte which is perfect for melting butter and sputtering spices. I can safely say that they are my best friends in the kitchen—I use them all, and I use them daily. In fact, the more you use them, the more naturally non-stick they become. And they are a breeze to clean with simple dish soap and hot water.
So take a deep breath and go forth and get yourself one of these beauties. I guarantee that it will be your best investment in the kitchen and will last you a lifetime. And I’m always happy to accompany you on your sojourn!
In fact, I scrounged for months to buy my first mini set of three in 2001. I was then recently out of college, working and living the single-gal life in New York, and just starting to putter about the kitchen. I had the requisite miniscule Manhattan studio apartment, equipped with an equally miniature kitchenette with only two cabinets. So I needed basic, versatile cookware, which could go from stovetop to table, and withstand plenty of wear-and-tear. Le Creuset was the perfect answer and came in a glamourous selection of colours. I, of course, settled on flame—the original and signature colour—a gorgeous mandarin orange hue, which graded down to a vibrant red at the base.
[click image to enlarge]
I’m not one for anything matchy-matchy at all; in fact matching sets are an aberration to my aesthetic sensibilities. But it seems as though I cannot have enough of these orange lovelies! My first three pieces were a 10-3/4” skillet, a 2¼ qt saucepan, and 3¼ qt round French oven. Over the years, I’ve slowly added to those starter pieces and have now accumulated quite a bounty. They range in size from the oft-used, behemoth 13¼ qt round French oven (dubbed “Big Bertha” by Tastey Boy), which was a wedding gift from my dear friend Nicola, to the 1/3 qt mini cocotte which is perfect for melting butter and sputtering spices. I can safely say that they are my best friends in the kitchen—I use them all, and I use them daily. In fact, the more you use them, the more naturally non-stick they become. And they are a breeze to clean with simple dish soap and hot water.
[click image to enlarge]
So take a deep breath and go forth and get yourself one of these beauties. I guarantee that it will be your best investment in the kitchen and will last you a lifetime. And I’m always happy to accompany you on your sojourn!
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Love them! And I relate completely to idea of cookware as a lifetime investment. Drew has a collection of copper pots that's he's slowly amassed. Same idea as your La Creusets: just picking up beauties one at a time as his budget allowed (even when he was earning close to nothing!) until he created a set of basics he'll use forever. :)
ReplyDeleteStill smiling :)
ReplyDeleteI love them. My obsession is to have one piece in each color! Well, except maybe dune or white. ha! I love the bright bold colors.
ReplyDelete