Le Creuset, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways…

photo courtesy Mark Adams

1.) For starters, you come in gorgeous colors. My first piece was kiwi…then I added dijon…next up was cherry…followed by cobalt…caribbean was the next member of our family…and chestnut soon joined in as well. Flame was your original color back in 1925, meant to mimic the color of molten iron. But there are more colors of you than in a United Colors of Benetton ad. I’m loving the ocean, cassis, dune, fennel and black onyx. I’ve even seen pics of Le Creuset in spinach and coastal blue.

2.) You are the swiss army knife of cookware pieces. You function in the oven, on the stove, in the refrigerator, in the freezer, and do it all so well. I can braise a pot roast in you for 3, 4, sometimes even 5 hours, at a relatively low heat, come home knowing that you’ve done your job and done it well.

3.) You come with a lifetime warranty. They say that nothing in life is guaranteed, except you of course, and that’s just plain awesome.
4.) You are made of enameled cast iron. What does that mean, and why is that significant? Well, for one, cast iron is fantastic at distributing heat evenly, which is a great thing when it comes to making sure you don’t have one thing burnt on one side and raw on another. Enameled cast iron is awesome because unlike conventional cast iron, there’s no seasoning involved. And because it is cast iron, it is heavy and retains its heat really well. You are a heavy piece of art, but that’s part of your appeal. Your snug fitting lid keeps in all that moisture for when I need it most (like in a slow braise).

5.) You are a high quality piece and a one-of-a-kind. Many hands touch you to make sure you’re manufactured just right. Individual sand cast molds are used to make you and make sure you’re perfect for me. At least 15 people inspect you to make sure you’re just right.

6.) You are an investment for certain, but I look forward to passing you down many, many, many years from now, but they may have to pry you out of my hands.

7.) Le Creuset, I’ve boiled water in you, braised pot roast in you, cooked non-paleo bread in you (yep, back in pre paleo days), refrigerated you, cooked curry in you, roasted a chicken in you, made stock in you, cooked Tom Kha Gai, chicken tomatillo soup and crab bisque in you, I’ve fried chicken in you, simmered spaghetti sauce in you, cooked up a vat of mashed cauliflower in you, just to name a few. I haven’t really thought of anything I can’t do with you, and I don’t want to know what life is like without you.

These are just SOME of the reasons why I (Jules) love Le Creuset and why I’m so excited we’re GIVING AWAY 6 Le Creuset pieces in the coming months (speaking of, have you entered our contest for our first Le Creuset giveaway?!?! Better go and do that before Friday!).

Do you love Le Creuset? Share with us why you love it or what colors you have! Or if you don’t have any Le Creuset yet, what one color would you most want to add to your home?