Le Creuset

Le Creuset was founded in Fresnoy-le-Grand, Aisne, Picardy at the crossroads of transportation routes for iron, coke, and sand. Armand De Saegher (a Belgian casting specialist) and Octave Aubecq (a Belgian enamelling specialist) opened the foundry in 1925. That same year, the first cocotte (or French oven) was produced, laying the foundation for what is now an extensive range of cookware and kitchen utensils. Flame (orange) was used for the first piece.

During World War II, Le Creuset began to focus on continually improving cast iron.

In 1957, Le Creuset purchased a competitor, Les Hauts Fourneaux de Cousances, and began producing items such as a grill and a fondue set.

In 1958, Raymond Loewy was commissioned to design a new streamlined casserole pot to target a younger generation, creating the "Coquelle".

The cookery writer Elizabeth David promoted Mediterranean cooking in the UK and was a Le Creuset promoter, particularly in her 1969 booklet 'Cooking with Le Creuset'. One of the colours of blue in the cookware range was created for her.

The current Le Creuset logo was introduced in 1970 as a symbolic representation of metal casting and moulding.

In the 1970s Enzo Mari designed distinctive Dutch ovens and saucepans with domed lids and typical handles. In the 1980s, JC Barrault's "Futura" line was launched.

A Le Creuset Dutch oven is on display in the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. as a part of the reproduction display of the kitchen of chef Julia Child. It has been widely reported to be her favorite cooking pot. (Specialist sources, however, hold that it was the Dutch oven of Le Creuset's less-remembered competitor Descoware that was her real favorite.)

To manufacture their cast-iron cookware, the Le Creuset foundry uses standard sand casting methods. After hand-finishing, items are sprayed with at least two coats of enamel. The Le Creuset Signature range of cast-iron cookware is coated in a minimum of three coats of enamel. The enamel becomes resistant to damage during normal use. Currently, all Le Creuset cast-iron cookware is still manufactured in the company's foundry in Fresnoy-le-Grand. The process was featured on BBC Two's Inside the Factory.

Le Creuset products that are not cast-iron may be made in other countries, such as China (accessories and silicone products), Thailand (kettles and ceramics), England (enamel cleaner), Portugal (stainless steel), and Eswatini (clay pots).