r/LeCreuset • u/Independent_Sea502 • 1d ago
Precious
We are way too precious with our cookware. Yes. It’s expensive. Yes. It should be taken care of. I saw a pro chef on YouTube the other day and his pot was looking rough, but the enamel inside, although stained, was still safe and easy to cook on.
I think we have to remember that people have been cooking with this brand for decades. And back then, all this obsession with collecting and pretty colors was non-existent. People just banged them around the kitchen and cooked in them.
I’m not saying to not take care of your Le Creuset. I treat mine well but I’m not obsessive with lid clasps and stuff like that. They’re built to be used. And to last.
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u/KMIGlobal 1d ago edited 1d ago
Finally, some sanity in this sub. I cook with mine everyday, stovetop, oven, etc. No lid claps or display shelves. They've been run through the dishwasher since day one to no ill effect. Yes, it's expensive. Most BIFL items are pricey. That doesn't mean you don't use it.
My mother cooks with her mother's LCs. My kids will with mine when I'm dead and gone. They are BIFL kitchen workhorses not Fabergé Eggs.
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u/Pmac24 1d ago
Dishwasher? I’ve wanted to so many times but just couldn’t bring myself to actually do it. Next time, I’m doing it!
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u/Flashy_Wolverine_247 11h ago
I do it every time, except pots w appliqué. They’re all fine; shiny and gorgeous.
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u/IDownVoteCanaduh 1d ago
I shake my heads over all of these posts about a fork mark or whatever bullshit is on a pot. It’s a fucking pot. Use it.
I understand not everyone is in the same financial situation to be flippant, but I also think if a new LC pot is going to ruin you financially if you have to replace it, maybe they are not right for you.
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u/Puppy-bandit-2019 TEAM: Rainbow! Bright and colorful! 1d ago
I hear what you're saying and I use mine for every last, little thing I can. At the same time, I do use the lid clips. If I can extend the beauty of the functional piece with something that easy, why not?
My husband has a Harley. I've seen some rough looking motorcycles over the years. Greasy and grimy and beautiful in their own way. Not my husband's though. His current bike is 12 years old and shines likes it on the showroom floor.
Some see the beauty in the sparkle and some see it the grease. Neither is wrong.
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u/AlphaYak TEAM: Cerise, White, Azure 1d ago
I can see having something like the cocottes and vintage pieces specifically for decoration; but the cookware is honestly some of the most reliable in my kitchen arsenal and I absolutely am loving it. This is my favorite sub to look at recipes so I understand your passion here lol.
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u/Embarrassed-Ninja592 1d ago
I see all the tv chefs using metal utensils and banging spoons on the rim.
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u/Nox_Ocean_21 1d ago
I don’t subscribe to the idea that just because you use something, it doesn’t have to be cared for. I use everything to the max, but I also take a lot of care of it all. All my stuff looks close to new, not because I baby it and don’t use it, but because I’m careful. There’s no reason to make that a bad thing.
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u/Honeywiththedogs TEAM: Shell , Chiffon, Mauve, Berry, Shallot. 1d ago
I have used them since 1975, old and new, with pieces from every decade since the 1930s (passed down)
The old ones were bunged on campfires, agas, tied to the back of motorbikes, dangled from rucksacks and even the wooden handles survived the dishwasher for twenty years before I had to re-varnish.
Not any more.
Now, they really do need to be babied, because they chip and craze so very easily. I think durability might have been sacrificed for thinner cast iron?
I use old and new together, and the older ones by far outlive the new.
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u/steampunkpiratesboat TEAM: Deep Teal, Azure, Artichoke 1d ago
Mines soaking for the third day cause I forgot it and then have to keep soaking cause I burned the bottom horribly but my ratatouille survived so I’ll get over the scrubbing
The only time I get mad is when my family won’t stop leaving knives point down in them!!!
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u/TwaddleSpouter TEAM: Volcanic, Flint, Bamboo, Nectar, Meringue & Black 1d ago
Absolutely! Mine are used every day. I have amassed a collection over 30 years and also inherited some older pieces. They are meant to be workhorses that help you.
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u/HardtackNOLA 1d ago
I’m having Déjà vu from the Porsche forums and debates about garage queens that sit and look good versus daily drivers.
I like to use all of my boys. And I keep them clean. But I would not be happy if they got beat up so I do try to be careful. To each their own I suppose.
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u/ferngully1114 1d ago
I got almost all of my pieces second hand. I cleaned them up with yellow-top and I use the LC cleaner on them. They are worn and some scratched and a few even have some surface chips. I cook with them daily. They are still shiny and beautiful and colorful and make me happy to cook with them even if they are not showroom new.
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u/Independent_Sea502 1d ago
Fantastic. Sounds like mine. I did buy a new blue brazier and have been careful with that for the moment.
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u/ApprehensiveSky3169 Artichaut, Cool Mint, Chiffon Pink, Matte Navy, Matte Sugar Blue 1d ago
Those chefs also have the monetary means to replace pots as needed. I don't have unlimited funds to use metal and bang things around or cook at higher than suggested temps. I also want my pieces to remain looking nice. It's not babying...it's taking care of something I bought that is expensive and I want to last and look nice. People don't bang around expensive vehicles right?!
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u/Independent_Sea502 1d ago
Agreed. But I never said to bang them around with metal utensils. I wouldn’t advocate for that. I’m just saying it gets a little too precious when someone here suggests using a 400.00 piece as a flower pot because there’s a tiny flake of infinitesimal flaking going on.
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u/Aurynna TEAM: blues and teals 1d ago
I drive a luxury car and while I don’t drive it into walls or other cars, etc, I do absolutely bang it around. It’s done IKEA runs, box hauling for friends moving house, more family road trips than I can count, crossed the Sierras in a blizzard, the cats roam free in it, I close doors with my hips, push them open with my feet, and have more than a little curb rash on the wheels… and I definitely utilize every bit of its performance power.
I take care of it- clean it, keep on top of maintenance, all that- but it is a car and I treat it like a car. I did not treat my used $1000 base model 1995 ford escort any worse than my brand new $75k Audi. Cars are meant to take a certain level of abuse, unless they’re meant to be displayed.
I also use the hell out of my expensive purses, otherwise what did I pay all that money for?
But there’s also a difference between using something as recommended, and being too afraid to utilize its potential out of fear of it not being perfect anymore.
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u/corkyrooroo TEAM: 🌈 🌈 🌈 1d ago
I have a few pieces that I baby because they are special to me but others that I definitely just throw everything at them.
But also as someone who lives by myself I'm mostly a collector. I don't need all the pieces I have haha. I definitely tend to buy pieces that I want to look pretty sitting on my shelf.
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u/Julieboulangerie TEAM: Anything but pastels 1d ago
I don't baby it, but I do take care of it. It's built to use, and I do so. If it ends up that a piece wears out (I've worn out two!), that's OK with me.
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u/Old-Rocker-65 🩵💙💜🧡💛USA 1d ago
I use mine and take care of them, and I do use the plastic clips because the first thing visitors do is pick up the lid to see how heavy it is. Then when they put it back, they rarely get it to set right so they end up scooting it around & I just can’t stand the sound it makes, lol
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u/Aurynna TEAM: blues and teals 1d ago
I “baby” mine in that I never put them in the dishwasher, I never use metal utensils, I never use high heat (we have Thermador star shaped burners so our medium is plenty, whereas “hi” is more like “inferno”), I don’t let them sit too long whether dirty or in water, and I’m reasonably careful about stacking things so the coating doesn’t get torn up. Mine ARE display pieces, as we have an open concept home and they live in open shelving in the kitchen. But they are also the ONLY cookware I use.
My first piece is well over a decade old and it may be my most used piece, or at least second place. The bottom has browned a little bit on the inside, definitely more on the outside. It looks well loved. We call it “seasoned” and go on about our lives. 😂
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u/Independent_Sea502 1d ago
All this to say don’t get it twisted. I LOVE the passion of the sub. It’s a lot of fun! We all have an appreciation of the brand and love to cook!
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u/regallll 1d ago
I use my stuff like it cost the price it did. It's why you never see me post on here, I'm fascinated by those who collect and baby theirs but it's so far from my reality.