Le Creuset Frying Pans

Pros: Attractive, even cooking temperature, cleaning can be easy
Cons: Heavy, slow to heat up, difficult for procrastinators to clean

I grew up knowing the true value of Le Creuset pieces. My mother has the 11" frying pan, as well as a pot that she uses for stews and pot roast. I loved that frying pan, as the even distribution of heat through the heavy metal means that the food cooks ...

Pros: Beautiful heavy pan that brightens the kitchen, cooks well gently, holds warmth, and cleans easily.
Cons: Expensive, heavy and delicate, and the non-stick lining is not durable.

I’ve always liked Le Creuset cooking pots. Mum’s kitchen included Le Creuset frying pan and casserole pots 35 years ago (and she still uses one of them). And so it was with delight that my wife and I received a Le Creuset frying pan 14 years ago as a ...

Pros: Excellent results, easy to clean.
Cons: They are HEAVY!

I have a fine set of Calphalon stainless steel cookware that I just love. However, my husband is afraid to cook in anything that's not non-stick. We received these two pans as a gift, and they are just perfect for him. Both are non-stick, and they both...

Pros: Even heat, great nonstick durable pan
Cons: HEAVY and expensive

I'm a professional cook and this is my favorite pan at home. I'm stuck with a flat electric cooktop so I have to be careful about not scratching it. This pan is wonderfully non-stick especially if you simply wipe it out when you are done. Eggs won't stick, it holds heat well for frying and I can cook anything in it. It can go in the oven or on the cooktop (great for fritattas). The down side is that it is expensive and VERY heavy.

Pros: Very attractive appearance; expensive enough to impress your guests.
Cons: Heavy! Slow & uneven heat. Chips easily & hard to clean.

Le Creuset Cookware is beautiful, but their pans have some qualities that you should consider carefully before purchase.

First, they are thick, heavy, iron pans -- perhaps ten times heavier than a similar aluminum pan. Second, they are clad with porcelain enamel -- maybe the worst heat conductor, easiest to chip, and most difficult-cleaning substance used on cookware. Third, like many "expensive" brands of cookware, the non-stick surface is hard and rough. This type of non-stick surface (also found on All-Clad products) is extremely durable when compared to the smoother surfaces found on Analon or Wearever, but it just barely qualifies as "non-stick."

Some might say a pan that is very heavy, slow to heat (or cool), that heats unevenly, is difficult to clean, chips easily, and has mediocre non-stick properties, possesses all the qualities you'd want to AVOID in your cookware.

But, then, what do I know?