A Very Subjective Ranking of the Best Le Creuset Colors

Selecting a Le Creuset color is like being caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place. Surely, they’re all beautiful. But the enameled cast iron is designed to last, by cookware standards, forever—so you better be sure it’s something you like now and in the future. 

We’re not saying there are bad colors, but we definitely have our favorites. So, we’re introducing our very subjective guide to the best Le Creuset colors, based entirely on Serious Eats staffers opinions and literally nothing else. 

And while Le Creuset seems to always be introducing new colors, they taketh as much as they giveth. Which is why we also included a Color Graveyard, to reminisce about discontinued colorways we’d like to see again. (Anyone…? Anyone…?)

The Best Blue: Marseille

Le Creuset Round Dutch Oven

$400 at Amazon View on Lecreuset.com

Of the colors that are still available, I adore the bright blue, gently multi-toned Marseille and have a 5.5-quart Dutch oven in it that sees a lot of action. Marseille is located in the south of France and is a port city, which makes sense for the color's oceany vibe. While my pot has a stainless steel knob, I think it'd look particularly striking with a brass knob and plan on buying one for it soon. — Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm, senior commerce editor

I'm torn among Rhone's deep burgundy, Artichaut's hunter green, Cerise's classic bright red, and Marseille's vibrant blue, but I guess being forced to pick one, I'm leaning towards Marseille's cheerier color over the more serious and brooding ones. (Also, gotta shout out Flame...it's not necessarily my favorite, but I have a soft spot for that one because it's such a defining color for the brand and one I've known since childhood.) And if anyone at Le Creuset is reading this and can influence design, I kinda feel like the gradient on the lids that gets darker towards the edge has become a little over-exaggerated recently. Maybe dial it back just a tad? — Daniel Gritzer, editorial director

The Best Red: Cerise

Le Creuset 16-piece Cookware Set

$900 at Amazon

It may make me a bit basic to say my favorite Le Creuset color is Cerise (the French word for cherry), but it’s the shade I immediately associate with the brand. It’s downright iconic, and I can’t help but picture a Cerise-colored Dutch oven filled with gently bubbling boeuf bourguignon, or coq au vin, or some other spirit-warming concoction. Can a color itself be homey? I’m inclined to think, yes.  — Jacob Dean, former updates editor

Like Jake, my favorite Le Creuset color is Cerise—it's the color of our Dutch oven, though we do have a smaller vintage Le Creuset pot in Flame. In Chinese culture, red is the color of happiness, and I've taken it upon myself to buy red kitchen tools and appliances. (My KitchenAid stand mixer is also red!) — Genevieve Yam, culinary editor

A Vote for An Icon: Flame

Le Creuset Signature 8-Piece Cookware Set

View on Williams Sonoma

Daniel gave a little shoutout to Flame, but you really can’t mention Le Creuset colors without talking about the Le Creuset color. Its orange hue and black knob (though I think it now comes with a stainless one) will forever be burned into my brain as iconic. And buying Flame is like owning a piece of history: it was Le Creuest's first-ever color, introduced in 1925. It’s here to stay—and for good reason. — Riddley

The Best Dark Blue: Agave

Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast Iron Oval Braiser

$320 at Williams Sonoma

Since aging past 30, I've gravitated towards, as Daniel puts it, more serious and brooding colors: deep, sad greens and moody, churning blues. Maybe it's a quarter-life crisis, or maybe it's just a personal inclination to all hues on the cooler side of the color spectrum. Regardless, Agave—a rich but still bright blue that borders on turquoise—is one of my favorite Le Creuset colors; it's serious and luxe but still trying to have a little fun, kinda like me. — Grace Kelly, commerce editor

The Best Green: Artichaut

Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Signature Saucepan

$225 at Amazon $225 at Williams Sonoma $225 at Sur La Table

I don't exactly know how to pronounce this (I was a Spanish minor), but regardless, this shade of green has my heart. It's somewhere between ocean grass and pine needle green (personally, I think artichokes are paler), and I would paint almost all of the walls in my house this color. — Grace

The Best Matte: Matte Navy

Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Deep Sauté Pan

$368 at Williams Sonoma $220 at Lecreuset.com

I'm an absolute sucker for a matte finish, and the matte navy color from Le Creuset is stunning—its depth of color and subtle texturing make it look almost otherworldly against their other hues. It may not be as flashy as their glossier ombre options, but I love its subtle textured look and gravitate towards varied texture more than color in home decor. — Jesse Raub, former commerce writer

Our Le Creuset Color Graveyard

These are our favorite discontinued colors, to which we say BRING THEM BACK. And while we make less than zero promises, our fingers are crossed that our little bit of sway in this weird world pulls through for these five. 

A Purple Dream: Fig

This was my *dream* color for years, and my husband got it for me in a 7 1/4-quart Dutch oven back in 2020. Fig's gone now (bring it back, bring it back), but I think it's pretty perfect and I will love it forever. The slightly ombre, deep purple hue! The brass knob! There are some pieces on eBay. — Riddley

A Creamy White: Almond

The way my 24-year-old self craved Almond Le Creuset cookware!! I viscerally remember saving for a 1 3/4-quart saucepan, knowing in my heart it had to be a Timeless, Grown-Up color that would wear well and I'd love forever, and landing on Almond as the perfect storm of all my silly little criteria...only to find out the color had been discontinued right before I was able to make the purchase. A quick Google Image search of what could have been breaks my heart. It would've been the creamiest, most delicious forever add to my kitchen. Alas! — Tess Koman, executive editorial director

Another Purple That’s Passed On: Cassis

Cassis is another discontinued (I think?) favorite. The deep, sheeny aubergine is so beautifully moody and luxe. I'll never regret having gone for brooding cookware—it looks so bold next to more common blacks and whites and grays. Plus, it betrays nothing. Looks brand new to this day! — Tess

A Beautiful, Pale Yellow: Mimosa

As someone who is chronically online, every once in a while I fall down the eBay rabbit hole and emerge with a dream purchase I will probably never make. This is how I discovered the Le Creuset Mimosa color. It's a pale, perfect yellow that is cooler than the current Nectar offering and doesn't have the gradient shift that Soleil does. If/when I eventually build the retro-but-tasteful lemon-themed kitchen of my dreams, a set of these (especially all sizes of the flower cocotte shape) will be my first purchase. — Amanda Suarez, associate director, visuals

An Ombre Orange Moment: Orange Blossom

Another color that's been gone for years now and I'm still sad about is Orange Blossom. I have a 3 1/2-quart braiser in it that I got for very little money at a Le Creuset outlet store. It's a lovely orange ombre that fades towards the center of the lid and then towards the base of the pan. It's like a creamsicle. Again, I say, BRING IT BACK. — Riddley

FAQs

What’s the best Le Creuset Dutch oven? 

After testing 20 Dutch ovens, we named the 5 1/2-quart Le Creuset our favorite. We also recommend the Staub Dutch oven. 

Is Le Creuset cookware worth it? 

Because of its exceptional durability, reputation, and quality control, yes, we do think buying heritage cookware like Le Creuset is worth the cash.

Is Le Creuset cookware induction compatible? 

Yes, Le Creuset enameled cast iron cookware is compatible with induction. For other cookware types (stainless steel, nonstick), we recommend checking the manufacturer’s description to check if it’s compatible with induction.

Why We're the Experts

• Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm is the senior commerce editor at Serious Eats.
• She has also held roles at America's Test Kitchen, Apartment Therapy Media, Food52, and Eating Well.
• She has been reviewing kitchen equipment for over half a decade, and has written hundreds of stories about the best gear, tools, and utensils for cooking.
• The Serious Eats staff uses, loves, and has strong opinions about the best enameled cast iron pans.