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The Best Le Creuset Gear, According to Our Exhaustive Testing

All the best skillets, braisers, Dutch ovens, and other Le Creuset products we’ve tested.

By
Eric King
Eric King
Eric King
Eric King is a recipe developer, photographer, food stylist, and content creator.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated October 17, 2024
Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast Iron Braiser, 3.5-quart

Serious Eats / Taylor Murray

Of course, you know Le Creuset for their range of brightly-colored Dutch ovens (and don’t worry, one is on this list), but they also make plenty of other great cookware, serveware, utensils, and other kitchen necessities. Whether they performed exceptionally well in extensive equipment reviews or staff just love using them in the test kitchen and at home, the below Le Creuset products are the tops of the top. And before you say, "This is an ad!" No, it's not. We've gathered up our favorites for other brands before, including Staub and OXO.

(One blanket note that applies to almost all of these, Le Creuset products can be pretty pricey, and while we genuinely think these are all worth the cash, head to our full reviews for our budget-friendly picks.)

A highly versatile workhorse in many kitchens, not only do these perform extremely well, but if taken care of and used according to manufacturer directions, they can last decades. In our test of 20 cast iron Dutch ovens, the Le Creuset tied for first with Staub. However, Le Creuset has wider looped handles and a beige interior (as opposed to black), which makes it easier to gauge fond development. At 5.5 quarts, this size is typically the best for most home cooks—perfect for about four to six servings and dishes like one-pot meals, chili, short ribs, or a 5-pound chicken.

Key Specs

  • Dimensions: 10.25 by 6.25 inches
  • Weight: 11.4 pounds
  • Capacity: 5.5 quarts
  • Cooking surface: 7.8 inches
  • Induction compatible: Yes
  • Warranty: Limited lifetime
  • Care instructions: Dishwasher-safe, though we recommend hand-washing
two hands with oven mitts on removing a Dutch oven from an oven

Serious Eats / Will Dickey

Braisers are like Dutch ovens but with shorter, sloped sides that are perfect for shallow-frying, searing and simmering meatballs, cooking a skillet chili, and/or other low-and-slow meat and vegetable recipes. With a large cooking surface that resists chips, scratches, and stains; wide looped handles, and a large lid knob that was easy to grip, Le Creuset’s model placed first in our review when up against seven other braisers. 

Key Specs

  • Weight: 12 lbs, 11.5 oz
  • Dimensions: 16 in x 12 in x 5 in
  • Cooking surface diameter: 9.5 in
  • Capacity: 3.5 quarts
  • Induction compatible: Yes
  • Care Instructions: Dishwasher-safe, but we recommend hand-washing
an empty white braiser with its lid off sitting on a marble surface

Serious Eats / Taylor Murray

More excellent cast-iron cookware from this brand. This bested Staub’s offering in our enameled skillet review (although we do like Staub's as a lighter-weight option.) It heats up relatively quickly and, it’s able to reach very high temperatures. Its fantastic heat retention means it sears steak beautifully. We loved the long handle with its rounded edges that made it easy to grip, and its flared sides allow for steam to get out and utensils to easily get in. Our commerce editor Grace Kelly has loved her hand-me-down enameled Le Creuset skillet for years.

Key Specs

  • Weight: 5 lbs, 6 oz
  • Diameter: 10.25 inches
  • Cooking surface diameter: 8.5 inches
  • Max heat: 500°F
  • Care instructions: Dishwasher-safe, but we recommend hand-washing
Le creuset enameled cast iron skillet

Serious Eats / Taylor Murray

As we say in our review, if you have a Le Creuset Dutch oven of the right size, then there’s really no reason you need this bread oven. After baking a dozen loaves in the bread oven, the good news was they were all great with crispy crusts and an open crumb. The bad news was they were identical to the ones made in a Dutch oven. So, is it worth the $300 price tag when it has only one use and a Dutch oven has several? Maybe not, but it is pretty.

Key Specs

  • Materials: Enameled cast iron, stainless steel knob
  • Dimensions: 12 3/4 inches wide with handles, 7 inches tall with lid, 9.5-inch diameter
  • Weight: 9.7 Pounds
  • Warranty: Limited lifetime
  • Care instructions: Dishwasher-safe, though we recommend hand-washing
a loaf of bread made in a Le Creuset Bread Oven with a parchment paper sling beneath it

Serious Eats / Andrew Janjigian

This set aced the accuracy test in our review, coming very, very close to the standard weight measurements of a tablespoon, teaspoon, half-teaspoon, and quarter-teaspoon—down to the decigram. Their rounded shape made them easy to clean and scrape out sticky ingredients like honey. We especially like how the handle is on the same level as the lip of the bowl, making it easy to sweep off excess ingredients in one clean swipe. The only drawback: The tablespoon and teaspoon both failed to fit into a standard one-inch spice jar opening, though the teaspoon squeezes into a 1.25-inch jar opening. 

Key Specs

  • Materials: Stainless steel
  • Bowl shape: Circle
  • Set includes: 5 pieces (1/8 tsp, 1/4 tsp, 1/2 tsp, 1 tsp, 1 tbsp)
  • Cleaning: Dishwasher-safe
  • Features: Easily removable ring, US and metric measurements stamped into the metal, nesting bowls
a number of measuring spoons on a marble surface

Serious Eats / Eric King

Although Made In won our test of stainless steel skillets thanks to its affordability, Le Creuset’s model performed just as well. The price for the Le Creuset model is sometimes low enough, though, to be comparable to Made In. We love that Le Creuset stainless steel pans are induction capable, and, anecdotally, they have resisted warping for years in the kitchens of Serious Eats’ staffers. 

Key Specs

  • Compatible with induction cooktops: Yes
  • Oven-safe temperature: Up to 500°F
  • Material: Tri-ply stainless steel with a full aluminum core
  • Warranty: Limited Lifetime
  • Dishwasher-safe: Yes
Searing chicken breasts in a skillet, showing even golden color on the skin

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

This unique spoon combines the functionality of both a silicone spatula and a wooden spoon. It is an ideal combination of a deep bowl (great for scooping) and a flexible head (excellent for scraping the bottoms of pots or scraping out mixing bowls). 

Key Specs

  • Materials: Silicone, nylon
  • Weight: 3.2 ounces
  • Cleaning: Dishwasher-safe
three spatulas on a wooden surface

Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

In our review of 10 stovetop kettles, this model boiled both 1.5 quarts and .75 quarts the fastest, the latter a full 30 seconds faster than the second-place finisher. Its high, plastic handle meant it didn’t get too hot to grasp after boiling, and its wide opening made it easy to fill and clean. Its spout produces a steady, precise stream of water that doesn't come out too fast or splash into the cup. One thing we didn’t like: The handle design requires you to angle your arm and wrist slightly uncomfortably to pour. 

Key Specs

  • Materials: Lightweight carbon steel, porcelain enamel
  • Stated capacity: 1.7 quarts
  • Weight (when empty): 3 lbs
  • Weight (when at capacity): 6 lbs 10.1 ounces
  • Compatible cooktops: Gas, electric, induction
The Le Creuset kettle on a marble backdrop

Serious Eats / Eric King

Thanks to its flared sides and wide handles, you can carry this serving platter from counter to table securely while avoiding spills of juices, sauces, or the like. It’s nice and big and comes in a variety of gorgeous signature colors. 

Key Specs

  • Materials: Enameled stoneware
  • Length: 16 inches
  • Weight: 4 lbs, 12 ounces
  • Cleaning and care: Broiler-, oven-, and microwave-safe; dishwasher-safe
Le creuset platter on marble backdrop

Serious Eats / Grace Kelly

This ladle was our favorite non-metal model in our testing. While the 9.5-inch handle was slightly short, we loved how the silicone was flexible but also sturdy enough to scrape the bottom and sides of the pot. It scooped sturdily and was comfortable and secure to grip. 

Key Specs

  • Materials: Silicone, nylon
  • Bowl capacity: 100 milliliters (a little less than 1/2 cup)
  • Handle length: 9.5 inches
  • Cleaning: Dishwasher-safe
the le creuset ladle on a marble countertop

Serious Eats / Grace Kelly

A Very Durable Dinnerware Set

Le Creuset San Francisco Dinnerware Set

Le Creuset San Francisco Coupe 16-Piece Dinnerware Set
PHOTO: Williams Sonoma
$296 at Williams Sonoma

The pieces in this dinnerware set are very sturdy but lightweight, beautiful but also casual-feeling. The mugs are a staff-favorite, too: Our associate commerce editorial director, Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm, has a set that still looks new even after years of use. 

Key Specs

  • What’s included: 4x dinner plates, salad plates, mugs, and pasta bowls or cereal bowls
  • Material: Stoneware
  • Care instructions: Dishwasher- and microwave-safe; oven- and broiler-safe up to 500°F
a blue bowl, plate, and mug on a grey background

Serious Eats / Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm

If you're passionate about pasta, you'll definitely appreciate Le Creuset's stoneware pasta bowls. They ran away with the winning title in our pasta bowl review, thanks to the virtually scratch-free glaze and perfect diameter for twirling noodles. And yep: They come in plenty of the brand's signature colors.

Key Specs

  • Weight: 1.46 pounds
  • Diameter: 8.5 inches
  • Depth: 1.75 inches
  • Care: Freezer-, oven-, microwave-, broiler-, and dishwasher-safe
A blue glazed Le Creuset pasta bowl on a wooden table

Serious Eats / Caroline Lange

Ceramic pans provide an alternative to traditional nonstick pans. This one from Le Creuset is an outstanding example, with a lightweight build. It doesn't require any seasoning, and it was truly nonstick (even omelets wouldn't cling to it in our tests). It comes in four different sizes, too.

Key Specs

  • Weight: 2 pounds, 10 ounces
  • Materials: Ceramic, aluminum, and stainless steel 
  • Care: Dishwasher-safe; hand-washing is recommended
  • Maximum oven temperature: 550ºF
  • Induction compatible: Yes
A spatula scooping an egg in the Le Creuset Ceramic Nonstick Frying Pan

Serious Eats / Madeline Muzzi

A Beautiful Butter Dish

Le Creuset Heritage Butter Dish

Le Creuset Heritage Butter Dish
PHOTO: Le Creuset
View on Lecreuset.com

This butter dish is pretty enough to put on your dinner table, and the wide, looped handle is easy to lift on and off. There are also two smaller side handles for carrying the tray. In our tests, it kept butter fresh for two weeks!

Key Specs

  • Materials: Ceramic
  • Weight: 1 lb, 7.6 ounces
  • Capacity: 4 ounces (1 stick)
  • Dishwasher-safe: Yes
Le Creuset butter dish with stick of butter on bottom dish and lid to the side

Serious Eats / Grace Kelly

Making crepes is a delicate task, and having a nonstick pan really helps. The surface of this pan, made specifically for crepes, is extra wide. The shallow lip is ideal for maneuvering around the batter. Most important of all, it heated more evenly than any other nonstick crepe pan we've tested.

Key Specs

  • Material: Nonstick coated metal
  • Weight: 3 pounds, 8 ounces
  • Handle length: 8 inches
  • Induction compatible?: Yes
  • Dishwasher-safe?: Yes (though we don’t recommend cleaning nonstick in the dishwasher)
A person using a spreader to spread crepe batter onto a crepe pan.

Serious Eats / Taylor Murray

FAQs

How is Le Creuset pronounced? 

A French word for 'crucible' or 'cauldron’, Le Creuset is pronounced “luh-CROO-zay,” with the emphasis on “croo”.

Where is Le Creuset made?

Le Creuset’s enameled cast iron products are manufactured at their foundry in Fresnoy-le-Grand, France. Many of their ceramics and utensils products are made in Thailand or China. Their stainless steel products seem to primarily come from Portugal.

Can Le Creuset go in the dishwasher? 

It depends on the material! According to their site, all pans with integral cast iron, phenolic handles or stainless steel knobs can be washed in the dishwasher. However, they warn that constant dishwashing may dull the enamel finish, which they say does not impair performance. Their metallic-toned knobs have a coating that is not dishwasher-safe. 

Pans with black satin interior are dishwasher-safe, but the company warns that this reduces the development of a patina on the pan, which means grills and skillets will require oiling for a longer period. 

You can find a full list of the care and cleaning directions for all Le Creuset materials here.

Can Le Creuset go in the oven?

Yes, but their cookware and bakeware have different maximum temperatures. Products with integral cast iron handles or stainless steel knobs are safe for any oven temperature. The black phenolic lid knobs on their Signature range of enameled cast iron are heat-resistant to 500°F / 250°C, while the ones on the Classic range of enameled cast iron are heat-resistant to 390°F / 190°C.

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