Frying Pans

The sizzle as the first drop of butter hits the hot pan. The dark crust that forms on the steak. The aroma wafting through the kitchen, calling the family to the table — for many, this is the moment when a kitchen becomes a home.

A good pan sounds different from a bad one. It has a weight that tells the palm of your hand, and when it comes to the stove, it doesn't wobble, it stands firm.

Le Creuset from Fresnoy-le-Grand, since 1925

In the small village of Fresnoy-le-Grand in northern France, cast iron has been cast and enameled for a hundred years. A pan you buy there today is the same piece of technology your great-grandmother would have known — only the enamel colors have occasionally changed. It works on any stove: gas, electric, induction, even over an open fire. And if you treat it properly, it will last for the next three decades without any loss of performance.

The Lines

• Signature Skillet — enameled cast iron, 23–30 cm, with a high rim for braising.
• Signature Grill Pan — with a ribbed profile, for meat and vegetables with the typical grill marks.
• Signature Flat Skillet — flat and wide for crêpes, frittatas, tortillas.

Good to know: An enameled cast iron pan does not need to be seasoned — the enamel makes seasoning unnecessary. After each use, clean with warm water and a soft sponge, dry, and rub lightly with oil. This way, the pan will last thirty years without loss of performance, and that's not advertising — that's the simplest calculation there is in the kitchen.

See also: Roasters & Dutch Ovens, Pots & Cookware, Casserole & Quiche Dishes.