Le Creuset Cookware

[Rasseru]

Don't suppose anyone knows of a place in Chiangmai that sells it?

[NancyL]

A couple weeks ago I bought a 0.75 liter all-glass Le Creuset casserole dish with lid at the Rim Ping Nim City supermarket just across from Airport Plaza.

I wasn't familiar with this brand and just love it. The little glass handles don't get warm even when food is heated quite hot in the microwave. It's just the perfect size for taking a double serving of some street-food stir-fry entree, adding a few extra veggies, nuking for a couple minutes and serving over home-cooked brown rice, which is difficult to locate with street food vendors. Easy dinner for two!

This adorable little dish also fits just so into our toaster oven. I used it to make corn bread for our New Years Day meal of hopping John (hubby is from southern US). It was the best cornbread we'd ever had.

I think this same company makes metal cookware too. I think they have that at Rim Ping also, but that wasn't what I was looking for at the time. I was planning to go to the Rim Ping tomorrow and will check out their Le Creuset inventory.

Yum, I'm getting inspired about dinner tonight!

[bonzor]

A couple weeks ago I bought a 0.75 liter all-glass Le Creuset casserole dish with lid at the Rim Ping Nim City supermarket just across from Airport Plaza.

I wasn't familiar with this brand and just love it. The little glass handles don't get warm even when food is heated quite hot in the microwave. It's just the perfect size for taking a double serving of some street-food stir-fry entree, adding a few extra veggies, nuking for a couple minutes and serving over home-cooked brown rice, which is difficult to locate with street food vendors. Easy dinner for two!

This adorable little dish also fits just so into our toaster oven. I used it to make corn bread for our New Years Day meal of hopping John (hubby is from southern US). It was the best cornbread we'd ever had.

I think this same company makes metal cookware too. I think they have that at Rim Ping also, but that wasn't what I was looking for at the time. I was planning to go to the Rim Ping tomorrow and will check out their Le Creuset inventory.

Yum, I'm getting inspired about dinner tonight!

just a cautionary note, if you are ever planning to let dont buy le creuset, they are always dropped eventually and smash the tiles.

[Rasseru]

Thank you, NancyL, I'll give it a try. Hope you enjoyed your supper!

Apologies, bonzor, but I am not quite sure I understand your post. If you are advising against buying Le Creuset because it will be dropped and break a floor tile, isn't that rather like advising against life because death is the only certain outcome?

[adjan jb]

Top French quality. Just buy it.

It'll break your tiles because it's cast iron

[Rasseru]

Top French quality. Just buy it.

It'll break your tiles because it's cast iron

Bien sur, sir, but the question is . . . where?

[adjan jb]

Top French quality. Just buy it.

It'll break your tiles because it's cast iron

Bien sur, sir, but the question is . . . where?

Haven't your read NancyL's post, mon ami?

Reason for edit: I misspelled a 3 letter French word. My gawd!

Edited January 12, 2009 by adjan jb

[Rasseru]

Top French quality. Just buy it.

It'll break your tiles because it's cast iron

Bien sur, sir, but the question is . . . where?

Haven't your read NancyL's post, mon ami?

Reason for edit: I misspelled a 3 letter French word. My gawd!

By any chance, did you have it as 'mon dieu' the first time?

Yes, I have, and I eagerly await learning whether she finds the cast iron cookware there, because that is what I seek. Also, if they don't have the particular items I desire or don't have them in the colour I need, well, it's back to the drawing board, isn't it?

P.S. Too late to edit again, I think, but you have a four-letter word where a three-letter one is wanted.

[adjan jb]

Top French quality. Just buy it.

It'll break your tiles because it's cast iron

Bien sur, sir, but the question is . . . where?

Haven't your read NancyL's post, mon ami?

Reason for edit: I misspelled a 3 letter French word. My gawd!

By any chance, did you have it as 'mon dieu' the first time?

Yes, I have, and I eagerly await learning whether she finds the cast iron cookware there, because that is what I seek. Also, if they don't have the particular items I desire or don't have them in the colour I need, well, it's back to the drawing board, isn't it?

P.S. Too late to edit again, I think, but you have a four-letter word where a three-letter one is wanted.

It's impossible to cook any good French food in the aluminium saucepans they sell around here. Boeuf Bourguignon or any decent stew calls for a cast iron casserole (Dutch oven?). Never seen one in CM. Went to Central, Robinson a few years ago but drew a blank. That's why I gave up cooking French food (Well, once or twice a year. To make sure I still can cook)

An idea just crossed my mind... Maybe I should start a business, something like chef for hire: Treat yourself to a world of delights, hire a French chef .

Au menu, des grenouilles à l'ail.

Anyway I did some googling and this is what I found:

Le Creuset - where is it made?

I thought La Creuset was a French company, but the 1.5 quart casserole I just bought says it was made in Thailand? Is all La Creuset the same? Or did I wind up with a cheap knockoff??!?

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I work for Williams-Sonoma and we sell a ton of Le Creuset. Yes, they are a French company, and I believe all their pieces are made in France. Each piece is hand-molded, then the mold is destroyed. The process is then repeated for each new piece. Unfortunately, it sounds like you have a cheap knockoff. Return your piece (if you can) and purchase a real Le Creuset at a reputable distributor. Even though it's expensive, it will last for decades. I love my Le Creuset!

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I just received a mail order Le Creuset Dutch Oven from William-Sonoma (my birthday gift) and it has a "Made in Thailand" sticker on it. I'm so mad! Believe me, Customer Service got a flambe' feedback comment

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I recently bought a Le Crueset butter dish for $20 from Amazon and I was a bit disappointed that it was made in Thailand.

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Le Creuset is a foundry. The word "Creuset" means crucible which is what holds the molten iron for pouring. They don't have facilities for making their stoneware, or enamel coated steel iron, so it's farmed out to Asia, in this case Thailand. If you poke around the Williams Sonoma site under Le Creuset you will find a video showing how they make it.

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Thanks! That may explain it. Williams-Sonoma sent me this mea culpa:

"Please know that all cast iron cookware by Le Creuset is made in France. The company does not have a factory in Thailand. We have been notified that the sticker placed on the package in our warehouse has incorrect information on it. It should read made in France, not Thailand. We sincerely apologize for any confusion caused. Please be assured that your product is produced in France."

I guess I feel better, but I will still keep my eyes open to labels.

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http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/385549

Funny enough.

That said why do you want a specific colour? Tu es a bit picky, mon ami. Aren't you ?

Edited January 12, 2009 by adjan jb

[NancyL]

Oops! All this chatter about Made in France vs. Made in Thailand got me to pull out my little casserole from the dish drainer (I used it for dinner tonight), put on my bifocals and read the bottom of the dish. Hubby didn't want me to do this because I've had a bit of Leo and he was afraid I'd drop it and break a floor tile. Anyway, it does say "France", but it also says "arcuisine", not Le Creuset. Sorry. I still love it.

I'm still going to Rim Ping tomorrow since we're out of Leo and will let you know what I find in the cookware section.

[adjan jb]

Anyway, it does say "France", but it also says "arcuisine", not Le Creuset. Sorry.

It looks like Rasseru is back to square one

[Pdaz]

Hope he has plenty of dosh.. I also like Le creuset cookware and wanted some to use in Thailand... I checked it out in UK last week during the sales... Large casserole was 125 quid.. small one 85 quid Holy Sh*t Batman ! ... Last time I bought one in cost 35 pounds ! That's some inflation in 15 years !

Worse still they are even more 'paeng' in Thailand.... Good news is you can buy local cast iron cookware if you shop around.. Not as expensive, or as pretentious .. But it ain't French either

[The Dan Sai Kid]

i saw le creuset pans in the emporium. They were about 7000 baht each - or thereabouts...

Le creuset sell sets of pans and they are much cheaper than buying individually. I got a set of 5 for about 175 quid.

Edited January 12, 2009 by The Dan Sai Kid

[Rasseru]

That said why do you want a specific colour?

So that the new pieces will go with the ones I already have.

Tu es a bit picky, mon ami. Aren't you ?

Since you put it so nicely, yes.

[DavidOxon]

I have a look when I'm in Carrefour for their cheaper 'copies'

but no joy yet. I oven bake in a thai earthenware pot with a lid . .

the sort they use on top of little barbecues, works fine and only 50baht or so

also with the advantage of not breaking tiles when dropped!

David

[Rasseru]

I'm still going to Rim Ping tomorrow since we're out of Leo and will let you know what I find in the cookware section.

And? And? I am on tenterhooks! I am also, however, now on my way out, so will not be around to respond promptly to any news.

[adjan jb]

I'm still going to Rim Ping tomorrow since we're out of Leo and will let you know what I find in the cookware section.

And? And? I am on tenterhooks! I am also, however, now on my way out, so will not be around to respond promptly to any news.

All quiet on the cookware front. You may go out. I'll answer if someone calls.

[NancyL]

Sorry for the delay in posting. It was a busy day, but I did make it to the Rim Ping Nim City. No luck with the cookware, but got lots of other great stuff.

I thought the little Au Cuisine glass covered casserole dish I got there was made by the same company that makes Le Creuset, but I guess not. They still had that little glass casserole, plus others from the same company in larger sizes. But, the metal cookware was all fairly cheap stuff -- definitely not in the same ballpark as Le Creuset. It made me glad I brought a few pieces of good cookware with me from the U.S.

I guess the OP is back to square one.

[Rasseru]

I guess the OP is back to square one.

Drat! Can't say I am surprised, though, and many thanks for checking and reporting, NancyL (by the way, is the 'L' short for 'Leo'?).

[Steve2UK]

I guess the OP is back to square one.

Drat! Can't say I am surprised, though, and many thanks for checking and reporting, NancyL (by the way, is the 'L' short for 'Leo'?).

Another bit of negative news....... Seeing your post (and being a Le Creuset fan myself) , I checked on my favourite www.verasu.com hoping to find it under "cookware". Clicking on that does bring up Le Creuset - but clicking on that now shows nothing available. Still, while a very long shot, it might be worth a call to them to ask. I'd say e-mail but we know where that gets us.........

[Rasseru]

I guess the OP is back to square one.

Drat! Can't say I am surprised, though, and many thanks for checking and reporting, NancyL (by the way, is the 'L' short for 'Leo'?).

Another bit of negative news....... Seeing your post (and being a Le Creuset fan myself) , I checked on my favourite www.verasu.com hoping to find it under "cookware". Clicking on that does bring up Le Creuset - but clicking on that now shows nothing available. Still, while a very long shot, it might be worth a call to them to ask. I'd say e-mail but we know where that gets us.........

Thanks for that, Steve2UK, but it is not news to me, in fact. I had done the same thing two days ago (that is, checked their website; I have not yet given them a call, but probably will). My plan for some time has been to search for what I want in Bangkok, and posting my query on this thread was a very long shot, just on the off- off-chance. Another inquiry on a different thread on another ThaiVisa forum has resulted in a couple of leads for Bangkok. If you are curious, a search for 'Le Creuset' should get you there (I don't remember in fact what forum it is).

[Rasseru]

i saw le creuset pans in the emporium.

Am I right in supposing that you mean the Emporium in Bangkok? I have not been able to find that there is an Emporium in Chiangmai.

[bunta71]

Where can you get some cheap cast iron stuff here in Chiang Mai? I have a well seasoned frying pan in the Philippines but would buy some of the cheaper stuff here also. I feel that after seasoning for about a year any cheaper spinoffs should work fine. The real thing at rimping costs as much as a cheap motorcycle. In America at thrift shops you can but this stuff used for about a dollar. Normally I am not such a cheap Charlie but $2-300 seams a little greedy for a small cast iron casserole....So wheres' the cheap cast iron cookware???

[Rasseru]

Where can you get some cheap cast iron stuff here in Chiang Mai? . . . . . So wheres' the cheap cast iron cookware???

Don't know, but if you don't get an answer here, it might be a good idea to start a new thread with your question. I cannot imagine too many are following this one.

Normally I am not such a cheap Charlie but $2-300 seams a little greedy for a small cast iron casserole.

A little seamy, eh? No worries, everyone has, one place or another, a CCCOP ('Cheap Charlie Cut-Off Point').

[bunta71]

Yes Rasseru...It is the feeling of being cheated that bugs me on the CCCOP thing. I may do the new topic but seems so similar and almost relevant to this one.So will keep this one near the top for a "short time"

Edited January 14, 2009 by bunta71

[butterisbetter]

Top French quality. Just buy it.

It'll break your tiles because it's cast iron

Bien sur, sir, but the question is . . . where?

There's a rival in quality to Le Creuset called Staub. Also from France. I mention this because rim ping had made these pots one of their rewards for accumulating way too many points. So if Rim Ping can get hold of them in Thailand, that probably means that they are for sale somewhere in Bangkok. I haven't seen Le Creuset or Staub, for that matter, for sale anywhere in Chiang Mai and I haunt cookware supply stores.