- Le Creuset
Le Creuset is a French cookware manufacturer best known for its colorful
enameled cast iron dutch oven s, which the company calls "French Ovens". The company also makes many other types of cookware from sauce pans totajine s, from both enameled cast iron and enamel over steel, and sells a line of corkscrews and wine openers under the "Screwpull" brand. The Le Creusetfoundry uses standardsand casting methods. After hand finishing, items are sprayed with two coats of enamel, each fired at 800°C. The enamel then becomes extremely hard and durable, making it practically resistant to damage during normal use.French ovens are particularly useful for
cassoulet , and other long-bakingstew s such aschili con carne ,cholent , andbouillabaisse . The company does not recommend using them for deep frying or making an oil-basedroux (as forgumbo ), however, because some oils can become hot enough to damage the enamel.Cadmium
Le Creuset cookware is known for its varied and vibrant colors. Some Le Creuset glazes at the red end of the spectrum (namely "cherry", "brick," and "flame") are made with cadmium, which can be toxic. In response to
California Proposition 65 (1986) , Le Creuset changed their glaze formulation in the mid 1990s so that the cadmium in the glaze is chemically bound. Le Creuset cookware made before that change can potentially leech cadmium into acidic foods. [http://www.lecreuset.com/usa/products/care.php?dir=products%2Fcare&name=Enameled_Cast_Iron_Cookware#4]History
Cast iron has been used for cooking utensils since the
Middle Ages and Le Creuset is best known for its cast iron cookware, but the company only started manufacturing in 1925. The Le Creuset factory is located inFresnoy-Le-Grand in NorthernFrance .External links
* [http://www.lecreuset.com/ Official website]
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