How to Find the Best French Cookware

Copper Pots and Pans, le Creuset and Mauviel for Cooking and Baking

Oct 29, 2009

French cookware looks good, is well designed and durable. Buying a cookware set or individual pot may seem expensive but can become a family heirloom.

The popular saying goes "A bad workman blames his tools". Not always true, especially when it comes to cooking and baking. Poor quality pots and pans can buckle and warp when exposed to high temperatures. Food can stick easily to the bottom of inferior quality cookware and this often has nothing to do with the skills of the cook.

Finding the best cookware can often make all the difference and the beautiful range of French cookware and copper pots and pans will more than likely last for years if looked after and also look good gracing the kitchen area.

Le Creuset French Cookware

Le Creuset pots and pans are very heavy based, made of cast iron and sprayed with enamel which becomes very hard, durable and resistant to damage even after repeated use.

Le Creuset cookware is known for its varied and vibrant colours. The range includes pots, pans, Dutch ovens, tagines, silicone bakeware, stoneware and stainless steel pots and pans, corkscrews, wine openers and more. The enameled cast iron has safely been used for decades on all cooking surfaces including electric, gas, open fires, glass hologen etc. and the food can be safely stored in the refrigerator in these pots and pans.

Best Places to buy le Creuset Cookware

On vacation in France: Manufactured for the most part in France, the le Creuset cookware range is obviously extensive and cheaper to buy than in other parts of Europe or the USA. Dehillerin in Paris is an excellent place to source le Creuset pots in every size and color, and there are often specials and discounts.

Le Creuset Online: Purchasing cookware online has never been easier, lecreuset.com offers a list of stockists in every country world wide.

Second-hand on ebay: An excellent deal can be obtained by shopping for second hand pots and pans on ebay. Look under le Crueset when searching, as the brand name is often misspelled. Le Creuset is said to be so durable that buying second hand can be almost as good as buying a brand new pot.

Copper Pots and Pans

Copper is the best practical conductor of heat for cooking. Professionals love it because of its quick reaction time, having about ten times the heat conductivity of stainless steel or glass and twice that of aluminum.

The copper pots, pans and dishes are usually sold as a set, look good and are designed to be taken directly to the table without dispensing the food into serving dishes first, which makes it an excellent choice for those who entertain a lot.

Care needs to be taken that the copper is not damaged when cleaning, do not use rough steel or other abrasive products when cleaning.

Best Places to Purchase French Copper Cookware

As mentioned above, purchasing Mauviel copper pots directly at Dehillerin in Paris is a good option, or otherwise at an online store. French copper pots and pans are often sold under the tag "Antique French Cookware" - keep an eye out for this at auctions, antique shops and ebay.

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