Repair of vintage Le Creuset pots?
Hello,
I have 4 orange Le Creuset pots form the 60's that were my partner's grandmother's. In trying to clean them up, we may have scratched the outer enamel. The inside shiny enamel is no longer there after deades of cooking. It is not exposed cast iron, however. Anyone know a place to get these repaired and cared for professionally? I do not wish to replace them.
Many thanks,
R.R.
Feb 10, 2018
Parent Replies
I recently shipped a 20 year old cast iron Le Crueset Dutch Oven (7.25 quarts so it was heavy to ship-see later in post about shipping experience) to the South Carolina branch of Le Creuset of America where they handle the warranty inspections. They replaced it for free with a new one. Here is the step by step sequence of events.
First review the Le Creuset Warranty Details website page to find the policy on defective cookware: defective =replacement free of charge.. but you must allow them to determine whether the cookware was defective. So you must ship it to South Carolina for their inspection and you have to be prepared to absorb the shipping costs. Which for a $400 kitchen workhorse made it well worth the almost $50 UPS charges.
I Contacted the consumer services team with the details -my pot had suddenly erupted during a stove top cooking session into a hard bubbly crust made of the original enamel lining the pot
Then they opened a case This takes a while so you have a bit of a wait to hear if they are going to do this. If they open a case they will notify you by email and will include the instructions for shipping the pot to South Carolina.
Shipping- I packed the pot and lid at the El Cerrito UPS Store using as small a box as was reasonable (box size can raise shipping costs- reducing the box size brought the cost down from $67 to $48 or so-I used their packing materials as well so that’s included.
In about 3-4 weeks I received a brand new identical replacement. But they do not guarantee the item will be identical, only similar or of equivalent value. I was given the chance to request the identical color. Note: “If the manufacturer determines there are no manufacturing defects a letter will be sent to you. —further-They told me that is the product didn’t have a manufacturing defect they would offer a replacement at a discount off the suggested promotional price.
Le Creuset has a lifetime warranty. Details on their website. I've done it twice. They will send you a brand new pot, so it won't be vintage Grandma's pot, but...
(sorry, I know you said you don't wish to replace them so maybe this is not helpful but I wasn't sure if you meant you don't want to buy new ones!).
You said the inside enamel surface is no longer there? Do you mean the enamel has been worn away, or do you mean it's not shiny anymore? If the enamel is gone, you can't get that repaired and you shouldn't use it. Granny did not take care of her expensive Le Creuset, too bad, and you'll have to get rid of them. But if you mean the enamel surface is dulled but still intact, that is OK! That's normal!
I have a 30-year-old Le Creuset dutch oven. It is not an all-purpose pot, and I only use it for cooking certain things. There is nothing better for long-simmering soups and stews like jambalaya or gumbo. If you are making beef stew or Coq au Vin where you have to brown meat and then simmer it covered with veggies for a while, you will not find a better pot. My husband uses it to bake rounds of bread in the oven (it raises the temperature because of the cast iron inside). I also have a smaller LC saucepan that I use for making candy, and a stove-top grilling skillet whose surface is not enameled but exposed cast iron - I use that one a lot. They get really, really hot and then hold the temperature for as long as you need.
I don't know about keeping the entire set, you probably won't use all 4 of them, but you should keep at least one of them, especially if there is a large dutch oven. Never touch the inside of your Le Creuset pot with any kind of metal, including stirring or tasting with a metal spoon. Do not clean it with a scouring pad, or stack other pots and pans inside it. IT will come mostly clean after soaking it for an hour and you can use dry baking soda to rub out dark stains. Don't leave it out where visitors will misuse it - I'm not kidding - mine are hidden away because we have friends and relatives here all the time cooking with us and I've caught people a couple of times with a metal ladle about to scoop out soup! Le Creuset will last for your whole life if you take care of it, and your grandkids will be posting on BPN asking about it!