Famed for its brightly coloured enamel kitchenware, Le Creuset began life nearly 100 years ago, in 1925. Think of a cast iron casserole pot, or a “French oven”, and the brand is practically synonymous with it.
Since then, the pots have grown to become a real status item of the kitchen – the “you’ve made it” trophy product you’ve been given or have saved up for. Of course, then, you won’t want to hide it away in a cupboard – it’s likely to be proudly displayed on your worktop or hob.
For years, the French brand dominated the market, much in the same way that French food was seen as the epitome of sophisticated cooking, and, for managing to reign so long, we take our chefs’ hats off to you, Le Creuset. Because of the brand’s reputation, we’ve long been led to believe that not all cast iron cooking pots are made equal.
But more affordable options are made of the same material and do the same thing – cook your food. And yet they’ve never quite attained the same hype. What there is no doubt about, though, is the usefulness of these pots. From cooking up casseroles to searing meat, slow-cooking practically anything, whizzing up soups and baking sourdough – you can do it all in one of these, whichever brand you choose.
Giving Le Creuset a good old run for its money is Aldi’s much-loved – and repeatedly sold out– range of enamel cookware, which has once again come back into stock for spring 2025. This time, its pans come in a pastel pink and blue.
How we tested
As part of the supermarket’s Specialbuys range, this year’s drop includes a 22cm casserole dish. A fraction of the price of their branded counterparts, we’ve put the two brands head to head to find out if there really is a difference, considering quality, cooking credentials, looks and value for money.
