The 6 Best Le Creuset Cookware Worth Buying in 2026

If you buy one piece of Le Creuset, make it this. The round casserole goes on any hob including induction, into the oven or under the grill, and its knob is rated to 260°C. It comes in eight sizes, from 18cm (1.8 litres) to 34cm (12 litres), with prices rising steeply through the range; the 24cm, which suits four people, was £335 when we checked and weighs 4.36kg empty. The brand’s own reviews average 4.8 from almost 400.

The one-star reviews are few but consistent. One buyer found a small defect in the interior enamel on arrival; another lost a chip of enamel using a wooden spoon and was told it was wear and tear. Others say food sticks. And the product page itself warns that constant dishwashing may dull the enamel, which one two-star reviewer found out after six months.

Le Creuset’s stoneware is the cheapest way into the brand’s colours, and this rectangular dish is the most useful piece of it. It comes in 19cm, 26cm and 32cm lengths at £45, £55 and £69, has deep sides and scalloped handles that are easy to grip in oven gloves, and goes in the oven, freezer and dishwasher. It averages 4.8 stars from more than 200 reviews and carries a 10-year guarantee. It is made in Thailand, not France.

The lowest reviews have one theme: cracking. Several buyers say their dish cracked in the oven, one on its first use, and another says theirs broke within three weeks. The product page has a rule worth following: never put a frozen dish into a preheated oven, and do not preheat above 205°C for a dish at room temperature.

The shallow casserole is the most practical of the cast iron shapes. Its flat base is large for its capacity, so meat and onions brown rather than steam, and the low sides make it easier to stir a risotto or reduce a sauce than in the round pot. It comes in 26cm, 28cm and 30cm, holding 2.2, 2.8 and 3.5 litres, and averages 4.8 stars from more than 200 reviews.

The complaint in the lowest reviews is the familiar one for enamelled cast iron: food sticks, especially if you cook on a high heat. Le Creuset’s own advice is low to medium heat throughout. One reviewer marked it down for the price alone. Check the version with the Signature knob, which was listed from £259 when we checked, less than this one.

A round pot is fine for stew, but a chicken or a shoulder of pork fits far better in an oval one. This is the same French cast iron as the round casserole, in sizes from 27cm (4.1 litres) up to 40cm (13.9 litres), though not every size was available in every colour when we checked. It averages 4.8 stars from more than 250 reviews. It is also the dearest pick here, from £325 for the smallest.

The lowest-rated reviews are about expectations and quality control. One buyer was disappointed that it is not non-stick; another received a lid with a visible chip. A four-star reviewer adds that the lid keeps in most moisture but not as much as a slow cooker, and that the metal screw on the lid is the one part that does not clean up like new.

Le Creuset’s non-stick pans attract the worst of its Trustpilot reviews, with coating failures and refused guarantee claims. This uncoated pan avoids the problem: it is stainless steel bonded to aluminium in three layers, made in Portugal, safe in the oven to 260°C and covered for the original owner’s lifetime. It comes in 20cm, 26cm, 28cm and 30cm, from £155 to £219 at full price; an October offer took up to 20% off until the 31st.

The weakness is the learning curve. The one-star review says everything stuck despite priming the pan with oil, and needed long soaks to clean. Happier owners say it took practice: heat it gently, add oil, and let food release before turning it. The page also warns not to pour salt directly onto the steel.

For a present that is recognisably Le Creuset without the cast iron price, the standard mug is the answer. It holds 350ml, has the same three-ring pattern as the casseroles, is dishwasher safe, and came in more than 30 colours when we checked. It averages 4.8 from more than 300 reviews and has the 10-year stoneware guarantee.

The one- and two-star reviews are mostly about breakage and feel. Several buyers received chipped mugs, one says a mug cracked after three or four uses, and one gift buyer was disappointed that four mugs came in a single brown carton rather than individual boxes. Others found the handle too small to hold properly or said tea cools quickly.