This is my first post so apologies if I have done anything incorrectly. I am doing a big clean out and came across this pan. It does not have a maker identifing it but it is stamped 26 and made in France. The lid is wood which has the LC engraved into the knob. Could it be Le Creuset? Would love any ideas on what this might be.
Also, it is enameled inside and out with the coating that Le Creuset uses for the insides of their grill pans but the base is the shiny enamel you typically see and it is a dark teal color.
Iāve never seen a Le Creuset Dutch oven with a wooden top such as what you show. Your picture seems to show a regular cast iron pot without enamel on the outside. maybe you could provide more pictures of the bottom of the pan, the underside of the wooden lid, the inside of the pan, etc.
For real vintage Le Creuset, you should see (per the website noted below):
The name of Le Creuset
There should be a double-digit number
It should have āFranceā or āMade in Franceā
It should also have the Diamond mark of Le Creuset.
Le Creuset markings on the bottom are listed here (scroll down a bit):
This website also gives you some info on fake Le Creuset dutch ovens:
It is not vintage, I am pretty sure about that. I shoudl disclose that I got this from a retailer that I worked for some years ago and it is possibly a sample for approval, or new ideas for a potential exclusive item for them to carry. It is enameled inside and out, not raw cast iron. Sorry I was confused about pictures an thought that I had added the others, adding here. Hopefully that helps.
thanks!
Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot eating & cooking in Northwest England)
5
Welcome to the forum.
I canāt recall ever seeing a Le Creuset casserole with a wooden lid. And I think Le Creuset usually have their name on the bottom of the pan. So, Iām not convinced itās the genuine article. The 26 is bound to be the size (diameter)
Youāre having a clear out so I presume you just donāt recall acquiring it? I wonder if a previous owner made the wooden lid to replace a missing metal one?
I have never seen one before either. I used to work for a big US based retailer and this is where I got the piece. Based on what was sold and who they worked with, it either had to be Le Creuset or Staub as I can think of no other French made cast iron maker that would have submitted samples. We had internal samples sales and that is where I bought it (I think). Never used it because the wooden lid made no sense when braising.
I have no guess as to the brand but it sure is beautiful. It looks made to bring directly to the table for serving guests.
Oh, and welcome to Hungry Onion @aizercul. You can definitely post multiple photos in a single post. Just press the upload button and choose multiple photos.
3 Likes
Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot eating & cooking in Northwest England)
10
The āsamplesā source may be the clue. Maybe this was a product that was being considered and the manufacturer (Le Creuset now makes sense) offered it as a sample to test the market. I guess the market concluded it was a crap idea to have a wooden lid (and rightly so, IMO).
Itās an interesting piece. May have been Le Creuset trying to explore the Japanese market. The round handles donāt look like Le Creuset. Wood lids are used in some Japanese cast iron cookware, especially Nabemono / Hot Pot (sukiyaki / shabu shabu) pots. Also some Chinese wok lids are wood. The lids are usually made of a steam/heat pressed wood and are good to temps. up to around 450F.
Thanks, it takes a while getting used to posting on different sites. I realize my problem is that I used the image gallery button. Now I know for next time
So LC is you?
If itās your initials, maybe they were meant to be gifts for the suppliers.
Iāve checked the bottom of Le Creuset, it looks like this.
I checked Staub as well, the stamp is also round, complete different from your huge āMade in Franceā
I own several Staub pots, the matt black cast iron pots has that classic blue bottom, like your pan. Iāve a wok that has handles like yours. But Staub always includes its name on the handle or made in France on the bottom side of the handle.
While LC are my initials, it was not a gift. Vendors usually just give gifts from their existing line. Guess I will never figure it out, curiosity canāt always be satisfied
I must respectfully disagree with you @aizercul and @Harters. A wooden lid, as @mq7070 astutely pointed out, is not uncommon in Asian cookware. Wooden lids are both beautiful and sturdy.
Like the open fire As for using a wooden lid. I had a pot from langostina for making risotto that has a wooden lid, but the lid was meant for keeping the heat in once cooked. Given that you have to stir risotto and allow for evaporation, you didnāt need a lid while cooking. For braises etc that can be cooking for hours, it would seem that the moisture would cause the lid to swell up? But now that I think of it, I have seen many wooden lidded pots in Asia but never gave it a thought. Are they used for methods that involve cooking for long periods of time?
