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Posted
Thank you. I just lit up another cigar, poured myself some more Ron Zacapa, and I am off the read. LOL.

Eric

Glad you were 'prepared'!! :laugh:

"I'm not eating it...my tongue is just looking at it!" --My then-3.5 year-old niece, who was NOT eating a piece of gum

"Wow--this is a fancy restaurant! They keep bringing us more water and we didn't even ask for it!" --My 5.75 year-old niece, about Bread Bar

"He's jumped the flounder, as you might say."

Posted

Very interesting and very informative reading. Thank you again.

Was talking with a friend of mine who says he has a knock-off version and they are excellent. He couldn't tell what the real brand has that the knock-off doesn't. He also said he has a couple of of the real deal and for the most part you can't tell this difference. Is this possible? What do you not get with the knock-offs?

Thanks.

Eric

Posted
Very interesting and very informative reading. Thank you again.

Was talking with a friend of mine who says he has a knock-off version and they are excellent. He couldn't tell what the real brand has that the knock-off doesn't. He also said he has a couple of of the real deal and for the most part you can't tell this difference. Is this possible? What do you not get with the knock-offs?

Thanks.

Eric

A stamp on the bottom...As someone who owns both the real thing and knockoff, I can say without hesitation that the knockoff is just a good as the real thing. The only difference is that I can buy twice as much of the knockoffs as I can the real deal.

"It's better to burn out than to fade away"-Neil Young

"I think I hear a dingo eating your baby"-Bart Simpson

Posted
Very interesting and very informative reading. Thank you again.

Was talking with a friend of mine who says he has a knock-off version and they are excellent. He couldn't tell what the real brand has that the knock-off doesn't. He also said he has a couple of of the real deal and for the most part you can't tell this difference. Is this possible? What do you not get with the knock-offs?

Thanks.

Eric

A stamp on the bottom...As someone who owns both the real thing and knockoff, I can say without hesitation that the knockoff is just a good as the real thing. The only difference is that I can buy twice as much of the knockoffs as I can the real deal.

oh, and, the knockoffs are made by children in deplorable conditions. who can pass up that deal, though. :wink:

Posted

Curlz - sorry to hear about your shabby TM experience...

Does anyone know if Home Goods carries LC?

Also, I remember that the last time I was in Ikea, I spotted some LC-like cast-iron ware. Any opinions on this range?

Posted

Home Goods did at one time, but I haven't seen any in quite a while.

The LC outlet was a big disappointment. No bargains there any more either :(

Posted
oh, and, the knockoffs are made by children in deplorable conditions.  who can pass up that deal, though.  :wink:

I would hardly call my basement 'deplorable conditions'... :raz:

"It's better to burn out than to fade away"-Neil Young

"I think I hear a dingo eating your baby"-Bart Simpson

Posted

I once had a genuine Le Creuset frying pan, one of those that looked like it was molded from one piece, including the handle.

I happened to whack it on the edge of the sink one day and the pan broke right off from the handle.

I thought LC was made of sturdier stuff. Since then my take on LC has been, why bother?

Thank God for tea! What would the world do without tea? How did it exist? I am glad I was not born before tea!

- Sydney Smith, English clergyman & essayist, 1771-1845

Posted
Very interesting and very informative reading. Thank you again.

Was talking with a friend of mine who says he has a knock-off version and they are excellent. He couldn't tell what the real brand has that the knock-off doesn't. He also said he has a couple of of the real deal and for the most part you can't tell this difference. Is this possible? What do you not get with the knock-offs?

Thanks.

Eric

A stamp on the bottom...As someone who owns both the real thing and knockoff, I can say without hesitation that the knockoff is just a good as the real thing. The only difference is that I can buy twice as much of the knockoffs as I can the real deal.

My friend with the knock-off swears by them. He bought them in FL before he moved here and doesn't remember the brand-name or model. Is there a specific brand or are there several knock-off versions? Anyone know where to find them?

Thank you again.

Eric

Posted
I once had a genuine Le Creuset frying pan, one of those that looked like it was molded from one piece, including the handle.

I happened to whack it on the edge of the sink one day and the pan broke right off from the handle.

I thought LC was made of sturdier stuff.  Since then my take on LC has been, why bother?

That's cast iron...quite brittle stuff. I've broken the small handles off of several terrines trying to remove pates.

"It's better to burn out than to fade away"-Neil Young

"I think I hear a dingo eating your baby"-Bart Simpson

Posted
Very interesting and very informative reading. Thank you again.

Was talking with a friend of mine who says he has a knock-off version and they are excellent. He couldn't tell what the real brand has that the knock-off doesn't. He also said he has a couple of of the real deal and for the most part you can't tell this difference. Is this possible? What do you not get with the knock-offs?

Thanks.

Eric

A stamp on the bottom...As someone who owns both the real thing and knockoff, I can say without hesitation that the knockoff is just a good as the real thing. The only difference is that I can buy twice as much of the knockoffs as I can the real deal.

My friend with the knock-off swears by them. He bought them in FL before he moved here and doesn't remember the brand-name or model. Is there a specific brand or are there several knock-off versions? Anyone know where to find them?

Thank you again.

Eric

I just looked at mine. There are no markings or stamps on them. I bought mine (in all places) Quebec City. Honestly, I have not seen them in many places...

"It's better to burn out than to fade away"-Neil Young

"I think I hear a dingo eating your baby"-Bart Simpson

Posted (edited)

Lodge, one of the (if not "THE" ) last US manufacturers of cast iron cookware (and they have a huge selection of styles, and great prices - as long as you're not paying shipping) has recently added some enameled items. A strange selection of styles to start with (other than the dutch ovens- but those "Apple" things? :smile: ) and, oddly, for such a traditional company, a rather stylish handle on the lids. (Notice they mention using "Imported from France" enamel :hmmm: ).

So, if you're not crazy about the price for the Le Crueset but would rather not buy the knock-off Chinese-made (by kids) stuff, there still is a Made-in-the-US alternative- a very rare thing these days. (Amazon prices on Lodge are much better than their list price- and you qualify for free shipping, too, on most items).

http://www.lodgemfg.com/

Click on both "Enamel Ware" and "Color".

I once drove to Flemington to buy a set of Le Crueset but just couldn't part with that kind of cash (and that was 20+ years ago and I had a good paying job). Wound up buying a German made set of enamelware (over steel)- Asta from Fissler- I really liked the stuff, but eventually the white interior turned yellow and was full of scratches. Never chipped, tho', since they had a nice stainless steel band around the lip AND you could use the lids as pans, as well. (But, you had to get a metric set of Allen wrenches to re-tighten the handles occassionally).

Replaced it with US made- Magnalite (similar to Calphalon), but I'm not really all that crazy about anonidized aluminum for some things. Now have a combination of Lodge, Le Crueset, Magnalite, Asta & Calphalon- "Hmmm...which pan/pot should I use for this dish... :wacko: "

Edited by jesskidden (log)
Posted

I checked out the sale at my local Tuesday Morning after seeing an ad on TV. It's not a store I usually shop at. They had good prices on the LC, but only in slate and a kind of dark red. I've got my mind set on a blue oval french oven, and if I'm going to be looking at it for the next 40 years, I want what I want! I've never seen it at Costco, though.

Posted
I once had a genuine Le Creuset frying pan, one of those that looked like it was molded from one piece, including the handle.

I happened to whack it on the edge of the sink one day and the pan broke right off from the handle.

I thought LC was made of sturdier stuff.  Since then my take on LC has been, why bother?

That's cast iron...quite brittle stuff. I've broken the small handles off of several terrines trying to remove pates.

Ha, that's ineresting. I'd expected it to take all kinds of abuse. I have a vintage cast iron frying pan that I got from my folks' kitchen, at least half a century old & still in one piece. Maybe just bad luck that I banged my LC pan at precisely the wrong angle, maybe it had a tiny flaw in the handle area.

Thank God for tea! What would the world do without tea? How did it exist? I am glad I was not born before tea!

- Sydney Smith, English clergyman & essayist, 1771-1845

Posted

Ghost, I thought LC had a lifetime guarantee...my guess is that you could have sent that back to them for a replacement!

Meanwhile, someone just told me that Target is selling LC-looking pots. Must. Investigate. Will report back...

"I'm not eating it...my tongue is just looking at it!" --My then-3.5 year-old niece, who was NOT eating a piece of gum

"Wow--this is a fancy restaurant! They keep bringing us more water and we didn't even ask for it!" --My 5.75 year-old niece, about Bread Bar

"He's jumped the flounder, as you might say."

Posted

I was thinking of you guys tonight and I went to the Costco in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. I did see the 8qt in Blue (maybe red - I don't recall) I believe for about 159. I know Costco is pretty consistent with their prices.

Posted
you want inexpensive le creuset?  find a Tuesday Morning.  trust me.*

* i've never been to costco so i can't compare prices.  but trust me anyway.

I bought a 15 qt LC dutch oven for 223.00 at Tuesday Morning. They hae them in that size all the time. It had no box but was in pristine condition.

Posted
you want inexpensive le creuset?  find a Tuesday Morning.  trust me.*

* i've never been to costco so i can't compare prices.  but trust me anyway.

I bought a 15 qt LC dutch oven for 223.00 at Tuesday Morning. They hae them in that size all the time. It had no box but was in pristine condition.

I stopped by the TM in Maple Shade yesterday (my first time) and all they had was 1 small-ish enamelled steel pot for $40. I thought it was a pretty good price, but if I'm going to buy another pot that size, I want it to be cast iron.

__Jason

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