Stand By Your Pan – Don’t Throw Away that Le Creuset!
With apologies to Tammy Wynette, singer and co-writer of the country standard Stand by Your Man, I’m calling this one Stand By Your Pan. This is a good news story, that in our age of lax, unconcerned customer service and “throw it away and buy new” mentality, I am both proud and pleased to relate.
In the late 1970’s I purchased a 9-quart Le Creuset Flame Round French Oven. My family calls it “The Orange Pot.” When they see it on the stovetop or in the oven they know something good is cooking. Over the years I have used my French Oven to make countless braises in red wine, untold gallons of tomato ragù, all manner of dark, rich stews. With every September came quart upon quart of luscious scarlet and purple jams, jellies and preserves; the jewel-like raspberry, blueberry and blackberry creations glistened and bubbled against the oven’s enameled interior as they cooked down to jammy goodness, destined for their glass jars and the darkness of the pantry. Good food, every bit of it, but it was food that over time stained and dulled the interior of the pot, leaving it with a somewhat unappetizing, almost honed appearance. As I pored over catalogs I saw immaculate new pots, pretty pots whose smooth interiors shone brightly and reflected the light.
While some may consider a well-used pot a badge of honor, the truth was I could no longer thoroughly clean mine. The interior porcelain had become porous and had begun to hold smells. I realized I wanted not so much a perfect pot, but one that I could clean thoroughly. Mind you, the flame red-orange exterior of my pot was as pristine as the day it first emerged from its box.
Then I read the Le Creuset Lifetime Limited Warranty. It read, in part:
Le Creuset cookware is warranted to you by Le Creuset of America, Inc. to be free from defects in material and workmanship at the time of its purchase… This warranty does not cover damage from abuse, commercial use or other non-consumer use, neglect, abnormal wear or tear, overheating, or any use not in accordance with the cookware instructions provided with the utensil… This Lifetime Limited Warranty begins on the date of purchase and lasts as long as a covered consumer owns the utensil.
That was all I needed to read. I knew I had treated the pot well, never having scratched or chipped it. I called the company in South Carolina, and after a few questions, I had an RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) number, an address to which to send the pot and a pretty darn good feeling about the entire affair. I carefully boxed The Orange Pot and mailed it away. The good folks at Le Creuset inspected the pot and deemed it to have been well treated. The only cost to me was the shipping charge of $37.16 for the return of my original pot, a small price to pay for the replacement the company, in the very best of faith, returned to me.
Merci, Le Creuset!
Readers, if you have an old and stained, but otherwise well-treated piece of this iconic cookware you wish to replace, contact the company’s Consumer Services Department toll-free at 1-877-418-5547, or email them at Consumer-Services@LeCreuset.com.
Click here to visit the Le Creuset of America, Inc. website for warranty information.
Vive Le Creuset!
Note: You can click on any picture to see a slide show!
I have no affiliation with any product, manufacturer, or site mentioned in this article.
Saturday, April 25th 2015 at 3:16 pm |
My 25 year old 4.5 quart Dutch Oven has been my go to pot for stews, etc. I have always treated it with great care, but it was definitely used a lot (just not overheated). I read many comments of success vs failures for replacement, but felt confident that I had not abused my pot when I finished my stew and found a 1/2″ chunk of enamel missing from the center of my pot. I happened to be traveling to South Carolina and gave LC a call and asked if I could come right to LC of America in Early Branch. They enthusiastically told me to come along with my pot. It then dawned on me to find out if I could bring it to an outlet, and again was encouraged to bring it to them. In the end I was close to the head quarters and brought it in. Immediately I was asked to fill out a form with my address, asked how long I had owned it (and was probably way off when I guessed at 15 years and realized after I had it much longer), and was asked to select a color. It all took less than 3 minutes,. I felt very sad to leave my pot behind, but was told to expect a new Dutch Oven in the mail in the next couple of weeks. It could not have been easier.
Saturday, April 25th 2015 at 4:08 pm |
Hi Betsy,
Isn’t it terrific when a company really stands behind their product? I was so pleased with the process from start to finish. I too found it surprisingly difficult to part with my orange pot. It was the repository of so very many memories. But all is well with my new one, and I bet you will create many wonderful family meals in yours. Thanks a million for stopping by and for sharing your story.
Monday, July 20th 2015 at 3:45 pm |
Hiya did u find the new lc pot just as good as the old one? I’ve heard ‘they don’t make em like they used to’ !
Abd did u need original receipt? Thanks!
Thursday, July 23rd 2015 at 7:47 am |
Hi Jamie,
The new pan works just as well as the old one. And they did not require the original receipt! Thanks for stopping by, and best of luck with your return!
Monday, November 28th 2016 at 12:47 pm |
They refuse to honor a broken handle on a sauté pan my mother was going to give me if I could have it fixed. Unfortunately I made the grave mistake of saying I inherited it from my mother who is still living. They denied the claim even though I explained why I am asking to have it fixed, in no uncertain terms they will not honor original warranty since I am the one who is going to be using the pan. The inside of the handle dessintegrate so a new handle can not be connected and has rendered it useless. I just purchased about $400 worth of new pots and pans to give as Christmas gifts to my children…I most likely will be returning them especially since a pan I have as a birthday gift already has chipped enamel on the bottom.
Wednesday, December 28th 2016 at 12:39 pm |
I purchased a 10 quart enameled stock pot 3 weeks ago. I used it twice and it developed an exterior chip on the bottom edge. I called Le Creuset to initiate a replacement but the customer service representative told me that they do not replace for an exterior chip. If I returned it they would issue me a 30% discount to re-purchase it. Outrageous! I am so disappointed and I shall never buy Le Creuset again.
Thursday, December 29th 2016 at 8:43 am |
Hi,
I am sorry to hear of your trouble. Did you call the store where you purchased the enameled stockpot? The Le Creuset guarantee does not cover exterior chips (they figure it is an owner initiated problem.) I suggest you call your retailer, and discuss the problem. So often the retail shops, especially Sur La Table and Williams-Sonoma, are more than happy to replace an item that fails to please. They strive to keep their customers happy. I hope this suggestion helps. Buon anno a te!
Wednesday, February 15th 2017 at 12:59 pm |
I partly relied on feedback from this post when I was buying Le Creuset.
Although post is older from 2014 or so and now is 2017, some things may have changed and I’d like to share my experience.
Entire Licorice set started with cracking only after few months of light use.
Customer service was not helpful and denied any warranty/replacement.
Although pots were treated and maintained with greatest care (hey paid over $1500), customer service has replied that “it should be used only on low-medium temperatures” and cracks are sign of high temperature. (???) If you treat china like that it will last longer than Le Scam-uset.
I have CusineArt French oven that was used in a same way for 6 years and no cracks ever appeared.
I wouldn’t recommend Le Creuset to anyone ever! It is just a brand name with very poor quality and dishonest warranty policy.
Monday, February 27th 2017 at 7:30 am |
Hi Max,
What a shame. I am saddened to hear your troubles. As you say, for the price you paid, the cookware ought to have performed much better and should have lasted forever. I wish I had an answer for you. A thought – have you attempted to return the cookware to the retail outlet where it was purchased? Perhaps they may offer you some satisfaction. Thanks for stopping by and for taking the time to share.
Wednesday, May 10th 2017 at 2:47 am |
I just bought a marseille blue 24cm pot, and the one pot dinners from le creseut. The mediterranean pork dish was superb. The flavours had layers to them. Brought another dimension to my cooking. Of course I dont bother getting take out food now, as Im trying to justify the spending. But the flavours are worth every penny. Much better than getting a thermomix. The best part is I dont worry about burning the food if I walk away from it. Mariana sydney, australia
Wednesday, May 24th 2017 at 11:55 am |
Hi Mariana,
I am so glad you have purchased Le Creuset cookware. It is a superior product, and it really does cook so beautifully. I have every confidence that you will get years of satisfaction from the cookware. Enjoy your time in the kitchen, and thank you so much for stopping by my site.