Le Creuset

Signature round casserole (cocotte) Le Creuset began in 1925 in Fresnoy-le-Grand in northern France with an enameled cast-iron casserole in an orange it calls Volcanic, and the cast iron is still made there. Enamel is what made the cocotte more than a cast-iron pot: it needs no seasoning, does not react with wine or tomatoes, and goes from stovetop to oven to table. The trade-off is weight, which is considerable in the larger sizes, and enamel can chip if the pot is dropped or heated empty. The current pots carry a lifetime warranty on the cookware collection, and the shape has changed little enough that a decades-old one still looks at home beside a new one.