A woman has shared her first-ever Le Creuset purchase after discovering five pots and pans on a charity shop shelf, and the price tag has impressed people online.
Posting in the Le Creuset forum on Reddit, she wrote: "Marketplace find of my life. All of this for $350 (£262), basically new," alongside a photo showing three casserole pots and two frying pans.
A bargain compared to retail prices
A set of three pots and two pans from the brand could cost anywhere from £630 to over £1,450, depending on whether you opt for the premium enamelled cast iron line or lightweight non-stick and stainless steel alternatives.
That essentially means the buyer scored herself quite the bargain—if she bagged it for less than £300. And it seems as though people on Reddit were equally impressed by the purchase.
One said: "Great find," while another added: "I'm so jealous." And a third admitted: "Is this Ocean colour? What a find wow! You should play lotto with that luck."
Why Le Creuset is so expensive
The cookware brand is expensive because it's handcrafted in France using premium materials, strict quality control and high labour and environmental standards.
Its strict quality control sees skilled artisans manually inspect every item, so if any piece is spotted with a minor flaw, it is then recycled and remelted. Also molten iron is poured into a sand mould that is broken apart after cooling, meaning each mould is used only once.
The price of Le Creuset items can range broadly, from £28 for small stoneware pieces to over £350 for large signature cast iron cookware. If the woman were to make the exact same purchase from the official website, it could have easily cost her £1,000.
With most pots costing around £300 alone, the fact she picked up three makes her incredibly lucky. And to think, she also managed to score a cast iron round skillet, which costs about £169, while the grill pan is around £179.
Pre-owned options available
It's worth noting dishes and pans come in all shapes and sizes, so the price can vary a lot. Pre-owned Le Creuset items can be tracked down at local charity shops or via Amazon, though bagging a bargain largely comes down to luck.
Nevertheless, the fact the shopper snapped up several pieces from the brand for less than £300 is quite the result.
