How Can You Tell a Fake Le Creuset: With Images
Le Creuset Dutch ovens cost anywhere from $250 to $350. With that in mind, you don’t want to pay that price and learn that you bought a fake Le Creuset Dutch oven later. You have a simple check that you can perform to spot the fake Le Creuset.
How Can You Tell a Fake Le Creuset?
The brand’s name, France, and size-identifying letters and numbers are on the bottom of cookware, handles, and lids. The color will be gradient and flawless. The rims of the cookware will be covered with clear enamel. A fake’s surface will be blemished, and cookware will be heavier than Le Creuset cast iron.
If you’d like to learn more about fake Le Creuset Dutch ovens and cookware and how to avoid them, I cover everything you need to know here…
A Reliable Seller is How to Purchase Authentic Le Creuset Cookware?
If you are serious about buying authentic Le Creuset, stay away from yard sales, eBay, online marketplaces, or forums. Purchase your cookware from a Le Creuset store, Amazon, Sur-La-Table, or another reputable retailer.
Identifying Authentic Le Creuset Cookware
If you do purchase from a third party here is how do you know if the piece of cookware in front of you is actually a genuine Le Creuset? It’s not easy to spot a fake start by following these steps for identifying fake Le Creuset cookware:
1. Uncommonly Low Prices
Le Creuset ranks as the most coveted cookware in the culinary arts. Beware of Le Creuset pots that sell at $40 apiece.
The color itself on the pot will look off. It won’t have the same genuine vivid color a real Le Creuset Dutch oven has. Uninformed customers buy them thinking that they have walked away with a great deal. They have only walked away with a fake Le Creuset.
As the saying goes, “If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” At the least, you should look over the pot with extraordinary care to ensure its authenticity.
Don’t assume, however, that the fake pots will always cost less. In some cases, scammers charge the same price as authentic Le Creuset to trick customers out of their hard-earned cash and make a hefty profit. This is the worst kind of fake cookware.
Related Reading: Why is Le Creuset so expensive?
2. Brand Stamping
Branding can be an easy identifier – sometimes – there are good imposters out there.
- First, look for the brand name at the bottom of the pan and underside of the lid.
- Second, check for the size, marking a double-digit diameter number on the underside of the lid.
- Third, you will see a marking that either says “France” or “Made in France.” Le Creuset is a French brand.
- The fourth sign to look for with authentic Le Creuset cookware is the Le Creuset diamond mark. You can see this under the handle of the Dutch oven, and it signifies its origin.
Not all Le Creuset products are made in France, but the brand manufactures all cast iron products at the original foundry in Northern France.
Le Creuset makes its stainless steel products in Portugal; the stoneware comes from Thailand, and the accessories come from China. A sticker made in France will be on the base of the cookware if you purchase brand new.
3. Not as Many Enamel Layers
Le Creuset applies three layers of enamel to guarantee the perfect quality. You can tell a counterfeit by how the color looks off.
It won’t have the same vivacious color that Le Creuset is known for, but the extra layers ensure that it lasts longer.
Unfortunately, counterfeits from China use substandard product materials, like pots, which contain lead and other toxic substances.
Good-quality enameled cast iron is less likely to stick due to its smooth, non-stick finish. Read more about cast iron sticking.
4. Interior Color
Le Creuset uses two main types of interior enamel in their cast iron cookware. The most common is a glossy, light sand colored enamel which is found in their iconic Signature cast iron casseroles and Dutch ovens. This sand-colored interior allows for easy monitoring of the cooking progress. The other type is a matte black satin enamel which Le Creuset uses in their skillets, pans, and grills.
Another telltale sign of authenticity is exposed cast iron around the rim of the pot and the lid. In the image, the cast iron is not exposed but covered by the finishing glaze Le Creuset applies to all cast-iron cookware.
This all-important sealing of the cast iron rim means that we do not have to season this iron, and it is protected from moisture, which, in turn, rusts.
It is most likely a fake if the rims are not sealed with this primer.
6. Handles
Le Creuset’s handles are integrated, meaning they are cast along with the oven or pot, and the lines are sleek and fully covered with layers of virtuous enamel at the same time as the oven.
The Le Creuset Dutch oven handles are larger than most brands and definitely easier to safely move around with mitted male or female hands, this product’s lighter weight helps with transportation also.
7. Knobs
The is the embossed Le Creuset knob. Regardless if it is black, stainless steel, or gold, all Le Creuset lid knobs have the brand name stamped on them.
Note: The slotted head screw that attached the knob to the lid. Newer cookware arrives this screw. That is not to say that all Le Creuset knobs will have this type of screw, as the knobs are interchangeable.
Sizes available are:
- Small: 1 ½ inches
- Medium: 2 inches
- Large: 2 ¼ inches
My guide about replacement Le Creuset knobs tells you about how these knobs are interchangeable, and the temperature ranges they are safe for.
8. Spacers
White spacers are packaged with new cookware. These are used to prevent damage between the lid and the cooking pot. The lid can also be inverted on the spacers for stacking of cookware.
9. Fake Ones Don’t Have a Warranty
True Le Creuset products have a limited lifetime warranty on them. Check to see if the enamel coating has a proper coating on it. Cast iron that has an improper enamel coating can split into two pieces when exposed to heat. The pot splitting could cause burns and other injuries.
To check for proper enamel, look for uneven or missing spots. Le Creuset has a well-founded reputation for its immaculate quality. However, you won’t receive the same quality as counterfeits, which were produced in haste to take advantage of unwitting buyers.
10. Images of a Look-Alike Le Creuset Dutch Oven
The photos below show a 5.5-quart Dutch oven that looks similar to a signature Le Creuset Dutch oven but does not have authentic Le Creuset markings.
This cookware has a similar red-to-orange gradient, trying to emulate the brand’s signature and highest-selling color, “Flame,” or “Volcano,” as it is also known. The lid features rings that are too widely spaced and has no brand name embossed on its surface.
The black knob is not stamped with the brand name, and the handle spacing is a dead giveaway by not being wide enough to fit a mitted hand.
The black rim, uneven enamel interior, and small handle grips are not features of a Signature Le Creuset Dutch oven. Note the thickness of the cast iron compared to the authentic pot. Le Creuset is thinner and lighter than other brands of cookware.
The underside of the lid is stamped with the black rim and spikes, but there are no “France” or diameter size numbers.
You should never see a Le Creuset cast iron product with a sticker at the bottom that says “Made in China.” That is not a good sign.
What Happens if You Bought Fake Cookware?
Unfortunately, Le Creuset doesn’t reimburse you for fake Le Creuset products, so you’re on the hook for the cost. What can you do?
First, report the seller if you bought this at an online platform like eBay or Amazon. Platforms like eBay would cover you if you paid for a fake Le Creuset Dutch oven through the eBay Guarantee.
You have a right to receive a refund if you bought a fake product from anywhere. Report the seller to Trading Standards. They will take legal action against the seller, but they can’t return your cash.
You will also want to report the seller for fraud. On reputable platforms like Amazon and eBay, when they determine the product is fake, they will remove the listing and even ban the seller from the site to prevent future abuse.
These articles deep-dive into all the information you need about Le Creuset Cookware
Considering purchasing a piece of Le Creuset see my Le Creuset Buyers Guide
Where and when to pay the absolute best price for Le Creuset
How to Avoid Counterfeits
Your best bet to avoid fake Le Creuset is to buy only from reputable dealers. Buying in person can help you look for fraud points in the product because online photos can conceal the truth of authenticity. If you buy directly from Le Creuset, you drop the risk altogether.
Anyone concerned about the authenticity of their pot can contact Le Creuset at (877) 273-8738 (CREUSET), extension 6. A professional Le Creuset consultant will help you verify the authenticity of cookware.
The other way to avoid fake Le Creuset Dutch ovens is by knowing what to look for.
Let’s sum up what we’ve covered so far:
- Look for cracked or uneven enamel
- The cast iron shows through at the edge near the top of the lid with counterfeits
- All Le Creuset cast iron products are made in France
- Check for a bright color and quality from the brand.
- No warranty is offered on the product
- Uncommonly low price on a top-tier brand
Understanding the Psychology of Counterfeiters
Counterfeiters can’t match the true quality of a brand like Le Creuset, but they prey on the unsuspecting. If you know what to look for, you can avoid buying counterfeit products.
They make counterfeits cheaply and quickly and hope that a portion of the public will not learn the truth. Many of these products come from China because of lax laws regarding counterfeiting.
Fake Le Creuset will have a noticeable substandard quality through subtle things you can spot.
Counterfeiters target the more expensive brands and try to pass them off as the real thing. Unfortunately, wherever you have an expensive brand that remains high in demand, con artists will take advantage of the unsuspecting.
Warning Signs of Counterfeit Products
You have a few warning signs with counterfeits that you should never ignore. The warning signs to pay attention to include:
- Dubious websites
- Seller’s profiles
- Country of origin
- Packaging
- Payment method
Trusted brands like Le Creuset will use quality product packaging because you paid a good price for it. Counterfeits, on the other hand, don’t use the same quality packaging.
Anything that you buy from China should be looked at with suspicion because 72 percent of counterfeit goods in the EU, the United States, and Japan are exported from China. Other counterfeiting hotspots include Turkey, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore.
Exercise caution when buying any Le Creuset products from these countries. At the least, make sure that you have bought from an authorized seller.
Unfortunately, counterfeit products have become increasingly harder to distinguish because of the growing sophistication. Knowing a few things about the differences can ensure that you don’t blow your money on a counterfeit.
Counterfeits will always have lower quality because they were made to deceive.
Con artists will never put the same level of effort into these products that a real Le Creuset product has in it.
Buying from authorized vendors mitigates the risk, but you should still be alert to potential scams.
Find where to Le Creuset through authorized Le Creuset retailers.
Final Thoughts – How Can You Tell a Fake Le Creuset?
No one likes to be conned, especially for large amounts of money for expensive items.
So, you should carry out your due diligence by following the tips above to see if the Le Creuset cookware you intend to purchase is a fake, vintage, or genuine product.
If in doubt, do not purchase that piece of cookware. Save a little more money, walk into a reputable store, and purchase the Le Creuset piece from there.
Learn about the best Alternatives to Le Creuset cookware, I compare the affordable brands of cast iron cookware.
One-Pot Cooking Rocks!
Michelle
Hi, I’m Michelle, the founder, owner, author, and editor of OvenSpot. My passion for one-pot cooking commenced when I was working to prepare cafeteria lunches for school students. I am now on a mission to assist you in choosing the cooking pot or appliance you will use daily. As well as in-depth information to assist you in using and caring for your cookware and appliances. Along with the yummy recipes I use at home.
Questions? Reach out to Michelle at [email protected]