LE CREUSET FACTORY TO TABLE ADVENTURE

We had a blast on our "there and back" day trip (see Fri/Sat posts).  These were all amazing deals, the biggest piece was 75% off.  It was retail $625.  That means we paid $156 for it.  Deal!  Most were 50% or 60% off.  We've known this trip was coming, so we've been saving up to get the pieces we've wanted to add to our growing collection.

We got there about 45 minutes before they opened the doors and there were already several dozen people in line.  By the time we started moving in, there were a few hundred in line.  Fortunately, it was large.

In order to keep crowd size controllable, when you bought tickets, you got them for certain time windows.  We got the first of the day, because later in the day, there may be things they run out of. 

Lots of tables set up and you just roamed around to get what you wanted.  They had wonderful employees standing everywhere (in bright orange shirts, ha) and you could ask for a specific color, a certain piece, even "what is the best deal in here" and they would direct you right to it.

40%, 50%, 60%, even some bigger bargains.  These are all factory new, not seconds or defects.

That's why the call it Factory to Table!

They even had bakeware and ceramics, also spatulas and other accessories.  We were just there for the enameled cast iron.

So here is what we picked up.

Yep...seven pieces.

This was a cool piece because it's usually only sold overseas.  It's called a Parisian Bistro Pan.  It has wide handles and a flared edge at the top.  The color is a color not available here, "vapor", kind of a blue gray. 

2nd Man wanted a new pan for cooking his corn tortillas on (a comal) and this looked like a good one to call our own.  It is also in a hard to find color, this one is called "emerald" it goes from dark to lighter.

We also wanted a casserole type dish and this one is 3 quarts, the perfect size for casseroles and side dishes.  It's called the signature oval baker and in a color we don't already have, "Marseille" (a bright blue).

Two classic pieces, round dutch ovens.  The large one is 14 quarts and "cerise" (cherry red) and the other is 9 quarts and orange or "flame".  We already have a 6 quart (black) but found it a bit small for large batches of soups or stews.

Here's a neat one that we had been curious about and with us eating more brown rice now, figured it will be perfect.  It's a rice pot, cast iron but with an inner ceramic lid.  This color is "turquoise".

Lastly, this is a piece we have been wanting for a while now.  A tagine, a Moroccan cooking method/pot.  You layer the ingredients in the bottom and the tight fitting lid and unique shape, lets the steam rise up and rain back down on the food to add moisture and flavor.

The upper portion is ceramic but the base is their signature cast iron with a matte finish to help prevent sticking.  This color is called "volcanic" (kind of a variation on the "flame" color).  We have a clay tagine that we used to use a few years back, but it does not work on our induction stove of course, so this will be fun to have and get back into cooking with a tagine.  He's already looking at new recipes.

 I told 2nd Man that we are going to have to put in our will that we leave our collection to a cooking school, ha!