ABOUT LE CREUSET

ABOUT SCREWPULL


LE CREUSET ENAMELED CAST IRON COOKWARE

All the Le Creuset cookware is made from enameled cast iron. Cast iron has been used for cooking utensils since the Middle Ages. The Le Creuset factory is at Fresnoy-Le-Grand in Northern France.

In 1925, the foundry began producing Cast Iron by hand-casting molten cast iron in sand molds-still the most delicate stage of the production process. Even today, after casting, each mold is destroyed and the cookware is polished and sanded by hand then scrutinized for imperfections. Once declared good for enameling, the items are sprayed with two separate coats of enamel and fired after each process at a temperature of 800°C. The enamel then becomes extremely hard and durable, making it almost completely resistant to damage during normal use.

Since much of the finishing is done by hand, each Le Creuset Cast Iron cookware piece is completely unique.

FRENCH COOKWARE FOR REAL COOKS
ADAPTABILITY
Le Creuset cast iron is one of the few cookware materials that gives superb cooking results and long lasting performance on all heat sources, including induction. If you change your range or stovetop, you do not have to change your pans.

ENERGY EFFICIENT
Cast iron is a very energy efficient material and you will find, once hot, that you require only a low heat setting to maintain a good cooking performance. Indeed, for some recipes, once hot the pan can be removed from the heat leaving the food to cook in its own heat.

HYGIENIC
The vitreous enamel cooking surface is completely hygienic and impervious to acids and other chemicals. As well as for superior cooking functions, it is perfect therefore, to hold foods that are marinating or for storing foods (raw or cooked) in the refrigerator or freezer.

VERSATILITY
Most pieces can be used on the hob, in the oven or under the grill (excluding those with wooden handles) and can be interchanged during the preparation of a meal.

HEAT RETENTION
Le Creuset has its own all round heat retaining 'blanket'. Because the base, side walls and lid are all of the same quality and thickness there are no areas where heat can be lost rapidly. Heat is lost very slowly from cast iron meaning it can be taken to the table safe in the knowledge that food will be kept hot for some considerable time.

OUR REPUTATION
Le Creuset is consistently chosen by leading chefs, restaurateurs, and those who just enjoy cooking; all of whom appreciate its performance, cooking advantages and style.

As the world's leading manufacturer of enamelled cast iron cookware, our reputation is unsurpassed. We maintain this position by excellence of quality, superior materials and innovative product design.

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THE HISTORY OF THE SCREWPULL

The bark of the oak tree has always been a wine lover's friend and foe. No other material can seal off a fine vintage the way a cork can: it's tasteless, odorless and remains elastic, even over long periods of time. But corks can also be very tricky to remove, and have been since they were first used in wine bottles around the end of the 18th Century.

Before corks, there were casks. Wine was simply decanted from barrels and served in jugs. Later, when wine was stored in bottles, corks were used as stoppers, with part of the cork outside the bottle, so that it could be pulled by hand. But when vintners began pushing the cork into the neck of the bottle, a means of extraction was sought.

It was most probable an English gunsmith who, in around 1790, conceived the corkscrew, as we know it today. The first bottle-opening instrument was modeled after an iron device used to remove shot from muzzle-loading guns.

In 1895, the Reverend Samuel Henshall patented the first corkscrew in England. This invention gave birth to a host of corkscrew permutations over the next two centuries. Worms, awls, augers and lever arms have all come on the corkscrew scene. Fundamentally, however, the corkscrew has never changed.

Then, in 1979, Herbert Allen; a prolific inventor, invented Screwpull. Born in Texas, he made his mark (and fortune) inventing tools for the oil industry and parts for jet engines. In 1951 he traveled to Europe, where he tasted wine for the first time. One taste quickly turned into a passion and over the next 20 years, Herbert Allen assembled one of the best wine cellars in Texas.

His work on Screwpull began in 1975. The impetus for the invention came from his wife, who had a particularly frustrating experience opening a bottle of wine. After trying a number of corkscrews, all unsuccessfully, she gave up and presented her husband with the engineering challenge of a lifetime - to produce a corkscrew that would extract the cork effortlessly and perfectly every time.

The Screwpull Table Model was based on the simple premise that a cork could be removed from the bottle without force, injury or embarrassment, and was an instant hit. Here was a beautifully designed corkscrew that fitted over a bottle's neck. The Teflon coated screw was easily driven into and through the cork, thus ensuring the cork is removed intact without pulling.

Allen went on to develop the Screwpull Pocket Model, and then the Screwpull Lever Model. Perhaps, the only major innovation in corkscrews since that English gunsmith first turned his shot remover on a helpless cork.

Today the Screwpull brand name is recognized world wide, with products being sold in nearly every industrialised nation. Many new products have been developed since the introduction of the Table Model, all following the tradition of simplicity, style and performance, which is unequalled by any other company.

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