Ode to French Made Cast Iron Pot

Our three French made cast iron pots

            Of all the pots we have, I think nothing gets more use than our cast iron pots.  We have three: one large Dutch oven, one is a medium Dutch oven, and one cover skillet. All of them are enameled, which mean we don’t have to season or oil the pots regularly.

            Up until just a year ago, our local market would have the Foire au Fonte or annual cast iron sale.  It consisted of high quality, French made, no name brand pots and were sold by weight.  Two years ago, we noticed the quality of the pots had changed and they were no longer manufactured in France.  A close inspection revealed many of the pots were chipped, extremely light, and made in China.  The sale dwindled down to nothing and after years of success, the store stopped the annual sale due to lack of interest.  This made us argue it was not lack of interest, but lack of interest in a poor quality product that ended this rural tradition.  If the pot is already broken on the shelf, no one is going to buy it, no matter how cheap it is.

            This got Christophe pretty upset, not that because he is a nationalist and thinks we need to buy all things French made, but because he think the stored messed up a good thing going.  The products bought overseas were clearly inferior, but the store was trying to capitalize on the moment and switch out a mule for a horse.  It didn’t work. 

            I’ve read a lot of reviews of cast iron products endorsed by American chefs.  Some are good, but many are bad.  People were disappointed by the overseas made product because it either cracked right way or the enamel became chipped.  I think this says a lot.  I know there are some good US companies that make cast iron pots, and I am not mixing them into this discussion, but this really is one of those things that you get what you pay for.  A cheap cast iron pot isn’t going last long and there are no guarantee of its composition.  The French got this right from the beginning and have us hooked as a loyal consumer.  We are so convinced on the quality of the cast iron pots we buy that we actually have lugged them back to the United States as Christmas presents.  That’s right, I have forgone shoes and clothing to make the suitcase’s travel weight limits just to bring back a pot that was made in France.  And you know what?  I’ve never had one complaint about them.