Store Your Le Creuset Pans And Lids Like This To Avoid Chips And Scratches

Buying a Le Creuset pan is a rite of passage. The brand's high-quality enameled cast iron Dutch ovens are known for their durability and can last you years on end — with the right care. To keep your Le Creuset Dutch oven and other cookware in tip-top shape, proper storage is key. Specifically, you want to avoid having the pans and lids bump into each other, potentially creating cracks, chips, and scratches, which can damage enamel coating or ruin the pan altogether. The best way to prevent this is to store your pots and pans so that they're not touching or to use a protective cloth or other materials between stacked cookware pieces.  

Le Creuset's care guidance shares that storing pots and lids separately in a dry area is ideal if you have the space. Creative cabinet storage solutions, like organizers or built-in shelving, can help optimize cabinet storage space so cookware isn't cramped or touching. However, sometimes, stacking is necessary, and the brand sells felt and silicone protective storage protectors to insert between pots, pans, and lids. Buy these separately, or you can also create a soft barrier between cookware with dish towels, cheese cloths, silicone liners, or even paper plates. 

Padding reduces the risk of the pots and pans rubbing, bumping, or scratching against each other or other items in the cabinets. Just put lids upright with the barrier in between the pot and lid, as the brand advises against stacking the lid upside down to prevent scratching.

Maintenance and care for your Le Creuset cookware is just as important as knowing how to cook with it. For instance, don't use metal utensils against the pan's surface, since that can scratch, flake, or otherwise ruin enamel or nonstick surfaces. Instead, opt for gentler utensils like wooden or silicone spoons and spatulas. In that regard, you'll also want to clean the pans with nonabrasive sponges and cleaning tools and dry the pans completely before moving them to the cabinets or shelves for storage. 

While soft liners or dish cloths are great barriers to prevent scratching and chips between stacked pots and lids, some home cooks like to buy protective spacers or use the pan clips that come in the package with their cookware. These clips create a small space between the pot and the lid, as well as allow for ventilation just in case the pan didn't dry completely. The small clips can be hard to keep track of, but they're a storage must-have for some Le Creuset customers. On an r/LeCreuset Reddit thread about the pot clips, several people reported using theirs for storage. "I always keep and use the clips when the ovens are not in use," one user commented. "Whether inverting the lid and stacking or not. Simple habit keeps them looking new and lowers risk of damage."