Will the Le Creuset factory sale live up to the hype?

July 25, 2023 by
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It was Sea Salt that hooked me. For many years I owned but one Le Creuset item, a 7 quart Dutch oven in white that I purchased as a factory second from a now defunct distributor. Le Creuset’s revolving palette of colors was enticing, but not enough for me to fork over a considerable sum to purchase another piece. That all changed a few years ago when the Sea Salt color debuted. I found the color irresistible so I broke down and purchased a 3.5 quart Dutch oven, the smallest (and least expensive) item I could find. It was the perfect size for a household of two, I rationalized to myself. Then a great deal arrived on the 5 quart deep pot, so that one joined the fold as well, and following that purchase I received a fabulous gift of a Sea Salt brasier. I was so enamored of the color that when I remodeled my kitchen I chose a cabinet color that coordinated with Sea Salt (it also happened to be an historic hue that complemented our Craftsman-style bungalow).

Now that I have apparently converted to being an LC devotee, I had no choice but to fork over my hard-earned cash to attend an in-person ‘factory to table’ sale that is coming to Minneapolis this September. This is the first time the sale has made it this far inland, and I feel it is my solemn duty to attend, if nothing else to bring a report of the event to our Members. Timed tickets (two-hour shopping slots) were $10 and VIP tickets, which offered first-choice selection and live entertainment, were offered at $25. I believe this is the first time I have paid money just for the privilege of potentially paying more money.

Le Creuset is donating ticket proceeds to the charity Meals on Wheels America, which makes paying an entrance fee just to see sale items more palatable. Unfortunately, by the time I signed up, the VIP tickets (which included an offer to purchase a $50 mystery box with products worth up to $350) was sold out, as were the first two timed entries for Friday’s sale. I will be attending the third wave on Friday afternoon, and after I peruse the offerings I will report back to you with details about the experience.

If you are in the market for a piece of Le Creuset, using our affiliate link provides us with a small commission. If you spend $250.00, you can receive a free serving platter using the code: SERVINGPLATTER. Lastly, Le Creuset is phasing out Deep Teal and items in that hue are 20 percent off while supplies last.

Category: Antipasto

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5 Comments

  • sayeater  on  July 25, 2023

    I went to my first in-person FTT last fall in Charlotte. It was a blast! I’m an LC fan-girl so all my fellow online enthusiasts had me fully prepped on what to expect going in. The actual event was still more fun than I could have imagined, mostly because I got to meet many of my online peeps in person. I dragged my hubs on the 11 hour drive to Charlotte and we made a whole weekend of it. He went more nuts than I did and kept putting things in our cart LOL. Both of our mystery boxes were perfect for us! I’m a rainbow collector and usually shun the neutrals, luckily both of our boxes were filled with mostly blues and yellows. My favorite item was a Cobalt omelet pan which I would never have bought on my own (I used to swear by raw cast iron) but now I would never live without it! I hope you enjoy the MSP FTT!!!

  • sayeater  on  July 25, 2023

    I should also add, they do keep restocking items during the event (well at least through Friday) so don’t be too concerned about your wave time. The big bottleneck was in getting a cart, so if you are in a rush to look for a specific/rarer item maybe head off to browse first then come back for a cart OR have one person get a cart and the other start scouting. This only matters if you’re hoping to find something unusual. The regular items/colors are in plentiful supply. When I went I was looking for non-US colors like Berry or Bamboo or shapes/sizes that you can’t currently buy online in the US. Since they make different colors/pieces for different international markets this is the one chance to maybe snag some of these in-person. The prices were great on some things, same as the outlets on others. So whether you’re going to be pleased or not really depends on what you are seeking. I don’t normally buy their stoneware/accessories but there is a huge variety there for those that do.

  • cookbookaddict2020  on  July 26, 2023

    that sea salt color really is so beautiful

  • sanfrannative  on  July 28, 2023

    OMG it is your duty as a culinary professional! It’s a ways off but have fun and tell us all about it : )

  • Indio32  on  August 7, 2023

    Was also looking forward to an update on this having never been to a Le Creuset factory sale!

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