Le Creuset Outlets

If you’re lucky enough to live in a state that has a Le Creuset Outlet, and you’re a big fan of the cookware giant, you’ve probably already visited it at one point or another.  Or perhaps you’ve stopped at one during your travels throughout the U.S.  At any rate, these company stores are sprinkled through the country, and allow people to get Le Creuset cookware for cheaper prices than they normally would buying it wholesale.

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FOR LE CREUSET FACTORY STORES

Now let me preface this by saying the outlets are not ALWAYS the cheapest place to find Le Creuset.  Often times you can find it cheaper at traditional discount stores.  I’ve heard of, and personally seen it for cheaper, at a number of stores.

If you have any one of these stores in your area, I would check and see if they have any Le Creuset for sale: Tuesday Morning, Williams Sonoma Outlet, Costco, Home Goods, and Marshalls.  Anyone of these stores will offer you good value, but you’ll have to do a bit of hunting and hopefully be around when they get some Le Creuset inventory in.  I’ve found amazing deals on designer brand clothes at Marshalls for example, but I have to browse there often to take advantage when they get my size and style in.  Good deals go quickly in these stores!

Another fantastic, and possibly the best place to find cheap pieces other than the Le Creuset Outlet is Ebay.  You can usually find someone selling a French Oven or two on there for cheap.  Thanks to the durability of Le Creuset cookware, you’re usually pretty safe with buying it used.

So, on to the outlets.  On another page we’re putting all the different store locations and phone numbers, so you’ll be able to see if there is an outlet near you.  Here’s a link to that page.

When it comes to the outlets, people tend to have mixed reviews.  The majority of people have very positive feedback, but as with anything, you can’t please everyone!

If you’ve never been to a Le Creuset Outlet, I would suggest getting to one for the experience if nothing else.  If you own pieces of this cookware, you know what high quality it is.  Now just imagine being surrounded with nothing BUT fantastic Le Creuset cookware!  For me, it’s a bit like being a kid in a candy store, I don’t know what to look at first.

My First Le Creuset Outlet Experience

My first trip to a Le Creuset outlet was to the one out in Vacaville California.  I had recently discovered this line of cookware and I happened to be in the area for business.  When I first entered the store and looked around, my initial thoughts were that the prices weren’t THAT impressive.

I could find some similar prices when my local cooking stores had big sales.  But then the sheer volume and variety of the pieces hit me.  There were SO many different styles and colors, and amount I would never be able to find in my local stores.  And the prices were actually pretty good.

The pieces in the store were categorized by color, so it was really cool to walk in and see.  Just imagine, kind of like a beautiful, Le Creuset rainbow!  Just a tip, if you’re looking to save money, go for the discontinued colors, you’ll get more of a discount with those.  I happen to think each color is wonderful and unique, so I don’t get too hung up on only buying a certain color.

The store has two ways of classifying the cookware.  They have what they call “first” and “second” quality items.  The second quality items are obviously even cheaper than the first.  These items have some sort of scratch or defect that doesn’t allow the store to sell them at full price.  The crazy part is that what the Le Creuset Outlet calls a defect isn’t really a defect in the eye of the consumer.  It’s usually just some little scratch or ding on the cover.  And for that you get a super steal of a discount! Read the rest of this entry »