If you're shopping for an enamelled cast iron french oven in New Zealand, you'll meet two French names: Le Creuset, the famous one, and Chasseur, the one your grandmother's generation might have owned without fuss. We sell Chasseur, so read this knowing that. But the comparison below uses real, checkable numbers, because a comparison you can't verify isn't worth your time.
The short version
Both are cast in France by companies with a century of history. Both are enamelled cast iron, oven-safe, induction-ready and built to be handed down. Le Creuset is a little lighter and comes in more colours. Chasseur costs hundreds less for the same size. Neither will make your casserole taste different.
Side by side: the 26cm round oven
| Chasseur Classic 26cm | Le Creuset Signature 26cm | |
|---|---|---|
| Made in | Champagne-Ardenne, France (since 1924) | Fresnoy-le-Grand, France (since 1925) |
| Capacity | 5.0 litres | 5.3 litres |
| Weight | 5.4 kg | approx. 5.2 kg |
| Enamel | Two layers, hand-applied | Three layers |
| Lid | Self-basting rings that drip moisture back onto the food | Tight-fitting domed lid, stainless knob |
| Cooktops | All, including induction | All, including induction |
| Warranty | Limited lifetime | Limited lifetime |
| Typical NZ price | $629 at The Cast Iron Shop | $860 (major NZ department store, July 2026) |
That's a difference of $231 for the same size, origin and warranty. Not half price, whatever the internet tells you. Just $231 that could buy you a skillet, a fondue set and the trivet as well.
Where Le Creuset genuinely wins
Weight, by roughly a wine glass worth: about 200 grams lighter at 26cm, which matters if you lift with wrists you're careful about. Colour range, with over a dozen shades against Chasseur's six or so. And resale cachet: a Le Creuset holds status the way certain handbags do. If those three things are worth $231 to you, buy the Le Creuset with our blessing. It's excellent cookware.
Where Chasseur wins
Price, obviously. The self-basting lid rings, which Le Creuset's standard lid doesn't have, keep braises noticeably moister over long cooks. And range depth at the value end: the Chasseur Gourmet line opens at $459, and sizes run to a 32cm/8.8L oven that feeds a crowd. Both pots will outlive your mortgage. Only one leaves change from $700.
What actually matters in the pot you choose
Honestly? Size matters more than brand. A 24cm/4L suits most NZ households of two to four; go 26cm if you regularly cook for six or batch-cook. Our dutch oven size guide breaks it down. Whichever brand you choose, an enamelled french oven is a once-a-generation purchase, which is exactly why it's worth twenty minutes of honest comparison.
Browse the Chasseur range, from $459, shipped NZ-wide from Auckland, free over $150.
Prices checked July 2026. Le Creuset price sourced from a major NZ department store listing; their pricing may change. Weights are manufacturer figures for the 26cm round in each range.
