When cooking with Le Creuset, you should know how oven-safe the lid is.
This Is What the Knob Color on Your Le Creuset Means
Published on Feb. 26, 2025
The enameled cast-iron Dutch oven is a true workhorse in the kitchen. No brand is more synonymous with this type of pot than Le Creuset, which has been producing a colorful range of cookware for 100 years.
The French company has ingeniously made its signature product customizeable, offering its cookware not only in a variety of hues and seasonal shapes, but also with lid knobs that can be removed and swapped out at will. The knobs serve different aesthetic purposes, but they also have different cooking applications. Here’s what to know about each one.
What do the different Le Creuset knobs mean?
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As Le Creuset explains on its blog, there are two main categories of knobs: Classic and Signature. Your standard pot might come with the Classic Phenolic knobs. These are identifiable because they have the brand name Le Creuset on them and also feature the circular Le Creuset logo (all the other knobs just say Le Creuset). These standard-issue knobs are only safe up to 390°F, which is lower than many Dutch oven recipes call for. If you’re doing any medium- or high-temp cooking, you’ll want to swap out this knob with something more heavy-duty.
Here are the other options:
- Stainless Steel Knob: The least fussy of the knobs, this one is oven-safe up to 500° and is dishwasher safe. (NOTE: When paired with a Glass Lid, the oven-safe temperature is only 425°.)
- Gold Knob: Oven-safe up to 500°; Hand-washing is recommended, as a dishwasher could damage the finish.
- Copper Knob: Oven-safe up to 500°; like the Gold, it should be hand-washed.
- Signature Phenolic Knob: These are dishwasher-safe but have a slightly lower heat resistance at 480°.
- Iridescent Knob: This unique rainbow-sheen knob is a relative newcomer to the collection. It’s oven-safe up to 500°, but like the other metallic options, you should hand-wash this one.
Some of these knobs are also available in adorable heart, flower or star shapes. Prices range from $22 to $28—just make sure you buy the right size knob for your pot, as there are multiple options.
Can you replace Le Creuset knobs?
Swapping out your Le Creuset knobs is a simple process, and one that can be undertaken as often as you like. As seen in this step-by-step instructional graphic, it’s as easy as loosening the screw underneath the lid with a screwdriver, then twisting off the old knob and placing the new one onto the exposed screw.
As the instructions note, however, you should only use your hand to tighten the new knob onto the pot lid, rather than using the screwdriver to tighten it once it’s applied; the latter could cause damage to the enamel, and the pot can only be safely used if there are no chips in its surface. Trust us, manually twisting the knob onto the lid will leave it plenty secure!
