Aldi fans lose it over dupe of $660 item: 'Best pan I've ever owned'

Foodies are going crazy for Aldi's enamel-coated cast iron cookware, a dupe of expensive French brand Le Creuset.

The casserole dishes, known as Dutch or French ovens, are not only desirable for their ability to keep heat and cook evenly but also because you can start a dish on the stovetop and then move them into the oven in the same pan.

TikTok food influencer Adrian Widjy posted the range that went on sale Saturday onto his Places in Sydney Foodie account and fans loved his designer find.

"Time to run to Aldi," Adrian wrote in his post. "They are back stocking affordable cast iron cookware."

He also pointed out the most expensive of the pots is $30 while many are only around $20.

Excitement builds over massive savings

The classic French brand Le Creuset sells their traditional 3.5L shallow casserole pan for $660, while Staub, Baccarat and Crumble are all over $250 each for around the same size as the $30 Aldi pan.

"OMG I want the little purple one," one person wrote in the comments.

"Please, I resisted cause I have enough from last year. I am tempted," another added.

"I bought one last year, and honestly it's the best pan I've ever owned!! Better than my $200 Scanpan," a third commented.

Over on Facebook, people were equally as enthused about the pots.

"These are so great and comparable to my Chasseur," one lady wrote on an Aldi fan page.

"These are great to cook in," another commented.

One person even added the handy suggestion that they could also be used on a barbecue.

Aldi has sold the cast iron cookware dupes for a number of years now and not only do they come in pretty colours such as lavender and forest green, but they also have a durable, three-layer enamel coating and are suitable for all stovetops including gas, electric, glass ceramic or induction.

"If you're​ wondering whether it's good quality, I have both a Le Creuset Dutch oven $369 and an Aldi one $22.99 [old prices]. I can not tell the difference!" one woman wrote about her past purchases of the cast iron French pan from Aldi.

"They are both cast from iron, get seriously hot and hold heat amazingly well. My Aldi cast iron frying pan is one of my most used items of cookware and works on induction, gas, ceramic, electric and I've even thrown it in the off-set smoker," she added.

While many of the more expensive brands have a lifetime warranty, Aldi offers a five-year warranty, which isn't bad for a $30 casserole dish.

There have been some shipping delays so to check if your local store has the cast iron casserole dishes in stock visit stockcheck.aldi.com.au. But run, don't walk!

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