Since 1925, the Le Creuset foundry at Fresnoy-Le-Grand in Northern France has produced Cast Iron by hand-casting molten cast iron in sand molds-still the most delicate stage of the production process. Even today, after casting, each mold is destroyed and the cookware is polished and sanded by hand then scrutinized for imperfections. Once declared good for enameling, the items are sprayed with two separate coats of enamel and fired after each process at a temperature of 800¡C. The enamel then becomes extremely hard and durable, making it almost completely resistant to damage during normal use. Since much of the finishing is done by hand, each Le Creuset Cast Iron cooking piece is completely unique.