There are many reasons for our huge excitement about the incredible Le Creuset sale at John Lewis this week as part of the brand's up to 50% off Black Friday sale.

With 40% off heaps of iconic products like two-piece casserole pots with stoneware dish sets and three-piece saucepan sets, kitchens all over the UK are about to get serious upgrades.

If you're a keen cook, bear in mind these are investment pieces that'll last a lifetime, at up to nearly half price.

And when you find out just how high the production standards are, you'll be racing to the front of the (online) queue to get your hands on some of these incredible bargains.

Of course, we all know that the French cookware brand is iconic. But why? For starters, each piece is unique. Every product is cast from a fresh sand mould which is then smoothed by hand and enamelled. It can take ten hours and 12 different steps to make one item.

5 of our favourite brands reduced in John Lewis' Black Friday sale:

• 40% off Le Creuset

• 40% off Ted Baker

• 30% off Barbour

• 30% off Ralph Lauren

• 20% off Coach

Before a piece is deemed worthy of being sold to consumers, 15 different people inspect it. And, apparently, 30% are rejected because they're not considered good enough. These pieces are melted down and the iron is recycled to make new products.

So there's good reason for that hefty price tag.

It's a potential collector's item, too: a woman who owned a 12-piece set of Le Creuset cookware in Elysees Yellow (a shade that has now been discontinued) got a huge US $25,330 for it in 1999.

If you think it's only a brand for the 40-plus chefs among us, you'd be wrong. It's huge on TikTok. The #lecreuset hashtag has had nearly 152m views and counting.

So if you've got some Gen Z-ers in your life, it might be worth telling them to snap up some bargains in this John Lewis sale, too.

To help you make the right choice, here's our edit of the top five Le Creuset pieces you need in your kitchen now.

5 of our favourite Le Creuset sale picks

1. Le Creuset Essentials Cast Iron 24cm Skinny Square Grill | £57 (Was £80) from John Lewis & Partners

£57 £80 at John Lewis

With customer reviews saying "Works very well, steaks are out of this world" and "Cooking is incredible", we can see why this compact grill has a reputation for being able to sear meat to restaurant-quality medium-rare. It also works a treat on sausages, skewers and chargrilled chicken.

2. Le Creuset 3-Ply Stainless Steel Saucepans and Frying Pan Set | £342 (Was £478.80) from John Lewis & Partners

£342 £478.80 at John Lewis

This non-stick set includes a milk pan, frying pan and two saucepans with lids. Bonus: the pans have an aluminium core and stainless steel layers that mean the heat retention is so good you can cook on low heat – saving energy at the same time. Hence rave reviews saying "they're just the BEST" and "so good I brought them twice".

3. Le Creuset Essentials Cast Iron Round Casserole Soup Pot, 22cm, Satin Black | £117 (was £164) from John Lewis & Partners

£117 £164 at John Lewis

This Le Creuset pot can do everything from 30-minute meals to slow-cooked stews, soups and bouillabaisse. It also comes in a choice of three colours – black, volcanic (a rusty orange) and Marseille Blue. A firm fan favourite, it has five-star reviews saying things like "cooking happiness" and "This product is clearly built to last – and I can imagine this becoming part of our family's cooking legacy."

4. Le Creuset Signature Cast Iron Roaster, Volcanic, 26cm | £164 (£196.80) from John Lewis & Partners

£164 £196.80 at John Lewis

Let us count the ways we love this: you can roast an entire chicken or leg of lamb, cook anything from lasagne to roast potatoes, and the handles make it easy to lift in and out of the oven. The cast iron means it keeps food warmer for longer at the table, plus the enamel is super-easy to clean and is chip-resistant.

The reviews back up the quality, too: "The quality is superb. It will last a lifetime" and "the quality is so good it's worth the money".

5. Le Creuset Stoneware Square Oven Dish, Set of 2 | £36 (Was £50.40) from John Lewis & Partners

£36 £50.40 at John Lewis

This Le Creuset dish set comes in three classic colours, the iconic volcanic red, classic black and Marseille blue. The square oven-safe dishes are perfect for baking and roasting everything from pasta bake to chicken pies, plus look oh-so chic on the dinner table.