Logic clearly dictates that the needs of the penne outweigh the needs of the stew, or the bun. While this would have been a gloriously fan-faithful reason for Le Creuset, the French-Belgian maker of colorful cookware for more than a century, to materialize its new limited-edition Star Trek collection, the range is being launched in celebration of 60 years of the cult sci-fi show.
No matter, because when you have such stellar items as Vulcan oven mitts, shuttlecraft baking dishes, and—perhaps best of all—a cheese grater in the shape of the classic Trek communicator (which has somewhat wonderfully been nicknamed the “Communi-grator” by Le Creuset’s design team), there’s only cause for celebration in the cosmos.
Going on sale today, to coincide with the space series’ 60th anniversary, the limited-edition collection has actually been in development for years after Le Creuset approached Paramount to collaborate on the kitchen kit in time for the landmark birthday. Le Creuset is no stranger to fun mashups, with its recent 2024 Pokemon collection being snapped up almost instantly (those looking to get pieces now have to scour the likes of eBay for items way over original retail prices).
As well as the 15 cm Communi-grator for $68, foodies looking for Federation-themed gear might appreciate the $500 Enterprise round casserole pot complete with Starfleet insignia knob, or the $450 Klingon shallow casserole dish with trefoil “Heart of Virtue” knob—both in cast iron. Inside the Enterprise NCC-1701 pot is the legend “to boldly go”, while the Klingon dish offers up an encouraging “Qapla!” (“success” in Klingon), handy for experimental cooking.
Carrying culinary adventures into the unknown comes the Le Creuset x Star Trek: Galileo shuttlecraft casserole dish ($150), which has a roomy 1.6 liters of space inside. Vulcan votaries are well catered for with the $35 Spock ear mug (perfect for Vulcan spice tea), complete with gold detailing along the rim as a nod to the Starfleet uniform; the $55 Spock hand spoon rest; and the whimsical Vulcan salute “live long and prosper” oven mitt, resplendent in signature Star Trek baby blue for $40.
Not merely content with digitally launching the collection online, Le Creuset engaged Sent Into Space to boldly send its Enterprise casserole dish where no pan has gone before—more than 111,000 feet above the Earth, atop 99.5 percent of the planet’s atmosphere. While obviously a blatant (albeit fitting) marketing stunt, there’s actually some considerable logistics to overcome in sending a cast-iron pot to the edge of space.
Sent Into Space co-founder Chris Rose had the task of launching the pot in the stratosphere via a space-capable balloon taller than the height of The White House, where it stayed for 1 hour, 19 minutes, and 4 seconds enduring temperatures down to -63.4°C (-82.12°F). “Because of the weight, we had to give some serious consideration to how we were going to hold things, making sure everything was very balanced,” Rose tells WIRED. Rose and his team also have to rely on simulations to take into account considerations such as where will the pot land as it’s parachuted back down to Earth, as well as how to avoid bodies of water and built-up areas, for example.
“The legal authorities within the aviation community need to know. We can’t have a Le Creuset casserole dish floating past the window of an airborne A380 as it makes its way off to some destination,” Rose says. “So we are in constant communication, both from a flight-clearance perspective before this ever leaves leaves the ground, to onboard systems for telemetry and communication.” Indeed, in the early stages of reentry, Rose says the Enterprise casserole dish reached speeds in excess of 300 mph before slowing and landing safely in Lincolnshire, England.
Back on terra firma, the Le Creuset x Star Trek collection should serve cadets and captains alike, provided you can secure your selections before stock vanishes like a cloaked Bird-of-Prey.
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