A classic French invention

In 1953, the ‘Super Cocotte’ was born. It took the market by storm, entering more than 120,000 households within its first year of hitting the shelves. It was part of the 1950s’ kitchen technology revolution and obsession with appliances. This trend had not gone unnoticed by the Lescure family, which founded Groupe SEB in 1857. The Société d’Emboutissage de Bourgogne (SEB) originally specialised in manufacturing tin products. Their masterstroke was to reinvent the pressure cooker. The idea of the pressure cooker had actually been around since as early as 1679. However, it was a cast iron device fitted with a nanometre to measure pressure: not exactly a handy kitchen appliance. This new design was a cooker made of single piece of metal (aluminium followed by stainless steel from 1960 onwards) with a stirrup to press the lid down. The result was a lighter cooker that cooked food twice as fast, consumed less energy and had a lower price tag. This smart piece of cookware featured three safety systems that handled pressure without breaking a sweat. A true revolution. 

Early marketing of the cocotte

Despite its success, SEB’s cooker was denied access to the Salon des arts ménagers (household arts show) in 1954. Undaunted, Frédéric Lescure went to Paris and set up a wall of his appliances right in front of the event venue. Here was a piece of cookware that knew how to cause a stir. What’s more, it was the first to come with a recipe book. The group also organised window display competitions and drove an advertising vehicle in the shape of a pressure cooker around France. In 1971, the cooker came in a bold red for the first time in its history and another popular ad campaign hit the streets, this time on the side of buses: ‘Qu’est-ce qui est rouge et va vite?’ (what’s red and goes fast?). In 1994, the cocotte was fitted with a system enabling it to be opened with one hand. In 2002, Nutricook arrived: a process designed to protect the nutritional value and flavour of ingredients. The latest version, the ClipsoMinut'® Eco Respect, is 90 % recyclable and comes with a 10-year guarantee for spare parts and repairability. This forward-looking appliance keeps on cooking up fresh ideas.