"Viviane" > wrote in message
> They said I had mistreated them. Don't know how. My grandad in France
> had his for about 70 years and they weren't even stained. I guess they
> don't make them the way they used to.

Rapid heating or cooling will do it. The interior is porcelain lined. It
is like glass coating on cast iron. If you heat it rapidly on a high burner
or if you were to dump water in a very hot pan, the glazing will crack. It
is even possible to crack the entire piece and have it break in half. All
cast iron is vulnerable to cracking under extreme circumstances, steel pans
will usually warp.