E. Dehillerin – A Little Piece of Culinary Paris

E. Dehillerin Paris – A Legendary Kitchenware Shop Every Cook Should Visit

There are few cities quite as magical as Paris at Christmas. The beautifully decorated shop windows, the smell of freshly baked pastries, the little cafés filled with people escaping the cold, and the streets glowing with thousands of Christmas lights.

Every now and then, Sam and I spend a few days in Paris in December, doing a little Christmas shopping and enjoying everything the city has to offer.

We usually come home with far more than we intended. A few bottles of wine, some wonderful French cheeses, Christmas presents, and inevitably something for the kitchen.

And there’s one place I simply cannot visit Paris without stopping by.

E. Dehillerin, on Rue Coquillière.

It’s not a fashionable department store or a beautifully styled kitchen boutique. In fact, that’s precisely why I love it.

E. Dehillerin is an old-fashioned French cookware shop, filled from floor to ceiling with almost every piece of kitchen equipment imaginable.

And for someone who loves cooking as much as I do, walking through its doors feels a little like entering a treasure chest.

A Little Christmas Tradition in Paris

When we visit Paris around Christmas, we don’t usually have a strict itinerary. We like wandering through the streets, stopping for coffee, discovering little food shops, and visiting some of our favorite places.

I love the Christmas decorations, particularly when the city begins to light up in the late afternoon. There is something wonderful about Paris in winter, even when it’s freezing cold.

Sam is generally more interested in finding somewhere good for lunch, while I tend to get distracted by pâtisserie windows, specialty food shops, and anything involving kitchen equipment.

Somehow, we always manage to find a compromise.

A good lunch, followed by a visit to Dehillerin.

Or perhaps it’s the other way around.

Either way, I wouldn’t want to miss it.

E. Dehillerin – More Than 200 Years of French Culinary History

E. Dehillerin is located at 18–20 Rue Coquillière, in the historic Les Halles district of Paris.

The business traces its roots back to 1820, when professional cookware suppliers were an essential part of the neighborhood’s thriving food trade.

For generations, Les Halles was the heart of the Parisian food industry. The enormous central market supplied restaurants, cafés, hotels, and households across the city.

Professional cooks needed reliable equipment, and specialist shops such as Dehillerin became part of this culinary world.

The Dehillerin name became established in the late nineteenth century, and the shop has preserved much of its original character.

While so many historic stores have been transformed into polished modern boutiques, Dehillerin still feels wonderfully traditional.

You won’t find carefully coordinated displays or fashionable kitchen accessories arranged by color.

Instead, there are shelves packed with equipment, wooden drawers, rows of pans, and all sorts of utensils hanging overhead.

It feels like a shop that exists for people who genuinely love cooking.

And that, to me, is exactly its charm.

A Kitchen Lover’s Paradise

The first thing that catches my attention is always the copper cookware.

Beautiful copper saucepans, enormous stockpots, heavy frying pans, and traditional French cooking vessels hang from the walls and fill the shelves.

Some are clearly intended for professional restaurant kitchens. Others would look absolutely beautiful in a farmhouse kitchen.

Then there are the baking supplies.

Tart rings, pastry cutters, madeleine molds, cake tins, chocolate molds, whisks, rolling pins, sieves, and utensils for techniques I’ve never even attempted.

It’s remarkable how many different tools exist for French pâtisserie alone.

I can spend ages examining the baking molds, wondering what wonderful things I could make with them.

Sam usually asks whether we actually need another pan.

Which, frankly, is a rather difficult question to answer.

Because there’s always room for one more good pan. At least in my opinion.

And if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that good-quality kitchen equipment is often worth buying once and keeping for decades.

The Shop Where Julia Child Loved to Browse

One of the things that makes E. Dehillerin especially interesting is its connection with the legendary American cook and cookbook author Julia Child.

When Julia lived in Paris and was discovering French cuisine, Dehillerin was among the cookware shops she visited.

It’s easy to understand why.

Julia was passionate about traditional French cooking techniques and the equipment that made them possible.

Heavy copper pans, proper knives, sturdy whisks, and well-made baking molds were practical tools rather than decorative kitchen accessories.

That philosophy still seems to be part of the store today.

There’s something quite special about walking through a shop that has been part of French culinary life for so many generations.

You can almost imagine the chefs, pastry makers, and enthusiastic home cooks who have stood in front of those same shelves, searching for exactly the right piece of equipment.

Traditional Copper Canelé Molds from Paris

One of my favorite things to look for at Dehillerin is traditional French baking equipment.

And since I love making canelés de Bordeaux, the copper canelé molds are particularly interesting.

If you’ve ever eaten a proper canelé in Bordeaux, you’ll know what makes these little pastries so special.

They have a deeply caramelized, almost crisp outer shell and a wonderfully soft, custard-like center flavored with vanilla and rum.

The molds play an important role in creating that texture.

Traditional canelé molds are made from copper, which conducts heat efficiently and helps the batter develop its distinctive dark crust.

Dehillerin sells individual tinned copper canelé molds in several sizes, including 3.5 cm, 4.5 cm, and 5.5 cm.

The smaller molds are lovely for making bite-sized canelés to serve with coffee, while the larger ones are perfect for a traditional pastry-sized treat.

They’re more expensive than silicone molds, of course. But with proper care, good copper molds can last for many years.

And I rather like the idea of using traditional French equipment to bake one of France’s most famous little pastries.

You can explore the traditional copper molds on the official Dehillerin website:

Traditional Copper Canelé Molds – E. Dehillerin

If you’d like to try baking them yourself, take a look at our homemade Canelés de Bordeaux recipe, where I explain how to achieve that lovely caramelized crust and soft vanilla-rum center.

Why I Prefer Shops Like Dehillerin

These days, it’s easy to buy almost anything online.

You can order cookware, baking tins, and kitchen gadgets without ever leaving your house.

And I certainly appreciate that convenience.

But there is something about visiting an old specialist shop that the internet simply cannot replace.

Being able to pick up a saucepan, feel its weight, examine the finish, and compare different sizes is part of the pleasure.

You also discover things you weren’t looking for.

Perhaps an unusual pastry mold, a proper French fish kettle, or a beautifully made copper saucepan that you know you’ll never really need but would absolutely love to own.

For me, these shops are part of the culinary culture of a country.

They tell you something about the way people cook, the techniques they value, and the traditions they continue to preserve.

And France has an extraordinary history when it comes to professional cooking equipment.

It’s one of the reasons I enjoy exploring French kitchen shops almost as much as visiting the food markets.

Almost.

Can You Order from E. Dehillerin Online?

Fortunately, you don’t have to visit Paris to discover the shop’s wonderful collection.

E. Dehillerin has an official online store where you can browse professional cookware, knives, baking equipment, kitchen utensils, and traditional French molds.

The website is available in both French and English, which makes it easier for international customers to explore the collection.

You can visit the official online shop at:

E. Dehillerin – Official Online Store

If you’re ordering from outside France, check the available shipping options and delivery costs before purchasing.

For anyone interested in French cooking, it’s a fascinating website to browse, even if you’re not planning to buy anything immediately.

Although I should warn you, browsing can be dangerous.

You might begin by looking for a simple pastry mold and end up considering an enormous copper saucepan.

I speak from experience.

Planning a Visit to E. Dehillerin in Paris

If you’re visiting Paris and enjoy cooking, I really recommend adding E. Dehillerin to your itinerary.

The shop is located in the 1st arrondissement, close to Les Halles and within walking distance of several wonderful food-shopping streets.

It’s an excellent area to explore if you’re interested in French ingredients, traditional food shops, and kitchen equipment.

The store itself is easy to recognize by its old-fashioned green storefront and yellow lettering.

Address: 18–20 Rue Coquillière, 75001 Paris, France

Website: www.edehillerin.fr

The shop is generally open Monday through Saturday and closed on Sundays. I would recommend checking the official website for current opening hours, particularly if you’re visiting around Christmas or New Year.

And if you happen to be visiting Paris in December, make a little time to explore the surrounding streets as well.

Stop for a coffee, buy something delicious from a pâtisserie, and enjoy the festive atmosphere.

It’s one of those parts of Paris where a simple shopping trip can easily turn into a lovely afternoon.

A Little Piece of Paris to Take Home

Whenever Sam and I travel, I like bringing home something that reminds me of the places we’ve visited.

Sometimes it’s a bottle of local olive oil, a bag of spices, a traditional ceramic dish, or a piece of kitchen equipment.

These things become part of everyday life once we’re home in Spain.

A copper baking mold might not seem like a particularly romantic souvenir, but every time I use it, I’m reminded of the little streets of Paris, the old shops, the cafés, and our Christmas visits.

That’s one of the things I love about cooking.

The recipes and equipment we collect along the way become part of our own kitchen stories.

And when I take a batch of freshly baked canelés out of the oven, with their dark caramelized crusts and wonderful vanilla fragrance, there’s always a little reminder of France.

Sam will probably insist, once again, that he’s not particularly interested in canelés.

But I’m fairly certain that by the following morning, a few will have mysteriously disappeared.

Perhaps on our next Christmas visit to Paris, I’ll buy a larger set of molds.

Just to be on the safe side.