Cristel
On Track. Pays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 6 sources
Family-owned French maker of stainless steel cookware.
Cristel makes most of its stainless steel cookware in its own factories in France, where legal wages are about a living wage.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Cristel? Send a right of reply.
Compare Cristel with another brand
Why it's graded On Track
- Not met: Meets 5 of 7 Good requirements.
- Met: No red flags.
Good requirements 5 of 7
- Met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: presumed because legal wages in France are about a living wage, not checked at the company
- Met: Respects worker rights
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Not met: Shows where its earlier production stages happen, not just the final oneA "Made in" claim can cover only the final stage. Earlier stages to show: materials and parts such as fabric, timber, glass, metal and ceramics
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listMakes its products in its own factories
- Met: High-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNone recorded in a major share of its range
Red flags 0
None found.
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From Cristel's own disclosure: it makes its products in its own factories. Its list covers only part of its range. The rest is shown as where homewares and appliances are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | 90% | Regular violations | About a living wage | Low |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | 1% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| PolandUsual for the industry | 1% | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| MalaysiaUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- No high-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) are recorded in a major share of its range, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good.
- Owns or runs its own production
- "Made in France" only means the last major stage happened there: under customs and consumer law, materials and parts such as fabric, timber, glass, metal and ceramics can be made elsewhere. It hasn't shown where those earlier stages happen, so where it's made counts towards On Track but not Good. Source
Research notes Cristel says it makes more than 90% of its products itself at its own factory in Fesches-le-Châtel, France, with about 125 staff covered by French labour law; its main ranges carry the Origine France Garantie label. Lid glass and some products come from outside France, but those countries are not named. The factory restarted as a workers' cooperative in 1983, became a family firm in 1986 and holds the Living Heritage Company (EPV) label. Cristel publishes no supplier list, steel sourcing details or social audit results. No labour abuse reports involving the brand were found.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Baptist World Aid's reports cover fashion and electronics, not cookware makers. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Cristel (RSM France, May 2026) · search the archive · 125 employees and EUR 33m revenue in 2025; 1983 cooperative, family takeover with workers in 1986; second production line planned
- Cristel: sublimer vos créations culinaires (INPI, Oct 2025) · search the archive · About 120 staff; made at Fesches-le-Châtel; Origine France Garantie; family firm and société à mission since 2021
- Visite de l'usine Cristel (Lycée, Académie de Besançon, 2025) · search the archive · Fesches-le-Châtel is the only plant; about 90% of products made in France; lid glass from abroad
- Cristel (Marques de France) · search the archive · Own factory in Fesches-le-Châtel; mixed origin (France and abroad); EPV label; 1983 workers' cooperative
Published by Cristel or its owner
- French excellence (cristel.com) · search the archive · Own production of more than 90% of its products at Fesches-le-Châtel; Origine France Garantie checked by Bureau Veritas
- Mutine collection (cristel.com) · search the archive · Mutine range carries Origine France Garantie; site lists no delivery to Australia
Company details
- Headquarters
- France
- Employees
- About 125
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Cristel ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/cristel, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What On Track means
Better-graded cookware and tableware
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Cristel.