You&#;ve decided to purchase enameled cast iron &#; congratulations! If you haven&#;t used this type of cookware before, you&#;re about to fall in love with it. Enameled cast iron is a great balance between traditional cookware which has fantastic thermal density and all the convenience of modern cookware. However, it can be quite the investment so it&#;s important to learn about your options and the best-enameled cast iron for your needs.
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Here are some important factors to consider:
All these attributes matter. The shape and size of the cookware will influence the weight of the cookware. Some people love a nice heavy pan &#; just in case they need to use it to chase a burglar down the street. Others prefer to not have to lift weights before being able to cook with their enameled cast iron cookware.
Unfortunately much cheaper enameled cast iron tends to be cast extremely thick and too heavy for a lot of people. Le Creuset is lighter than other competing brands. This is very important if you are looking for a Dutch oven which can become weighty when you consider the added weight of food and liquid.
Weighing up the options pre-seasoned or enameled cast iron? Please don&#;t forgot to check out my other articles on cast iron. I&#;m a cast iron collector and use cast iron every day. So if you&#;re interested in learning more about new and vintage cast iron you&#;ve come to the right place.I really don&#;t think you look past the Le Creuset 5 1/2 quart Dutch oven which is available on Amazon if you want to see the latest prices (affiliate link). You can also check out the Le Creuset color range. They sure do make some fine looking cookware. So why buy Le Creuset? I feel the 5 1/2 quart is the ideal size for most needs in the kitchen. Sure bigger sizes are available but they start to get really heavy when you take into account the food and liquid. Here&#;s an external link to a Le Creuset size chart.
I&#;d go for a circular Dutch oven over an oval oven. Oval Dutch ovens are great for cooking a roast chicken or a joint of lamb. However, round Dutch ovens are ideally suited for gas hobs and electric elements if you want to make soups or casseroles. They also take up less space in your oven.
Some of the best enameled cast iron pans have wide handles you can place your hands comfortably on to carry your delicious food. On cast iron skillets a nice wide handle helper is also useful to move your skillet around. Although a skillet with a large handle helper can take up a lot of space in the oven. Le Creuset makes some of the best enameled frying pans. However, I&#;m a real fan of Staub frying pans they really are some top-notch pans.
You&#;ll need to decide if you want to sell a kidney for your cast iron or use what&#;s in your piggy bank when it comes to purchasing the best-enameled cast iron cookware. Prices vary depending on size, shape, type, and of course, and brand.
If you&#;re just starting out and want to test this type of cookware out first, you may want to consider getting a lesser expensive pot and then upgrade to a more expensive one as you yearn for more from your cast iron. There&#;s plenty of choices out there too. One such brand is Lodge they make good enameled cast iron at a fraction of the price of the luxury brands.
How about those expensive pieces are they with the price? Here are two well-researched articles to learn more; Why buy Le Creuset? and Why buy Staub cookware?
I really have soft spot for Staub cast iron. I collect the black enameled cookware. Although it is a bit rougher to touch than the brightly colored enamel. However, I love the traditional look of the black enamel.What separates average enameled cast iron cookware from the best-enameled cast iron cookware? Well, it really comes down to the expertise of enameling. Le Creuset and Staub are heads and shoulders above competing brands. They really are the leading manufactures if you are looking for the best cast-iron cookware. Staub and Le Creuset use multiple layers of glaze on their cookware and the end results are quite spectacular they are the only companies that can make cast iron cookware beautiful. However multiple layers of enamel have added benefits as well. These include:
The moment you&#;ve been waiting for is here. These are my picks for the best enameled cast iron cookware on the market today. I&#;ve tried to keep in in mind both quality and budgets.
However, I must acknowledge the mixed reviews of some of the cheaper options. Also, you may want to consider regular cast over enameled cookware. If you&#;re not interested in seasoning your cookware then I really believe that Staub and Le Creuset are by far best enameled cast iron if your budget allows.
The Lodge brand is an entry level cast iron cookware option, which means it doesn&#;t cost an arm and a leg. Click the link if you want to see the latest prices on Amazon (affiliate link). However, Lodge has a reputation to uphold and they make very fine quality cookware. They also make world-class skillets and traditional Dutch Ovens. I&#;m sure you&#;ll be happy with one of their Dutch ovens.
Lodge enameled pots come in different colors, and the interior is a beautiful cream color. It&#;s oven safe up to 500 degrees. Which makes it great for baking and broiling. It&#;s a nice size holding 6-quarts which is a great size for most people. Unfortunately, Lodge doesn&#;t manufacture their enamel range locally. Instead, they have opted to make their enameled cookware in China to ensure costs are kept low.
As with most Dutch ovens, it comes with a tight-fitting lid that keeps the contents from becoming dry. It&#;s truly great for cooking all types of dishes, marinating, and slow cooking.
This large heavy-set skillet is a versatile one that can be used every day. Yes, this is the one you want to chase people out of your home. Although I find it lighter than the Staub skillet which is why it&#;s on my recommended list.
The large loop handle makes it easy to carry the skillet around. Despite the size, it cooks food evenly and provides superior thermal density. These skillets even come in pink if you&#;re so inclined. I&#;m more of a traditional boy and prefer Le Creuset&#;s signature color &#;flame&#;. Here&#;s a link to Amazon to see their color range (affiliate link).
This one is the next level in enameled cast iron cookware. It&#;s more expensive than the Lodge one, but many people report it&#;s worth it. Staub also makes an amazing skillet and if you have read my other articles you know I&#;m a huge Staub fan. However, again I find the Le Creuset lighter than the Staub so it&#;s possibly more suitable for a wider range of users.
Another honest review. The America&#;s test kitchen has a lot more budget than I do to test skillets. However, I tend to stay away from celebrity chef endorsed products. I prefer manufactures which specialize in making quality cookware.Who doesn&#;t love a good casserole? Well, some people don&#;t, but they may like it better if it was cooked in this Cuisinart Chef&#;s Classic Enameled Cast Iron Casserole Pot. While the 7 quart is the most desired, it&#;s also available in 3 and 5 quarts as well.
Currently, Cuisinart has three colors available which include: red, blue and black. While the reviews are not as favorable as Landhaus, Cuisinart is priced lower and is one of the most popular choices available. Here&#;s the link for the 7 quart Casserole Pot on Amazon (affiliate link). However there is a 5.5 Quart pot available which I recommend for most households.
The benefits include; porcelain enamel, dishwasher safe, and they have large wide ears or handles which makes it easy to carry.
This is the best enameled cast iron cookware for cooking, serving for a family and entertaining for a group. This size is on the upper limit I would recommend for a first time user of cast iron.
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This is the elite enameled cast iron pot. The 6.2-quart braiser is not the cheapest but nor is it the most expensive. But you get a lot for the price. There is also a 5.4-quart option available. The Amazon reviews on this pan are amazing. Click if you&#;re interested in reading the reviews (affiliate link).
This a self-basting braiser. It comes with solid brass and chrome stainless steel knobs. It is a professional grade cast iron that distributes heat evenly for perfect cooking. You can do just about anything you would like with this pot:
Although I usually recommend 5.5-quart Dutch oven the Landhaus 6.2-quart is priced at a very similar price point as the smaller 5.4-quart pot. Great marketing by Landhaus it certainly caught my eye.
Want a braiser without the cost? Crock Pot has one for you.
The great slow cooker brand has designed enameled cast iron for people who want all the benefits of it without having to pay for professional grade cookware.
Although I have not used this braiser from all accounts, it cooks evenly and is of great value. It does have a self-basting lid and Crockpot are a specialist in slow cooked cookware. Cleaning is a breeze, and just like other enameled cast iron cookware, you never have to worry about seasoning your pot.
Crock Pot sure knows a thing about slow cooking and they have some very good reviews. Here&#;s a link to Amazon if you want to see their prices (affiliate link). If you&#;re looking for a cheaper Dutch oven this could be a good choice.
This cute, but mighty Dutch oven comes in blue, red and silver. It&#;s 6.5 quarts and it&#;s great for heating, cooking, or even frying. however, its only oven safe up to 450 degrees. So I would be inclined to use it for slow cooking or stovetop cooking. Click to see how they rate on Amazon (affiliate link).
Many people add this Dutch oven to their Tramontina cookware collection. The company has a huge range of cookware which includes stainless steel and knives. Although I&#;m not sure of the name Tramontina they sure have plenty of heritage. The history of the company dates back to .
I have to finish with Staub. I really think Staub make some of the best enameled cast iron cookware. Although they are famous for their Dutch ovens they call the cocotte. They also make some great frying pans. Staub makes a large pan with a huge 13&#; inch cooking surface. Which makes it larger than most frying pans on the market. However, this is a very useful size if you&#;re cooking for a family. Instead of a handle, this pan comes which two handles so it&#;s easy to move around and well balanced.
If your budget allows then it&#;s well worth consideration. Just click the link to see the latest prices on Amazon (affiliate link).
Don&#;t fret over it too much which is the best enameled cast iron cookware. As long as you purchase good quality enameled cast iron cookware, you&#;ll receive all the benefits of it the way you should experience. As I mentioned earlier, start with what you love the most, and then you can move on to other sizes, weights, and brands. You will see some differences between them all and in time, you&#;ll start to prefer ones over others. It&#;s just like any other collection, except this one, continues to deliver delicious foods in a beautiful way.
Visiting Iwachu cast iron museum to learn about the history and making of Japanese cast iron.The Lodge Blacklock Triple Seasoned Cast-Iron Skillet is advertised as being 5 pounds 6 ounces, according to the specs listed on Lodge&#;s website, but it actually weighs about 6 pounds 2&#; ounces by our measure. Since it&#;s only about 6 ounces lighter than the Chef&#;s Collection pan we recommend, we don&#;t think it&#;s worth paying significantly more. In our tests, the Blacklock dripped more oil when pouring it into a jar, while the Lodge Classic and Chef&#;s Collection pans poured in relatively steady streams. Cornbread also stuck badly to the bottom of the Blacklock unlike the other two pans. While we like the slightly longer handle on the Blacklock and its deeper sides for frying chicken, ultimately we don&#;t think these benefits outweigh its drawbacks.
The Victoria 12-inch cast-iron skillet was our previous runner-up, and in tests for this update performed on a par with the Lodge skillets. Its slightly sloped sides are good for whisking pan sauces and make the capacity a little more forgiving, so you can squeeze in an extra strip of bacon. Victoria&#;s large spouts allowed us to pour off hot oil without a single drip. On the downside, the longer stick handle throws off the weight distribution and makes the pan seem heavier, even though the Victoria weighs a pound less than the Lodge. Victoria cast-iron cookware comes with a lifetime warranty.
AmazonBasics Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet - 12-Inch has a very rough texture, so although theoretically it should take a while to develop a nonstick patina, it performed just as well as every other pan we tested. It&#;s deep, which would work well for frying chicken. However, at about 8 pounds, it&#;s one of the heaviest skillets we tested, and it heated very unevenly so it isn&#;t one of our picks. You only get a one-year warranty from Amazon.
The Camp Chef 12" Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet released foods cleanly in our tests, but it is particularly rough-textured, heated extremely unevenly, and has a slightly smaller interior surface than the others we tested. The warranty is also only 90 days.
The handle on the Butter Pat Skillet (left) appears to be unseasoned, given its light silver color. Compare that with the dark, black handle of the thoroughly seasoned Lodge.Photo: Sarah Kobos
Butter Pat Industries Joan 12" Polished Cast Iron Skillet is the most expensive skillet we tested, which the manufacturer attributes to the fact that it takes about 41 people 21 days to produce. It has a silky-smooth finish on the bottom and sides and is exceptionally light. With more than 10 inches of surface area, there&#;s plenty of room to lay out bacon strips. The Joan has very low sides, so it&#;s great for searing without steaming but too shallow for frying chicken. Of all the cast-iron skillets we tested, it came closest to exhibiting even heat distribution, and in testing it was a pleasure to use. However, we didn&#;t find that it was more nonstick than any of the skillets we tested, and it emerged with dark, blotchy stains from searing steak. We also noticed that the handle appeared to be unseasoned, leaving it vulnerable to rust. The company says the discoloration will even out over time as the pan develops more seasoning, but that will take more time and attention than maintaining the seasoning on a Lodge. So we find it hard to justify paying almost $350, even if you do get a 100-year warranty.
At under 6 pounds, the Field Company #10 Field Cast Iron Skillet weighs the least of all those we tested. It has a smoothly polished surface that heated up very evenly. There are no pour spouts, but we found it easy to pour hot grease over the edge without dripping. Like the Butter Pat, this pan is shallow and showed blotchy stains after searing a steak. Though we enjoyed using it, we find it hard to justify the $160 price.
At around $120, the Stargazer Cast Iron 12-inch Skillet was the least expensive of the new-gen pans we tested and was the least smooth. Although the large handle&#;s not particularly comfortable to hold, it stays cool enough to touch when you&#;re cooking on the stovetop. As the Stargazer is quite deep, it would be a good choice for frying chicken or poaching dumplings. It has a rolled lip instead of pour spouts, and we had no problem pouring off bacon grease without getting it all over the counter. But again, the Lodge pans performed just as well, didn&#;t stain when searing, and have more comfortable handles.
Not only was the Smithey Ironware No. 12 Cast Iron Skillet slow to heat up, it was particularly uneven at heating. After we cooked bacon, it looked like some of the manufacturer&#;s finish had been stripped off, which may account for the fact that this was only one of two skillets we tested that couldn&#;t turn out cornbread without sticking.
Finex&#;s coiled smooth stainless steel handle is bulky and slides when gripped with a towel.Photo: Michael Hession
The overdesigned Finex 12-inch octagonal skillet is another offering from the indie movement of cast-iron producers trying to make pans the old way. Finex skillets have a polished cooking area, but the walls are left with the casting texture. While the spiraled polished stainless steel handle is designed to stay cool, it didn&#;t in our tests. The handle is too thick to grasp securely with a folded towel, and it slipped when we poured drippings. The helper handle is small and doesn&#;t offer much for support. The eight corners of the skillet are touted to offer versatility when pouring, but every corner dribbled on our counter.
The Utopia Kitchen skillet is an obvious Lodge knockoff, except that the seasoning on the Utopia is ineffective against sticking, and the pour spouts dribbled a lot of oil on our countertops.
The Calphalon cast-iron skillet didn&#;t make it past the first round of testing for having the worst pour spouts. The stick handle is small and uncomfortable, and the helper handle is hard to grasp.
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