Why You’ll Love It
- It Will Never Rust:
Because of the enameled coating inside and out, the possibility of rust is totally removed. This is great because not only do you not have to season enameled cast iron, it opens up an avenue of cleaning not typically recommended for regular cast iron—soaking. If burnt food or stains are being stubborn, it’s perfectly fine to give your pan a nice, lengthy soak to help remove them. I’ve been asked many times if the black rim around the top of an enameled cast-iron Dutch oven is bare iron. Typically, it is black, matte-finish enamel and will not rust.
- It’s Non-Reactive:
Enameled cast iron will not react with acidic foods, such as those made with tomatoes, wine, vinegar, or citrus. I reach for enameled whenever I make things like spaghetti sauce, chili dishes, and sauces. When I was growing up, my father used to cook acidic foods all the time in his cast regular cast iron, but it was well seasoned, as in years, not weeks or months. Enameled cast iron removes this waiting period and allows you to cook just about whatever you want, right now.
- It’s Braise-Friendly:
A friend from a cast-iron group once told me that he was having a difficult time keeping his regular cast-iron Dutch ovens seasoned. He proceeded to tell me that he slow cooks a lot of soups, stews, and braises. Doing this repeatedly in regular cast iron will harm your seasoning over time. It doesn’t necessarily give foods a bad taste, but slow cooking these types of foods can be very hard on your seasoning. Enamel coating solves this problem.
Wow. I appreciate the tip regarding temperature when cooking with enameled cast iron. I’ve always cranked up the heat and couldn’t figure out how not to burn the food. That’s why I am reading this website. Thank you!
So you would not recommend cooking a steak in the oven?
It depends on the cut, but we typically suggest cooking steaks in a cast-iron skillet!
What and how oven or top of stove for cooking with cast iron Dutch oven what temp to use , does it take longer or shorter cooking times ?
We suggest using medium heat when cooking with Dutch ovens. They work great on the stove top for making soups and jams, and are also wonderful for braising roasts and other meats in the oven!
This is a great post. I love enameled cast iron for cooking. It’s very helpful. Thanks for sharing this.
This info really helped me..I’ve used cast iron pans all my life. But now that I have health problems, keeping them seasoned is a challenge..love my enamel pans..
Hi Katherine! We’re glad that we could help and that you love enamel as much as we do. Let us know if you ever need any other tips or tricks.
This is a great post. great information it’s very helpful for me thanks for sharing keep posting.
What a wonderful informative post! I have used a French enameled dutch oven for years with great success – but the results with my new enameled skillet were a bit disappointing. Thanks to your great tips and comments I now know where I made mistakes. Your information should accompany all enameled cookware.
Thank you!