Enameled Cast Iron Cookware

ALDI has enameled cast iron cookware right now for $29.99. They have round and oval casserole pots and frying pans.

I've been looking at these for weeks. They really look sturdy and nice, but I've held off buying one. Has anyone took the leap yet?

i got a Lodge enameled 6 quart for christmas...... and i am SOOOOOOO disappointed. I tried to make a roast in it (stovetop) and halfway through EVERYTHING was sticking and burned on the bottom. It was so bad that the smell was horrendous. I had to take everything out and on the inside the carrots and onions had burned to a black crisp on the bottom, it was awful.

i cried......i really did cry. i transferred everything to another pot and had to continue cooking it there. Then i spent the next two hours crying, cursing, and trying to get the black crud off the inside of the pot. I cleaned it up and packed it right back in the box and told my daughter that i did not want to see it again. i honestly dont know where she put it.........and i am not missing it.

i took it hard....yeah i know, but i had big hopes for it and it was just a mess. oh well.

Becky, as one home cook to another, you have my sympathy.

Makes me think twice about buying one of these.

We use ours all the time, for roast we put the whole thing in the oven at 325 F and it works fine doesn't burn.

GG

Got the same 6 qt. Lodge Dutch oven as a Christmas gift...have used it twice and had no problemos. Every bit as good as a small Le Cruset oven that we use for smaller meals.

Becky,
Please don't give up on your enameled cast iron!!! I have about every size of the Dutch ovens, use them all the time and love them . Yesterday I did a roast in a smaller one (done in the oven @ 325) and made a pot of veggie soup (on stovetop) in a large one. They seem to use a lower temperature because they conduct heat so well and it is good to have a braising liquid. Also, if you use them on a stovetop a "simmer disc" may be helpful to diffuse the heat. Give it another try!!! It will be worth the effort.

Been pondering this all day and can't for the life of me figure out what went wrong with Becky's dish. Carol C. makes a good suggestion about a diffuser ring. Sounds like it might have been an issue with too high of a cooking temp...Don't give up, try it again but at about half the temp.

Good luck, report back.

Becky - you just need to season your pan before you use it - and then it will get better with every use.

A lot of distributors claim you don't need to season enameled cast iron, but you really do. Here's a quote from someone who does, posting as a reviewer on Amazon:

"Now to the gory details of a proper seasoning process. It is a process so strap yourself in. Enamel is porous. If you burn food into enamel you are depositing carbon deep into the pours of the pan. These pans will not work very well if carbon sits in the pours. So, how do you prevent that? You must understand that cast iron does not need much heat to get hot. Always remember to use low heat to keep food from scorching. The seasoning process is actually teaching you about heat control as well as seasoning the pans.

Enamel MUST be seasoned properly despite Staub's claim they never need seasoning. You MUST follow this closely or it will not help. Warm the pans on low heat and massage olive oil (2mm in bottom of pan) into the enamel with a dry cotton rag being careful not to burn your fingers. Warm means warm, not hot. Olive oil means olive oil and duck fat means duck fat. No substitutions. Turn up the heat after a few minutes to medium low being careful to never smoke the oil. The oil should shimmer at most but not smoke. Smoke means tar and carbon are forming. If black or brown stuff comes off the pan onto your cloth you have tar on the pan and it must be cleaned using this method. Soap does not remove this. Like dissolves like. Oil dissolves oil. This seasoning process is NOT the curing done to cast iron but you are depositing oil deep into the enamel pours as you massage the oil into the pan and "gradually raising the temperature." Curing means you are deliberately leaving tar and carbon on cast iron to keep it from rusting. Curing only applies to cast iron, not enamel. You are opening the pours "slowly." If done too quickly you will burn oil and deposit carbon into the pours and you will hate cooking on these pans and rightfully so. Don't be lazy with this process or impatient. Do this for about 10 minutes minimum. Fifteen would be better. The process of slowly bringing up the temperature is "schooling you" on how these pans take heat. You cannot put a lot of heat into cast iron because they "hold" a lot of heat. Aluminum pans do not hold heat meaning they cool very rapidly in comparison. Now turn off the heat and let the pans cool at their own rate "all the while wiping the pans with olive oil." DO NOT WASH. Repeat this at least one more time minimum the next day. Have patience. Three times would be a charm.

Now, buy a whole duck. I don't care if you don't like duck and no, chicken will not be an adequate substitution. You don't have to eat it. You will learn from this process that duck fat is the fat of the gods. Cut the duck up into leg and thigh quarters and breast leaving the skin on. The skin must be left on. Set aside in a bowl all the fat and gelatin trimmed off the pieces not used. Now, take the pan and season it with two tablespoons of olive oil on low heat. Then once warm, not hot, add the duck fat and gelatin. Let it melt into the pan. Massage it into the pan just as you did the olive oil. Once the fat renders on low turn up the heat to medium low and add the meat. It should sizzle a little. Pay attention. Only a slight sizzle. Move the meat around the pan and render (melt) the fat out of the breast and legs. Get a feel for the heat as you move the meat. Remember only a light sizzling. We are not searing, we are seasoning. We are putting the highest quality fat into the pores of the pan. The manufacturer cannot season pans at the factory nor can they teach you about heat control at the factory. You learn to control the temperature of the pans in your kitchen. This is not about a duck dinner but you can eat it if you want. This process creates a learning curve and brings you way up the curve. If you "get it" in the end you will own and cherish these pans for a lifetime. Once you season the pans 2 to 3 times with olive oil and once with duck fat you will truly intuitively understand enamel pans. Enamel pans should only be washed in warm soapy water and immediately dried. Once dried they should have a beautiful sheen to them. Almost a shine or glow. NEVER SCRUB IN HOT WATER, NEVER SCRUB WITH HARSH ABRASIVES. The blue teflon safe scrubby only, never the green scrubby. Where you will go wrong is applying too much heat and not seasoning with olive oil before cooking. Always wipe olive oil into a dry cold pan before cooking. Never use Pam."

Becky - you just need to season your pan before you use it - and then it will get better with every use.

Marsha,

<eh hem> We're talking enameled cast iron...think an affordable version of Le Cruset...no seasoning required

Steve, I know. They SAY enameled cast iron doesn't need seasoning. But it DOES! Enamel is pourous!

From Wikipedia:

The enamel coating over the cast iron prevents rusting, eliminates the need to season the metal, and allows for more thorough cleaning. Furthermore, pigments used in the enameling process can produce vibrant colors.

Based on this info, I'm thinking I might just get my brain "enameled"

I tend to agree with Steve on this one, the enamel is basically a layer of glass on top of the cast iron. I can't see this as being very permeable. We got one of those new fangled Lodge enameled pots and nothing has stuck to it. We also have an old cast iron pot about 80-90 years old and a 40 year old Le Crueset as well.

I give up.

Lynch is right here, not often thought of but that enamel does work better when seasoned. That said I think its a matter of learning how to cook in a new way. I wouldn't blame the pan/pot. Give it another shot. I will add that last time this Lodge VS Lc debate came up I did a lot of google searching and found a common complaint with the "knock-off" brands. Many folks said after a couple of years the enamel starts to crack on the lesser brands, resulting in sticking,burning and rusting. I am sure thats not the issue at hand here,just a matter of getting used to it.