my enameled cast iron, don't know where i went wrong...

I didn't want to revive the other old thread where this was discussed, so just started a new one.

I am really perplexed about this, i do not know what i could have done wrong here. I read the little insert and it suggested not heating to the highest temp. I have an electric glasstop, so i heated it on a 7-8. I had a some oil in there to sear my meat and when that was hot, i brought the temp down to about a 5-6. Then i seared my meat, took that out then seared some onions that were quartered, did the same thing with some carrots.

After everything was seared, first i added my meat to the pot, then the onions and carrots. I added some liquid and put the temperature on a three. It had been on there less than an hour and when i checked it, there was still plenty of liquid in the pot, but the bottom was COMPLETELY stuck. It was awful, to the point where i couldn't finish cooking in that pot, i had to move all the food and cook it in something else.

This was so disheartening, i was so excited and thrilled to use it and it was just disastrous. I know about cast iron retaining heat better, but i really dont know what i did wrong. There was enough liquid, so dont think it could be that. sigh.......i'm at a loss......

i still don't know where my daughter put the pot, it is still safely away from me.......

Somehow it must of gotten too hot on the bottom even on 3, I can't really say more because we cook with gas, but as it burned on the bottom it had to get and stay pretty hot. Maybe its time to try again and make some cheap soup before you give up.

Im thinking the same as Gary. My guess is it just got too hot as well. Cast iron holds heat for a long time and if your not used to it, it might of gotten away from you. We have a electric coil (very lame) cook top and it took me awhile to get used to it after being on gas for so long. I dont know much about flat electric tops, but I remember a friend who had trouble with her cast iron when she first went to use it on a flat glass top.

Becky,

We cooked a pot roast in our 6qt a couple of weeks or so ago. It came out really well. I'm going to go along with the other two replies and guess you got the dutch oven a bit too hot.

Here's how we cooked ours...Brought the dutch oven up to temp on (approx) "5". Added a bit of oil and browned the meat. De-glazed the dutch oven with a bit of red wine, added a bit of vegetable stock and put the dutch oven in the OVEN at around 300-325 for a couple of hours. About an hour before the meat was done we roasted some carrots potatoes and onions in a casserole dish...adding them to the pot roast maybe 10 minutes before it was done.

I always put mine in the oven at 350 to cook stuff.

After I got my glass top I rarely cook with my cast iron pans. I was constantly burning everything. I think the glass tops take a while to get hot but when they do...watch out! Since cast iron retains the heat so well I imagine it's quite a dance to make it work out for you.

I always put mine in the oven at 350 to cook stuff.

I usually do too, but I braised short ribs in mine the other night (sear off meat, remove, add veggies, deglaze with beef stock, wine, and vinegar, put meat in, oven at 350), and it came out cooked to perfection, but the braising liquid was burned on the sides. It looked like it had actually boiled in there, as it was stuck to the high sides and bottom of the lid. The food was great, but it was a b!t(h to clean.

I think next time I might aim more for 300 if it goes into the oven for a long time. We also recently moved, so perhaps our new oven heats better than our old.