I have vintage cast iron, modern USA cast iron, LODGE, BUTTERPAT, FIELD, STARGAZER, LeCrucet,and a few Chinese. I also have clad stainless, and carbon steel..American and German, as well as visions/Pyrex/corningware skillets and bakeware. I prefer cast iron for the average everyday workhorse. Hamburgers, potato, eggs, bacon, grilled cheese, etc.. For boiling water for pasta, making spaghetti, spaghetti sauces, etc I go to my stainless. Spanish rice, goulash, stainless. Beans, lentils, chili, potato, vegetable soup, I’ll use enamel Dutch oven. Biscuits, cornbread, gravy, regular cast iron. Vegetables-carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels, corn..either glass, or enamel usually. Sorry for being so long winded…BUT YOU ASKED🤣🤣🤣🤣
Wow, what a fantastic collection! I have many of those, too, but not the high-end cast iron from Stargazer and Butter Pat. Very impressive, indeed. I bet you make some absolutely delicious meals in your kitchen. Thank you so much for watching and commenting. Happy cooking!
@@IWantToCook yes, I love to cook, some people like to paint, or read books, or garden. I always figured, use the right tool for the job, and so I started on my collections of cookwares, LOL… Thank you for making an EXCELLENT video, and for the rapid response. That is the mark of someone who is both passionate about their content as well as professional. Have a great day!!
Man, it is so refreshing to watch a video that gets to the point right away. THANK YOU! So many people spend 80% of the time on a video talking about everything other than what the title says. Great Job! (Kind'a like the cabinets too. That kitchen would require many lights.)
Thank you very much! I personally wish the cabinets weren’t so dark, but they are original to the house and at least functional. The kitchen remodel (someday) will lighten things up. Cheers! 🙏
@@Revelation13-8I haven't heard of that brand, nor have I ever seen it in the U.S. That said, the German cookware I've used has generally been top-notch. Cheers!
it bears mentioning that while cast iron takes longer to heat up, it also takes longer to cool down. That sounds like a negative (and sometimes it probably is) but I find it helpful in that the pan does not cool down and does not need to reheat as additional ingredients are added. It makes a big difference, I find.
I purchased my first l le creuset over 30,years ago and have not regretted a cent of the price.I think it's made me a better cook. I find it very forgiving.Also if it becomes discolored you can leave it outside in direct sun and it will brighten.
@@helenalovelock1030 Yes, cast iron cookware will work best with regular seasoning. If the surface loses its shine and food is sticking, you'll want to season. Frequency depends: Some avid cast iron cookware fans season after almost every use.
@@helenalovelock1030 as far as I’ve heard, the iron is NOT toxic and is in fact helpful, especially for women, who may easily become deficient. One thing in its favor is that iron cookware has been around for centuries. Lots of toxins in other stuff (eg green dye in wallpaper and dress fabric that contains arsenic!) has become discredited over that same period and isn’t used anymore. As the video says, only the raw cast iron needs seasoning, although the black enameled can use it too. It helps the inonstick properties and rust deference. But if you neglect it and it loses seasoning or starts to rust it can be easily restored as well. (There a million videos online about that.) As to when and how to season, there are different opinions but in practice I have found it easier than it sounds-one big seasoning (baking in the oven for a while when you first get it) and then simple, fast maintenace with regular use thereafter.
I have, use, and love both regular cast iron as well as enamel. My Le Creuset 5.5QT Dutch oven is a permanent fixture on my stove. I love the versatility! I actually enjoy maintaining my traditional cast iron. Getting that really glassy smooth seasoning is a process, and I think it's fun watching it get better over time.
Mostly accurate, but you were wrong on a couple things. First. Soap will not harm seasoning in any way. It will not strip seasoning, it will not leave a soap taste if rinsed well, and doesn’t get into the pores. The only things that can remove polymerized seasoning are mechanical means like grinding or sand blasting, chemical (lye), electrolysis or extreme heat. If dish soap was strong enough to damage seasoning, you would have no skin on your hands. Use soap to your heart’s content. Second, oiling after washing is completely unnecessary and can in fact be detrimental. When you apply oil, if you do not heat it past it’s smoke point for one hour, it will not polymerize. Heating it a few minutes on the stove does nothing. Wet, un-polymerized oil left on the pan just becomes a magnet for dust, pet hair, insects, grime and whatever else is floating in your kitchen. It can also go rancid in a surprisingly short amount of time. The best way to care for cast iron is to wash it with soap, rinse thoroughly, dry completely with a kitchen towel and put it away. Don’t make it more complicated than that.
@@ghadaahmed9805 Tramontia is a fine brand. I would by it if I didn’t have mire than I need already. Seasoning is for rust prevention and protection from acidic foods. Since an enameled pan is already protected from rust and acid, there’s no reason to season it.
Without treatment after washing ALL my cast iron has rusted previously, was a harsh lesson as a young lad all those years ago, this advice of no treatment after washing seems quite misplaced tbf.
I love my cast iron. I have a beautiful set of all-clad and rarely use it now. I finally picked up a le Creuset piece only because my chicken fryer got cracked so I needed a bigger pan, and I tend to not put my food away immediately and I found spaghetti or tomato bases sauces absorbed the iron too much that I could taste it. So I use the enamel for anytime I’m using a tomato based sauce.
You hit every point except the most important one, cooking? How does one cook vs the other? Does food stick more or less on one? Do you use less or more heat to cook on one or the other? Which foods are better on one or the other?
Great question (s). As for cooking, they are similar yet distinct. If it's high-heat cooking, like searing a steak, i'm going plain cast iron all the way. Some quality enamel pans can take the heat, but it's not necessarily recommended. Cast iron on the other hand, can take a beating and massive heating. As for sticking, it's a tossup. A very well-seasoned cast iron pan can have an near-nonstick finish, which you just won't get with enamel no matter how long you use it. As for heat usage, low to medium is recommended for enamel; cast iron, game on. I regularly use bare flame from a propane tank on mine when searing food. Finally, as for which foods are better on each: If you're searing meat, go cast iron. Otherwise, it's a tossup. Enamel is better with highly acidic foods. Each has their merits, an enamel wins on cleanup/ease of use. I regularly cook on both. Hope this helps and thanks for watching.
Cast iron has high thermal mass (heavy weight), which means it doesn’t drop in temperature when you put something like a thick steak on it. With a thin pan that would cause a temperature drop in the pan (so it stops cooking as hot for a while). That’s why cast iron is good for searing and thin aluminum nonstick is not. On the other hand, some thin pans are very conductive, like Copper, so it would heat back up again quickly (unlike iron, which is a poor conductor). That is the downside of cast iron. But as I said the high thermal mass makes up for that by staying pretty hot even with some heat loss.
Good video. My enameled Le Creuset omelette pan is a game-changer. I cook steaks and everything else in it that requires a pan. The white enamel is also helping compared to black enamel or non-enameled cast iron b/c you can easily see the browning, and can easily see what needs to be cleaned. The low profile and curvature inside is also perfect for so many foods. Its low profile makes it easy to put in a Breville Toaster Oven. It’s simply a work of art.
My grandma cleaned her cast iron with soap, however she was adamant it must never contain lye or any caustic component, so almost any household dish soap nowadays will do. However proper care is a must when using cast iron
I'm 60. My friends are my age and older. I just gave away to a charity thrift shop my last 2 enameled cast iron dutch ovens, which I loved and maintained immaculately. Like my friends, I've phased out my large cast iron cookware because it's too heavy; meantime, smaller pieces are somewhat manageable for this time being. Besides, I've got hooked on my mini 3-qt Instant Pot recently. I have a feeling I'll use it regularly for a while.
The Instant Pot is an amazing device, and I use mine several times a week. May it help you make many delicious meals. And thank you for donating quality cookware that I’m sure you proudly maintained for years. May it go to homes that carry on that legacy. 🙏
This comment unexpectedly hit me hard in terms of aging and mortality. The thought that one day 30-35 years down the line I may have to decide what to do with my belongings never crossed my mind so far.
Recently Costco had an awesome sale on Tramontina enameled cookware. I ended up with a really nice 5 piece set for less than the price of a single Le Creuset enameled piece. The lifetime warranty and reputation of Le Creuset does not justify the absurd prices they charge. The French are masters of overcharging.
I’ve used both. There is no comparison. My Le creuset is used more often but looks as good as the day I bought it. The oldest ones are more than 10 years in. My Tramontina and crockpot enameled cookware is chipped and discolored after only 2 years. I baby them exactly the same. I would rather buy one le creuset than replace tramontina every 2 years.
From someone who cooks on cast iron daily, I would say do not wash with soap. The cast iron will not rust over night since I do use it daily but If you don't want your eggs to stick in the morning, you should probably season it daily. Nothing fancy. A few minutes on high heat and a thin layer of oil , and no it does not go rancid over night. Best way to learn how to treat and care for cast iron is to use it daily.
I switched from Lodge cast iron to Staub enameled when the seasoning of my Lodge began to flake off into my food. This happened on 3 different Lodge pieces that I purchased new and used for years. It's probably user error, but still, I was tired of it. I decided to try enameled, hoping for stick resistance, easy clean up, and no uninvited flakes in my food. My Staub enameled, though very pricey, is beautifully stick resistant, easy to clean, and never flakes. Sorry Lodge, I love that you're made in the USA, but it's me, not you....I think.
Your issues with the Lodge are definitely user error and no fault of the cookware itself. Seasoning, done properly, never 'flakes off'. Seasoning also isn't a 1-time 'thing' and it's a 'life of the cookware' process that can be done 'manually' when required, or 'naturally', when as an example, deep frying chicken or other foods in the pan/skillet.
@@markstone1619yeah the higher the smoke point of the oil the better with at least a hour bake time at 500°F with refined canola that has a smoke point round 440 to 480.
Reasoning CI is so easy and a great winter project. Get off Netflix and do some research, and you could have had beautiful seasoned CI pans again. Once your Staab chips, you’ll need to throw it away. Yes, they chip mostly because of heating too quickly so be careful. I have both. You can heat up your CI as quick as you like. I’ve ruined my Le Creuset by not knowing this, so I’m sticking with CI and my partner uses the Staab.
Your seasoning flaking off means you are not doing it correctly. Lodge makes the best cast iron pans for the price and even the mid range cast irons running 3-5 times the price aren't any better. It's not until you get to something like Field cast iron that you really see a difference and they are over $200 a pan right now. For $20-30 a pan that will last 100+ years, that's tough to beat.
It's one of my favorite pieces! It is called the Multifunction pan, and I use it a few times a week. I found it at a Le Creuset outlet store, but from a quick Google search it looks like you can buy them from places like Sur La Table. Thanks for watching and happy cooking! :)
I have cruset and chassuer pans Only use wood cooking implement and wash with non scratch pads, or just cloth They need to be respected I have a lot of cast iron cookware too, as well as some hammered ductile iron stuff from Japan ( Yamada ) The iron doesn't enjoy acid foods so much
It’s mad the 50/50 divide I’ve came across in people saying how great it is at preventing sticking Vs others saying the opposite! Are there foods you find that need a lot of oil to stop sticking? Or any foods you know never to put in cos they’ll stick? (I’m doing research on new pans btw!)
@@epiphgd4302 Stuff like salsa ( tomato) and vinegar not too good. Because they attack the seasoning Cooking bacon in 2" of lard pretty well the opposite Everything else falls somewhere in-between
I really wanted to make cast iron work but I just couldn't. When you buy a cast iron skillet, you're buying a hobby. There are so many ways to season it (I tried 4) and different schools of thought about cleaning it. After several months of trying but not getting the results I wanted, I went with enameled cast iron. No regrets, it's awesome and easier to use(IMO) there is no seasoning required and you can wash it with soap and water and dry it with a towel and that's it
Actually I think you were just overthinking things. I have bare cast iron and maintenance is minimal. Just clean in with a sponge and warm water while it's still warm (not piping hot), clean it with a bit of paper and put it back on the stove to use the rest of the heat to kill any leftover moisture. You only need to oil it if you won't use it for a longer time. But of course you can't go wrong with good enamled cast iron also you can cook dishes with more acidity no problem in enameled cast iron. I think bread comes out best in a bare cast iron.
Most of my cooking is done in cast iron. Some of these pans are generations old, so they've long ago become beautifully seasoned. New cast-iron pans DO require seasoning, but that's a simple matter, and the maintenance after is minimal. My older pans can even take dishwashing liquid and a light scrubbing with a nylon scoring sponge. There's nothing--nothing--as good as uncoated iron for getting a beautiful sear.
? You can wash cast iron with soap and water. Did you litteraly try burning your cast iron pan with the hottest heat as possible on your stove.... i mean it needs to be smoaking and you need to use a extremely thin layer of canola oil. Spread it and let sit for 5 minutes. Then repeat at least 3 times. You will have an good layer of seasoning at that point and as you cook you will build up small amouts every time.
sadly you listened to those who want to make cast iron seasoning and cleaning seem complex. to season wipe pan with with avocado oil put in oven at 200 for 20 minutes and then recoat and go to 400 for 40 minutes. its seasoned.ive done dozens of pieces like that. clean with soap if needed .soap wont bother the seasoning. most times l just wipe my pans clean with a dry paper towel.
I work from home, so I cook breakfast and dinner almost 7 days a week, I’ve come to the conclusion I can only cook from cast iron, all the non stick pans wear out in a year at most, even the more expensive ones, just bought an enameled cast iron, hopefully these hold up like my non enameled
I use a giant old fashioned Lodge cast iron skillet with lid for beef pot roast with potatoes & carrots, pork shoulder roasts, steaks and more. The Dutch oven version for breads and it gets abused at 500 degree temps. 12" skillet for frying and pan pizza at high temps. I wash them in the sink with a drop or two of soap with water, then after drying on the stove burner, I apply a light coat of oil back to it. In the old days they used harsher soaps that were not recommended. I use enameled versions for fish, acidic foods, and big pots of soup. I view non stick pans as disposables...they don't last, but I do like to cook over easy eggs in them. If I had to choose between cast iron and any other types of pans, there would be no contest...cast iron is my favorite, even with the extra weight. TFS
For seasoning a cast iron pan ( and the cast iron grill on my bbq) I have been advised to use high smoke point oil, is it won't burn off. Also, to put it in an oven for 220°c/450°f then allow to cool and repeat at least once. This should be done when new or whenever you have OVERHEATED or left a pan on the heat and burned off the seasoning coat (it's easy to do that with gas cooking, and obvious because it goes from black to grey so you lose the non stick coating you have been building up) . Supermarkets here in Australia stock rice bran oil (250°c /480°f smoke point) whereas grape seed oil has less of a nutty flavour but smokes at 420°f.
When it comes to enameled cookware I prefer enameled carbon steel. To me it shares all the properties of enameled cast iron at half the weight. When it comes to raw metal, although I love my carbon steel skillets, there's just something about the heaviness of cast iron that feels better when searing meats. Just my $0.02.
@@JS-ne5pk Both carbon steel and cast iron are iron and carbon, the only difference between that cast iron has a higher carbon content. Both are entirely safe and healthy for cooking, as is an enameled coating when used.
No no no. Soap is not going to break the polymerized bond on the skillet. You can use soap with cast-iron. All the old lye soaps could damage the seasoning, but modern dish soap does not hurt cast iron. Lodge even uses soap. I’ve seen cooking articles where a cast iron skillet seasoned with flaxseed oil go through a dishwasher unscathed. That oil is crazy expensive.
Yeah no no no my pan got sticky dawn dish soap effected and soften the seasoning where I had to strip the pan and rebuild the seasoning again. Never doing that again.
@@Jon-O. No, but I’ve cared for cast iron for decades. You say your cast iron is sticky? Even lye soap wouldn’t do that. It would remove the finish completely. Sticky cast iron is almost always caused by people seasoning their pans with too much oil left on them. I’ll change that to all. That’s your problem.
@@CreachterZ the solvent in dawn that breaks down grease yes it's a chemical solvent effects the carbon molecule bond. My casts work far superior to nonstick why because I never use any soap on them from day one and 6 refined canola oil seasoning @500° F for 1 1/2 hours each with full cool downs to room temperature each time. When I tell you dish soap has the solvency to affect the Carbon molecule bond I know what I'm talking about. Boil the dish soap solution in the pan and watch how it releases off the pan. The heat is only a means to improve the chemical reaction of the dish soap to lift the bond.
I’m a Le Creuset girl myself that has built up my collection over several decades, each piece still looks relatively new and has stood the test of time, a wise investment.
I have used traditional cast iron pans since I learned to cook as a teenager in the 1970s. A few years ago I bought my first enameled cast iron, a Crofton dutch oven at Aldi. I had no idea how to use it and completely ruined the surface of it. I bought a new one yesterday and searched for info about enameled cast iron - this time I want to learn to cook with it and care for it correctly. I subscribed to your channel because it looks like you have a lot of good information.
Thank you very much! I've seen those cookware pieces at Aldi, and they seem to be a great value. I hope it gives you many years of cooking pleasure :-)
Of course you can use soap ! not on a newly seasoned new pan but once you have used it a bit you can use washing up liquid. (not a huge amount but enough).
We use a carbon steel skillet (less heavy than cast iron & smooth surface) for everyday cooking and an enameled cast iron dutch oven for tomato sauces, soups, stews, fried rice
Cooking acidic foods in contact with iron may add off tastes, but it means you won't get iron deficiency anemia. There's actually a project of sending "lucky iron fish" to families in regions where iron deficiency anemia is common, with instructions to put the cast iron fish into their soup pot with a bit of lemon or vinegar.
Good to know! And by all means, if you don’t mind - or don’t even sense - an off taste with iron + acid, cook away! Cooking can be deeply personal, and whatever method brings satisfaction and good, nutritious food is what matters. Cheers!
My uncoated cast iron skillets are heirlooms; if anything needs to be scrubbed out of them, I use coarse salt. It scrubs little burned bits out without disrupting any seasoning layers. If I use water on it, I put it in the oven to dry it with a light seasoning
I got a big frying pan by Lodge recently and I love it. I use it for baking, not frying. I baked really thick hamburgers and they were cook all the way through without burning. And the taste was great, much better than the frying pan method. I have an enamel dutch oven which I like a lot. I use it for popcorn and as a serving dish when I use my slow cooker. The cast iron makes the food cook evenly and add favor that my cheap, light stainless steel pans just don't match.
. . . thanks for an informative video . . . I use both regular cast iron, and enamelled, and really like both . . . I'm not sure that I agree with you about avoiding soap with regular cast, because soaps today don't contain lye, the enemy of seasoned cast iron . . . pieces that I have used for fifty years and more, and have washed with soapy water, still perform amazingly, and nothing much ever sticks to them . . . one make of enamelled cast iron that I found is every bit as good as the French products, but much, much, much cheaper, is Lagostina, a product made just southeast of Montreal, Canada by a family that has been in the business for a very long time . . . it is carried by Canadian Tire here in Canada, and various pieces are regularly put on sale for up to 70% off the regular price . . . definitely worth a trip to this store to buy some . . . again, tks for a great video . . .
It's a bit funny to me that everyone who talks about cast iron on youtube says that raw cast iron can take A LOT more abuse than enameled but at the same time you - can't put it in the dish washer - can't wash it with soap - can't store food in it - can't make a sauce in it - can't put anything in it that contains acid - can't store it without carefully drying and oiling it while an enameled pan will not have an issue with any of those things. Really the only thing you can do with raw cast iron that you can't do with enamel is use it as a hammer and heat it to unreasonable temperatures.
I use cast iron and stainless steel but I use my cast iron more often than not (it sits on my stove as I use it throughout the day, wash it after each use, and season it at the end of the day). My stainless steel pans are used for fish/seafood and high volume of acidic foods but I am curious about carbon steel pans.
Carbon steel and cast iron are similar yet different. In fact, I did a video comparing the two. Hope you find this helpful! th-cam.com/video/jDL-UeQWLRc/w-d-xo.html
Descoware, and other good enamel coated. Then stainless steel and copper bottom pans like Revereware, and good aluminum baking pans like Nordicware are my choices. But my mom (from the south) loved her Lodge cast iron pans and also Descoware, especially for the oven. 🧡
The weight is a disadvantage for sure, that's why I only have a small cast iron pan. I use stainless steel mostly currently for cookware, but i plan to buy a carbon steel paella pan, because they are very light for their size.
even though you dry the pan with a towel,, it is a good a idea to put it on a burner, get it hot and then a little oil.... doen't take long , but it makes a difference
Bought an enameled cast iron not knowing there was a difference. Reading the instructions it said not to use metal utensils and I was like wtf. Thank you for the breakdown of the differences
I tend to use Carbon steel over Cast Iron, though I have both. I haven't tried an enamelled cast iron pans to date, mostly due to cost. I use Stainless steel for Bolognese sauce but could see myself using an enamelled pan if I could find an affordable one of the right size.
Enameled cast iron was quite the standard cookware here in Austria (Europe) in the generation of my grandmother/mother. But it was just called enameled cookware, because this was the only version available - and not very expensive. But nowadays we also get China-made enameled cookware (oposed to the old cookware that was made here in Austria (Riess-Emaille for example), and this is also just called enameled cookware, which is misleading, because many are very light, and obviously a different metal under the enameled surface than what people here expect it to be.
Appreciate the info. I wish I’d bought some last time I was in Austria. Yours is such a beautiful country - and has the best goulash I’ve ever tasted! Cheers 🙏
Enamel casserole pots are so good. Hours in the oven but clean up easily after a 10 minute soak. I have Chinese and French pots, some of them "hand me downs". The French pots seem to last better. Wiltshire do enameled pressed steel baking dishes that are very cheap and give excellent results.
I have two pans. A cheap enameled one that chipped on the inside, so I knocked the rest of the emanelling away and seasoned it. I might get a stainless or carbon steel pan for pasta sauces, though. The other one is a Taiwanese skillet I found on the side of the road in a ditch. It was badly rusted and really dirty, so I cleaned it with a wire wheel on a drill and reseasoned it. That one has become my go to for everything.
I use both. If I'm making anything that has tomatoes in the recipe I'll use an enameled pan. I will use a regular cast iron pan if I'm doing a steak or high-heat cooking.
What I find is there is a pretty large difference in heat transfer that I didn't seem to see in the video, cast iron has the heat travel faster through it and thus the cast iron surface in touch with the food can stay at a hotter temperature (and for example produce more of a sear) while for enameled pots the food tends to produce a 'colder spot' where in contact with the food, requiring hotter stove temperatures to try (and usually fail) to do the same as uncoated cast iron.
You must be comparing apples to oranges, David; such as a thick bare cast iron to a thin enameled cast iron. Or maybe your enameled pan isn't even cast iron; there are also enameled steel pans.
I have several cast iron pans & a Dodge enamel-coated Dutch oven. I do have a set of stainless steel sauce pans & a stock pot because I'm still not sure about sauces, especially anything that needs to be boiled in water, for that I have the stainless steel. I'm on the fence about getting cast iron 'cookie sheets', except for a couple muffin pans, I replaced our Teflon with the cast iron & stainless steel.
So for cooking, it only makes a difference when cooking acidic foods? It seems like all the other differences brought up were only aesthetic, maintenance, or cost.
Essentially yes, those are the major points. I do believe you get better browning with plain cast iron. You’ll also get trace iron in your food. Whether you want more or less of that nutrient is up to you. Cheers!
Im currently shopping around for a good enameled skillet. I already have and use a handful of cast iron and carbon steel pans - but I want something that can handle acidic foods. We have some worn out non stick that I can use for those kinds of food, but I really want something quality to use, that will last, and that I will enjoy cooking with.
Sounds like you should treat yourself to something from a brand like Le Creuset or Staub. I’ve purchased pieces from both brands and found them exceptional. Pro tip: If you shop at a Le Creuset outlet, there are deals to be had. Happy cooking!
Lodge seasoned cast iron is made in the USA while its enameled cast iron products are made in China. Lodges seasoning is made in Canada. Lodge’s accessories are made in China, Taiwan, Cambodia, and India.
Which pan to use? Bare cast iron (actually cast steel) is great for high heat application like searing and browning but reacts with acidic foods. Carbon steel pans also seer well but don't distribute the heat as well and require more attention. Coated enamel pots are great for brazing and simmering acidic foods like tomato sauce; which implies a lower heat setting than seering. Attempting to find one pan to fit all applications did not work for me. After cooking for more that 50 years I have found that different types of pans perform better under different circumstances. The material that coats high quality cast iron enameled pans is fused glass. The same process is used on glazed pottery. Glass is ground into a powder that is so fine it can be mixed with water and run through a spray gun. After spraying the product .it is then put into an extremely hot furnace (a kiln), the glass powder melts, and fuses into a smooth coating. The quality of the coating is controlled by the mixture of ingredients that make up the glaze and the tempering process. That is why some enameled pans are more resistant to chipping and cracking than others.
I have 2 Gibson cast iron that have come down to me from my great grandmother, I don't have any idea if it came from before her or not. I use them for the regular things but I recently purchased a new lodge enamel Dutch oven and I use that for soups and tomato based items and for my artison bread. I am still getting used to the enamel but I think I might want an enamel skillet soon.
Wow, those are amazing pieces. That is fantastic that you are still using the pieces passed down to you, plus finding appeal in newer enameled pieces. Thanks for watching and happy cooking!
Comparing the white enameled Le Creuset shallow skillet (which has a sandy colored interior), and the black enameled Le Creuset skillet (which has a "black satin" colored interior), would the white enameled version of Le Creuset's Enameled Cast Iron Skillet be better at cooking eggs? In other words, would fried eggs (such as done in "over easy" style) stick more to a black enameled pan than to a white enameled pan?
@@gentleoldmoviefan5680 I would use a teflon/ceramic pan for fragile ingredients like white fish or eggs, as you need more fat with any of the cast iron pans. but if u are going to use one of these, I'd be taking the white one, as eggs should be exposed to high temperature anyways
@@maximiliansonnenfeld8651 Thanks. Very helpful, as I plan to purchase a fry pan soon :) In the last part of what you wrote, did you possibly mean "... eggs should *not* be exposed to high temperatures anyways" -- and does it have something to do with nutrition value, or is it for purposes of cooking ease and/or convenience? I'm wondering because it seems like the white enameled (cooking surface) cast iron pan, compared with the "black satin" (interior cooking surface), would not be as good to fry with higher temperatures. If I understand correctly :) Maybe fish too? Best also, cooked at lower temperatures. I'm a cooking novice, so I ask these questions from a position of genuine ignorance. Thanks, if you have time to answer them.
Enamel is nontoxic and thus is deemed safe for cooking food. Keep in mind that all food will be “changed” when heat is applied - that’s what cooking is. And those changes are for the better. Cooking ingredients changes their chemical structure, making foods easier to digest, more flavorful, and can actually make them safe to eat. For example, cooking meat or poultry zaps pathogens and harmful bacteria. Hope this helps! 🙏
A little soap does no harm to the non-stick coating on cast iron. Letting sour stuff like tomato sauce rest in it over night does. But you can redo the coating anytime anyway.
I really don't like enameled cast iron. They say the enameling makes it easy to clean, but I find just the opposite. I never have trouble cleaning reseasoning my Lodge cast iron skillet with a scrubbrush and salt and oil and water. I've thrown out Le Creuset enameled pans because I couldn't clean them. If I'm going to cook food that's acidic, I'd rather use a stainless stell pan than enameled cast iron.
There is something satisfying about being able to take a chainmail scrubber to a gunked-up cast iron pan and it being no worse for the wear after cleaning. But next time you throw away Le Creuset, lemme know so I can dig through your trash 🤣
I have a cast iron skillet that I’ve had for years, I love my hard anodized cookware, a few good pieces of Calphanon & recently cast iron enamel. Struggling with the enamel, can’t adjust to the lower temp for some reason but I’ll get it !
I 100% with the Teflon and the oils. Btw, the process of refined oils requires heating it to high temperatures before you even get a chance to use it and anyway.
Something to indeed be aware of. When I use these pans on induction, I am extra careful when setting them on the plate, and I don’t use a back-and-forth motion on stove when sautéing. Thanks for the comment and for watching. 🙏
Staub (major french manufacturer of enameled cast iron cookware) states in their instruction manuals to lift and not drag when using induction (they will scratch the glass over time). Which is probably is not practical. Also, you probably notice you soon and rotate a pan often when cooking. That will have the same effect over time on glass, unfortunately...
I own both enameled and raw frying pans and I NEVER reach for my enameled .. waste of money for me. My Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven I could not live without!
Thanks for the video, but watched the whole thing waiting to find out the difference in what they’re like to cook with. How is the non-stick ability of each, and are there differences in how you use them or for what foods
I find a well-seasoned cast iron pan has better non-stick ability, but I wouldn’t make an omelette regularly in either. I love cast iron for its pure durability in cooking. I can carelessly scrape it with metal utentils to deglaze, and it’s no worse for the wear. I can also get it rocket hot to sear the living daylight out of meat, fish, and the like. Enameled cast iron, on the other hand, is what I grab for stewing, braising, and the like. It’s my go-to for a long-simmering tomato sauce. I love cooking with both. And I love the sheer value of cast iron and the timeless beauty of a well-made (read, French) enameled cast iron Dutch oven.
I've always wanted to use cast iron but I'm confused with putting oil on a pan and I know some cooks don't clean the grease from cooking their meal at all. This just seems gross to me. Doesn't the oil go rancid? What I was seeing is people cooking stews and just wiping it out and then cooks corn breab because the flavoring left from prior cookings I just never understood this.
Understandable. I use at least water and a good bristle brush to clean a cast iron pan. If it’s really gunked up, i use a chain mail scrubber - see this video: th-cam.com/video/uC2k-_bWgZ4/w-d-xo.html But yes, that will clean the pan if it’s well-seasoned. The idea is it becomes similar to nonstick. As for going rancid, no, if you use a standard vegetable oil it should be fine. I would avoid olive oil or something like shortening, however. Hope this helps!
I like how i can renew cast iron, enamel is trash once ruined, if you want to put in work you can probably remove the enamel then season like raw cast iron
So far I use Stargazer cast iron which was a very smooth cooking surface much like your emameled cast iron. I never use metal tools in my cast iron as it destroyed my seasoning very easy as I found out when my niece used a metal spatula and scratched up my seasoning. I use wood or plastic tools in all my cast iron.
I have two cast iron pans from my parents bought in the fifties and a huge fry pan that belonged to my Grandparents. My parents had us very late in life so they are past the 100 mark. My grandmother had my Dad at 50. So the fry pan or skillet around 120-130 years old. My uncle had it to n his cupboard but never really used it and so he gave it to me. I like that cast iron is dependable and lasts just about forever. Perhaps it will last my three year old grandson, his entire life. I'm new to enameled cast iron and so far like it. I got it to replace the early 70s corningware that broke 2 months ago. Its an off brand called Imarku but sturdy and square. My lentil casserole or tamales pie comes out well. My 7qt enameled dutch oven was an Amazon essentials and arrived chipped on the handle and isn't new at all! Unable to get to the UPS store in my wheelchair during open hours so I'm stuck with it 😭
That sounds like quite a collection. Regarding the Amazon pan, I would recommend you reach out to them and explain your situation. They have always had good customer service. Regarding vintage CorningWare, to say I’m a huge fan is an understatement. Luckily it can still be found at nearly every thrift shop for a few dollars, at least if you are in the U.S. Wishing you all the best 🙏
@@IWantToCook No luck with Amazon. My parents would buy new sets constantly, exception of the corningwear and cast iron, it was cheap crap that cost a fortune. I put the Morningstar and cast iron in the garage and took it with me when I moved out. Parents were going to toss it because it was not in style. Goodwill here usually has crap from Wal-Mart for sale. Once in a while, I find something cool.
So enameled is treated just like any nonstick pan? No seasoning or special things needed, just no metal utensils and such? Probably lower heat as well?
Correct -- no need to season an enameled cast iron pan. The enameled coating is a tough, non-porous surface. And yes, I would avoid using metal utensils on enameled cast iron; wood, silicon, etc. is a better choice. Thanks for watching and happy cooking!
I am surprised you didn't mention the quality difference between vintage cast iron made in the USA and the mass produced doorstops Lodge is producing today. There are a few small manufacturers in the USA, currently producing quality cast iron (Smithey and Landcaster) -who should be supported, because they have made the effort to produce quality pans, and isn't that what we want? Quality goods made by our fellow citizens? Quality cast iron is not as heavy and coarse as the cheap stuff. It is much easier to season, care for and cook on.
Thanks for the comment. I haven’t purchased those high-end cast iron brands you mentioned, and thus don’t have insight into them. I’m glad to hear you think they are worth the cost. I do pay the premium that Staub and Le Creuset command for the enameled stuff. For plain cast iron, the Lodge pans I bought two decades ago continue to serve me well. Thanks for watching and happy cooking! 👍
@@IWantToCook I have cooked for 50 years and own a nice collection of quality kitchenware. IMO vintage cast iron, made in USA, is one of those cases in which the old is clearly superior AND less expensive, than the new. You might want to pick up a Griswold (Vintage Cast Iron made in the USA) pan. When cared for, it will have a very smooth non-stick surface and tends to be lighter in weight. You might be able to get a nice Griswold (or Wagner, also vintage) pan for $50 or $60 off of an auction site - which is a bargain in todays economy. Just make sure the surface is not pitted and it sits flat (does not spin).
I use soap all the time on my cast iron - no challenge at all. It makes zero sense to not use soap to clean your own. It also makes no sense to leave oil on the pan when your store it for next use. All this is mumbo jumbo. Get experience with the product and you will realize all these scares about cast iron are virtually non-existent. Best cooking tool I’ve ever used. I will add it helps to get a cast iron with a baby smooth surface. Old style. Like Finex or Smithy. You will then not to worry about any of these things.
I have been using bare cast iron for several years now and find Lodge pans to be way better than any made in China. The heat retention in Lodge pans is much greater.
@@IWantToCook is there a uk equivalent to Lodge? The lodge brand cost silly money in the uk- not those prices you were showing in the shop in your vid above.
Nope. Just give it a quick rinse with water and dish soap, then get cooking. You don’t need to season the pan as you would cast iron, but I would recommend heating the pan over low to medium heat, then adding butter or oil to help keep food from sticking.
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I have vintage cast iron, modern USA cast iron, LODGE, BUTTERPAT, FIELD, STARGAZER, LeCrucet,and a few Chinese. I also have clad stainless, and carbon steel..American and German, as well as visions/Pyrex/corningware skillets and bakeware.
I prefer cast iron for the average everyday workhorse. Hamburgers, potato, eggs, bacon, grilled cheese, etc..
For boiling water for pasta, making spaghetti, spaghetti sauces, etc I go to my stainless. Spanish rice, goulash, stainless.
Beans, lentils, chili, potato, vegetable soup, I’ll use enamel Dutch oven.
Biscuits, cornbread, gravy, regular cast iron. Vegetables-carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels, corn..either glass, or enamel usually.
Sorry for being so long winded…BUT YOU ASKED🤣🤣🤣🤣
Wow, what a fantastic collection! I have many of those, too, but not the high-end cast iron from Stargazer and Butter Pat. Very impressive, indeed. I bet you make some absolutely delicious meals in your kitchen. Thank you so much for watching and commenting. Happy cooking!
@@IWantToCook yes, I love to cook, some people like to paint, or read books, or garden. I always figured, use the right tool for the job, and so I started on my collections of cookwares, LOL…
Thank you for making an EXCELLENT video, and for the rapid response. That is the mark of someone who is both passionate about their content as well as professional.
Have a great day!!
Cook pancakes no more than medium heat & no oil that does not stick.
@@lucybellescott7531 You should always make pancakes on high heat . They lose moisture on medium heat and will be more dry
Man, it is so refreshing to watch a video that gets to the point right away. THANK YOU! So many people spend 80% of the time on a video talking about everything other than what the title says. Great Job! (Kind'a like the cabinets too. That kitchen would require many lights.)
Thank you very much! I personally wish the cabinets weren’t so dark, but they are original to the house and at least functional. The kitchen remodel (someday) will lighten things up. Cheers! 🙏
@@IWantToCook I agree, this is the kind of videos that make me love youtube. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
@@IWantToCook Are Cs Solingen brand any good ?
@@Revelation13-8I haven't heard of that brand, nor have I ever seen it in the U.S. That said, the German cookware I've used has generally been top-notch. Cheers!
He literally did the opposite lol. He had the intro, a second intro, and a history of cast iron lol.
it bears mentioning that while cast iron takes longer to heat up, it also takes longer to cool down. That sounds like a negative (and sometimes it probably is) but I find it helpful in that the pan does not cool down and does not need to reheat as additional ingredients are added. It makes a big difference, I find.
Good point. This trait is also an asset when serving tableside, such as fajitas.
I purchased my first l le creuset over 30,years ago and have not regretted a cent of the price.I think it's made me a better cook. I find it very forgiving.Also if it becomes discolored you can leave it outside in direct sun and it will brighten.
Great to know, and I’m so happy to hear it’s served you well for so long! Thanks for watching 🙏
I’m thinking about buying a used one bit concerned about the iron being toxic? Do you have to season it every so often ?
@@helenalovelock1030 Yes, cast iron cookware will work best with regular seasoning. If the surface loses its shine and food is sticking, you'll want to season. Frequency depends: Some avid cast iron cookware fans season after almost every use.
For real- in the sun?
@@helenalovelock1030 as far as I’ve heard, the iron is NOT toxic and is in fact helpful, especially for women, who may easily become deficient. One thing in its favor is that iron cookware has been around for centuries. Lots of toxins in other stuff (eg green dye in wallpaper and dress fabric that contains arsenic!) has become discredited over that same period and isn’t used anymore. As the video says, only the raw cast iron needs seasoning, although the black enameled can use it too. It helps the inonstick properties and rust deference. But if you neglect it and it loses seasoning or starts to rust it can be easily restored as well. (There a million videos online about that.) As to when and how to season, there are different opinions but in practice I have found it easier than it sounds-one big seasoning (baking in the oven for a while when you first get it) and then simple, fast maintenace with regular use thereafter.
I have, use, and love both regular cast iron as well as enamel. My Le Creuset 5.5QT Dutch oven is a permanent fixture on my stove. I love the versatility! I actually enjoy maintaining my traditional cast iron. Getting that really glassy smooth seasoning is a process, and I think it's fun watching it get better over time.
Right on! Agreed on having both, and I love the idea of enameled as a fixture on stove. It’s art as much as it is utility. Happy cooking!
Mostly accurate, but you were wrong on a couple things. First. Soap will not harm seasoning in any way. It will not strip seasoning, it will not leave a soap taste if rinsed well, and doesn’t get into the pores. The only things that can remove polymerized seasoning are mechanical means like grinding or sand blasting, chemical (lye), electrolysis or extreme heat. If dish soap was strong enough to damage seasoning, you would have no skin on your hands. Use soap to your heart’s content. Second, oiling after washing is completely unnecessary and can in fact be detrimental. When you apply oil, if you do not heat it past it’s smoke point for one hour, it will not polymerize. Heating it a few minutes on the stove does nothing. Wet, un-polymerized oil left on the pan just becomes a magnet for dust, pet hair, insects, grime and whatever else is floating in your kitchen. It can also go rancid in a surprisingly short amount of time. The best way to care for cast iron is to wash it with soap, rinse thoroughly, dry completely with a kitchen towel and put it away. Don’t make it more complicated than that.
Thank you so much for the tips, what about the enamel cast iron cookware, should we season it? Is tramonina cast iron a good brand
@@ghadaahmed9805 Tramontia is a fine brand. I would by it if I didn’t have mire than I need already. Seasoning is for rust prevention and protection from acidic foods. Since an enameled pan is already protected from rust and acid, there’s no reason to season it.
Just stop it
Without treatment after washing ALL my cast iron has rusted previously, was a harsh lesson as a young lad all those years ago, this advice of no treatment after washing seems quite misplaced tbf.
@@matthewvanrensburg3824 do you live in a really humid place?
I love my cast iron. I have a beautiful set of all-clad and rarely use it now. I finally picked up a le Creuset piece only because my chicken fryer got cracked so I needed a bigger pan, and I tend to not put my food away immediately and I found spaghetti or tomato bases sauces absorbed the iron too much that I could taste it. So I use the enamel for anytime I’m using a tomato based sauce.
Great plan. Thanks for watching and happy cooking! :-)
You hit every point except the most important one, cooking? How does one cook vs the other? Does food stick more or less on one? Do you use less or more heat to cook on one or the other? Which foods are better on one or the other?
Great question (s). As for cooking, they are similar yet distinct. If it's high-heat cooking, like searing a steak, i'm going plain cast iron all the way. Some quality enamel pans can take the heat, but it's not necessarily recommended. Cast iron on the other hand, can take a beating and massive heating. As for sticking, it's a tossup. A very well-seasoned cast iron pan can have an near-nonstick finish, which you just won't get with enamel no matter how long you use it. As for heat usage, low to medium is recommended for enamel; cast iron, game on. I regularly use bare flame from a propane tank on mine when searing food. Finally, as for which foods are better on each: If you're searing meat, go cast iron. Otherwise, it's a tossup. Enamel is better with highly acidic foods. Each has their merits, an enamel wins on cleanup/ease of use. I regularly cook on both. Hope this helps and thanks for watching.
@@IWantToCook thank you for your prompt response. You’re a true professional. 👍
That's what I was waiting to hear and it steered completely around it.
How do you season it for non stick?
Cast iron has high thermal mass (heavy weight), which means it doesn’t drop in temperature when you put something like a thick steak on it. With a thin pan that would cause a temperature drop in the pan (so it stops cooking as hot for a while). That’s why cast iron is good for searing and thin aluminum nonstick is not.
On the other hand, some thin pans are very conductive, like Copper, so it would heat back up again quickly (unlike iron, which is a poor conductor). That is the downside of cast iron. But as I said the high thermal mass makes up for that by staying pretty hot even with some heat loss.
Good video. My enameled Le Creuset omelette pan is a game-changer. I cook steaks and everything else in it that requires a pan. The white enamel is also helping compared to black enamel or non-enameled cast iron b/c you can easily see the browning, and can easily see what needs to be cleaned. The low profile and curvature inside is also perfect for so many foods. Its low profile makes it easy to put in a Breville Toaster Oven. It’s simply a work of art.
Good to know! Might just have to add one to the collection...
My grandma cleaned her cast iron with soap, however she was adamant it must never contain lye or any caustic component, so almost any household dish soap nowadays will do. However proper care is a must when using cast iron
I'm 60. My friends are my age and older. I just gave away to a charity thrift shop my last 2 enameled cast iron dutch ovens, which I loved and maintained immaculately. Like my friends, I've phased out my large cast iron cookware because it's too heavy; meantime, smaller pieces are somewhat manageable for this time being. Besides, I've got hooked on my mini 3-qt Instant Pot recently. I have a feeling I'll use it regularly for a while.
The Instant Pot is an amazing device, and I use mine several times a week. May it help you make many delicious meals. And thank you for donating quality cookware that I’m sure you proudly maintained for years. May it go to homes that carry on that legacy. 🙏
Well I’m 70,and I’m not giving my cast iron to anyone !
I still love my cast iron and enamel … third generation. Can’t image cooking without either. I do use the smaller ones more often
This comment unexpectedly hit me hard in terms of aging and mortality. The thought that one day 30-35 years down the line I may have to decide what to do with my belongings never crossed my mind so far.
Recently Costco had an awesome sale on Tramontina enameled cookware. I ended up with a really nice 5 piece set for less than the price of a single Le Creuset enameled piece. The lifetime warranty and reputation of Le Creuset does not justify the absurd prices they charge. The French are masters of overcharging.
Sounds like a great score! Happy cooking 😀
I’ve used both. There is no comparison. My Le creuset is used more often but looks as good as the day I bought it. The oldest ones are more than 10 years in. My Tramontina and crockpot enameled cookware is chipped and discolored after only 2 years. I baby them exactly the same. I would rather buy one le creuset than replace tramontina every 2 years.
@@fayepatrice1672 Mine will probably still look as good as the day I bought them in 10 years because I have yet to use them! I airfry everything now.
Yeah, well, get back to us in 10, 20, 30 years and we’ll see how your Costco is holding up to Le Creuset.
@@fayepatrice1672
From someone who cooks on cast iron daily, I would say do not wash with soap. The cast iron will not rust over night since I do use it daily but If you don't want your eggs to stick in the morning, you should probably season it daily. Nothing fancy. A few minutes on high heat and a thin layer of oil , and no it does not go rancid over night. Best way to learn how to treat and care for cast iron is to use it daily.
Great advice. Cheers!
It’s enamel inside it won’t rust like a regular cast iron nor needs seasoning.
I switched from Lodge cast iron to Staub enameled when the seasoning of my Lodge began to flake off into my food. This happened on 3 different Lodge pieces that I purchased new and used for years. It's probably user error, but still, I was tired of it. I decided to try enameled, hoping for stick resistance, easy clean up, and no uninvited flakes in my food. My Staub enameled, though very pricey, is beautifully stick resistant, easy to clean, and never flakes. Sorry Lodge, I love that you're made in the USA, but it's me, not you....I think.
I’ve bought a few Staub pieces, too, and absolutely love them. Great choice!
Your issues with the Lodge are definitely user error and no fault of the cookware itself. Seasoning, done properly, never 'flakes off'. Seasoning also isn't a 1-time 'thing' and it's a 'life of the cookware' process that can be done 'manually' when required, or 'naturally', when as an example, deep frying chicken or other foods in the pan/skillet.
@@markstone1619yeah the higher the smoke point of the oil the better with at least a hour bake time at 500°F with refined canola that has a smoke point round 440 to 480.
Reasoning CI is so easy and a great winter project. Get off Netflix and do some research, and you could have had beautiful seasoned CI pans again. Once your Staab chips, you’ll need to throw it away. Yes, they chip mostly because of heating too quickly so be careful. I have both. You can heat up your CI as quick as you like. I’ve ruined my Le Creuset by not knowing this, so I’m sticking with CI and my partner uses the Staab.
Your seasoning flaking off means you are not doing it correctly. Lodge makes the best cast iron pans for the price and even the mid range cast irons running 3-5 times the price aren't any better. It's not until you get to something like Field cast iron that you really see a difference and they are over $200 a pan right now. For $20-30 a pan that will last 100+ years, that's tough to beat.
I love the Le Creuset multipot. An enameled cast iron lid that doubles as a small skillet??? YES PLEASE.
It's one of my favorite pieces! It is called the Multifunction pan, and I use it a few times a week. I found it at a Le Creuset outlet store, but from a quick Google search it looks like you can buy them from places like Sur La Table. Thanks for watching and happy cooking! :)
I use both, enameled and bare cast iron. I use bare cast iron more often coz I find it's easier to use and easier to keep food from sticking.
Ditto!
I have cruset and chassuer pans
Only use wood cooking implement and wash with non scratch pads, or just cloth
They need to be respected
I have a lot of cast iron cookware too, as well as some hammered ductile iron stuff from Japan ( Yamada )
The iron doesn't enjoy acid foods so much
It’s mad the 50/50 divide I’ve came across in people saying how great it is at preventing sticking Vs others saying the opposite! Are there foods you find that need a lot of oil to stop sticking? Or any foods you know never to put in cos they’ll stick? (I’m doing research on new pans btw!)
@@epiphgd4302
Stuff like salsa ( tomato) and vinegar not too good.
Because they attack the seasoning
Cooking bacon in 2" of lard pretty well the opposite
Everything else falls somewhere in-between
I really wanted to make cast iron work but I just couldn't. When you buy a cast iron skillet, you're buying a hobby. There are so many ways to season it (I tried 4) and different schools of thought about cleaning it.
After several months of trying but not getting the results I wanted, I went with enameled cast iron. No regrets, it's awesome and easier to use(IMO) there is no seasoning required and you can wash it with soap and water and dry it with a towel and that's it
Indeed. For minimal maintenance and easy cleaning with soap, enameled is the way to go. Thanks for watching and happy cooking!
Actually I think you were just overthinking things. I have bare cast iron and maintenance is minimal. Just clean in with a sponge and warm water while it's still warm (not piping hot), clean it with a bit of paper and put it back on the stove to use the rest of the heat to kill any leftover moisture. You only need to oil it if you won't use it for a longer time. But of course you can't go wrong with good enamled cast iron also you can cook dishes with more acidity no problem in enameled cast iron. I think bread comes out best in a bare cast iron.
Most of my cooking is done in cast iron. Some of these pans are generations old, so they've long ago become beautifully seasoned. New cast-iron pans DO require seasoning, but that's a simple matter, and the maintenance after is minimal. My older pans can even take dishwashing liquid and a light scrubbing with a nylon scoring sponge. There's nothing--nothing--as good as uncoated iron for getting a beautiful sear.
? You can wash cast iron with soap and water. Did you litteraly try burning your cast iron pan with the hottest heat as possible on your stove.... i mean it needs to be smoaking and you need to use a extremely thin layer of canola oil. Spread it and let sit for 5 minutes. Then repeat at least 3 times. You will have an good layer of seasoning at that point and as you cook you will build up small amouts every time.
sadly you listened to those who want to make cast iron seasoning and cleaning seem complex. to season wipe pan with with avocado oil put in oven at 200 for 20 minutes and then recoat and go to 400 for 40 minutes. its seasoned.ive done dozens of pieces like that. clean with soap if needed .soap wont bother the seasoning. most times l just wipe my pans clean with a dry paper towel.
I work from home, so I cook breakfast and dinner almost 7 days a week, I’ve come to the conclusion I can only cook from cast iron, all the non stick pans wear out in a year at most, even the more expensive ones, just bought an enameled cast iron, hopefully these hold up like my non enameled
Yep, that enameled cast iron should last many, many years. I have pieces from the 1950s/1960s, in fact.
I use a giant old fashioned Lodge cast iron skillet with lid for beef pot roast with potatoes & carrots, pork shoulder roasts, steaks and more. The Dutch oven version for breads and it gets abused at 500 degree temps. 12" skillet for frying and pan pizza at high temps. I wash them in the sink with a drop or two of soap with water, then after drying on the stove burner, I apply a light coat of oil back to it. In the old days they used harsher soaps that were not recommended. I use enameled versions for fish, acidic foods, and big pots of soup. I view non stick pans as disposables...they don't last, but I do like to cook over easy eggs in them. If I had to choose between cast iron and any other types of pans, there would be no contest...cast iron is my favorite, even with the extra weight. TFS
Sounds like you are doing it right! I bet those pots and pans have made many a delicious meal in your kitchen. Thanks for watching and happy cooking 🙏
For seasoning a cast iron pan ( and the cast iron grill on my bbq) I have been advised to use high smoke point oil, is it won't burn off. Also, to put it in an oven for 220°c/450°f then allow to cool and repeat at least once. This should be done when new or whenever you have OVERHEATED or left a pan on the heat and burned off the seasoning coat (it's easy to do that with gas cooking, and obvious because it goes from black to grey so you lose the non stick coating you have been building up) . Supermarkets here in Australia stock rice bran oil (250°c /480°f smoke point) whereas grape seed oil has less of a nutty flavour but smokes at 420°f.
Great advice and I agree. Wish more stores in the US carried rice bran oil. Thanks for watching and happy cooking 🧑🍳
When it comes to enameled cookware I prefer enameled carbon steel. To me it shares all the properties of enameled cast iron at half the weight.
When it comes to raw metal, although I love my carbon steel skillets, there's just something about the heaviness of cast iron that feels better when searing meats.
Just my $0.02.
Good to know!
Is it safe? What happens if the carbon steel gets scratched? Would it leach any toxic materials?
@@JS-ne5pk Both carbon steel and cast iron are iron and carbon, the only difference between that cast iron has a higher carbon content. Both are entirely safe and healthy for cooking, as is an enameled coating when used.
What a super nice dude. I’m happy to finally see a breakdown on this topic. ✌️
Thank you! 🙏
No no no. Soap is not going to break the polymerized bond on the skillet. You can use soap with cast-iron. All the old lye soaps could damage the seasoning, but modern dish soap does not hurt cast iron. Lodge even uses soap. I’ve seen cooking articles where a cast iron skillet seasoned with flaxseed oil go through a dishwasher unscathed. That oil is crazy expensive.
Yeah no no no my pan got sticky dawn dish soap effected and soften the seasoning where I had to strip the pan and rebuild the seasoning again. Never doing that again.
@@Jon-O.You’re blaming the wrong thing. The no soap thing is a myth these days unless you are using lye soap.
@@CreachterZ are you a Chemist?
@@Jon-O. No, but I’ve cared for cast iron for decades. You say your cast iron is sticky? Even lye soap wouldn’t do that. It would remove the finish completely.
Sticky cast iron is almost always caused by people seasoning their pans with too much oil left on them. I’ll change that to all. That’s your problem.
@@CreachterZ the solvent in dawn that breaks down grease yes it's a chemical solvent effects the carbon molecule bond. My casts work far superior to nonstick why because I never use any soap on them from day one and 6 refined canola oil seasoning @500° F for 1 1/2 hours each with full cool downs to room temperature each time. When I tell you dish soap has the solvency to affect the Carbon molecule bond I know what I'm talking about. Boil the dish soap solution in the pan and watch how it releases off the pan. The heat is only a means to improve the chemical reaction of the dish soap to lift the bond.
I have always used hot soapy water to wash my cast iron. Dry it thoroughly and wipe down with oil and its good to go.
I’m a Le Creuset girl myself that has built up my collection over several decades, each piece still looks relatively new and has stood the test of time, a wise investment.
Fantastic! 😀
I have used traditional cast iron pans since I learned to cook as a teenager in the 1970s. A few years ago I bought my first enameled cast iron, a Crofton dutch oven at Aldi. I had no idea how to use it and completely ruined the surface of it. I bought a new one yesterday and searched for info about enameled cast iron - this time I want to learn to cook with it and care for it correctly. I subscribed to your channel because it looks like you have a lot of good information.
Thank you very much! I've seen those cookware pieces at Aldi, and they seem to be a great value. I hope it gives you many years of cooking pleasure :-)
Of course you can use soap ! not on a newly seasoned new pan but once you have used it a bit you can use washing up liquid. (not a huge amount but enough).
We use a carbon steel skillet (less heavy than cast iron & smooth surface) for everyday cooking and an enameled cast iron dutch oven for tomato sauces, soups, stews, fried rice
Right on! Both are great choices. Thanks for watching & happy cooking :)
Cooking acidic foods in contact with iron may add off tastes, but it means you won't get iron deficiency anemia. There's actually a project of sending "lucky iron fish" to families in regions where iron deficiency anemia is common, with instructions to put the cast iron fish into their soup pot with a bit of lemon or vinegar.
Good to know! And by all means, if you don’t mind - or don’t even sense - an off taste with iron + acid, cook away! Cooking can be deeply personal, and whatever method brings satisfaction and good, nutritious food is what matters. Cheers!
My uncoated cast iron skillets are heirlooms; if anything needs to be scrubbed out of them, I use coarse salt. It scrubs little burned bits out without disrupting any seasoning layers. If I use water on it, I put it in the oven to dry it with a light seasoning
I got a big frying pan by Lodge recently and I love it. I use it for baking, not frying. I baked really thick hamburgers and they were cook all the way through without burning. And the taste was great, much better than the frying pan method. I have an enamel dutch oven which I like a lot. I use it for popcorn and as a serving dish when I use my slow cooker. The cast iron makes the food cook evenly and add favor that my cheap, light stainless steel pans just don't match.
Right on! Great use of cast iron 👍
. . . thanks for an informative video . . . I use both regular cast iron, and enamelled, and really like both . . . I'm not sure that I agree with you about avoiding soap with regular cast, because soaps today don't contain lye, the enemy of seasoned cast iron . . . pieces that I have used for fifty years and more, and have washed with soapy water, still perform amazingly, and nothing much ever sticks to them . . . one make of enamelled cast iron that I found is every bit as good as the French products, but much, much, much cheaper, is Lagostina, a product made just southeast of Montreal, Canada by a family that has been in the business for a very long time . . . it is carried by Canadian Tire here in Canada, and various pieces are regularly put on sale for up to 70% off the regular price . . . definitely worth a trip to this store to buy some . . . again, tks for a great video . . .
Thanks for watching, and i'll put Lagostina on my shopping/thrifting radar. Cheers!
It's a bit funny to me that everyone who talks about cast iron on youtube says that raw cast iron can take A LOT more abuse than enameled but at the same time you
- can't put it in the dish washer
- can't wash it with soap
- can't store food in it
- can't make a sauce in it
- can't put anything in it that contains acid
- can't store it without carefully drying and oiling it
while an enameled pan will not have an issue with any of those things. Really the only thing you can do with raw cast iron that you can't do with enamel is use it as a hammer and heat it to unreasonable temperatures.
I use cast iron and stainless steel but I use my cast iron more often than not (it sits on my stove as I use it throughout the day, wash it after each use, and season it at the end of the day). My stainless steel pans are used for fish/seafood and high volume of acidic foods but I am curious about carbon steel pans.
Carbon steel and cast iron are similar yet different. In fact, I did a video comparing the two. Hope you find this helpful!
th-cam.com/video/jDL-UeQWLRc/w-d-xo.html
Thank you Chef Matt, I just came across you. Thank you for your clear information on cast-iron ware.
Looking for more of your videos!!!!!
Glad to hear you found it helpful! Thanks for watching and happy cooking 🙏
Descoware, and other good enamel coated. Then stainless steel and copper bottom pans like Revereware, and good aluminum baking pans like Nordicware are my choices. But my mom (from the south) loved her Lodge cast iron pans and also Descoware, especially for the oven. 🧡
Those are all great! I love my vintage, thrifted Revereware and Fabreware.
The weight is a disadvantage for sure, that's why I only have a small cast iron pan. I use stainless steel mostly currently for cookware, but i plan to buy a carbon steel paella pan, because they are very light for their size.
even though you dry the pan with a towel,, it is a good a idea to put it on a burner, get it hot and then a little oil.... doen't take long , but it makes a difference
Agreed!
Agreed, l plate my food quickly wash pan under hot water with a brush then straight back on the range with a tiny dab of tallow.
Thank you, cleared up some questions for me without the usual commercial sales slant many reviewers do.
Thanks for watching and I’m glad it helped! 🙏
Bought an enameled cast iron not knowing there was a difference. Reading the instructions it said not to use metal utensils and I was like wtf. Thank you for the breakdown of the differences
Glad it helped! 🙏
Girl that white pot is a must for me....love tour channels meets on the cookware
I bought various cast irons with lids for direct fire usage in case of electricity blackout. & for multi-purpose; baking & cooking.
Right on! May they serve you well 👍
I tend to use Carbon steel over Cast Iron, though I have both. I haven't tried an enamelled cast iron pans to date, mostly due to cost. I use Stainless steel for Bolognese sauce but could see myself using an enamelled pan if I could find an affordable one of the right size.
EBAY. Great stuff there
Have you considered pans made in china?
I only use cookwares from USA, France and any other European countries. The quality of the metal is much more dependable.
Enameled cast iron was quite the standard cookware here in Austria (Europe) in the generation of my grandmother/mother. But it was just called enameled cookware, because this was the only version available - and not very expensive. But nowadays we also get China-made enameled cookware (oposed to the old cookware that was made here in Austria (Riess-Emaille for example), and this is also just called enameled cookware, which is misleading, because many are very light, and obviously a different metal under the enameled surface than what people here expect it to be.
Appreciate the info. I wish I’d bought some last time I was in Austria. Yours is such a beautiful country - and has the best goulash I’ve ever tasted! Cheers 🙏
Typically those strange, cheap, weak alloys that chinese manufacturers love to use are called Chinesium
You can never go wrong with old school cast iron !!!
Enamel casserole pots are so good. Hours in the oven but clean up easily after a 10 minute soak. I have Chinese and French pots, some of them "hand me downs". The French pots seem to last better. Wiltshire do enameled pressed steel baking dishes that are very cheap and give excellent results.
Good to know! I hadn’t heard of that brand, so I’ll keep my eye out for it. Happy cooking 🙏
I have two pans. A cheap enameled one that chipped on the inside, so I knocked the rest of the emanelling away and seasoned it. I might get a stainless or carbon steel pan for pasta sauces, though.
The other one is a Taiwanese skillet I found on the side of the road in a ditch. It was badly rusted and really dirty, so I cleaned it with a wire wheel on a drill and reseasoned it. That one has become my go to for everything.
Right on. Way to give second life to a literal castoff. 👍
@@IWantToCook their loss 😂
Need a new pan, was reluctant of trying a enameled cast iron but the seller kept rooting for it so ill give it a try. Informative video, cheers.
Thank you!
Most of my enameled cast iron are Staub! Very beautiful and I have them for years!
Great choice! I love cooking with my Staub pieces!
Can you use your enamel cast iron in the oven?
I use both. If I'm making anything that has tomatoes in the recipe I'll use an enameled pan. I will use a regular cast iron pan if I'm doing a steak or high-heat cooking.
What I find is there is a pretty large difference in heat transfer that I didn't seem to see in the video, cast iron has the heat travel faster through it and thus the cast iron surface in touch with the food can stay at a hotter temperature (and for example produce more of a sear) while for enameled pots the food tends to produce a 'colder spot' where in contact with the food, requiring hotter stove temperatures to try (and usually fail) to do the same as uncoated cast iron.
No that’s not true.
You must be comparing apples to oranges, David; such as a thick bare cast iron to a thin enameled cast iron. Or maybe your enameled pan isn't even cast iron; there are also enameled steel pans.
I have several cast iron pans & a Dodge enamel-coated Dutch oven. I do have a set of stainless steel sauce pans & a stock pot because I'm still not sure about sauces, especially anything that needs to be boiled in water, for that I have the stainless steel. I'm on the fence about getting cast iron 'cookie sheets', except for a couple muffin pans, I replaced our Teflon with the cast iron & stainless steel.
I just got my first enameled cast iron Dutch oven to make really good soup and roast etc with it
Awesome! May it serve you well and help you make many wonderful meals. 😋
My very first dish came out delicious it was a pot roast 😀
You have to use cast iron often to keep the seasoning up. I just don’t need to cook with it often enough to make it worth the upkeep
So for cooking, it only makes a difference when cooking acidic foods? It seems like all the other differences brought up were only aesthetic, maintenance, or cost.
Essentially yes, those are the major points. I do believe you get better browning with plain cast iron. You’ll also get trace iron in your food. Whether you want more or less of that nutrient is up to you. Cheers!
I never thought I would be watching a video on cast iron pans, but, I need info man!
I hope it helps. Thanks for watching! 🙏
Im currently shopping around for a good enameled skillet. I already have and use a handful of cast iron and carbon steel pans - but I want something that can handle acidic foods. We have some worn out non stick that I can use for those kinds of food, but I really want something quality to use, that will last, and that I will enjoy cooking with.
Sounds like you should treat yourself to something from a brand like Le Creuset or Staub. I’ve purchased pieces from both brands and found them exceptional. Pro tip: If you shop at a Le Creuset outlet, there are deals to be had. Happy cooking!
Lodge seasoned cast iron is made in the USA while its enameled cast iron products are made in China. Lodges seasoning is made in Canada. Lodge’s accessories are made in China, Taiwan, Cambodia, and India.
Which pan to use? Bare cast iron (actually cast steel) is great for high heat application like searing and browning but reacts with acidic foods. Carbon steel pans also seer well but don't distribute the heat as well and require more attention. Coated enamel pots are great for brazing and simmering acidic foods like tomato sauce; which implies a lower heat setting than seering. Attempting to find one pan to fit all applications did not work for me. After cooking for more that 50 years I have found that different types of pans perform better under different circumstances.
The material that coats high quality cast iron enameled pans is fused glass. The same process is used on glazed pottery. Glass is ground into a powder that is so fine it can be mixed with water and run through a spray gun. After spraying the product .it is then put into an extremely hot furnace (a kiln), the glass powder melts, and fuses into a smooth coating. The quality of the coating is controlled by the mixture of ingredients that make up the glaze and the tempering process. That is why some enameled pans are more resistant to chipping and cracking than others.
Good to know! I’m partial to Staub and Le Creuset for my enameled cast iron. Thanks for watching and happy cooking 🙏
I use black cast iron and enamelled cast iron, I do have some anodised aluminium but it comes in second best.
I have 2 Gibson cast iron that have come down to me from my great grandmother, I don't have any idea if it came from before her or not. I use them for the regular things but I recently purchased a new lodge enamel Dutch oven and I use that for soups and tomato based items and for my artison bread. I am still getting used to the enamel but I think I might want an enamel skillet soon.
Wow, those are amazing pieces. That is fantastic that you are still using the pieces passed down to you, plus finding appeal in newer enameled pieces. Thanks for watching and happy cooking!
black enamelled: for high heat, searing red meat, white enamelled: medium heat searing ideal for chicken and fish. important difference
Comparing the white enameled Le Creuset shallow skillet (which has a sandy colored interior), and the black enameled Le Creuset skillet (which has a "black satin" colored interior), would the white enameled version of Le Creuset's Enameled Cast Iron Skillet be better at cooking eggs? In other words, would fried eggs (such as done in "over easy" style) stick more to a black enameled pan than to a white enameled pan?
@@gentleoldmoviefan5680 I would use a teflon/ceramic pan for fragile ingredients like white fish or eggs, as you need more fat with any of the cast iron pans. but if u are going to use one of these, I'd be taking the white one, as eggs should be exposed to high temperature anyways
@@maximiliansonnenfeld8651 Thanks. Very helpful, as I plan to purchase a fry pan soon :) In the last part of what you wrote, did you possibly mean "... eggs should *not* be exposed to high temperatures anyways" -- and does it have something to do with nutrition value, or is it for purposes of cooking ease and/or convenience?
I'm wondering because it seems like the white enameled (cooking surface) cast iron pan, compared with the "black satin" (interior cooking surface), would not be as good to fry with higher temperatures. If I understand correctly :) Maybe fish too? Best also, cooked at lower temperatures. I'm a cooking novice, so I ask these questions from a position of genuine ignorance. Thanks, if you have time to answer them.
Very informative but I want to know one thing is enamel food safe or can make a change to mixing with food ?
Enamel is nontoxic and thus is deemed safe for cooking food. Keep in mind that all food will be “changed” when heat is applied - that’s what cooking is. And those changes are for the better. Cooking ingredients changes their chemical structure, making foods easier to digest, more flavorful, and can actually make them safe to eat. For example, cooking meat or poultry zaps pathogens and harmful bacteria. Hope this helps! 🙏
Thanks that was very informative and helpful to me.
Glad to hear! Thanks for watching 🙏
Great video, excellent informative tutorial. Cheers!
Thank you for watching! 🙏
A little soap does no harm to the non-stick coating on cast iron. Letting sour stuff like tomato sauce rest in it over night does. But you can redo the coating anytime anyway.
Had to check how the french say "Le Creuset". Turns out I wasnt saying it right either! Not sure a frenchman would recognise "Lay Cross- say" 😂
Oh I’ve been there. You should have heard the grief i got after mispronouncing it in an earlier video. 😂
I really don't like enameled cast iron. They say the enameling makes it easy to clean, but I find just the opposite. I never have trouble cleaning reseasoning my Lodge cast iron skillet with a scrubbrush and salt and oil and water. I've thrown out Le Creuset enameled pans because I couldn't clean them. If I'm going to cook food that's acidic, I'd rather use a stainless stell pan than enameled cast iron.
There is something satisfying about being able to take a chainmail scrubber to a gunked-up cast iron pan and it being no worse for the wear after cleaning. But next time you throw away Le Creuset, lemme know so I can dig through your trash 🤣
so thorough and love your passion! this video helped me a lot!
Thank you so much! Thrilled to hear. Happy cooking 🙏
I have a cast iron skillet that I’ve had for years, I love my hard anodized cookware, a few good pieces of Calphanon & recently cast iron enamel. Struggling with the enamel, can’t adjust to the lower temp for some reason but I’ll get it !
Sounds like you have a nice collection! I am confident that with practice you’ll be using that enameled stuff like a pro. Cheers 🙏
We have a cast iron pan that's over 100 years old. We wash it with soap and dry it thoroughly. We may only have to season once or twice a year!
Wow, that’s amazing. Thanks for watching and happy cooking! 👍
@IWantToCook I forgot to add that we salt it after every use. My bad.
I 100% with the Teflon and the oils. Btw, the process of refined oils requires heating it to high temperatures before you even get a chance to use it and anyway.
Not that hot tbh. Seed oils are distilled between 60-100c and they start to smoke at little over 200c
Don't go hard on the enamel with a scourer, over time it will wear down and remove the coating.
I use my le creusets more often. Clean up is faster afterwards. Cast iron for steaks though
Very comprehensive and helpful. Thank you and God bless you.
Thank you 🙏
Can you make the video on the difference between the Le Creuset black and tan enameled coating please?
I was told not to use it on induction because it is rough on the glass.
Something to indeed be aware of. When I use these pans on induction, I am extra careful when setting them on the plate, and I don’t use a back-and-forth motion on stove when sautéing. Thanks for the comment and for watching. 🙏
Staub (major french manufacturer of enameled cast iron cookware) states in their instruction manuals to lift and not drag when using induction (they will scratch the glass over time). Which is probably is not practical. Also, you probably notice you soon and rotate a pan often when cooking. That will have the same effect over time on glass, unfortunately...
I own both enameled and raw frying pans and I NEVER reach for my enameled .. waste of money for me. My Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven I could not live without!
Definitely nice to have both! Happy cooking 😋
Thanks for the video, but watched the whole thing waiting to find out the difference in what they’re like to cook with. How is the non-stick ability of each, and are there differences in how you use them or for what foods
I find a well-seasoned cast iron pan has better non-stick ability, but I wouldn’t make an omelette regularly in either. I love cast iron for its pure durability in cooking. I can carelessly scrape it with metal utentils to deglaze, and it’s no worse for the wear. I can also get it rocket hot to sear the living daylight out of meat, fish, and the like. Enameled cast iron, on the other hand, is what I grab for stewing, braising, and the like. It’s my go-to for a long-simmering tomato sauce. I love cooking with both. And I love the sheer value of cast iron and the timeless beauty of a well-made (read, French) enameled cast iron Dutch oven.
I've always wanted to use cast iron but I'm confused with putting oil on a pan and I know some cooks don't clean the grease from cooking their meal at all. This just seems gross to me. Doesn't the oil go rancid? What I was seeing is people cooking stews and just wiping it out and then cooks corn breab because the flavoring left from prior cookings I just never understood this.
Understandable. I use at least water and a good bristle brush to clean a cast iron pan. If it’s really gunked up, i use a chain mail scrubber - see this video:
th-cam.com/video/uC2k-_bWgZ4/w-d-xo.html But yes, that will clean the pan if it’s well-seasoned. The idea is it becomes similar to nonstick. As for going rancid, no, if you use a standard vegetable oil it should be fine. I would avoid olive oil or something like shortening, however. Hope this helps!
I like how i can renew cast iron, enamel is trash once ruined, if you want to put in work you can probably remove the enamel then season like raw cast iron
Thanks! Super helpful! ☺️
Glad to hear! Thank you for watching :-)
Le creuset is not pronounced "lay" creuset. It is "luh" creuset, like "duh". I love le creuset. Each piece is a treasure.
Stopped the video @10:23 then went to order a discounted item on Le Creuset.
Nice!! May it enable a lifetime of delicious meals 😋
Traditional cast iron for me. Indestructable
So far I use Stargazer cast iron which was a very smooth cooking surface much like your emameled cast iron. I never use metal tools in my cast iron as it destroyed my seasoning very easy as I found out when my niece used a metal spatula and scratched up my seasoning. I use wood or plastic tools in all my cast iron.
Good idea! And I’ve heard positive things about Stargazer. Thanks for watching and happy cooking 🙏
Keith🙏 I hope you mean wood or silicone 😬
Incredible video ! Very educational!! I love the light blue
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching :-)
I have two cast iron pans from my parents bought in the fifties and a huge fry pan that belonged to my Grandparents. My parents had us very late in life so they are past the 100 mark. My grandmother had my Dad at 50. So the fry pan or skillet around 120-130 years old. My uncle had it to n his cupboard but never really used it and so he gave it to me. I like that cast iron is dependable and lasts just about forever. Perhaps it will last my three year old grandson, his entire life.
I'm new to enameled cast iron and so far like it. I got it to replace the early 70s corningware that broke 2 months ago. Its an off brand called Imarku but sturdy and square. My lentil casserole or tamales pie comes out well. My 7qt enameled dutch oven was an Amazon essentials and arrived chipped on the handle and isn't new at all! Unable to get to the UPS store in my wheelchair during open hours so I'm stuck with it 😭
That sounds like quite a collection. Regarding the Amazon pan, I would recommend you reach out to them and explain your situation. They have always had good customer service. Regarding vintage CorningWare, to say I’m a huge fan is an understatement. Luckily it can still be found at nearly every thrift shop for a few dollars, at least if you are in the U.S. Wishing you all the best 🙏
@@IWantToCook No luck with Amazon.
My parents would buy new sets constantly, exception of the corningwear and cast iron, it was cheap crap that cost a fortune. I put the Morningstar and cast iron in the garage and took it with me when I moved out. Parents were going to toss it because it was not in style.
Goodwill here usually has crap from Wal-Mart for sale. Once in a while, I find something cool.
Ah you have found the small enameled cast iron duo.. A keeper IMO
Indeed. I didn’t even realize how special this is when I found it at the outlet store years ago.
@@IWantToCook I found mine in a Hospice Store
this video is very helpful!! thanks!
Glad to hear! Thanks for watching 🙏
Kinda new here, and I laughed my ass off at the flushes in between...
It's as if you're talking crap and need to flush in between, LOL !
Great explanation. Thanks for the video.
Thank you for watching!
The qualitess sooo simple.sooo clear i know theseee moreeeeee
So enameled is treated just like any nonstick pan? No seasoning or special things needed, just no metal utensils and such? Probably lower heat as well?
Correct -- no need to season an enameled cast iron pan. The enameled coating is a tough, non-porous surface. And yes, I would avoid using metal utensils on enameled cast iron; wood, silicon, etc. is a better choice. Thanks for watching and happy cooking!
I rarely use either. I prefer Fireware by Emile Henry which can go from subzero freezer to 940°F without any problem and its much lighter.
Interesting. Sounds like vintage CorningWare. I’ll keep an eye out for it. th-cam.com/video/zQYaiSZeNlA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=lHw_vt56YiOC-rz3
I am surprised you didn't mention the quality difference between vintage cast iron made in the USA and the mass produced doorstops Lodge is producing today. There are a few small manufacturers in the USA, currently producing quality cast iron (Smithey and Landcaster) -who should be supported, because they have made the effort to produce quality pans, and isn't that what we want? Quality goods made by our fellow citizens? Quality cast iron is not as heavy and coarse as the cheap stuff. It is much easier to season, care for and cook on.
Thanks for the comment. I haven’t purchased those high-end cast iron brands you mentioned, and thus don’t have insight into them. I’m glad to hear you think they are worth the cost. I do pay the premium that Staub and Le Creuset command for the enameled stuff. For plain cast iron, the Lodge pans I bought two decades ago continue to serve me well. Thanks for watching and happy cooking! 👍
@@IWantToCook I have cooked for 50 years and own a nice collection of quality kitchenware. IMO vintage cast iron, made in USA, is one of those cases in which the old is clearly superior AND less expensive, than the new. You might want to pick up a Griswold (Vintage Cast Iron made in the USA) pan. When cared for, it will have a very smooth non-stick surface and tends to be lighter in weight. You might be able to get a nice Griswold (or Wagner, also vintage) pan for $50 or $60 off of an auction site - which is a bargain in todays economy. Just make sure the surface is not pitted and it sits flat (does not spin).
I use soap all the time on my cast iron - no challenge at all.
It makes zero sense to not use soap to clean your own. It also makes no sense to leave oil on the pan when your store it for next use.
All this is mumbo jumbo.
Get experience with the product and you will realize all these scares about cast iron are virtually non-existent.
Best cooking tool I’ve ever used.
I will add it helps to get a cast iron with a baby smooth surface. Old style.
Like Finex or Smithy. You will then not to worry about any of these things.
I have been using bare cast iron for several years now and find Lodge pans to be way better than any made in China. The heat retention in Lodge pans is much greater.
Good to know! For bare, I’ve only ever bought Lodge.
@@IWantToCook is there a uk equivalent to Lodge? The lodge brand cost silly money in the uk- not those prices you were showing in the shop in your vid above.
I just got a new enameled cast iron le creuset pan... do I need to treat it with something before use?
Nope. Just give it a quick rinse with water and dish soap, then get cooking. You don’t need to season the pan as you would cast iron, but I would recommend heating the pan over low to medium heat, then adding butter or oil to help keep food from sticking.
@@IWantToCook thank you!