Quick tips for cooking

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An enameled dutch oven is one of the most versatile cooking tools you can own! Use it on the stove and in the oven up to 500˚ F, or safely store it in your fridge to marinate food or refrigerate leftovers. Plus, the durable enameled surface can handle acidic and alkaline ingredients like tomatoes, wines, and citrus ingredients. 

To start, choose a burner closest to the size of your dutch oven and preheat with a little oil before adding food. Don&#;t preheat an empty dutch oven on your stovetop&#;this can cause your cookware to crack or break. Some bread recipes call for preheating the dutch oven in the oven. This is perfectly safe to do since the heat will be more consistently distributed across the entire dutch oven. 

Just like with all of our classic cast iron cookware, enameled cast iron has great heat retention, so there&#;s no need to cook over a high heat. We stick to a low to medium heat for best results! This prevents burnt food and stuck-on messes. 

As you cook, use wooden, silicone, or nylon utensils to stir, blend, or flip your food. This will protect the enamel finish from being scratched during the cooking process. We love to bring our dutch oven to the table for family-style serving! Just be sure to place your hot cookware over a trivet to protect your table or counter. 

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Cleaning & Care Guide

This guide is only applicable to Grater's enameled cast iron dutch oven series. Clean and maintain your dutch oven properly and it shall be able to last for many years. Avoid using a metal scrub or rough sponge to scratch the enamel surface.

Step 1: Wash by hand

Cleaning Pro Tip 1: Scrub coarse salt with a non-metal brush & hot water to replace soap in removing food stains. Boil water with baking soda will help to remove any burnt mark.

Cleaning Pro Tip 2: Citrus juices and citrus-based cleaners will make the enamel surface turn dull over time. Recommend to use gentle or natural ingredient dishwashing liquid, for instance: Sunlight or Glo brand Aloe Vera dishwashing liquid.

Step 2: Dry

Dry it with a kitchen towel or set it over a low flame until all the water has evaporated. Rub the dutch oven rim with vegetable oil to season. It is due to the rim is not coated with enamel.

Step 3: Store

Leave it cool before storing it in a dry and cool place. Remember to place the pot protector pins on the rim of the pot before cover with a lid. It protects the enameled dutch oven from chipping off and helps to prevent moisture build-up, especially in a humid environment.

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Cooking Tips: Do's & Dont's

Grater's enameled cast iron cookware can be used on all types of stove hobs, including gas stove, induction, electric stove, ceramic hob, and oven. Understanding do's & dont's would help you to get better with your cast iron cookware

Cooking Tip 1: No high heat

Cast iron doesn't heat as evenly as aluminum or stainless steel pans, but they keep their heat very well (heat retention). So preheat the cast iron cookware with oil or water on low to medium heat for at least 5 to 10 minutes, until it's evenly heated. Enameled cast iron works best when they slowly heat up and stay warm. Please don&#;t preheat it at a high temperature or you could scorch it. Heating up too high can make food stick or burn. Remember, always use low to medium heat settings since heat can be conducted efficiently.

Cooking Tip 2: No metal utensils or steel wool

You may use metal utensils as long as you don&#;t scratch them at full force. We recommend you to use silicone, nylon, or wooden cooking utensils to reduce the risk of scratching the cookware. Also, avoid using abrasive cleaners or scrubbers such as steel wool or metallic scrubbing pads.

Cooking Tip 3: Don't heat an empty pot or pan

Avoid cooking in a dry enameled cast iron cookware as it can make it stick and burn. Always add liquid or oil to coat the bottom of the cookware before adding any ingredients.

Cooking Tip 4: No microwave or dishwasher

We recommend to hand-wash it as the dishwasher machine will wear down the enamel coating over time.

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Never use cast iron pan in microwave. In fact, you're not supposed to put any metals in the microwave. It has the potential of damaging your microwave.

Cooking Tip 5: Avoid thermal shock

Never wash a hot enameled cast iron and never put the cookware directly from the stove to the refrigerator and vice versa. Thermal shock may cause the enamel surface to chop off or crack.

Cooking Tip 6: No sliding or dropping

Always lift your enameled cast iron cookware. Never slide it to avoid scratching your stove hob or the cookware. Do not drop or hit your enamel cookware on hard surfaces.

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FAQs

1. What is enameled cast iron?

Enameled cast iron is the traditional cast iron coated with enamel glaze, which is a smooth porcelain surface bonded onto the iron. The enamel glaze helps to save time from seasoning works and is resistant to acidic and alkaline foods.

2. What is the difference between White and Black Glossy Enamel Glaze?

There is a difference between matte and gloss enamel finishing but there is no difference between white and black enamel color. A white glossy enameled surface is good for easy monitoring of the cooking process but the food stains on the surface can be obvious over a long time.

3. Can I cook acidic or alkaline food in enameled cast iron cookware?

The enamel coating prevents any iron from the cookware itself from being absorbed into the food. You can cook anything in it. Unlike the traditional cast iron series, the enameled version can be used to cook, marinate and refrigerate foods. It is resistant to alkaline and acidic foods.

4. How to choose between traditional cast iron and enameled cast iron cookware?

It depends on your needs, cooking habits, and budget. Check out the Enameled vs Traditional Cast Iron Comparison blogs for more details.

5. Do I need to season enameled cast iron cookware?

No seasoning is required before using it. Enameled cast iron is not prone to rusting in the same way traditional cast iron is and it is fine to be washed with soap. All you need is to rub some oil on the rim or the cookware as it is not coated with enamel.

6. Does it works on an induction stove?

Yes, it can be used on most cooktops including gas stoves, ceramic hob, induction hob, electric stoves, and in the oven (oven-safe up to 230°C). Please avoid using microwave and dishwasher machines.

7. Should I heat up the cookware first or add oil before heating up?

Always add oil before heating. Enameled cast iron is not naturally non-stick. The interior surface doesn&#;t obtain the non-stick qualities that a plain well-seasoned cast-iron piece can. Always preheat with oil or water on low to medium heat before adding any ingredients.

8. Can I keep the food in a dutch oven and store it in the fridge?

You may keep food in Dutch Oven with Glossy Enamel Glaze as it was coated with more layers of enamel and able to prevent the cookware from rusting. Cast Iron has superior heat and cold detention features. We knew that cast iron ables to retain heat efficiently and keep food warm for second servings as long as with cover the lid on! But did you know that it holds in cold too? Just put it into the fridge or freezer once it has cool down if you need to store or marinate the food. You can also serve it as a chilled dish.

9. Why are there pinholes on the surface?

Our cast iron is produced by pouring molten iron into a sand-made mold as sand has a higher melting point than iron. This mold creates a rough, sandpaper-like surface texture. Then, the cookware is coated with 2 to 3 layers of enamel glaze before drying. The process if not reversible and cannot be polished after the enamel glaze is dried.

Due to this unique production method, our enameled cast iron cookware is vulnerable to more potential defects. We often named this "Natural Enameled Cast Iron Defects" which has nothing related to damage or product defects under the warranty disclaimer. The natural defect does not make the cast iron skillet is anything lesser than a normal cast iron skillet. They are equally good.

Below are the example of natural enameled cast iron defects:

10. Will Grater's enameled cast iron cookware rust?

With proper use and care, it will not rust.

11. Why does the rim of my enameled cast iron cookware rust? What can I do?

Clean the rim with a sponge and soap. Dry it thoroughly and rub it with a small amount of oil around the rim to prevent it from rusting.

The rim is not coated with enamel and hence it may rust when expose to moisture or water. It may be due to the cookware isn't dry thoroughly before storing or the storing area is humid.

12. Why is my enameled cast iron-stained?

Stains are to be expected when you use enameled cookware and do not affect performance.

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