This article, as a good number of my articles do, begins with a reader question: What&#;s the difference between traditional and enameled cast-iron cookware? Since it was submitted in our live online chat (free! every Wednesday at noon), there was only so much I could say about the topic. But it was an inquiry I thought worthwhile enough to address in a full piece here.
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The good news for those tight on money or kitchen space is that most things that can be done in an enameled pot or pan can be done in traditional, well-seasoned cast iron, with a few adjustments. A lot of the major differences come down to caring for the pieces, though there are some things to keep in mind while cooking, too. Here&#;s a rundown.
Price. If you&#;re thinking about beefing up your cookware collection and money is a consideration, traditional cast iron is almost without exception cheaper than enameled pieces, sometimes several times less expensive, depending on size and brand. When treated properly, both types of cast iron can last a lifetime, and then some. Whether you spend a little or a lot, consider it a long-term investment.
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Seasoning. Home cooks fear and love the seasoning on traditional cast iron. Seasoning is what happens when fats are heated to a certain point that causes them to polymerize, or reorganize into something resembling a plastic coating, and bond to the metal. While many pans come pre-seasoned, a little regular maintenance (oiling after cooking) and frequent cooking will help build up the patina. If the seasoning is damaged, more intensive care &#; a couple of rounds of oil application in the oven or on the stovetop &#; may be required. Eventually you&#;ll get a naturally nonstick surface that rivals manufactured nonstick coatings. While enamel is useful in that it eliminates the pitted surface of cast iron where food can more readily get trapped and stick, it is not inherently nonstick and does not build up a seasoning. So each time you cook, you&#;ll need a sufficient amount of fat to avoid stuck-on messes.
Heating. Enamel is less conductive than cast iron (which itself is less conductive than some other metals). That will change the rate at which the exterior of the pan &#; in which the cast iron is sandwiched between two coats of enamel &#; heats, according to David Green, an associate professor of materials science, chemical and mechanical engineering at the University of Virginia&#;s School of Engineering & Applied Science. Compared to traditional cast iron, an enameled pan will heat up at a slightly slower pace, he says.
That being said, enamel can help with a more even distribution of heat, says Liheng Cai, Green&#;s collaborator on a science of cooking class and an assistant professor of materials science, chemical and biomedical engineering. But that redistribution of heat is actually correcting the uneven nature of the burner rather than hotspots generated by the cast iron itself.
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Being aware of the different heating properties is just half the battle. That &#;material mismatch,&#; as Green calls it, can wreak havoc on the pan itself if not handled properly. On the direct heat of a burner, the metal will heat (and expand) faster than the enamel, Cai says, potentially creating stress on the enamel and resulting in cracking. That&#;s more likely in cases when the pan experiences thermal shock, or a rapid change in temperature &#; one reason an enameled pan should not be heated empty on a burner. The same rationale applies to why you shouldn&#;t hit a hot enameled pan with cold water, when the metal can contract faster than the enamel.
While regular cast iron is not as likely to crack, it&#;s generally good practice to not plunge that type of hot pan in cold water, either. Rarely does thermal shock cause a preheating cast-iron skillet to crack, so unless you know you&#;re dealing with a very unreliable burner, you can and should preheat it on the stovetop empty. That prevents the fat from breaking down or burning and ensures the food begins to crisp and brown as soon as it hits the surface.
Use with certain ingredients. Regular cast iron is reactive, meaning acidic ingredients (vinegar, tomatoes, etc.) can interact with the metal, imparting off flavors or color to the food. Reactions are less likely with well-seasoned pans, especially for dishes with brief cooking times, but it&#;s something to keep in mind. Enamel is minimally reactive and acceptable for acidic foods.
Color. No, I&#;m not just talking about the exterior enamel colors that make many people swoon (but, hey, if you prefer enameled cookware for the aesthetics, go for it). Many enameled pieces have a pale, cream-colored interior, making it particularly easy to monitor the color of the flavorful fond (cooked-on juices) at the bottom of the pan or just check for burning. While it&#;s not impossible to do in a traditional cast-iron pan &#; or black enameled pan &#; you just need to be more attentive to make sure you don&#;t let things go too far. Something like caramel in a dark-colored pan can be trickier to judge by sight, as well, but in that case, an instant-read thermometer can be your friend.
Which to pick when. You may have pans of both types already in your kitchen, so which you pick may depend on what you&#;re making. No-knead bread will work fine in Dutch ovens that are enameled or not (in this case, the gradual heating of the empty pot in the oven makes thermal shock unlikely). Searing a steak? Cai says you may be better-served with regular cast iron since it can be heated to a higher temperature, giving you a quickly crisped exterior and less well-done interior. Also think about whether you&#;re cooking in a dry versus wet environment, Green says. In something like a stew or braise, the more even heat of an enameled pan can be especially beneficial for consistent cooking throughout the dish.
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If you don&#;t happen to have the pan called for in a recipe, all hope is not lost. Just keep in mind the points from above and adjust accordingly. Maybe you add a bit more fat going from a traditional seasoned to enameled cast iron. Perhaps you reduce the cook time going from enameled to traditional cast iron. Pay attention to the food and tweak as necessary.
Cleaning. Soap and water are often all you need for both types of pans. And, no, they won&#;t remove the seasoning on your regular cast iron. Beware of more abrasive alternatives, though. A nylon scrubber or non-scratch sponge is fine, ditto chain-mail tools designed for the job, but scouring pads and cleaners such as Bar Keepers Friend can indeed damage seasoning. Kosher salt is coarse enough to help scrub stuck-on food without harming seasoning. Bar Keepers Friend and Bon Ami, however, are great for enameled cookware. Scouring pads or other coarse tools can scratch enamel. It&#;s best to dry both types by hand after washing &#; to prevent rust in the case of regular cast iron and to prevent an enameled pan from being chipped, scratched or knocked over while sitting out to air-dry.
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We highly recommend both Le Creuset and Staub Dutch ovens. Both will last (practically) a lifetime.
Conventional kitchen wisdom holds that enameled cast iron Dutch ovens are a pricey but worthwhile investment for most home cooks. As the majority of us at Serious Eats use them regularly at home and in our test kitchen, we think that recommendation stands. (We&#;ve published a comprehensive review on Dutch ovens, and recommend Le Creuset, Staub, and Cuisinart models.) But with wildly varying price points, it&#;s hard to know why some Dutch ovens cost hundreds and others can be snapped up for $60.
The Best Dutch Ovens
Almost all Dutch oven makers are secretive about the specifics of their process (we were hard-pressed to find any manufacturer who&#;d share the details of their metal composition or enamel material). That said, after delving into the ins and outs of Dutch oven construction, we came away with a few variables that can impact price.
Why Are Dutch Ovens So Expensive?
Serious Eats / Will Dickey
A cast iron Dutch oven is a hefty piece of equipment, and all that iron comes at a cost: a lot of material goes into constructing this multi-purpose pot. Some of the models we tested weighed over 13 pounds; the sheer size of a Dutch oven partially explains why it costs more than the average aluminum sauce pot or 8-inch frying pan. There are a handful of other factors that impact price, which we'll go into more below:
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Materials Comparison
Serious Eats / Will Dickey
All cast iron Dutch ovens are made from iron (surprise). Where things differ is the types&#;and composition&#;of the iron. While you probably won&#;t find a Dutch oven maker who shares the exact mix of iron they use (we couldn't), it's typically some mix of raw and recycled iron. Does higher quality iron or a higher percentage of iron mean a higher price point? It&#;s possible: conservatively-priced Lodge, for example, notes that their Dutch ovens are made with a mix of pig iron, steel, and &#;other ingredients.&#;
Steel is less efficient at retaining heat than cast iron, so it stands to reason that a blend that contains a percentage of cheaper-to-source metal ultimately costs less to the consumer. By contrast, pricier brands are reluctant to share their metal blend.
As further proof that the material makeup matters, we can look at the thickness variance across models. In our test, Le Creuset&#;s 5.5-quart pot was one of the thinnest but retained heat evenly and consistently. In other words: it&#;s not always the weight of the pot's bottom, but what it&#;s made from.
The enamel coating&#;s composition (generally, a fusion of glass particles) may hold the key to explaining price differences, but with cast iron brands being tight-lipped about it, this element is essentially the &#;secret spice blend.&#; Whether it&#;s what actually sets them apart from the crowd is unclear. However, anecdotally, we can say that in our tests for durability, the legacy brands held up to chips, scuffs, and scratches better&#;and for longer&#;than cheaper models.
Manufacturing and Construction Comparison
Serious Eats / Will Dickey
Cheaper Dutch ovens are often made in offsite factories. This means less oversight from the brand, resulting in potential quality control issues. As a prime example, Martha Stewart&#;s Dutch oven, which we tested and recommended in our original review, switched factories in China&#;potentially as an attempt to address a problem with fractured enamel. Staub and Le Creuset, in contrast, have their own factories and maintain high production standards. As we explained in our review, "The engineers at the Staub foundry, for example, adjust the moisture of the sand in the molds that form their Dutch ovens daily based on the air's humidity. At Le Creuset's factory in Fresnoy-le-Grand, about two hours north of Paris, 15 employees inspect every pot before it ships out." Of course, it's not the specific country that matters, but rather the onsite versus offsite location, which hinders or promotes greater oversight.
Aesthetics Considerations
Serious Eats / Will Dickey
Dutch ovens work hard and look good doing it. (The ability to take them from the stovetop to the dinner table is a large part of their appeal for many cooks.) While all of the cast iron Dutch ovens we tested came with glossy colored enamel, cheaper models offered only a handful of basic colors, while legacy brands sell a rainbow&#;s worth of glazes. Le Creuset takes the cake for color options, consistently offering 17 core colors in addition to a rotating cast of seasonal and limited-edition glazes (they even offer gradient ombré designs). Le Creuset and Staub also offer slight upgrades for an added price; for example, switching out a standard lid knob for a stainless steel, gold, or even a pig one.
Warranty Differences
Most Dutch ovens come with a lifetime warranty, but not all brands meet it unconditionally. Plenty of makers offer limited warranties, with time constraints and plenty of loopholes. Anecdotal evidence proves that spendier brands (Le Creuset, Staub) honor their warranties without a lot of loopholes. (With that in mind, it makes sense that they&#;re also the brands with the most stringent oversight of the construction process. Greater quality control likely means fewer warranty claims.)
So, Is an Expensive Dutch Oven Worth It?
Serious Eats / Will Dickey
Ultimately, we feel it&#;s worth spending more on an enamel cast iron Dutch oven. A bigger investment now means decades of performance. Spend more at the time of purchase, and unlike a smartphone, you won&#;t have to replace it in two years. You're paying for a well-earned reputation of quality and durability and proven warranty fulfillment.
FAQs
What&#;s the best Dutch oven?
After reviewing 20 models, we found that the best Dutch ovens are made by Le Creuset, Staub, Kana, and Cuisinart (the first two are pricier, while the other two are less of an investment). We found that the best models heated through evenly, cleaned up quickly, and had easy-to-grab handles that made it a cinch to move in and out of the oven.
What size Dutch oven should I buy?
The best size Dutch oven for most cooks is between 5 and 6 quarts. (Our recommended models are 5.5 and 5 quarts.) If you regularly cook for a crowd, it might be worthwhile to investigate larger sizes, like 7 or 8 quarts. But you can probably skip the teeny-tiny ones; they&#;re more cute than practical.
Which Dutch ovens are induction compatible?
All enameled cast iron Dutch ovens are compatible with induction stovetops, though we recommend double-checking with the manufacturer before making a purchase.
What's the difference between a cast iron Dutch oven and an enameled cast iron Dutch oven?
The main difference between a cast iron Dutch oven and one that's enamel-coated is the finish. Raw cast iron needs to be seasoned to make it nonstick and rust-resistant, while enameled Dutch ovens are somewhat nonstick and protected out of the box. High-quality enamel coatings are expensive, which is why enameled Dutch ovens cost more than their standard cast iron counterparts. And while traditional cast iron can get more nonstick with time and use, enameled cast iron can't.
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