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Cooking is fun and enjoyable, especially if you can cook the easy way. It is important to have the best cooking equipment to make your cooking experience easy and comfortable. High quality cookware ensures that your will cook your food in the best way without wasting time.
When choosing cookware and kitchen equipment, choose according to quality, efficiency, versatility, and value. Most often the top of the line products are the best. Let us look at enamel cast iron cookware and what we consider to be the best buy for your money.
What is Cast Iron Enamel Cookware?
Enameled cast iron cookware is a type of cast iron cookware that has been coated with enamel in order to prevent the formation of rust.
This type of cookware is valued for its heat retention properties and can be produced and formed with a relatively good technology. With the use of enameled cast iron cookware, seasoning is not required because the enamel coating is used to protect bare cast iron from rust and to create a non-stick surface.
Cast iron cookware is known for its outstanding ability to go from high heat on the stove to lower heat in the oven. In addition, it allows you to make almost any kind of food. While regular cookware has the ability to withstand and maintain very high cooking temperatures that makes it very efficient for frying, searing and long-cooking stews, modern enamel coated design makes it twice as better to go with today’s fast cooking lifestyle. The enamel glaze concept perfectly goes well with recipes that call for acidic ingredients like tomato sauce and wine. It offers convenient cooking on stove-tops or ovens, and is fast and easy to clean.
Regular cast iron cookware requires seasoning of the surface to provide a “non-stick” effect that protects the cookware from rusting and the food from interacting with the iron of the pan. It’s enamel-coated counterpart do not need seasoning as the enamel glaze already prevents rust and at the same time serves as a sold barrier between the food and the iron base. This gives a good taste to food without any foul-tasting metals, which again, makes enamel coated preferred over a regular cast iron.
Advantages of using Enamel Cast Iron Cookware
- It is wondrously easy to clean. After braising, stewing, or roasting, the interior cleans up easily with a stiff brush and hot water.
- You can use soap and water to clean enameled cast iron, whereas you cannot use soap on regular cast iron.
- It is heavy and durable. Enameled cast iron is tough and will never break.
- It does not leach. While I use my regular cast iron skillet for many different foods, I avoid using acidic foods like chili and tomato sauces, as these can potentially damage cast iron’s seasoning and potentially leach iron and other metals into the food I prepare.
- This is not a problem with enameled cast iron.
- Enameled cast iron cookware is beautiful, strong, and long-lasting, giving it heirloom status. Pieces can be passed down from parent to child.
- It is made to multiple lifetimes. Even old and worn pieces can be refurbished with a elbow grease, making it Eco-friendly.
- Enameled cast iron is considered the original non-stick pan. This means good food with no potential non-stick toxins like teflon.
- Easy to use in multiple ways. From stove-top, to oven, and grill. This means less cookware to buy.
- Uses less energy because enameled cast iron retains heat very well.
It is wondrously easy to clean. After braising, stewing, or roasting, the interior cleans up easily with a stiff brush and hot water. You can use soap and water to clean enameled cast iron, whereas you cannot use soap on regular cast iron.It is heavy and durable. Enameled cast iron is tough and will never break. It does not leach. While I use my regular cast iron skillet for many different foods, I avoid using acidic foods like chili and tomato sauces, as these can potentially damage cast iron’s seasoning and potentially leach iron and other metals into the food I prepare. This is not a problem with enameled cast iron. Enameled cast iron cookware is beautiful, strong, and long-lasting, giving it heirloom status. Pieces can be passed down from parent to child.It is made to multiple lifetimes. Even old and worn pieces can be refurbished with a elbow grease, making it Eco-friendly.Enameled cast iron is considered the original non-stick pan. This means good food with no potential non-stick toxins like teflon.Easy to use in multiple ways. From stove-top, to oven, and grill. This means less cookware to buy. Uses less energy because enameled cast iron retains heat very well.
What to Look For in Enamel Cookware
If you want top quality enameled cast iron cookware, there are a few things you need to look for:
- A thick enamel coating is best to avoid chips.
- Avoid buying enameled cast iron from abroad.
- In general, the heavier the item, the better heat retention it will have.
- Look for sturdy handles on both sides, this makes it easier to carry the heavy, hot cookware.
- Everything about the pot or pan should be even, no part of the piece should have a different thickness than the rest.
- Look for high-quality and satisfied customers.
My Pick for The Best Enamel Cast Iron Cookware is Le Creuset
People want to know what is the best cookware set for their kitchen? It is true that you can find really good deals on complete cookware sets but it is no bargain if you end up with pieces you will never use when preparing meals.
Before buying any cookware, try and define what it is you are trying to accomplish with your cookware. This will help you in determining what the best cookware is for your kitchen.
I prefer cookware that is more functional and can perform more than one cooking task when preparing a meal. Things like browning or searing meat on the stove top and then finishing the cooking process in the oven, all in the same piece of cookware. To be able to do this style of cooking I would find cookware that is oven safe and can withstand high temperatures including the handles and lids. This is why I choose Le Creuset cookware.
Le Creuset cookware can preform a multitude of cooking tasks. They can go from stove-top, to oven, to refrigerator, to freezer. The non-stick surface does not need to be seasoned and will not react with acidic foods.
Le Creuset enameled cast iron cookware comes in a variety of colors to suit your design taste. If you are an avid entertainer and/or like your decor to be on point, you’ll have lots of options to choose from. These beautiful and stylish pots can go straight to the table for serving.
Le Creuset enamel cast iron cookware offers a lot of options when it comes to what type of cooking device that can be used. This includes the following:
- Ovens
- Gas stoves
- Electric stoves
- Grills
Why Le Crueset is the Best
Conclusion
You will not be disappointed with a purchase of a piece of Le Creuset cookware. Owning and using a high-quality cookware that can preform a variety of cooking tasks, will not alter the taste of your food, and will stay in great condition for a long time is a real joy.
Remember, buy cheap and buy twice. If you purchase cheap enamel cookware made in China, it will not last you nearly as long as a Le Creuset piece. You will never regret buying a more expensive piece of cookware, but you will surely regret buying a cheap piece.
So invest in a good piece now by buying Le Creuset!
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[…] Enameled pots and pans are excellent as long as the quality is good. Use them to cook acidic foods that would otherwise leach. […]