Enameled Cast Iron - Recommendations?

I want to get a large (Oval or Round) Enameled Cast Iron Casserole / Roaster / Dutch Oven.
[Large, deep-sided vessel with a lid.]

I have several decent local sources available.
I've seen the Le Creuset & Staub (W-S), Lodge (Variety of Sources), Martha Stewart (Macey's) and several others (BB&B, etc.).

I know that LC is traditional, high-quality (can probably will it to my Great Neices, etc.), but it's usually more than I want to spend on something that I use semi-frequently at best. I kind of prefer the looks of the Staub over this, they seem to be in the same league.

However, I would rather own 1-2 nice pieces, rather than a bunch of cheap junk.

The Lodge stuff seems decent, and I can get it at a reasonable price.

So, if you've purchased this type of item in the not-so-distant past, what are your thoughts / recommendations.

I have LC and I use it all the time. It is a high quality piece of equipment. Love it.

I haven't compared it to lower priced cookware, though.

I saw Lodge enameled cast iron at my local Kroger's for a great price recently.

Among cast iron enthusiasts, Lodge is considered the ne plus ultra of cast iron. The last I heard, they are the only remaining manufacturer of cast iron cookware in the USA and make a high quality product. Cast iron from China, on the other hand, doesn't have a very good reputation, and sadly, the big-name TV chefs have their names on the Chinese imports. I can't say for sure who makes stuff of Martha Stewart, though.
Of course, Le Creuset has been around forever and is probably synonymous with enameled cookware, but if I were looking for enamaled cast iron, I'd be considering the Lodge first. (Caveat: I don't own any enameled cast iron, but have quite a few Lodge non-enamelled pieces (see avatar photo).

My quest, 2 years ago, for an American made enameled dutch oven turned up nothing.
Most of the Lodge cast iron products are made in the USA, but the enamelware stuff is made in China.

I found that Cooks Illustrated highly recommended the Tramontina 6.5 quart dutch oven, so Santa brought me one.
I've been very happy with it.

A quick search shows that it's currently $80 on Amazon, but (as much as I hate to say it) only $45 at Wal-Mart.
With 424 reviews, mostly very positive.

I have a Lodge 6 qt enameled dutch oven. I love it. I use it mainly to make jambalaya and gumbo, and it works well. FWIW, it isn't very good for making a roux or starting the jambalaya, things like that tend to stick or burn a little at a high temp. But I start those in a regular cast iron skillet and transfer them to the enameled pot when I'm ready to add liquid. It is oven safe (the lid has a rubberized handle) to either 400 or 450 degrees. I've used it to bake cobblers too. It was less than $50 on Amazon with free shipping. I recommend it as a fairly inexpensive option.

I personally would suggest passing on the enamel and go for a plain old lodge brand cast iron. I have two sizes of the Dutch ovens and love them. Plus I never have to worry about chipping the enamel.

Mike

I have a larger Le Creuset dutch oven and I love it to death. I have used it to cook many stews and soups, braised short ribs (my favourite) tomato sauces and even baked bread. A tremendous cooking vessel but at a premium price. If you can afford it then go for it. I bet it will be your favourite cooking piece..... after your Weber of course.
And I almost forgot, they look beautiful on your stove top. Some of the colors they have out now are fantastic.

Target sell's the Lodge that's made in the USA at a good price, Not sure if wallyworld's is from china or not. The American Culinary Corperation sell's both griswold and wagnor made in the USA.

pot when I'm ready to add liquid. It is oven safe (the lid has a rubberized handle) to either 400 or 450 degrees. I've used it to bake cobblers too. It was less than

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We have some Le Creu and a Kirkland Dutch ovens and frankly I can see no reason to pay 6x's as much for the Le Creu stuff. It's really nice but the Kirklands is prettier and the warranty is actually easier to fulfill when dealing with costco.

"have a larger Le Creuset dutch oven and I love it to death" - Same here!

My son bought me one from Sam's club (Members mark) for x-mas a few yrs ago.
I don't know who the supplier is, but I don't care for that brand. The off-white PC stained brown only after a few uses. It does have a lifetime warranty on certain issues, but he lost his receipt.
I'll save that for the kettle and look for a new one for indoors.



Tim

They all stain on the bottom. I don't think there is alot you can do about that.

I bought the Tramontina 3-4 years ago based on the Cooks Illustrated reccommendation. ~$40 at Wal-Mart.

It has held up very well to fair-moderate use. No appreciable staining. The porcelain coating does not have any visible cracks, dents, or chips in it. I replaced the lid knob with a cabinet knob from Lowes so that it could tolerate higher temps in the oven. Alternatively you can get just the knob from Le Creuset. I personally do not see the justification for spending a lot of $$$ on Le Creuset, but then again I would rather buy a Honda Accord than a Mercedes-Benz.

I would reccomend the Tramontina dutch oven. I don't know how good the porcelain finish is on the Lodge products, as they are pretty new on the market, compared to others.

Originally posted by patrick sullivan:
They all stain on the bottom. I don't think there is alot you can do about that.

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Really? I didn't know that. This is my first coated piece and I thought they were pretty bullet proof.The reason I wanted one is that I read that tomato based sauces or stews will break down the seasoning on a regular CI dutch oven.
My BIL has the same piece and his looks just like new so I figured I got a lemon. If I knew that mine would look like the bottom of an old bathtub after awhile then I would have just stuck with a well seasoned CI DO.

Tim

This use and cleaning information comes from some of my older Le Creuset Dutch ovens (bought all of them over many years as "seconds" from a small, early outlet store in south Georgia--long before outlet malls were heard of--and they still look almost like new):

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LE CREUSET ENAMELED CAST IRON DUTCH OVENS

Check the LE CREUSET WEBSITE for the latest care instructions.

BEFORE USING LE CREUSET
Wash in hot water to which a mild detergent has been added. Rinse and dry thoroughly.

HOW TO USE

Choose the correct pan to suit the heat source so that heat is not wasted up the side of the pan.

All Le Creuset cookware is extremely efficient and high heats should only be used for water based cooking, i.e. boiling water for vege-tables, pasta, etc.

Using high heat may result in food sticking to the pan.

For any other cooking, heat the pan slowly, using only a medium to low heat and once the pan is hot, reduce the heat to low for the cooking period.

CLEANING

After use, leave the cookware to cool. Wash in hot soapy water. Rinse with warm water and dry thoroughly. Never fill a hot utensil with cold water or plunge it into cold water for soaking.

If foods have stuck to the enamelled surface, fill the utensil with hot water and leave it to soak for a short while. Then washing in hot soapy water should be all that is necessary.

Stubborn marks can be eased off with a nylon or plastic brush, or a nylon cleaning pad.

REMOVING DISCOLORATION

Occasionally, the cooking surface may become discolored. This can be removed by filling the utensil with warm water to which mild household bleach has been added. Allow one teaspoon of bleach to 1 pint of water. Leave this solution to soak in the pan for 1 to 2 hours, then wash the utensil in hot soapy water in the usual way.

[On rare occasions I've been known to scrub with a light sprinkling of Bar Keeper's Friend before applying the vinegar treatment. - Rita]

HANDLES AND KNOBS

Many Le Creuset pans have black phenolic handles / knobs. This material has a high heat resistance and is oven-proof up to 445°F.

Those utensils with wooden handles should not be immersed for long period in water. Wipe wooden handles occasionally with a little teak or olive oil to maintain their condition. Utensils with wooden handles should not be washed in a dishwasher.

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Amazon and cookware shops carry STAINLESS STEEL REPLACEMENT KNOBS that will take higher heats than the phenolic knobs. I’ve been pleased with mine.

Also, from Costco (it seems to have gotten good reviews):

6.5-quart enameled cast iron round "french" oven

Rita

Originally posted by timothy:
My son bought me one from Sam's club (Members mark) for x-mas a few yrs ago.
I don't know who the supplier is, but I don't care for that brand. The off-white PC stained brown only after a few uses. It does have a lifetime warranty on certain issues, but he lost his receipt.
I'll save that for the kettle and look for a new one for indoors.

Tim

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My Le Creu looks like this too.

Tim and Justin, sometimes the staining comes from using a higher heat. You might try the cleaning and discoloration suggestions in my post above.

The use (use a lower heat) and care/cleaning suggestions above might well apply to your pan as well, even though it is not a Le Creuset. But no matter how it looks, it will still cook well.

Rita

Thanks for the tips Rita.

Edit..
Is that a bleach or "vinegar" solution?

Tim

You can be the ultimate cheapskate like myself and get a dutch oven from a thrift store. I grabbed a "club aluminum" 5 qt dutch oven from my local goodwill store. It is cast aluminum. Club has not made these for years but they never wear out and make the best soups and pot roasts or whatever. You can also buy them off ebay, just search for club aluminum. I think they cook as good as iron and are a lot easier the handle and clean etc..