The Benefits of Using Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven

The moral of the story here is that enameled cast iron is the best because it’s incredibly versatile, amazingly durable, and easy to clean. But there’s one thing it’s not: nonstick.

The nonstick misconception

Last year, when researching enameled cast-iron skillets to test for Epicurious, I learned that a lot of people expect enameled cast iron to release an omelet as easily as traditional nonstick cookware. Among the most popular and top-rated models, nearly every bad review was from someone complaining about the fact that food stuck to the cooking surface. Take, for example, the “Amazon Customer” who was very disappointed that Le Creuset’s “nonstick promise is bogus.” The real problem, of course, is that Le Creuset doesn’t make a nonstick promise because enameled cast iron is not supposed to be nonstick.

I understand why people who aren't used to cooking on enameled cast iron might be confused. Enameled frying pans with light interiors kind of resemble those aesthetically pleasing ceramic nonstick pans that are nowhere near as durable as enameled cast iron. A textured black enamel could easily be mistaken for pre-seasoned raw cast iron. Even I was fooled by Staub’s traditional cast-iron skillet the first time I laid eyes on it, mistaking the matte black-enamel for a high-end factory seasoning job.

But now, I know better—and my enameled Staub is one of my favorite pieces in my kitchen because it’s a low-maintenance pan that (if you don’t look too closely) seems like meticulously maintained raw cast iron.