As any experienced cook or chef will tell you, different materials are better suited for different techniques, and ultimately the choice of cookware plays a pivotal role in determining what recipes and cooking techniques you can tackle next. While Stainless Steel and Nonstick are common in most kitchens, Enamelled Cast Iron offers an unmatched level of versatility, durability, and ease of use.
Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware has established itself as a staple in the cookware collections of home cooks across Canada, helping them tackle all types of recipes. Providing superior heat retention and even heat distribution, Le Creuset’s Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware essentials can help elevate your cooking game to unparalleled heights.
From the iconic Dutch Oven and Enamelled Cast Iron Skillet to our Braiser and Rectangular Roaster, Le Creuset’s Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware has established itself as the industry benchmark over the last century. Crafted with premium materials, our Enamelled Cast Iron cookware is built to last, delivering restaurant-worthy results every single time.
Here is a comprehensive overview of why you should use Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware, including its benefits, when and how to use it, and more.
What is Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware?
Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware refers to a type of cookware that is made from cast iron and coated with enamelled glaze. Cast iron is a highly durable and efficient material for cooking, known for its excellent heat retention and distribution properties. The added layer of enamel coating provides several benefits, including less maintenance, a smooth interior that makes for less sticking, and an overall effortless cooking experience.
Featuring a durable crack and chip-resistant enamel and colourful glaze, Le Creuset redefined enamelled cast iron cookware as we know it. Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware is not only more durable than traditional cast iron pans, but also offers home cooks the added benefit in that it does not require seasoning and is easy to maintain.
Equipping your kitchen with Enamelled Cast Iron is a great way to expand the possibilities in your kitchen — including new recipes and techniques and is a solid investment that will reap benefits for years and years to come.
Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware Benefits
There are a number of reasons why Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware is the cookware of choice by professional chefs from across the world. Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware advantages include versatility, durability, and ease of use, to name a few.
Whether you are setting up your kitchen for the first time, or are simply looking to add to your growing collection, the question of durability often comes up. Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware is considered to be among the most durable materials, thanks to its enamelled exterior and interior finish.
Le Creuset’s Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware embodies the buy-it-once-for-life nature of premium cookware and even comes with a limited lifetime warranty. Built to withstand daily use, Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware can be passed on from one generation to the next.
Its enamel coating provides an additional layer of protection to the cast iron, preventing rusting, staining, and corrosion that can occur when raw cast iron comes into contact with moisture or acidic ingredients. It also makes the cookware less prone to chipping or scratching over time.
When purchasing a cookware set, it is crucial to ask yourself what you intend on cooking the most. Starting a cookware collection based on what you prepare the most often is a great way to set up your kitchen, ensuring you have the essentials. Fortunately, Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware is extremely versatile, allowing you to experiment with different cooking techniques, ingredients, and recipes you otherwise were not familiar with.
Whether you plan to sear a steak, pan-fry a fresh piece of salmon, sauté veggies, or explore new baking techniques, Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware has you covered. This type of cookware is particularly ideal for slow-cooking ingredients given its exceptional heat retention properties, exposing ingredients to a consistent heat source so they evenly cook.
Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware, including Iron Handle Skillets, Dutch Ovens and Braisers, deliver consistent cooking results time and time again, making for a valuable addition to any Le Creuset collection.
Did you know that, unlike traditional cast iron cookware, Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware does not require any seasoning? In fact, the enamel coating acts as a protective layer between the cast iron and the food being cooked, and over time, a natural patina is gradually built. This layer gives Enamelled Cast Iron pots and pans somewhat of a nonstick property over many uses, which can help with the preparation of more delicate ingredients. The patina only gets stronger over many uses and with careful washing.
Better yet, the enamel coating ensures you don’t have to keep re-seasoning your enamelled cast iron pans every time they are used, saving you time. While Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware does not require seasoning, it nonetheless still needs proper care and maintenance. Be sure to avoid using metal utensils that can scratch the enamel surface, and hand wash your enamelled cast iron pots and pans. This will help preserve the integrity of your Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware for years to come.
Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware caters to both experienced and novice chefs alike, delivering superior heat retention and even heat distribution at every turn. Simply heat up your Enamelled Cast Iron pans on low heat for about five minutes before starting to cook and allow it to gradually heat up. Taking the appropriate time to preheat your Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware will ultimately ensure that all ingredients are cooked evenly, offering delicious meals for the whole family with the minimum of fuss.
While enamelled cast iron cookware requires much less maintenance than traditional cast iron cookware, it’s still important to take proper care of your enamelled cast iron pots and pans. And doing so will help ensure that you will enjoy using your enameled cast iron cookware for years and even generations to come.
For instance, when finished cooking, it’s important to allow your Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware to reach room temperature before cleaning. Then, the pan should be filled with warm water and left to soak for 15 to 20 minutes before washing if stubborn food residue remains. Our Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware is also dishwasher safe.
While Le Creuset’s Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware is durable, plunging a hot enameled cast iron pan into cold water can cause thermal shock resulting in cracking or damage to the enamel. Otherwise, Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware is equally as easy to use as it is to clean, and is resistant to chipping, cracking, rusting, and corrosion.
How is Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware Used?
Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware serves a number of different purposes when tackling recipes, earning a reputation as a kitchen workhorse. Indeed, its versatility is one of the biggest advantages with enamelled cast iron cookware. From searing and sautéing to grilling and baking, Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware opens up the possibilities in the kitchen.
Searing
Its exceptional heat retention and heat distribution properties makes Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware ideal for searing ingredients, resulting in a caramelized crust on meats and other ingredients. Its enamelled cast iron construction ensures all ingredients are exposed to a consistent heat source, cooking completely through.
Our Shallow Round Dutch Oven is the ideal piece of cookware when searing ingredients, providing a wide and shallow shape to effectively brown ingredients before being slow-cooked to perfection in the iconic Dutch Oven. This helps home cooks effortlessly enhance the flavour profile of their favourite dishes.
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Pan-Frying
Whether you are looking to pan-fry meats, vegetables, or fish, Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware is your best friend. An excellent retainer of heat by nature, this type of cookware allows for consistent and controlled heat temperatures, achieving crispy and evenly cooked final dishes.
Its enamel coating provides a smooth surface, reducing the possibility of ingredients sticking to the surface and burning. Our Iron Handle Skillet is the ultimate piece of cookware when pan-frying ingredients, developing a natural patina over time. The enamelled cast iron skillet makes for a great addition to any cookware collection, serving a variety of additional purposes beyond pan-frying.
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Grilling
Looking to grill from the comfort of your own home all-year round? Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware has you covered. This type of cookware can be used to simulate the flavours of the outdoor grill with ease, delivering inch-perfect grill and char marks on your favourite ingredients no matter the season.
Our Square Skillet Grill is the only piece of cookware you’ll need for all your grilling needs, featuring high ridges that allow excess fat and grease to drain. This piece of cookware can be used to prepare mouth-watering steak, shrimp, chicken, and even savoury side dishes, helping you grill even throughout the arduous winter months.
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Sautéing
Sautéing is a relatively quick and easy way to bring out the flavours of a dish by browning ingredients in a small amount of fat. This ultimately ensures flavours and colours in your favourite recipes remain vivid, delivering restaurant-worthy presentation. Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware is perfectly suited when sautéing ingredients as this cooking technique requires higher temperatures to be successful.
Our Wok is the perfect piece of cookware for sautéing, coming equipped with a flat base and easy-sloping sides. When sautéing, it is important to constantly stir or toss the ingredients for even cooking. While this requires attention, the Wok’s sloping sides simplify the sautéing process.
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Baking
Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware may not traditionally be associated with baking, but it nonetheless offers novice bakers with beginner-friendly cookware to experiment with a range of baking techniques. Whether you are baking a fresh loaf of bread, a skillet cookie, or want to tackle your very own homemade bars, Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware accommodates in style. Enamelled Cast Iron cookware goes from the oven to the stovetop with the minimum of fuss, opening up the possibilities in the kitchen.
The Round Dutch Oven creates the ideal environment for baking, locking in heat and moisture thanks to its tight-fitting lid and thick, enamelled cast iron walls. This versatile piece of cookware has been carefully crafted to expose doughs to a consistent heat source until evenly cooked. This is why many turn to the Dutch Oven to experiment with baking homemade bread.
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Roasting
Roasting is yet another slow-cooking technique that is regularly used by home cooks and chefs alike. Indeed, it enhances flavour in a dish through caramelization and browning on the surface of food.
Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware is ideal when roasting, evenly distributing indirect, diffused heat to cook all ingredients evenly. Roasting is typically done with meats, such as chicken, pork, and some cuts of beef, but can also be used to cook vegetables and fish.
Our Rectangular Roaster, as its name suggests, offers an easy-to-use piece of cookware when roasting ingredients, surrounding food with hot air until ingredients are cooked through. Crafted with enamelled cast iron, this versatile piece of cookware can be used to prepare family-style meals of all sizes for years to come.
Shop nowGet Started with Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware
Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware combines durability, heat retention, and versatility, providing home cooks with the ability to experiment with many recipes and cooking techniques. Le Creuset offers a wide range of Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware, including Dutch Ovens, Braisers, Skillets, providing you with all the essentials to experiment in the kitchen with ease.
Put simply, any kitchen can benefit from including Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware, especially if you are just starting out. Our Enamelled Cast Iron Cookware Sets are ultimately the most convenient choice, combining versatility, durability, and top-quality performance from one generation to the next.
