does anyone know if:
• vintage cast iron like griswold or wagner ware, or
• enameled cast iron like le creuset, staub or descoware
can go straight from refrigerator or freezer:
• onto a gas range top, or
• into an oven, or
• under a broiler?
thanks for any help as i’m starting to build a small vintage cookware collection! 
thanks for the great answers so far. so if it’s not cast iron that can go from cold to hot, anyone know if Wilton Armetale or Nambe can?
my mom wants a new cookware set and both Paula Deen and Rachael Ray have enamel over cast iron and she loves both of them. Any reviews on their cookware set?
mom loves cast iron and has been talking about getting a set for a long time now. So I know this is what she wants
After sending back my “Cooks Essentials” 3 times over the course of 12 years due to flaking off of the cooking surface we have decided to chuck the nasty non-stick.
I have a few Wolfgang Puck stainless pans and they’re fine but the handles get VERY hot. I don’t like them well enough to buy more. I am looking at cast iron enameled cookware–like Le Crueset only not that particular brand. Were money no object..I’d be a William Sonoma today!
I have one tiny Le Crueset pan that I got at a garage sale years back and it is FAB! I’m looking to pick up a stock pot, 1 and 2 quart saucepan, a few skillets and maybe a Dutch oven.
QVC does have a new line of enameled cast iron, but there are others as well.
http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.item.K19999.desc.Technique-Enameled-Cast-Iron-5-piece-Cookware-Set
I realize now that I have been doing my family a dis-service with the non-stick and it’s not the safest way to go. Before I waste any more money, I was looking for your opinions.
Cast iron enameled? Plain ol’ fashioned stainless? Other? I don’t mind putting a chunk of money in, but not the $800 some sets go for. I do cook quite a bit and need this stuff to be highly functional. I love the idea that cast iron goes from stove top to oven–to table.
Thanks for any advice you can offer!
Does anyone know of a sure fire way (apart from elbow grease) to remove burnt on honey glaze from my enamel roasting tin?
I am doing a kitchen make-over and want to buy equipment that is safe / non-toxic. Recently I found out that is best to use Enameled Cast Iron cookware, Stainless Steel pots and silverware, glass storage containers, and porcelain.
Any additional suggestions/ideas/comments that will help me make my new kitchen the perfect place to make healthy meals would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
1. Do you have any cast iron cookware?
2. What kind? Enameled? “Raw”? Dutch oven? Fry pan? ____?
3. What brand?
4. Do you like it? Use it often?
(Tip: After cleaning, I put water and a couple denture tablets in my enameled cookware – it removes all the stains!)
I really love the way Le Cresuset vessels look. I heard they are enamel coated cast iron ones. Does anyone have an experience if they are non-stick. Are they easy to deal with. I am trying to collect some good cookware and wanted to know if these the best choice. What is a good choice for a flat non-stick pan (for omlettes etc;) and knives?
I see good reviews of all clad but like the looks and colours of Le Creuset. Are they super heavy?
by enamel cast iron, i mean cookware.
also if you able to fry food (using an enamel cast iron), like french fries or fish, will it stick to the interior surface?
I love to cook and am lucky enough to have a lot of old cast iron cookware (not a big fan of the newfangled non-stick types). I was recently given a set of enameled pots & pans, and I don’t like the way the skillet performs (sticking, blackening, scorching, etc.) Does a fry pan like this need to be seasoned like a cast iron pan? If so, how does one do such a thing?
After reading about the dangers of teflon and other non-stick coatings, we switched to stainless steel cookware (with copper cores and aluminum bottoms), but the problem with that is that omelets and pancakes stick to stainless interior. So, the question is: should we get Corningware (glass) pans, or enameled (cast iron or steel) pans?
Ideally, some of you will have tried both and can tell me which is better.
Thanks.
Actually, teflon is dangerous even if it doesn’t crack or peel. It outgasses toxic chemicals when you heat it. I’ve read the Silverstone (another non-stick chemical) is no better. DOW has been sued for knowingly covering up data that it has had on the dangers of teflon cookware for 20 years. Here’s a link:
http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=218
Product Description
7 Piece Cookware Set w/ALL Enamel-on-Steel Cooking Surfaces – 2 Quart Saucepan w/Lid, 3 Quart Saucepan w/Lid, 6 Quart Oven w/Lid, 10 inch Omelette, Glossy Cobalt Blue. Chantal’s Enamel-on-Steel cookware combines colorful, high-quality German enamel with a heavy-gauge carbon steel core, creating naturally stick-resistant, nonreactive pots and pans that heat quickly and evenly. Enamel-on-Steel cookware requires no seasoning or polishing, and is easy to clean inside a… Read More >>
I have a Le Creuset French Oven (enamel-coated iron cookware pot with lid). It works extremely well; I use it for cooking in an oven. After I’ve removed the cookware from the oven, I place the burning hot lid on two round silicone trivets that are side-by-side (the lid is wider than the diameter of each trivet) so as to serve the food. Is there some kind of product that could hold the hot lid, vertically, without scratching the enamel coating of the lid? It would be nice to not have to take up so much counter space in this small kitchen. I don’t want to place the lid on the stove, for safety and practicality reasons. Thanks.
Hearts & Stars: I agree–Le Creuset is fantastic. I’m not very excited about cooking in general, but Le Creuset does such a good job that I now feel more enthusiastic about cooking than I would have expected. My French Oven cooks fast at low temperatures. I’m very impressed!
I have a very small kitchen with limited storage for large items like my cast iron cookware. However, I do have an uninsulated porch adjoining the room. I considered getting a shelving unit to put on the porch to store these large items, as I use them often enough that I don’t want to have to drag them up from the basement. No water gets into this room, but it does get very cold during winter here in Illinois. Is it safe to store cast iron in a cold environment like that? What about enameled cast iron? Would it crack the enamel?
It is not insulated but is completely enclosed and dry.
I’m most concerned about the enamel coated ones, I know the seasoned stuff is pretty hardy.
Product Description
Celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse kicks it up another notch with this Hard Enamel cookware collection. The Porcelain Hard Enamel exterior over heat conductive aluminum and triple layer high performance nonstick makes for successful meals and easy clean up. Long sturdy solid cast stainless steel handles provide comfort and control. The “workhorse” of all cookware shapes, Emeril’s Fry Pans are versatile in shape and size, make them a frequent choice for scrambling eggs… Read More >>