Cast Iron Casseroles - Complete Guide

Everything you need to know about cast iron casseroles.

Le Creuset and its colored casseroles, Staub and its battle with Le Creuset, Lodge and its black casseroles without enamel, enamel, what is enamel? I’ll tell you everything you need to know before investing in a cast iron casserole.

General characteristics:

Cast iron casseroles are casseroles made in one piece and their main characteristic is that they distribute and keep heat like no other material.
They are pieces that are made by pouring cast iron into sand molds, which are destroyed after each use to remake the molds for new casseroles. That’s why each casserole is unique.
Then, depending on the brand, a layer of enamel is added both outside and inside or not.
Absolutely ideal for long cooking, frying or even roasting in the oven, because they hold the temperature like no other casserole.
They are almost indestructible and can even be used with direct fire on barbecues.
The lids have a system to keep moisture inside so they can be used to make bread in them and get a wonderful crust.
Suitable for all types of stoves: gas, induction, electric…

No all is good:

They weigh a lot.
They have to be cleaned by hand and with the weight they have it is sometimes difficult to maneuver.
Those that do not have enamel coating have to be seasoned with oil after each use.
And a good cast iron casserole usually comes with a hefty price tag. The 24cm Le Creuset for example is for 250 euros at Lecuine (and this with a discount).

Cast Iron Casseroles - Complete Guide-rootsandcook

Enamel o no enamel:

Brands such as LeCreuset or Staub use an enamel coating both outside and inside to protect the iron from rusting. In this way we can cook any type of food without worrying about whether it is acidic or not. But above all, it makes our lives easier to clean since they do not need any seasoning.

We have two types of enamels, in white/sand or black. Staub uses black enamels and Le Creuset uses both. But both have the same function. The beauty of the clearest glazing is that we can see if the food sticks to the casserole or not, but only that.

In addition, the glazing allows us to add pigments and have colorful casseroles in sight in our kitchens.

It also increases the price of this type of casserole.

On the other hand we have cast iron casseroles without enamel coating, brands such as Lodge bet on a more natural aesthetic and simply cure iron.

The use is almost identical to enamelled ones but it is not recommended to use acidic foods for a long time. If you are going to cook with tomato or wine and it is a short cooking nothing happens, but I would not make a tomato or bolognese sauce that is 2-3 hours of cooking in this casserole.

The good side of these casseroles is that as they do not have those beautiful colors and finishes we can use them even on the barbecue with direct fire, which I would not do with a colored iron casserole.

As they do not have the enamel coating, they are cheaper.