Enamel vs Castiron Dutch Oven?

[loudmere]

I have decided I want a dutch oven. I mean.. they are endlessly useful! But, now comes the hard decision, which one? The lovely Le Crueset are a bit out of my price range and I was looking at the Lodge Enamel Dutch oven & the traditional cast iron ones. What is the difference

Comments

[a_boleyn]

Anything acidic, ie tomato based sauces, would react with the regular cast iron dutch ovens while it wouldn't with the enameled version. The enameled version must be treated more carefully in terms of using silicone coated whisks/tongs so as not to scratch the enamel coating. As long as it's properly seasoned and washed the cast iron should be as non-stick as the enameled version. So, each has its pros and cons.

That's just off the top of my head.

[tygerli1y]

The enameled one is a porcelain enamel coating over cast iron. So it's still cast iron, just with a coating to make it more user friendly

[tygerli1y]

Whoops, clicked the wrong "reply" link, sorry

[syntheticjesso]

As for 5qt vs 6qt, it really depends on how many people you're feeding regularly. I live on my own, so I have a 3qt enameled one, and it's perfect. Big enough I was able to make mac & cheese to take to Christmas dinner, but small enough I can do smaller quantities without worrying about "filling it" with more food than I can eat.

Really, though, I think the difference between 5 and 6 quarts is not a big deal. The biggest difference between the two dutch ovens you link is the enameling or lack thereof.

[simsabalim]

Cook's Illustrated loves the Tramontina 6.5-Qt. Cast Iron Dutch Oven 80131/504 (available at Walmart for $49.97), but also likes the Lodge Enamel-on-Cast-Iron 6-Quart Dutch Oven EC3D33.

(For the Lodge, I can only find on Amazon EC6D33 (Caribbean Blue, $65.97), EC6D43 (Island Spice, $65.97), EC6D83 (Cafe, $59.99), and EC6D53 (Emerald, $94.50); so, none with the same model number. But I bet that they're pretty close to the model that Cook's Illustrated likes.)

I wouldn't go for a non-enamel cast iron, merely because if you want to simmer tomato sauce, the acid can eat away the seasoning, and give you a metallic taste in your food. And then you have to re-season your pot.

[ipsafictura]

I bought the Tramontina on the recommendation of Cooks Illustrated a couple of years ago and I have been extremely happy with it.

[simsabalim]

Nice!

I totally lucked out, and a family friend bought me a 7 1/4 quart Le Creuset as a college graduation gift. I still can't believe it.

But if I had to buy one for myself, yeah, I would have gone for the Tramontina.

[mcval]

The up side to this is that if you are anemic, cooking acidic (or really, anything that has to simmer a long time) in the bare cast iron gives you a lovely dose of iron in your meal.

[und1sk0]

the thing about the le crueset is that they will survive nuclear holocaust.

get the cast iron now to get your skills up. this will mean that you may have to be careful about what you can cook in them until they are fully seasoned, but the technique will be largely the same (esp if you are using actual charcoal fires).

when you can afford the ceramic dutch oven, it is an investment that will last generations. get the whole set, spend $1000. it's worth it.