Off-brand Enameled Cast Iron

[Shalmanese]

So far, I'm not super happy with my lodge. The enamel seems far more sticky that Le Creuset and there's a tendancy for food to get stuck on there and burn.

[Andrew Fenton]

I'm not sure if this is just my local Ikea (south PHL), but mine is selling off all of last year's green coloured enamelled cast iron line for $19.99 (7 qt & 5qt ovals, 3qt round, some wood handled frying pans that I paid less attention to, fondue set).

Ooh, that's a good tip. I have two round Le Creusets, but I wouldn't mind getting an oval pot, and at $20, the price is right...

[Jon Savage]

I'm not sure if this is just my local Ikea (south PHL), but mine is selling off all of last year's green coloured enamelled cast iron line for $19.99 (7 qt & 5qt ovals, 3qt round, some wood handled frying pans that I paid less attention to, fondue set).

Ooh, that's a good tip. I have two round Le Creusets, but I wouldn't mind getting an oval pot, and at $20, the price is right...

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Its a great tip. I purchased one of the 7 qt ones earlier this year also on sale (but not as good of a sale). Great pot and really a bargain at that price.

My lid fit is a little off, if you buy one play around a bit until you find one that fits well.

Not a major gripe though I'm overall very happy with the pot.

[maurdel]

So far, I'm not super happy with my lodge. The enamel seems far more sticky that Le Creuset and there's a tendancy for food to get stuck on there and burn.

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- I got the Lodge as well. I like it just fine, but I have found I need to keep the heat much lower than I usually feel right about,

or as you said many times foods start to burn.

I know this type of cookware is efficient and likes low heat so I don't know if the lodge needs extra low or it is just characteristic of this type of pot.

[scubadoo97]

My Inova brand lasted all of 3 yrs before the enamel crazed on the bottom. I'm sure my fault for not treating it correctly. I did a few NKBs in it which really took a toll on it. But for $30 or $10/yr it was a bargain. I now have a Lodge and it is working well. I think the crazing on the Inova occurred due to deglazing when it was so hot when browning meat prior to braising

[pax]

I bought a Lodge as a filler between two sizes of my Le Creuset about six months ago.

I use it almost daily and the thing is holding up very well.

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Well, here it is now a year on with that pan and I would like to report in that the Lodge did not hold up as well as my LC. The interior is seriously crazed, the lid has warped in some way. This time I'll bite the bullet and replace that size with a good'un.

[phatj]

The Authentic Kitchen 7-Qt pot I posted about when I started this thread is still going strong, chipped enamel notwithstanding. I used it a lot over the past winter.

[Octaveman]

The answer is probably obvious to most...but what is meant by "crazing"?

[Anna N]

The answer is probably obvious to most...but what is meant by "crazing"?

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Spider-web like patterns that form on crockery and enamel when the glaze is damaged. The pattern can also be said to resemble a mosaic. You have seen it many times but perhaps have never heard it described as crazing.

[Octaveman]

Thanks Anna. So, does the enamel come off or just stay like that? If the latter, how does it affect performance?

[Anna N]

Thanks Anna.  So, does the enamel come off or just stay like that?  If the latter, how does it affect performance?

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In my experience because where the crazed lines appear there is no longer a barrier between the iron and any liquid, rust begins to form making the vessel kind of useless. Ultimately I would suspect the enamel would flake off. With crazed plates and such the fear is that bacteria can now breed in the unglazed pottery. At least that's the way I understand it. Maybe one of our infamous SSBs will join the discussion and correct me.

[Octaveman]

I see. That makes sense. Thanks.

[scubadoo97]

Thanks Anna.  So, does the enamel come off or just stay like that?  If the latter, how does it affect performance?

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Bob, in my experience the crazing occurred and did not impair performance until after about a year later when I got one small place where the enamel popped off to expose the cast iron underneath. At this point performance would be impaired as it would rust and the moisture underneath would certainly lead to further delamination of the enamel. I full believe that it was the drastic change in temperature that lead to the crazing of the enamel. I have read post by LC owners who have experienced crazing as well so it's not just a problem associated with knockoff cast iron enamel cook wear.

[Octaveman]

I'm inclined to agree that fast temp changes would eventually cause crazing but also feel that cheap materials and build processes would cause one pan to fail faster than another. I personally wouldn't have a problem buying off-brand pots given the the overall cost/time of ownership...at least if the initial cost was materially cheaper.

Edited August 10, 2008 by Octaveman (log)

[pax]

Sorry I missed your question, but it got answered.

I cook almost exclusively with cast iron and antique LC I had to marry my husband to get. (j/k). He came with a full line of LC which he'd been collecting for years, plus his Grandmum's cast iron. I am religious about how I care for this stuff because it means so much to him so I am careful of temp changes, exposure to direct heat, cleaning, etc. This Lodge was bought to fill a gap in my size line up and was given the same love and care, it just didn't hack it.

[conor610]

Don't kick me off the forums for this, but...I got a Rachel Ray oval enameled cast iron dutch oven two Christmases ago (it was a present!) and, much to my surprise, it's worked out just fine. Tends to run hot, but as long as I'm careful to keep the heat low, there's not too much of a problem there. Good for frying and braising. Since it was a gift, I'm not sure quite how much it cost, but I think the $30 range would be a good guess.

[jlwquilter]

I can personally attest to the fact that quick temp changes will crack the enamel even on a LC pot My own stupid fault

[Chris Amirault]

Just to add a voice here, I'd like to say that I've used enameled cast iron -- my many LCs, a Descoware, and a Martha Stewart -- in a jillion different ways, including on top of the stove and with sudden temperature shifts, and I've never had any cracking or crazing of the enamel. Now you want to talk about staining, that's another story!

[baroness]

I'm not sure if this is just my local Ikea (south PHL), but mine is selling off all of last year's green coloured enamelled cast iron line for $19.99 (7 qt & 5qt ovals, 3qt round, some wood handled frying pans that I paid less attention to, fondue set).

This year's colour is a much much prettier blue.

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At the Elizabeth (NJ) Ikea, the 5 qt. was priced at 39.99 today, and I don't think the skillets were reduced. I liked the green, but couldn't justify yet another pot.

[Chris Amirault]

Just tossed the Martha Stewart dutch oven I mentioned above. It had already gotten some bumps on the interior enamel and was very prone to burning on the bottom; unlike the Le Creuset dutch ovens I have, it can't be cleaned thoroughly after any rough use. I was thinking about repurposing it for use in bread baking (following the Ken Forkish book, which I think is fantastic), which requires 450-475F temperatures, so I jumped onto the internet to see if that was possible.

Nope: Macy's issued a recall on them a couple of years ago, and as I have no interest in enamel shrapnel, it's in the trash.

[lindag]

I've accumulated many LC pieces over the last 30 years and they're all still in use. Some of the older ones have some staining and some cooked-on gunk on the outsides. My newer pieces have the darker interiors (instead of the white) and they seem to resist stains much better. Overall, I've more than gotten my money's worth with them - I enjoy cooking with cast iron more than anything else.

[gfweb]

There is something nice about a braise in a big enameled dutch oven. An aluminum dutch oven or even a hotel pan would be functional, but not as nice.

[DesertTinker]

Just tossed the Martha Stewart dutch oven I mentioned above. It had already gotten some bumps on the interior enamel and was very prone to burning on the bottom; unlike the Le Creuset dutch ovens I have, it can't be cleaned thoroughly after any rough use. I was thinking about repurposing it for use in bread baking (following the Ken Forkish book, which I think is fantastic), which requires 450-475F temperatures, so I jumped onto the internet to see if that was possible.

Nope: Macy's issued a recall on them a couple of years ago, and as I have no interest in enamel shrapnel, it's in the trash.

Macys will still exchange it for you. If the associate you speak to doesn't know about it, ask for a manager.

[Chris Amirault]

Thanks for that advice. I did too much damage to it from carelessness (or, one could say, from expecting higher quality) to return it in good faith for a flaw that didn't contribute to the damage.