Cast Iron vs Enameled Cast Iron | Which is Better For You?

Cast iron cookware and enameled cast iron cookware are both similar and distinctly different. Chef Matt Degen explains the traits of both to help you decide which belong in your kitchen.

Also see:
Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron vs. Stoneware:

Induction cookware: How to know what works:

5 Reasons NOT to cook with cast iron:

5 Reasons to cook with cast iron:

Best way to clean cast iron:

[rstumbaugh]

I have vintage cast iron, modern USA cast iron, LODGE, BUTTERPAT, FIELD, STARGAZER, LeCrucet, and a few Chinese. I also have clad stainless, and carbon steel..American and German, as well as visions/Pyrex/corningware skillets and bakeware.

I prefer cast iron for the average everyday workhorse. Hamburgers, potato, eggs, bacon, grilled cheese, etc..

For boiling water for pasta, making spaghetti, spaghetti sauces, etc I go to my stainless. Spanish rice, goulash, stainless.

Beans, lentils, chili, potato, vegetable soup, I’ll use enamel Dutch oven.

Biscuits, cornbread, gravy, regular cast iron. Vegetables—carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels, corn..either glass, or enamel usually.

Sorry for being so long winded…BUT YOU ASKED🤣🤣🤣🤣

[phillipmccallister]

Man, it is so refreshing to watch a video that gets to the point right away. THANK YOU! So many people spend 80% of the time on a video talking about everything other than what the title says. Great Job! (Kind'a like the cabinets too. That kitchen would require many lights.)

[RC-qfmp]

Good video. My enameled Le Creuset omelette pan is a game-changer. I cook steaks and everything else in it that requires a pan. The white enamel is also helping compared to black enamel or non-enameled cast iron b/c you can easily see the browning, and can easily see what needs to be cleaned. The low profile and curvature inside is also perfect for so many foods. Its low profile makes it easy to put in a Breville Toaster Oven. It’s simply a work of art.

[MrEcted]

I have, use, and love both regular cast iron as well as enamel. My Le Creuset 5.5QT Dutch oven is a permanent fixture on my stove. I love the versatility! I actually enjoy maintaining my traditional cast iron. Getting that really glassy smooth seasoning is a process, and I think it's fun watching it get better over time.

[JWeibertKM]

I purchased my first l le creuset over 30, years ago and have not regretted a cent of the price.I think it's made me a better cook. I find it very forgiving.Also if it becomes discolored you can leave it outside in direct sun and it will brighten.

[PrincessAndMonkey]

I love my cast iron. I have a beautiful set of all-clad and rarely use it now. I finally picked up a le Creuset piece only because my chicken fryer got cracked so I needed a bigger pan, and I tend to not put my food away immediately and I found spaghetti or tomato bases sauces absorbed the iron too much that I could taste it. So I use the enamel for anytime I’m using a tomato based sauce.

[jpp]

it bears mentioning that while cast iron takes longer to heat up, it also takes longer to cool down. That sounds like a negative (and sometimes it probably is) but I find it helpful in that the pan does not cool down and does not need to reheat as additional ingredients are added. It makes a big difference, I find.

[michaelpennington]

Mostly accurate, but you were wrong on a couple things. First. Soap will not harm seasoning in any way. It will not strip seasoning, it will not leave a soap taste if rinsed well, and doesn’t get into the pores. The only things that can remove polymerized seasoning are mechanical means like grinding or sand blasting, chemical (lye), electrolysis or extreme heat. If dish soap was strong enough to damage seasoning, you would have no skin on your hands. Use soap to your heart’s content. Second, oiling after washing is completely unnecessary and can in fact be detrimental. When you apply oil, if you do not heat it past it’s smoke point for one hour, it will not polymerize. Heating it a few minutes on the stove does nothing. Wet, un-polymerized oil left on the pan just becomes a magnet for dust, pet hair, insects, grime and whatever else is floating in your kitchen. It can also go rancid in a surprisingly short amount of time. The best way to care for cast iron is to wash it with soap, rinse thoroughly, dry completely with a kitchen towel and put it away. Don’t make it more complicated than that.

[markmywords]

You hit every point except the most important one, cooking? How does one cook vs the other? Does food stick more or less on one? Do you use less or more heat to cook on one or the other? Which foods are better on one or the other?

[damianrhea]

I'm 60. My friends are my age and older. I just gave away to a charity thrift shop my last 2 enameled cast iron dutch ovens, which I loved and maintained immaculately. Like my friends, I've phased out my large cast iron cookware because it's too heavy; meantime, smaller pieces are somewhat manageable for this time being. Besides, I've got hooked on my mini 3-qt Instant Pot recently. I have a feeling I'll use it regularly for a while.

[abeelvago]

My grandma cleaned her cast iron with soap, however she was adamant it must never contain lye or any caustic component, so almost any household dish soap nowadays will do. However proper care is a must when using cast iron

[jennyjohnson]

I love the Le Creuset multipot. An enameled cast iron lid that doubles as a small skillet??? YES PLEASE.

[jacobperez]

From someone who cooks on cast iron daily, I would say do not wash with soap. The cast iron will not rust over night since I do use it daily but If you don't want your eggs to stick in the morning, you should probably season it daily. Nothing fancy. A few minutes on high heat and a thin layer of oil, and no it does not go rancid over night. Best way to learn how to treat and care for cast iron is to use it daily.

[Mo_Ketchups]

What a super nice dude. I’m happy to finally see a breakdown on this topic. ✌️

[alanlemap]

For seasoning a cast iron pan ( and the cast iron grill on my bbq) I have been advised to use high smoke point oil, is it won't burn off. Also, to put it in an oven for 220°c/450°f then allow to cool and repeat at least once. This should be done when new or whenever you have OVERHEATED or left a pan on the heat and burned off the seasoning coat (it's easy to do that with gas cooking, and obvious because it goes from black to grey so you lose the non stick coating you have been building up) . Supermarkets here in Australia stock rice bran oil (250°c /480°f smoke point) whereas grape seed oil has less of a nutty flavour but smokes at 420°f.

[carilynjurgeson]

I use a giant old fashioned Lodge cast iron skillet with lid for beef pot roast with potatoes & carrots, pork shoulder roasts, steaks and more. The Dutch oven version for breads and it gets abused at 500 degree temps. 12" skillet for frying and pan pizza at high temps. I wash them in the sink with a drop or two of soap with water, then after drying on the stove burner, I apply a light coat of oil back to it. In the old days they used harsher soaps that were not recommended. I use enameled versions for fish, acidic foods, and big pots of soup. I view non stick pans as disposables...they don't last, but I do like to cook over easy eggs in them. If I had to choose between cast iron and any other types of pans, there would be no contest...cast iron is my favorite, even with the extra weight. TFS

[KayGeeBee]

I have used traditional cast iron pans since I learned to cook as a teenager in the 1970s. A few years ago I bought my first enameled cast iron, a Crofton dutch oven at Aldi. I had no idea how to use it and completely ruined the surface of it. I bought a new one yesterday and searched for info about enameled cast iron - this time I want to learn to cook with it and care for it correctly. I subscribed to your channel because it looks like you have a lot of good information.

[RollerRoy]

I use both, enameled and bare cast iron. I use bare cast iron more often coz I find it's easier to use and easier to keep food from sticking.

[HiSummerWasHere]

My uncoated cast iron skillets are heirlooms; if anything needs to be scrubbed out of them, I use coarse salt. It scrubs little burned bits out without disrupting any seasoning layers. If I use water on it, I put it in the oven to dry it with a light seasoning

[XaqNautilus]

Recently Costco had an awesome sale on Tramontina enameled cookware. I ended up with a really nice 5 piece set for less than the price of a single Le Creuset enameled piece. The lifetime warranty and reputation of Le Creuset does not justify the absurd prices they charge. The French are masters of overcharging.