Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2022-06-22 Origin: Site
When it comes to finding the right skillet, it’s tough to beat picking something made from cast iron. Strong and durable, capable of holding and distributing heat evenly, and about as versatile as a pan can be, there’s a lot to fall in love with when it comes to casting iron.
These kinds of pans also have to be babied when you clean and care for them – especially if you want them to last as long as they can (which is forever when properly maintained).
That’s where enameled cast iron skillet comes into play! Offering all the benefits of cast iron with a whole host of other benefits of their own, enameled cast-iron skillets are a game-changer in the kitchen.
Here’s my detailed guide to help you find the perfect enamel option going forward.
What are Enameled Cast Iron Skillets?
Before we get into the nuts and bolts of what you should be looking for to get the best enameled cast iron skillet, it’s important to cover what exactly enameled cast iron is, to begin with.
Unlike traditional cast iron pans that are essentially “raw iron” with a thin layer of seasoning on them, enameled pans are a lot more durable, a lot more resilient, and a lot more nonstick right out of the box.
The enameled coating applied to these pans is usually made up of a powdered glass material mixed with a bit of clay and some water. Pigments are added into the mix to produce gorgeous and vibrant colors most of the time, but the end goal here is to create a second hardened – and super slick – surface on these pans.
Is Enameled Cast Iron Safe to Cook With?
Today’s modern enameled cast iron cookware is a lot safer than it used to be in the past.
High-quality enamel materials are used these days, materials that are free from lead and cadmium and other potentially toxic substances that used to work their way into enamel materials of the past.
Stick to high-quality options and you’ll never have to worry about whether or not these skillets are safe to cook with.
Tomatoes and citrus can be splashed into your new skillet every now and again, but this might not be the best pan to reach for when you’re making a Sunday gravy or grandma’s secret sauce recipe – and it’s definitely not the pan to use when reducing citrus down to create a glaze, either.
The acid in those ingredients will actually work to eat away at the enamel, eventually breaking it down, compromising it, and destroying the effectiveness of your pan altogether.
Make no mistake, the protection against these acidic ingredients with enameled cast iron cookware is greater than “raw” cast iron cookware. But you’ll still be biting into the longevity of your enameled pans all the same if this is all you cook in your new skillet.
What to Look for in Enamel Cast Iron Skillets
Now that we have sorted all of that it’s time to dig through everything you should be looking for in the best enamel cast iron skillet options on the market today!
Size
The first thing you want to look for in a new cast iron enameled skillet is the actual size of the skillet itself.
One of the beautiful things about cast iron cookware is the numerical sizing breakdown. Cast iron pans are given a number between 2 and 20 to designate the size, and the sizes are pretty much standardized across the board.
Follow these general guidelines to choose a skillet that is the right size for your needs:
A 6-inch skillet is considered a small skillet and is suitable for single-serve dishes
An 8-inch skillet is considered medium and is suitable for one
a 10-inch skillet cooks meals for two people and is the most versatile size of all skillet sizes.
A 12-inch, which is considered a large skillet, will prepare meals for up to four people comfortably.
In this article Cast Iron Skillet Sizes you will find the answers about skillet sizes and how to choose the right size for your cooking needs.
Weight
Weight is going to vary from one manufacturer to another, even when it comes to the same size skillet across both brands.
You’re going to want something that is reasonably heavy (that means the cast iron is solid and will retain and distribute heat well), but not something so heavy that you dread reaching for it every time you need to cook up the dish.
Look for something that you can move with one hand reliably that still has a bit of heft to it.
Pro Tip: Look for skillets with “helper” handles on the opposite of the skillets handle.
As a general rule of thumb, you should be looking for a cast iron enameled layer to be at least 3 mm thick, and that’s at the rock bottom minimum you should accept.
A little bit thicker than that is never a bad thing – up to maybe 5 mm or so – but you don’t need to go crazy with enameling, either.
The thicker the enameling the more durable the protection (to be sure), but the heavier your new skillet is going to be to wield.
Stick to enamel that is between 3 mm and 5 mm thick and you’ll be good to go.
Along with a quality cast iron core and virtuous enamel layers of cast iron the skillets handle should be generous enough to fit mitted hands for safe transport. Handles should also be integrated, what does integrated mean? The handles should be cast at the same time as the pot, skillet, pan, or Dutch oven. Lid knobs should be stainless steel so they are oven safe up to 500°F.
One of the coolest things about today’s modern infrared thermometer technology is that it lets us “see” how well different pans distribute heat these days.
Almost every company making enameled cast iron cookware today provides a heat map, too.
This gives you a good idea of how well heat is distributed across these skillets, how well heat is held and maintained, and how much easier it is to cook with these kinds of pans – especially since you don’t have to worry about hotspots anymore.
Price
Finally, the best enameled cast iron skillet isn’t going to break your bank account into tiny little pieces – but it’s probably not going to be the cheapest skillet on the market, either.
A little bit of research and due diligence should help you zero in on a real top-quality piece of cookware here that won’t set you back a small fortune, but that will still deliver the results and benefits of cast iron that has been enameled you are looking for.
Expect to spend a little more than budget prices, though, if you really want to get your hands on the best enameled cast iron skillet around.
