Cooking with enameled cast iron To get the best performance out of your enameled cast iron, you have to follow a few rules. No matter what the inside of your enameled cast iron cookware looks or feels like, food will stick to it if you don't allow it to fully preheat. Five or six minutes usually does the trick.
Non-Stick. Traditional cast iron can become extremely non-stick once properly seasoned. Enameled cast iron, however, is not non-stick, and you will need to grease or oil it to avoid sticking. Some food may stick to the pan if you cook on it without oil or cook at high heat.
Turn down the heat – Le Creuset skillets and pans retain heat exceptionally well. So you only need to use medium to medium-high heat for searing. One of the most common reasons that food sticks to our pans is using a heat setting that is too high.
Condition the interior non-stick surface by rubbing vegetable or corn oil over the entire surface, using a paper towel. When you're done, rinse your product with hot water, then dry thoroughly.
Avoid Cooking Acidic Foods in Cast-Iron Pans
I would stew tomato sauces in my cast-iron Dutch oven for prolonged periods, deglaze my skillet with a pop of vinegar, or add lemon juice to foods while they were still hot on the skillet.
Never store the product when still damp, and store in a dry place. Le Creuset Essential Non-stick Ceramic cookware is dishwasher-safe. However, to prolong the life of the non-stick surface and enhance cooking performance of the non-stick coating, we recommend washing by hand in warm soapy water.
Le Creuset's non-stick metal bakeware features an innovative silicone coating for excellent food release and effortless cleanup. Both lightweight and durable, the heavy-gauge carbon steel pans deliver superior heat conduction and uniform browning, and will never twist, bend or warp.
Bake on two pieces of parchment paper to help prevent burning. As you might have noticed in my Beginner's Sourdough recipe, I typically use parchment paper (I love this natural, non-stick option) to help drag dough into the blisteringly hot Dutch oven.
Enameled cast-iron cookware
One caveat to note: it's not non-stick, like a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet can be. Another: Enameled cast iron has temperature limitations. It's not recommended for use over open fire (while standard cast-iron is a campfire classic).
Cooking with enameled cast iron
To get the best performance out of your enameled cast iron, you have to follow a few rules. No matter what the inside of your enameled cast iron cookware looks or feels like, food will stick to it if you don't allow it to fully preheat. Five or six minutes usually does the trick.
Just like with traditional cast iron cookware, you should replace enameled cast iron cookware if any cracks appear. Enameled cookware is more likely to crack than traditional enamel from sudden temperature changes.
After cleaning in the dishwasher, re-condition the cooking surface with vegetable or corn oil before each subsequent use. To do this, rub a film of oil over the entire interior cooking surface using a kitchen paper towel. Rinse the pan with hot water and dry thoroughly.
You shouldn't use metal cleaning pads or abrasive cleaners because they could damage the enamel surface. As for cleaners, our Le Creuset Cast Iron Cookware Cleaner will help keep your Dutch oven looking great, and is ideal for removing metal marks caused by metal tools.
Be mindful of that helpful enamel coating, though. It can get chipped and scratched if it comes into contact with abrasive cooking tools or dish scrubbers. And when enameled cast iron is exposed to extreme temperature changes, it can cause thermal shock and rupture the pan. That's the explosion we're concerned about.
High heats should never be used to preheat a pan before lowering the heat for cooking. Cast iron retains heat so efficiently that overheating will cause food to burn or stick.
My favorite items for cleaning my Le Creuset is the “scrub daddy” sponge and even better for stains or grease is the “Mr. Clean magic eraser.” It works wonders with hot soapy water! You can also persevere the integrity of your Le Creuset by hand washing and drying immediately.