Read my full review of the Vermicular Oven-Safe Skillet.
What to know before buying an enameled cast iron skillet
A lot of research goes into selecting specific items for our product reviews here at Epi, and part of that involves reading one- and two-star customer reviews—especially on popular and trendy gear. Sometimes the bad reviews alert us to long-term durability issues, but more importantly negative reviews help me to understand not only how people are using these items at home but also how they expect these products to work. And the most important thing I learned when researching for this particular piece is that a lot of people expect enameled cast iron skillets to be smooth and nonstick.
Enamel is not a nonstick finish
Enameled cast iron cookware is not nonstick. Though the cooking surface of an enameled Dutch oven is certainly less sticky than bare cast iron, it’s not meant to be nonstick. Enamel protects the cast iron from elements in the kitchen (water, acid, etc.) which in turn, makes the cast-iron a lower-maintenance option than its uncoated counterpart.
Dark enamel is better for a frying pan than light enamel
When you think of enameled cast iron, Le Creuset’s beautiful Dutch ovens with their smooth sand-colored interior probably come to mind. But not all enamel is smooth and pale, and in my testing, I found that the skillets with darker, textured interior enamel did a much better job of browning foods than the lighter, smoother cooking surface. I was also initially surprised that with the same preheating time and well-sized pat of butter, fried eggs stuck to both of the light-enameled pans I tested while they did not stick to any of the pans that had a dark, textured cooking surface. As I cooked more on these pans it started to make sense: Even just a slight texture leaves just enough room for a little bit of butter or oil to move around between the food and the cooking surface which can prevent sticking, but a smooth surface doesn't really allow that.
A very heavy stack of all ten enameled cast iron pans I tested.
How I tested
Out of the box, I washed each pan with dish soap and warm warm water then fully towel dried them. Before cooking anything, I preheated each one on medium-high heat on my induction stovetop (lower for the lightweight pan) then melted a half-tablespoon of butter in each for 90 seconds. I looked closely at how the butter spread out on each cooking surface, then fried one egg in each pan, and repeated the test if an egg stuck to make sure it really was the pan and not the person cracking the egg into it. I continued to use each pan to brown tortillas then make quesadillas, and followed that with grilled cheese sandwiches. Flat, mass-produced white bread made it easy to see how evenly a pan distributed heat. When I had eliminated about half the pans, I used an infrared thermometer to see how quickly and evenly the finalists heated up, checking multiple points on the cooking surface every 60 seconds. I did the same after removing the pans from the stove to see how long each one retained heat. Finally, I made cornbread in each of my top picks to see how evenly the batter cooked and how much of the cornbread stuck to the inside of the well-greased pan.
What I looked for
Cooking surface performance
How well does the interior enamel brown food? When used with butter or cooking oil, do foods stick to the surface? Are there any noticeable hotspots?
Heat distribution and retention
Does the pan heat evenly as it warms and once it’s fully preheated? How well does it hold heat when removed from the oven or stove?
Weight distribution
With the exception of intentionally lightweight pans, cast iron is heavy and theoretically, the heavier it is the better it will retain heat. So I didn’t fault a pan for simply being heavy. I did, however, consider whether the weight felt well distributed enough for the pan to be easily maneuverable from stove to oven to table and so on.
Handles
When using cookware this heavy, a long, ergonomic handle makes it easier to transport the pan around the kitchen and dining room. A functional helper handle is also, well, helpful when moving a whole chicken or heavy pork chops in the pan.
Durability
Does the pan feel like it will be able to withstand everyday use for years? (And do customer reviews indicate otherwise?)
Maintenance
Is the pan dishwasher safe? I didn’t fault the pans that weren’t, but I did look at whether or not the interior enamel was textured in a way that collected lint from a cloth or paper towel when hand drying. And I absolutely dinged the pans that got all linty.
Other enameled cast iron skillets I tested
Made In Enameled Cast-Iron Skillet
I really enjoyed cooking the Made In 11-inch skillet. With its deep, sloped sides, it reminded me of a braiser and it has the highest oven threshold temperature (580ºF) of all the pans I tested. It heated as well and as evenly as the Staub, and with the proper amount of butter, not even an egg stuck to the dark gray, hand-enameled cooking surface. But it lacks pour spouts and the helper handle is almost too small to be truly helpful if you’re wearing an oven mitt—especially for a pan that weighs almost six pounds. If you don’t plan to fry in your skillet, those might not be deal breakers, but it does make this pan less versatile than my top pick.
