Cuisinart CI650-25BG Classic Enameled Iron Cookware, Cast, Provencal Blue

Product Information

The openings were slightly too small to securely grasp with oven mitts, and they got overly hot while on the stovetop.

Enameled cast iron holds in heat wonderfully, allowing you to serve a delicious meal long after the cooking process is complete. Le Creuset is cast iron Dutch oven royalty that has been used by chefs and home cooks around the world for decades. If hand washing pots and pans is on your “to-don’t” list, make sure to choose one that is labeled as dishwasher safe. From adventurous fine dining and barbecues to salads, dips and smoothies and for those occasional treats like ice-cream, waffles and pancakes. What we didn't like: The Cuisinart retains heat very well out of the oven, but its handles also got warmer than most when we were working over a burner, forcing us to keep pot holders nearby as we sweated vegetables.I believe that the material and manufacturing process speaks volumes about the quality of Le Creuset’s cast-iron products. That's why I've created these guides–so that you can check out the cookware before investing your money. We've used Le Creuset for years in our homes and test kitchen, reaching for it countless times to develop hundreds of recipes for Serious Eats, and it's never let us down. If the Cuisinart isn't available, we also found the 5 1/2–quart Tramontinato be a very solid choice that's comparable in cost. Despite what you may have been told, iron is not a great conductor of heat and needs time and a relatively large burner to heat evenly before you can properly sear meat in it.

Because you don’t want to overcrowd proteins in a pan when searing them — that would lead to steaming rather than to the desired caramelization — most recipes have you sear the meat in batches. This model's smooth porcelain housing, without any corners or gaps that can collect debris, is easy to clean, as is the flat burner surface.

It also means using only heat-resistant wooden or silicone cooking utensils and storing your pan in a safe place free from stacking. Like Le Creuset, Staub has a long history of making handsome enameled cast iron in France and costs a little less.