I just bought an enameled 5qt pot from overstock.com. for under $50. I can't remember the brand off the top of my head...

I have gotten all my Le Creuset from thrift stores. Actually, a lot of it is not Le Creuset, but Descoware, now no longer made. I think people unload it because it's so heavy! Suckers.

One distinction between bare and coated: only the bare cast iron has non-stick qualities (when it's well seasoned).

Although my black enameled Le Creuset skillet can fry an egg OK. I'm not sure how the black lining on enameled pans differs from the gray lining? Or is the black "lining" on Le Creuset just super-smooth bare iron? Anyone know?

I recently came into a no-strings-attached $270 gift card at Williams-Sonoma and I'm thinking of blowing it on a La Creuset dutch oven.

I'm wondering if they're really worth the price. Are they really that much better than the alternative cast iron dutch ovens?

hyperRevue-

for that much, I'd recommend getting a kitchenaid stand mixer or a new food processor- items that are expensive that you'll use at least once a week.

I got a dutch oven through amazon (lodge- pre-seasoned) and it's wonderful and only cost around $50.

Advance apologies for this remedial question, but I'm in the market for a new skillet and have been wondering whether enameled cast iron is functionally equivalent to bare? I'm aware of the obvious differences, but do they otherwise work the same?

Also, I know that the non-stick coating will build up on bare cast iron as you use it. As a vegetarian cook, will it be more difficult to build up the non-stick coating because of the lack of animal fat? Will I just need to season it in the oven more frequently than if I were cooking meat?

Sofista --

I have an old cast iron pan that belonged to my great-grandmother. I think that it lost most of its seasoning when we were young and washed it with soap. As a vegetarian, I haven't had a hard time reseasoning it at all. I used canola oil in the oven a couple of times and will often oil it after washing it.

The trick is to wash it only using water and to dry it right away. I also try to avoid using metal utensils on it.

Am I the only one wondering why the Lehman's Non-electric Catalogue to "serve the local Amish and others without electricity" is online? :)

But seriously. I currently don't own an enamel OR cast-iron pan, and am sort of in the market, if I could but be convinced that I needed one. I have plenty of good quality pans, and while I sometimes wish I had a nicer looking pan to go on the table from the oven/stovetop, what I have really does the job. At least as far as I know.

Anyone wanna tell me why I should get one? (For sure I'm not shelling out more than $75.)

I use my enamel dutch ovens for many things- the best no knead bread, braising, slow cooking, soups and stews.
I have very high end ones and I have the Ikea one, the Ikea dutch oven is made in France and preforms very well.

I use my cast iron skillet for almost everything without a tomato base.

Best to clean cast iron by heating and spreading a vegetable oil, then taking a bunch or sea salt and wad of paper towels or rag to clean and clean up with the salt, toss the salt and re heat with a thin coating of oil. Never use soap.

The rest of my pots and pans get used less frequently.

The reason I love Staub so much (besides their gorgeous black and platinum lines...) are their interiors.

Unlike Le Creuset, their interiors are black, and like cast iron, become increasingly non-stick over time. Unlike cast iron though, they are non-reactive and do not get "stripped" and don't require the work of true "seasoning" that cast iron does.

And if you ever find yourself in Alsace, there is a factory store there!

Some people might not like this but the TJMaxxes around here have great selections of Cast Iron sometimes. It is hit or miss but I finally found something that is small enough to cook for 1 or 2 and it is the perfect thing for me.

They nearly always have some Le Cruset and Lodge and other brands from time to time.

To loudlyquiet:

What's not to like about shopping at TJMaxx? That's where I found my red Cuisinart enameled cast iron pot that I ruined by cracking it! (Don't put the lid on when you've poured cold water into a very hot pot--the steam split a crack in the bottom enamel. I really don't know what I was thinking when I did that.) I'm looking currently for a good deal on a replacement; I miss my pot, used it practically every day.

I just bought a 5 qt cast iron dutch oven from World Market. I can't personally attest to its quality, as I'm still waiting for it to arrive, but it got very good reviews online (the only beef was the the plastic handle, but I've read that Le Creuset has a similar issue, so I didn't find it to be a deterrent. I'll just go get a metal drawer pull the hardware store).

It was regularly priced at $49.99, but they gave me 20% off my order because I accidentally tried to close the browser after adding the dutch oven to my cart (I got a pop-up basically saying, "Wait, don't leave! We'll give you 20% off if you buy this now!) My order ended up being under $50.00 even after shipping! I couldn't be more pleased with my bargain and eagerly await its arrival.

Oh, and they also have an oval 6 qt version for $59.99 if you need something a little bigger.

I have one of each type: a large enameled pot and a smaller bare cast iron pot. The bare pot was a gift that I wasn't sure I would ever use, but it's come in very handy for making no knead bread.

I will need to replace the enameled pot soon as it looks like it's going to start chipping any minute now on the bottom. I like the Staub pots, but they're just too pricey. I might have to go raid the Marshalls HomeGoods store in my parents' town.

I chuckled when you mentioned "Martha Stewart's Le Creuset lookalike Dutch ovens" because I rec'd the red one as a Christmas gift and recently purchased one of the Le Creuset-branded metal knobs to replace the plastic knob. I'm a graduate student, so Le Creuset is likely not going to set foot in my kitchen for several years, other than that little knob. :)

Also, I love my Lodge pans (I have a large & small skillet-- 8" and 12", I think?). The pre-seasoning was A and they have changed my life.

Edit: When I wrote "The pre-seasoning was A", I meant "The pre-seasoning was A-plus"!

@hyperevue, get the le creuset, and you'll never regret it. i have been steadily replacing my old cookware with le creuset the past few years, and although it's not cheap, they will last a lifetime.
@jillrenee, i use my dutch oven at least 4 times a week... my kitchenaid, a few times a year, and i don't even own a food processor. for some, the quality and durability of le creuset's products are worth the up-front expense.

I have the Martha Stewart dutch ovens in two different sizes (7 qt. and 5.5 qt) and have been VERY happy with them. Macy's has them on sale right now and is also offering a free shipping promotion.

I doubt there is much difference in the quality compared to Le Cruset but the price difference is substantial.

yes, le creuset has a higher up front expense, but it's the best value overall. they have a LIFETIME guarantee! if the pots are damaged, even by your own stupidity, they replace them. these are quality items, made in france, not in china like some of the other brands. none of the other brands stand behind their product the way le creuset does, because they don't match up. le creuset is an investment! and worth every penny. :)

I inherited a vintage cast iron "Wagner Drip Drop Roaster/Skillet" with lid from my Grandmother and it is my very favorite pan I own. I braise in it, I bake Dutch Babies in it, I fry in it... I do everything in it.

I have had some La Cruset enameled pans but I gave them away because I got sick of cleaning them. (Perhaps it was my error, I don't know). My cast iron is beautifully seasoned over the years and I have never had a problem with things sticking. I adore it.

Lodge's cast-iron hasn't done me wrong yet. Someday I hope to pick up a gorgeous enameled dutch oven, but until then, my plain seasoned skillet will continue to be the absolute center and soul of my kitchen.

(I named my skillet Calcifer. Hee hee.)

I use waaaay to much tomato-added recipes to get much use out of my cast iron skillet.

Which is a shame, because my mother loves the things. She even rescues them from yard sales and turns rusty trash into beautifully seasoned pans.

I seemed to be blessed with the exact opposite skill - I can take any seasoned pan and magically make it rust, even without touching soap or water. Probably my tendency to cook a lot of tomato-enhanced dishes. Cleaning with a ton of salt and paper towels/rags always felt massively wasteful too.

Once my husband bought my little enameled pot on a great sale, I never looked back.