The Marmitout: Is This the Perfect Piece of Cookware?

Have you ever heard of a marmitout? (No, we don't know how to pronounce it either.) We first saw this piece of cookware in a British newspaper article. It sounded most intriguing, and when we discovered a little more about it we grew convinced that this is the perfect, most elemental piece of cookware you can own.

A marmitout is actually very simple: It's a cooking pot with a frying pan lid. The lid can be used separately to fry and sauté, and at least theoretically the pot could also be used as a lid for the frying pan.

Seeing as we rarely need more than a frying pan and small pot for basic cooking, this seemed like the most ideal piece of cookware. It would be the perfect gift for new grads and those setting up a kitchen for the first time, too.

We couldn't find out much about the marmitout, though; it seems to be most popular in England and France. Le Creuset used to make one but it's since been discontinued. Nigella also makes one but it is only available in England. Here's one other at a British website.

Fortunately, however, it appears that Lodge (our favorite cast iron) makes a similar Combo Cooker with a frying pan and pot that fit together.

• Original article: Does our wonderful combo pan still exist? at The Guardian

• Buy it: Lodge Logic Combo Cooker, $55.95 at Lodge

(Images: All Up and On; Amazon)

Comments (10)

I saw one (or something similar) last time I was at the Lodge cast iron outlet digging through the seconds. They looked pretty solid but I was flying home and it would have been too heavy for my luggage. I was thinking about picking one up next time I came through. Although admittedly, wielding a cast iron pan every time I want to put a lid on my pot is a little heavy for me, and I am not a tiny girl. I can imagine the reverse, as you've suggested above, would be difficult and possibly even dangerous, especially if there's hot water or oil involved, for someone without the arm strength to manage it effectively.

@Leah Hope: It'll be the next big trend! Work out while you cook!

I've seen the Lodge version and it is definitely heavy. You'd need either strong wrists (I find the torque of lifting the lid harder than the vertical motion) or really good oven mitts so you could use both hands. And don't even THINK of moving the whole thing to a different burner.

Why not lift weights while you are cooking? Save time and money by not going to the gym and cooking with cast iron instead :)

are you sure le creuset's has been discontinued? we just saw one in a LC shop about a month ago.

I love mine. I bought one in great condition through eBay. A Descoware piece in a mustard yellow for $20 with shipping and handling.

I swear I've seen one of these around and just didnt bother looking because I didn't know what it was. I live in Ottawa, so there must be a common brand that carries it for it to be here.
I'd say wander around Home Sense (discontinued stuff can be found there often) and schmancy gourmet stores.

And a note on the weight- it doesn't take long to build up wrist strength. I went from cooking for one to volunteering/working at cooking for 50 with heavy cookware. A month and you'll have wrists of steel for sure!

I have the Lodge combo and i love it. I don't often use it as a pot lid, but having getting a cast iron pan plus an iron pot for a total of $25 was a deal i couldn't turn down (amazon.com). Plus its one less lid to clutter up the cabinets.

I was given a used set like this in 1970. It was made by Griswold. Unfortunately, I let someone borrow the top and I never got it back, but I still use the bottom.

oh, that looks very nifty! I can't wait to switch to cast iron. but I don't trust my roommates.

but I have to ask... what happens if you need a pot, a frying pan, *and* a lid?