Affordable enamelled cast iron casserole/oven pot with lid

Hemulen

Hemulen

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I have a black glazed and lidded cast iron oven pot and a large glass casserole with lid. As a supplement, I've been dreaming of buying a cream-colored 6,3 liter Le Cr--set oval casserole but I think it's pricey. I found an affordable substitute from a Finnish manufacturer: a 5 l white cast iron oval casserole (sand casted in China), enamelled inside out and suitable for all types of heat sources, including induction. The reduced price is 90€ (82£) including shipping costs, so I ordered one today. Only time will tell if it endures washing-up liquids (hand wash), scrubbing with coarse salt & lemon juice or baking soda and daily use for its worth. I'd be happy to hear experiences of Le Cr--set casseroles, their substitutes and cleaning methods for enamelled cast iron as my new casserole is delicate in color.

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Photo credits: OVAL POT 5 L ENAMELLED CAST IRON S/S KNOB - Heirol Global
 
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I've been looking to buy something like this as well, but want to stay in a lower budget. I've been eyeing some at Ikea, prices are around 30€ for a small casserole and their kitchenware is usually good, I think I'll include one on my Christmas presents list.
 
Here (and this is just my opinion), we have three main contenders for (what we call) Dutch ovens:

Tramontina - cheapest of the group, and frequently sold through bulk warehouses like Sam's Club and Costco.

Lodge - The American standard. Heavy, good quality, good price.

Le Creuset - the gold standard.

Yes, we have plenty of no-name, really cheap stuff that you'll find in the discount shops, and we also have Staub and some other high-priced stuff at that end, but those three are the ones you'll find most commonly here.

I had a Lodge pot, cost about $70US at the time (10 years ago), and it worked fine. Reviews of Lodge products are nearly always very positive, and they seem to lose out to Le Creuset/Staub based on their warranty, but as far as performance, they're excellent, and at around $80 today for a Lodge versus about, what?...$350-$400 for a comparable Le Creuset/Staub pot, they're great value.

I gave up my Lodge, though, and got a Tramontina, just based on the weight and ease of handling. I have some fairly advanced tendon wear in my hands and arms, and it makes lifting things very troublesome at times, and the lighter (read, less quality) aspect of the Tramontina really helps with handling it. Yes, I chipped the enamel finish the first time I used it, so it's probably thinner than on the more expensive pots, but it's a good bit lighter, which is more important to me these days. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one.

The Tramontina was $35 at Sam's Club, and I had a coupon, so I got it for $25. I use it a lot, too. A Dutch oven would be my desert island pot/pan because of the versatility.
 
Thanks for the comments and tips, everyone. ^ CraigC, I get your point but frankly "Made in China" doesn't automatically mean crappy. Here is a decent web article on the subject.

For instance the distinguished Finnish ironworks company Fiskars (orange scissors
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etc.) produces their quality enamel cast iron casseroles/Dutch ovens in China. Many European countries and the US are understandably trying to limit Chinese import but from the consumers' point of view money talks, too. I would love to buy a Dutch oven made in Finland but most Finnish companies have outsourced their production due to unbearable raw material, energy and labour costs and high taxation.

Most of the 30-80€ imported cast iron pots sold here are small (2,5-3,5 l), round and lack enamel or are thinly coated. The large and oval one I bought (suggested retail price 119€) has triple enamel coating and good reviews so I didn't completely buy a pig in a poke. But as I said, only time will tell whether I made a good choice. I didn't find many user reviews for this particular Dutch oven but the sporadic ones were good.

Anyhow, if I win in the lottery, I'll by a couple of Le Creuset Dutch ovens in different colors: Caribbean, Shell Pink, Orange,...

I still use some non-coated cast iron kitchenware dating to the 1910's at the countryside. They just need rinsing, occasional scouring and scrubbing and wiping with good quality oil (I use macadamia nut oil).
 
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I also don't have an issue with Chinese-made products as a rule. There's a big push now (it doesn't ever seem to go away entirely) of "Buy American!" in the US, but if something is of good quality, at a fair price, and ethically made (as much as we can know), then I don't care if it came from the outer rim of the Nebulon galaxy. If it fits my needs over something else, I'll buy it, use it, and be happy.

Besides, try to rid your house of everything that has a Chinese connection...you'll be living naked under a tree in your yard in short order. :laugh:

Enjoy that pot! I have my eye on a smaller 3-4 quart one for Christmas.
 
Generally I would agree with CraigC - you get what you pay for, and I can't think of anything in my house that was made in China and is more than five years old. We do have a couple of le Creuset casseroles that are probably 20+ years old. A set of Le Creuset orange saucepans bought in 1985 was given away to my son only a couple of years ago. On the other hand I don't find enamelled pans particularly easy to live with and prefer uncoated ones. Also, they don't like being dropped, and your toes and floor tiles probably agree with that. When you consider how many times you expect to use the pot over the course of it's life, and what the cost of the ingredients of each dish come to, whether its £40, £80 or £200 is largely immaterial compared with it's effectiveness in creating the best meal you can achieve.
 
^ Yes, in the long run it usually pays off if you invest in the best. I just didn't have 300€ to spend at the moment. I'm fast in my movements and a bad saver 🙈.

Most car parts, electric devices, computers, cell phones etc. are made of Chinese components. I don't have any statistical proof but I reckon about 80% of them last till the end of the warranty period and 20% break down during it (and are replaced within a witless 5-12 week repair/replacement time). They've counted the odds carefully: it's profitable to let a portion of the products break immediately. Nowadays, there are too many mobile parts, computer chips, remote controls and gadgets in everything, methinks. My mother still uses her German general-purpose stand mixer from the 60's. Mine is 20 yrs old and already gets too hot and shows symptoms of wear and tear.

I agree with epicuric that uncoated cast iron pots and pans are easier to manage as they can be scrubbed with steel wool. I have issues with my joints (and tendons, like TastyReuben), so light Teflon kitchenware is easiest to handle. Copper pans I leave for the pros.

Enamel coating is a more of an aesthetic thing for me. In Finland we have a saying: "Kauneus on puoli ruokaa" ("Beautiful place, beautiful food" or "Beauty is half of the food/eating").

Hungry Man, several Finnish and pan-European online kitchenware stores sell and deliver Staub Dutch ovens here. (A few examples: Shop 1, shop 2, shop 3). I considered buying a Staub Dutch oven, too, but I didn't like their round form and horizontal lid. Their price was also on the higher end. Lodge pots are sold here but Tramontina is more known for cutlery and knives. Nearly all online stores deliver to Finland but the customs are quite sharp in exploring foreign parcels so I prefer European online stores. Brexit, Brexit... I ordered a cheap ceramic soap dish from Ukraine and had to pay the same amount for taxes.
 
Hemulen said:
Enamel coating is a more of an aesthetic thing for me. In Finland we have a saying: "Kauneus on puoli ruokaa" ("Beautiful place, beautiful food" or "Beauty is half of the food/eating").
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I love that! I have to admit, chili made in my Dutch oven tastes a lot better than chili made in my SS Faberware, even though it's the same recipe. :wink:
 
TastyReuben said:
I also don't have an issue with Chinese-made products as a rule. There's a big push now (it doesn't ever seem to go away entirely) of "Buy American!" in the US, but if something is of good quality, at a fair price, and ethically made (as much as we can know), then I don't care if it came from the outer rim of the Nebulon galaxy. If it fits my needs over something else, I'll buy it, use it, and be happy.

Besides, try to rid your house of everything that has a Chinese connection...you'll be living naked under a tree in your yard in short order. :laugh:

Enjoy that pot! I have my eye on a smaller 3-4 quart one for Christmas.
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The tricky thing is that, because all of Lodge's bare cast Iron is proudly made in the USA, people assume that their enameled cast iron is, too. But, it is made in China. I know many Americans buy Lodge cast iron because it is made in the USA. I'm sure they buy the enameled cookware for the same reason, not knowing it is made in China.

A few years back, I had a LeCreuset piece I wasn't using -- I shouldn't have bought it, but the price at the outlet store was really good. I put it on eBay, and got more than what I paid for it. I got about 2/3 of full retail for it. The demand is that high. If I am going to buy any Lodge cast iron, I will go to some garage sales, where I can buy it for five bucks.

CD
 
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