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Wolfgang Puck cast-iron dutch oven

10 years ago

Hello,
I just got a 5.6qt. Wolfgang Puck enameled cast-iron dutch oven. If you use one of these, can you please share your experience/review? Also, I got it for 40 bucks on sale at TJMaxx. Is it a good price for this item?
Thanks!

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Comments (3)

nancylouise5me
10 years ago
The price is good for a cast iron d o of that size. That it is a Wolfgang puck item is questionable. Having tried his small appliances (oil fryers), the quality is just not there. Returned both due to pieces breaking off with use. I have no first hand knowledge of his cookware. But would not purchase it due to his lack of quality in other products. His cast iron is made in China I believe. China cookware is known for it's lack of quality and questionable glazes that they use. I use to work in a cooking store. Paula Deen had her C I made in China also. We received them into the store with chips,cracks and splits in the iron and sent them back. She had a few recalls on her cast iron cookware made in China also. I don't buy cookware made in China period. The quality and confidence is just not there for me. NancyLouise
eibren
10 years ago
Just use precautions to protect the glaze from cracking. I have been having good success with several sizes and brands of Dutch ovens made in China.

Do not preheat the oven and then pour in anything cold. If you are braisng meat and then wish to add water or other liquid, heat it a bit in your microwave first. If you place oil in the oven before adding food, place it in before you heat the oven.

Don't do anything to scratch the coating--use wooden or silicone utensils, and don't drag it across rough surfaces; pick it up. Place it doen gently, and use soft hot pads under it.

If the cover handle is plastic, it must be removed before use in the oven.

These are all basic precautions for this type of cookware, even if it is Le Creuset. My DB has lc and I find little difference between that and my own Dutch oven. I think the non-lc ovens have been unfairly castigated on some forums.
In any case, you could easily have spent 3X more for the French version, which may itself now be made in China, anyway. The Chinese are perfectly capable of good work--they have been working with porcelain for centuries!

You will be pleased with how quickly things cook in your Dutch oven. The cover is heavy enough to retain the heat better than more lightweight cookpots. It is not exactly pressure cooking, but a bit in that direction. You will love it.
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An easy way to remove staining from an enameled cast iron pot is to add a small amount of bleach (about 1/4 cup), dilute with tap water and (optionally) squirt in a little dishwashing liquid. Let the pot sit out over night. Discard water and rinse really well to get rid of bleach odor. This even works if you've scorched the bottom and have some baked on food residue. The Wolfgang line of enameled cast iron pots are nowhere near the quality of Le Creuset or other high end brands. Preheating an empty enameled cast iron pot in the oven for bread baking can weaken the enamel, making it more prone to chipping (and crazing). Since the enamel on the pot you have is already crazed, you might as well use it to bake bread. I've been using non-enameled cast iron dutch ovens for bread baking long before it was popularized by Bittman's article in the New York Times. One thing that bothers me is that it seems as though your risen dough, when ready to bake, still had some oil on it. Even with the no-knead recipe, bread dough has 2 rises - the bulk rise and then, after shaping, the final rise prior to baking. For the final fermentation, the dough is not put in an oiled bowl so there should be no oil on the risen dough when you place it in your preheated pot. A thin layer of any coarse meal (coarse corn grits, wheat bran, semolina, etc.) on the bottom of the pot prevents sticking. In fact, even for the first rise (the bulk fermentation) there is really no need to oil the bowl. Misting the bowl (or whatever rising container you're using) *lightly* with water (use a plant mister for this) is just as effective. Happy baking. Enjoy your pot.
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I wouldn't go by the 4time Felon and others using things, when they sell them. Kind of a bias there, right? But yes, a lot of good cooks use cast iron. And a lot of good cooks do not use cast iron. These arguments go on and are similar to the gas vs. electric stoves each are used by a number of good cooks. Let's not lose sight of a simple fact: Neither the appliance nor the cookware make a cook a good (or great) cook. A good/great cook can cook with and on most anything. I used cast iron at the lake a lot. But that gas stove was not the best for use with it, though it worked and is what I had out there. I have a cast iron dutch oven in the basement and haven't used it in decades. Part of my problem was my old stove was a corningware top that wouldn't work well with cast iron. I've since replaced it and have considered getting some cast iron but for the most part I look at it as if I haven't needed it for decades, do I need it now? Will I really use it? I can't think of much I really would use it for. However Aldi has their cast iron sale a couple times a year and for $20-$30 I figure I could try a few things. They should be having it again in a month or two. I'll watch for it and consider it then. Weight is a big factor for me. Another hesitation. Cookware is a personal thing. My mother used mostly cast iron and I learned to cook in it. But I've found other alternatives that I like too. I'm not as locked into things as some. If you think you need it or want to try it, get a cheap one or see if someone has something you could borrow. Remember to season it and uncoated cast iron requires more care than other cookware. Not too big a deal but if it rusts, you're in for some work and they can rust easily if not properly cared for.
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Melis - that is one beautiful Staub! Why don't you use it? Mine Staub is a basic round with a standard lid but I have a LC oval. Scrappy - as others have said - the oval works just fine. I have used mine on my Wolfie and it worked great. I braised with it and even used as a slow cooker on my induction. One time, I was using as a slow cooker but was chicken to leave it alone while I ran to the store, so I popped it into my speed oven on high warm and found out I have another option for a slow cooker.
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Julie Cantrell
2 years ago
I purchased a Wolfgang Puck 5-Quart Enamel Dutch Oven three years ago because I believed that this was a quality product being sold by a company with integrity. The manufacturer's packaging stated that the product has a lifetime* warranty against manufacturer's defect. Unfortunately, I was wrong on both accounts.

The enamel on the exterior had a chunk fall off shortly after purchase. I didn't worry since that didn't affect the product's main performance objective. However, yesterday I noticed that the interior was spider-webbing and exhibited pockmarks I called what their greeting identified as their warranty department and spoke with Renata ((310) 432-1500, option 2), who told me she is the customer service manager of the company and there is No One that she answers to at the company.

Renata explained to me that Mr. Puck has a policy that says that they will not warranty any product they distribute through whom they deem to be a third party, regardless of what the packaging material says. Unless their product is purchased through the HSN or QVC, it only carries a 1-year limited warranty, despite this information not having been relayed to the buyer at the time of purchase. It seems obvious to me that they know their product is junk. Why else would one have an internal policy to not honor their warranty?

I no longer believe that Wolfgang Puck is an honorable person, and his company is sketchy. This pot will go into the trash now, where it belongs. PLEASE do the same should this happen to you. Enamel is a glass material and can cause you severe personal harm should you continue to use it when it has failed.

Mr. Wolfgang Puck, you sir have FAILED as a decent human and as a businessman. I will never use anything even slightly related to your name. User's recommendation: DO NOT Buy Wolfgang Puck products!

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