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Enameled Iron pots with induction

14 years ago

Anyone use enameled iron pots/pans with an induction top? The wife and I are about to have the new induction top installed and I was wondering about what the best cookware is to use with them. We currently have a very heavy non-stick aluminum set that I like but of course they'll have to be tossed.

I'm too lazy to maintain a cast iron set so I thought enameled iron may be the way to go. Is there a chipping cracking issue with the enamel on the induction? seems like the thermal shock/expansion from room temp to high heat may cause an issue with the coating. Has anyone had this issue or am I a worry wart?

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Comments (5)

chad_c
14 years ago
I haven't had any problems with Le Creuset or Staub on a 1800W Cooktek. Higher wattage might be an issue, but I doubt it. The high heat won't be only at the base, it will pass to the sides of the pot very quickly, and the mass of the pot should be enough to keep the bottom from getting too hot too fast.
Fori
14 years ago
They work fine. :)
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There shouldn't be much difference between the house brand and the name brand. Unless the Kirkland one isn't really made out of solid iron, or has a lot of impurities, or something, it should work the way it's supposed to on induction. Slap a magnet on it. If it sticks it'll work. Low pull fridge magnets don't stick as well to the enamel as they do on fridges, but they stick. The inductors on your stove don't care about the enamel at all. On my old underpowered Dacor gas cooktop, I used to start my Le Creuset before prepping a lot of stuff. I'd even start it with nothing in it, and then search out the oil, or broth. It took that long to heat up. With my little, low power, portable induction unit, the Le Creuset heats up much faster. I had to unlearn some bad habits. :-) It may be that cast iron is slower to heat up than your other pans, but, again, I don't think the brand would make a big difference. And, yes, Datura, they do just work. There are some pans, like some made by Demeyere, that are specifically designed for induction, and supposedly act in special ways with it. For anything else, if the magnet sticks to the bottom, it'll work. Some will work better than others, depending on the way they're made (cladding, etc., can affect how the sides heat). But they'll work.
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I think I've seen those and BB&B, and thought they were reasonably priced for something from France. That said, Le Creuset cast iron has the best enamel. I have some Staub, another French company, and I like the black insides, but Le Creuset's exteriors are the best. My favorite oven is the larger Staub, my favorite smaller piece is a Le Creuset shallow oval that I use for au gratin potatoes.
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I knew I couldn't be the only one with this question! I prefer the design & colors of the Kitchen Select over LC though I have to say I prefer the Staub design & colors over the KS. But the prices are wildly different & I don't have unlimited funds. If you keep going back to TJMaxx/HomeGoods you'll see Kitchen Select enameled cast iron in different shapes & colors. I just can't see a difference holding the LC & KS side by side. I posted to see if anyone owns both and knows a difference in use (cooking or cleanup). I'm interested in all the brands, any differences. jackidr, I bought the 5 quart round KS in a wonderful butternut color that cheers me up so much I feel free to plunk it on the table to serve. So I often pick up this pot over an old anodized round pot in the same size. A few weeks ago I saw the $40 KS piece you & I purchased at TJMaxx on Amazon for $35 plus shipping, today it's $50. Kitchen Select & Innova appear to be the same (are they?). I'm linking what looks like our same pot for $28. Why such a broad price range for similar products? Is it the price of a French product vs Chinese? What exactly are we paying for with the higher price tags or losing with the lower price tags? So confused. Anyone else? Here is a link that might be useful: Innova / Kitchen Select
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I also wanted to ask - what is enameling made of? Is it porcelain or something else?
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pbrisjar
14 years ago
My enameled cast iron is my favorite pot on my induction unit. Stays put and doesn't "hum" as much as my other set (stainless with a copper core). Mine's a 3.5 quart dutch oven from Kitchen Aid that I found at Costco. I'm hoping to get more.
cotehele
14 years ago
My enameled cast iron pots range from cheap to expensive. They all work well on induction. So do the layered ss (test with a magnet before choosing) and carbon steel skillets.
lululemon
14 years ago
A friend of mine has an induction cooktop and her enameled pots work just fine. However I do want to add a caution about the magnet test.

Before her new cooktop was installed during the renovation last fall she used a magnet to decide which pots and pans to keep thinking that if the magnet stuck she was fine. After the kitchen was complete she found that some of the pots didn't work on the cooktop even though the magnet stuck to them. She had to go scrambling around 2 days before Christmas to get enough pots that would work so she could make Christmas dinner in her newly renovated kitchen.

My advice: Use the magnet, but keep the sales slip just in case.

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