John R wrote:I got one of Martha's 7 qt dutch ovens for Christmas. The lid doesn't seem to fit quite right, so that it doesn't seem to be seated. I'd say it's a just a little too big.

My question - is this an example of a product so well engineered that takes into account the slight thermal expansion differences between the pot and the lid? Or is the lid just the wrong size?

The lid on my martha dutch oven fits perfectly.

Jean Blanchard wrote:Can you tell us more about your convection/toaster oven? What brand? How do you use it? I'm tempted.

Jean

Jean,
The toaster oven we received is the Krups 6-slice toaster oven, model number FBC2-12. I have used it for everything from toast to baking cookies. It is perfect for reheating pizzas, and I've baked countless pork chops since we received it. The broiler works very well for sausages, when the grill knobs are frozen. However, this toaster oven is quite large and takes up about as much space as a microwave.

Cook's Illustrated rated this model as one of it's top picks a few months back.

Flip wrote:

We've got this one as well, and I like it very much.

Hi,

IN the debate whether to purchase the 5 or 7 quart pot. If you ever envision doing any food preservation, then 7 quart or slightly larger would be your best bet. The maximum container load in a waterbath or pressure canner is 7 quarts. I suggest slightly larger, because often you have the bring the product to a boil before filling the jars.

I also use my dutch oven pot for making jams and jellies. If I do it in a smaller pot, the jam/jelly sometimes begins to climb up the sides and overboil if I am not attentively stirring. In the larger pot, I can walk away for a moment and not invite disaster.

Regards,

Flip wrote:The toaster oven we received is the Krups 6-slice toaster oven, model number FBC2-12.

Flip,

Looks to be a most excellent toaster oven, quite useful, I am envious. Oddly, one of few trade offs I made when my wife and set up household was my toaster oven. She loves toast, has it some form most every morning, and feels toaster ovens produce inferior toast. I pointed out the multipurpose usefulness of toaster ovens, but we only had counter space for one and it wasn't going to be a toaster oven.

Enjoy,
Gary

G Wiv wrote:

Flip wrote:The toaster oven we received is the Krups 6-slice toaster oven, model number FBC2-12.

Flip,

Looks to be a most excellent toaster oven, quite useful, I am envious. Oddly, one of few trade offs I made when my wife and set up household was my toaster oven. She loves toast, has it some form most every morning, and feels toaster ovens produce inferior toast. I pointed out the multipurpose usefulness of toaster ovens, but we only had counter space for one and it wasn't going to be a toaster oven.

Enjoy,
Gary

Gary,

I highly recommend that you mention this particular model to the wife. The convection feature alone makes it a perfect purchase when cooking for two. then put her toaster on top of it.

Flip

There is a pretty goot sale right now on Martha Stewart enameled cast iron at Macy's. Amazon also has this sale (via Macy's). I think the sale ends Dec 30, 2008 but I don't see that date anymore when I look up the items so it's possible I got confused.

There is a light aqua color that would look good in a "retro" kitchen. Also red, green, and sand.

geli wrote:I would also like to point out that while it doesn't have the name-brand appeal of Le Creuset or even Martha Stewart, Target now carries enameled cast iron cookware and it's GREAT. I have a le Creuset 5 quart and a chefmate (from Target) and they are virtually indistinguishable. The 5 quart goes for $39.99, and the 7 quart is $59.99. They're just as heavy as le Creuset, the enamel seems to be just as thick and evenly applied, and the knob on the lid is safe in the oven up to 400 degrees.

This is what I asked for and got last Christmas, the $40 enameled cast iron pot from Target. And it IS great, or it was; only problem is, Sweet Baboo did not seem to realize that taking an SOS pad to the inside of an enameled cast iron pot, repeatedly, was going to lead to, well, not so much enamel any more inside the pot. There is quite a lot of the cast iron visible now, and I think I have succeeded in convincing him that this is not just staining that a soaking in bleach will take away (believe me, we've tried). I searched this and other forums and did not find anything useful on re-enamaling an eroded pot interior, nor do I know how to decide if it's even worth it for a $40 pot.

I wish I had one that didn't have all the enamel scraped away inside, but, a), I don't know if it matters to the cooking at all, or whether it's just a matter of aesthetics; b) I don't know if more expensive enamel-coated cast-iron pots out there are more SOS-pad-resistant, and c) I haven't figured out how to stealthily transition a new, non-scoured-to-death pot onto the stovetop without Sweet Baboo noticing.

And d), if I did get a new one, should I send the worn-out one to Goodwill, or keep it around? What would my Depression-era parents do in this situation? Do I really need a new one? Suggestions welcome.

Katie wrote:

geli wrote:I would also like to point out that while it doesn't have the name-brand appeal of Le Creuset or even Martha Stewart, Target now carries enameled cast iron cookware and it's GREAT. I have a le Creuset 5 quart and a chefmate (from Target) and they are virtually indistinguishable. The 5 quart goes for $39.99, and the 7 quart is $59.99. They're just as heavy as le Creuset, the enamel seems to be just as thick and evenly applied, and the knob on the lid is safe in the oven up to 400 degrees.

This is what I asked for and got last Christmas, the $40 enameled cast iron pot from Target. And it IS great, or it was; only problem is, Sweet Baboo did not seem to realize that taking an SOS pad to the inside of an enameled cast iron pot, repeatedly, was going to lead to, well, not so much enamel any more inside the pot. There is quite a lot of the cast iron visible now, and I think I have succeeded in convincing him that this is not just staining that a soaking in bleach will take away (believe me, we've tried). I searched this and other forums and did not find anything useful on re-enamaling an eroded pot interior, nor do I know how to decide if it's even worth it for a $40 pot.

I wish I had one that didn't have all the enamel scraped away inside, but, a), I don't know if it matters to the cooking at all, or whether it's just a matter of aesthetics; b) I don't know if more expensive enamel-coated cast-iron pots out there are more SOS-pad-resistant, and c) I haven't figured out how to stealthily transition a new, non-scoured-to-death pot onto the stovetop without Sweet Baboo noticing.

And d), if I did get a new one, should I send the worn-out one to Goodwill, or keep it around? What would my Depression-era parents do in this situation? Do I really need a new one? Suggestions welcome.

That is a sad story. You definitely need a new pot.

Target also has some really nice Lodge brand enameled cookware that is getting rave reviews. You can see this at Amazon as well. One nice thing about Lodge is that there is no exposed cast iron so you don't have to oil the edge of the pan. I'm eying the 5.5-quart "cafe" color myself (I have an LC 4.5-quart and I'm thinking of splurging on a Lodge one that's a little bigger.) The brown would not be for everyone but I like it. I'm also thinking of a 3-quart for cooking rice and stuff because my 2-quart LC is not in the best shape (it was a factory second and hasn't held up well) and is on the small side of useful. The truly bad thing (pricewise) I'm doing is looking at the Emile Henry Flametop dutch ovens. That needs to stop right away but they look so intriguing (clay pots that are lighter than cast iron that you can use on the stove and put in the dishwasher).

Was Sweet Baboo worried about stains that come from cooking? You can do various things to get rid of interior staining but I think the safest thing is just to live with it and enjoy the look of a well-used pot. Right now my LC is looking a little discolored from cooking red cabbage in it but that will go away with time. I never use anything other than soap and a dishcloth to clean mine. If there is anything caked on the bottom, just fill with warm water, soak for awhile, and then clean with a dishrag. It's best to think of the enamel as a little delicate when you're not cooking in it.

Hi,

If one can comfortably use a cast iron skillet, then why would cast iron visible in an enameled pan make it trashed? Granted it may not be desireable from an aesthetic point of view, but does it really mean it is vanquished?

My Mom had quite a bit of enameled cast iron pots in the early seventies. The enamel sometimes chipped off in places, there were a few dings in the bottom and yet they were continued to be used.

I don't like sponges, kitchen cleanser like Comet or Brillo pads in the kitchen, they create more problems than they are worth.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:Hi,

If one can comfortably use a cast iron skillet, then why would cast iron visible in an enameled pan make it trashed? Granted it may not be desireable from an aesthetic point of view, but does it really mean it is vanquished?

My Mom had quite a bit of enameled cast iron pots in the early seventies. The enamel sometimes chipped off in places, there were a few dings in the bottom and yet they were continued to be used.

Oh yeah--mine is chipped at the top in a few places and crazed a bit on the inside, and this is normal and doesn't bother me. Would I use a pot where the enamel had been rubbed so hard that it had been worn to the iron on the cook surface? I guess it would depend on where it was worn and how much was worn off. If it's worn badly, haven't you kind of lost the point of using enameled cast iron? Also, that cast iron part won't be seasoned (although I guess theoretically you could try seasoning this one piece) and I would think you'd constantly have rust issues. I've got a piece with bad chips on the handle and that has ended up rusting and it's not even the cook surface. I guess for me, the point of enameled cast iron is that I don't have to worry about food reactions with the iron, so when it gets to the point where I would, I'd go out and get another pot.

I'm also coming at this from the Le Creuset angle, which is all I'm familiar with. To scour an LC down to the iron would take some serious work so I was assuming the damage is bad. I was actually rather impressed that it was possible.

My wife had several pieces of Le Creuset that are around 30 years old. Recently we noticed a couple chips in two of their enameled bottoms. It seems there's no way to repair the damage.

I was looking at the Le Creuset site, and found out that all their stuff carries a lifetime warranty. So we contacted them, got an RA number, shipped the 2 pots back to them, and a few weeks later they had sent us two brand new replacements, no charge. WAY above and beyond what we expected for something this old. And another reason for my earlier comment to always buy quality stuff from companies that stand behind their products.

Even if damaged due to abuse (dropped or something like that) they will take damaged pots as trade in on new ones. I don't know what they will do price wise, but if you've got a damaged piece of Le Creuset cookware, contact the company and ask.

-----

As to toaster ovens (why those are hiding in this thread BTSOOM), we recently replaced a nearly 20 year old DeLongi with a Kitchenaid. The kitchen store in the Huntley discount mall had reconditioned units for about 60% of the going price elsewhere, and we picked up one of those. So far we really like it, and it's built so much better than the el cheapo units you see in the big box stores.

I don't like sponges, kitchen cleanser like Comet or Brillo pads in the kitchen, they create more problems than they are worth.

I agree, but Sweet Baboo is a great believer in SOS pads as problem solvers, so all I can do in response is "forget" to buy them when he puts them on the list.

I gather from the replies that there's nothing but aesthetics that should drive me to replace my de-enameled cast-iron pot, so, in these cash-strapped times, I suppose I'll keep using it for as long as I can, and replace it someday when I see an especially good value.

One question I have is, do some of the more expensive enamel-coated cast-iron dutch oven have thicker enamel coatings, or are they all pretty much the same in that respect? I wonder because, unless they're more heavily coated, what's the point of buying one for $200 vs one for $40?

Rest assured, if/whenever I do buy a new one, I will keep it and Sweet Baboo and the SOS pads far apart.

But first, I need to save up for uncoated pans, since all our non-stick ones have, you guessed it, met up with an SOS pad ...

Haven't bought SOS pads for decades. When I was buying my knives, pots, pans, et al from the professional restaurant supply places back in 1980, I bought a case of 12 of the stainless steel wool pads. I've got them in the kitchen, the laundry room, the garage, the workshop, gave a couple away, and still have a few brand new in the box. They last FOREVER. And they were not the source of the chipped enamel in the even older Le Creuset pots they just replaced

Katie wrote:One question I have is, do some of the more expensive enamel-coated cast-iron dutch oven have thicker enamel coatings, or are they all pretty much the same in that respect? I wonder because, unless they're more heavily coated, what's the point of buying one for $200 vs one for $40?

Le Creusets are just very well made. I've put the wrong burner on and scorched the pan; put oil in the bottom of the pan, gotten involved in something else and burned the crap out of the oil and the inside of the pan (did not start a fire, luckily), washed the pan in the dishwasher when I'm lazy (probably the source of a few chips on the edges), and I'm pretty sure I've dropped it a few times. I've probably scoured it with a copper pad before although not for awhile. As far as price, there were a lot of great options for outlet stores mentioned above.

I was looking at some enameled cast iron at Bed, Bath and Beyond yesterday--think it was Emeril's, and noticed it was both heavier than LC (which would make it harder to handle) and quite chipped. It was unappealing. I went to Target to check out the Lodge stuff but my Target doesn't carry it. Drats!

If you are making something that wants a non-reactive pan, don't do it in pan with chipped enamel inside It is likely that the only issue will be discoloration of the dish, but you might end up with something else going on (metal leaching into the dish, etc).

Katie wrote:I gather from the replies that there's nothing but aesthetics that should drive me to replace my de-enameled cast-iron pot, so, in these cash-strapped times, I suppose I'll keep using it for as long as I can, and replace it someday when I see an especially good value.

One question I have is, do some of the more expensive enamel-coated cast-iron dutch oven have thicker enamel coatings, or are they all pretty much the same in that respect? I wonder because, unless they're more heavily coated, what's the point of buying one for $200 vs one for $40?

Rest assured, if/whenever I do buy a new one, I will keep it and Sweet Baboo and the SOS pads far apart.

But first, I need to save up for uncoated pans, since all our non-stick ones have, you guessed it, met up with an SOS pad ...

The difference between the best quality enameled cast iron pots and the low-cost ones is the quality of the enameling, among other things. For example, Lodge makes two lines of enameled cast iron pots. One has 2 layers of enamel and the other has 4 layers. There may also be different types of enamel, etc. that distinguish the best from the worst. In short, your enamel would likely not have come off if you had a higher quality version. My preferred brand is Staub. You can also find outlets that sell factory seconds from Staub and Le Crueset (these have cosmetic defects only and, I believe, are still covered by the standard warranty). Look on-line. There is a Le Crueset one at the Kenosha outlet mall.

If you do get food stuck on the pot, fill it with hot, soapy water and let is sit overnight. It will be much easier to clean.

What do you mean by "uncoated pans"? Are you looking for a new non-stick frying pan? Or a raw (i.e. not enameled) cast iron pan?

Darren72 wrote:The difference between the best quality enameled cast iron pots and the low-cost ones is the quality of the enameling, among other things. For example, Lodge makes two lines of enameled cast iron pots. One has 2 layers of enamel and the other has 4 layers. There may also be different types of enamel, etc. that distinguish the best from the worst. In short, your enamel would likely not have come off if you had a higher quality version. My preferred brand is Staub. You can also find outlets that sell factory seconds from Staub and Le Crueset (these have cosmetic defects only and, I believe, are still covered by the standard warranty). Look on-line. There is a Le Crueset one at the Kenosha outlet mall.

If you do get food stuck on the pot, fill it with hot, soapy water and let is sit overnight. It will be much easier to clean.

What do you mean by "uncoated pans"? Are you looking for a new non-stick frying pan? Or a raw (i.e. not enameled) cast iron pan?

Thanks, that's very helpful information. Sounds like I should invest in a better-quality pot next time. I go by Kenosha all the time.

For those who were looking for Lodgeware, I thought that the outdoor supply store (Bass Pro Shop) at Gurnee Mills carried a lot of it. Can't remember if I saw any enamel-coated pots, though.

By uncoated pans, I meant - shifting gears from stockpots to sauté pans and frying pans - ones not coated with non-stick surfaces.

Got it. It is important to consider what you'll be doing with it. If you saute a lot, you'll probably want a stainless steel saute or frying pan that has a layer of aluminum (or copper, if you want to spend the money) inside of it. All-Clad is great example, but it's expensive (and worth it). There are other brands that aren't as widely known. Again, this is a pan where quality matters. Buy the best quality that you think you can afford. There are a lot of places that sell factory seconds by All-Clad.

On the other hand, you might want to consider a cast iron frying pan (not enameled). These have two advantages and two disadvantages. The advantages are that they are cheap (a Lodge brand pan is about $15) and very heavy, which means they retain heat well and are perfect for cooking things that just sit on the stove (like pan frying a piece of meat or deep frying in a half-inch of oil). The disadvantages are that they are heavy, so you don't want to use this to saute something where you are going to pick up the pan and shake it, and the aluminum can react with acidic ingredients like vinegar and tomatoes (so you can't cook tomato sauce in this).

I know you said that you aren't looking for a non-stick pan. Just in case it is helpful, in a related discussion yesterday, I wrote:

Darren72 wrote:For what it's worth, I think the dangers of teflon on overestimated by the public. Most normal cooking applications with teflon are completely safe. The basic guideline is not to preheat a pan that has nothing in it (like oil or butter) for more than a minute or two on high heat; you can go a bit longer on low or medium heat. For most things, you'd use medium heat anyways. If the coating is chipping, you probably want to replace it anyways. But apparently small pieces of teflon will pass through you - if that's any source of comfort. Finally, I find that I really only need the nonstick pan for eggs, and maybe a few other things. You can use a well-greased stainless steel pan for most things and the food won't stick. Just be sure to keep the food moving when you first put it in the pan.

And:

Darren72 wrote:You mentioned looking for non-stick pans. The issue here is that the nonstick coating doesn't last that long, even if you are careful not to scratch it. So it doesn't make sense to buy an expensive All-Clad nonstick pan for $100+. The metal is designed to last a lifetime, but the nonstick coating won't. I have two nonstick frying pans made by Vollrath that have aluminum bases and nonstick coating on top. You can get these at Northwestern Cutlery, among other places. They cost about $35. I've had one for about 7 years and the nonstick coating is just starting to shows scratches and not be as "nonstick" as it should be. Aluminum is a great material because it heats evenly (which is why most of the All-Clad lines have a layer of aluminum in between the stainless steel layers).

After spotting a 30cm dutch oven (factory seconds) in a local store during our post holiday shopping, I looked around and found out that Le Creuset has an outlet store in the Aurora (I88 at Farnsworth) outlet mall. So New Years Afternoon we drove down their for their last day of their holiday 25% off everything in the store. After looking at several different items, SWMBO settled on the shallower 30cm buffet casserole. $120 instead of about $200 elsewhere.

That makes about 8 pieces in our current collection. Plus about a dozen Calphalon.

BTW, the store has both first line merchandise (on the shelves and tables) and seconds (wire racks on back wall). Both have the same lifetime warranty, so you can't go wrong with either.

I got my Lodge "cafe"-colored six-quart last week and made chicken in the pot. I'll have to try a split pea soup or something in it soon. First impressions: love the color, love the design, heavier weight than Le Creuset but still liftable. The rims look like they are raw cast iron but I checked the booklet and it says there is a matte finish on them and they are not raw. The matte finish is also on the underside of the lid edge and this was a little harder to clean and dry than the LC since it isn't smooth.

Time will tell if this will hold up as well as my four-quart LC. I was always wishing that was a little bigger, hence the lovely new Lodge.