The Best Enameled Cast Iron Cookware

Great Jones The Dutchess Dutch oven, Le Creuset baking dish, Martha Stewart skillet.

Whether you’re an avid home cook or just getting started on your culinary journey, having even one or two really solid, high-quality and multifunctional pieces of cookware can elevate your food, make cleanup easier and inspire you to create a delicious dish. I was in my early 30s when I realized it was no longer adorable that I didn’t know how to feed myself and I learned how to cook properly — starting with the basics and working my way up to more complicated dishes. These days, I relish my daily ritual of cooking dinner, and the cookware I’ve amassed over the last decade has helped to play a part in that.

My parents gifted me with a set of tiny Le Creuset enameled cast iron pans when I first started cooking, and I’ve since found that enameled cast iron is my favorite material to cook with. It’s a great alternative to regular cast iron because it conducts heat similarly, but I find it’s less sticky, easier to clean and more aesthetically pleasing. It’s a great financial investment: long-lasting, strong and incredibly versatile. I’ve since grown my collection to include a Dutch oven, a skillet and baking dishes, and I just can’t get enough.

As it turns out, I’m not the only one absolutely besotted with enameled cast iron cookware. I turned to some of the most passionate home cooks I know, including colleagues, friends and my own mother, to find out what cookware they recommend. Below, I’ve rounded up what these ardent home cooks (and I) consider to be the very best enameled cast iron pots, pans, skillets, Dutch ovens and more. They are all tried and true options that even the pickiest cooks can stand by. Keep reading, pick one up for yourself and get ready for some truly tasty meals in your future.

HuffPost may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Every item is independently selected by the HuffPost Shopping team. Prices and availability are subject to change.

Zwilling

Staub enameled cast iron fry pan

This beauty comes highly recommended by not one, but two HuffPost editors: Kristen Aiken, culinary school graduate and head of HuffPost Life, and senior editor Janie Campbell.

"I just love using this versatile enameled frying pan for everything under the sun, from the stovetop to the oven. Unlike some cast iron skillets, it has rounded sides, which I find easier to clean than sharp corners, and the pour spouts are really handy, too, when you need to drain off liquid. The glossy exterior is gorgeous on the table and it's truly easy to clean and care for. Best and most importantly of all, it sears food like a dream and seems like it could last for 50 years." — Janie Campbell, senior editor

$184.99 at Zwilling (originally $264)

Great Jones

Great Jones The Dutchess Dutch oven

I can't stop and won't stop raving about my Great Jones Dutch oven. I had heard the hype, but until I got one for myself, I didn't believe it. I've used it for everything from roasting chicken to making stew and cooking meatballs (vegan and otherwise) and am blown away each time by how evenly everything is cooked and how easy it is to clean. It's also gorgeous and a total showstopper. I'll use it 'til the end of my days.

$160 at Great Jones

Macy's

Martha Stewart Collection 12-inch enameled cast iron fry pan

"Sometimes I attempt a recipe or gathering that calls for an especially large pan — say, searing and braising a dozen chicken thighs at once — and this one fits the bill gorgeously. The ombre blue exterior is really striking, it's solidly made and it's a very affordable price. If it fits on your stovetop and inside your oven, you'll never regret it." — Campbell

$59.99 at Macy's (originally $109.99)

Amazon

Lodge enameled cast iron Dutch oven

My dear friend Sam Posey has a few enameled cast iron options in her kitchen but finds herself reaching for this Dutch oven by Lodge the most. She and her husband use it often when cooking for their family (and me). It's convenient and makes both cooking and cleanup easy — a must when you've got active little ones running around. "I cook everything in it," she said. "Soups, chili, anything that starts on the stove and then goes in the oven, like a chicken dish where you sear it first and then bake."

$64.90+ at Amazon (originally $133)

Crate & Barrel

Le Creuset Signature five-quart enameled cast iron everyday pan with lid

I was surprised that my mother picked this massive Le Creuset pan as her winner, both because of its size and because it's not a traditional soup vessel. However, she explained that "this cast iron pan has a large surface that is perfect for meals that have a lot of ingredients that require different cooking times. It’s perfect for large soups and stews and my favorite [dish], cioppino."

$414.95 at Crate & Barrel

Amazon

Le Creuset Stoneware Heritage square baking dish

This is another of Posey's go-tos in the kitchen. "Le Creuset's baking dishes are awesome. Everything cooks evenly, they're easy to clean and look great."

$54.95 at Amazon

Williams Sonoma

Le Creuset Signature enameled cast iron round Dutch oven

"I use my Le Creuset for just about anything I can think of — soup, roast chicken, bread, grains. It heats up fast and retains heat super well, but mostly it’s incredibly versatile, which is great for my NYC kitchen with limited space for pots and pans." — Jessie Paddock, author and educator

$279.95 at Williams-Sonoma

Amazon

Le Creuset classic handle nine-inch flame enameled cast iron skillet

Among the first of my cookware, I remain devoted to this classic tiny Le Creuset skillet. I primarily use it for making myself eggs, but it's just as versatile as any large pan. This is why I was so surprised to see many of my colleagues chime in and say that while quite a few of them own this one, it's not their fave. And I'll admit that it's stickier than others on the list, but it is just too much of a classic to omit! Mine's been through countless moves and lots of burned meals and is still going strong.

$119.95 at Amazon

Lodge

Lodge pre-seasoned pan

Admittedly, this is not enamel-coated, but the price is just too good to not include on this list. "I will also recommend this Lodge one that I buy regularly for my brother, who isn’t great at taking care of cast iron and needs a new one every few years. It’s cheap and really sturdy, and it’s pre-seasoned. I give it to him for his birthday by baking him a giant skillet peanut butter cookie in it, and I just let him keep it. It’s only $20 so it’s no biggie." — Aiken

$19.90 at Amazon

Amazon

Greater Goods cast iron skillet

Also not enameled, one HuffPoster shared that this cast iron option is just as easy to use as an enameled version, which makes it worth considering. "I bought this last year in my quest for a non-stick cast iron pan with a smooth surface and have come to love it. It's become the daily driver in our house and we cook literally everything in it. In addition to conventional stove-top uses, I’ll throw it on the grill and sauté veggies alongside whatever is directly on the grill grates or use it as a skillet on high heat for smashed onion burgers. We’ve also used it in lieu of a pizza stone in the oven with great results. For what it's worth, I’ve found cooking with avocado oil works better in cast iron than olive oil. It has a much higher smoke point, so things stay nice and non-stick at higher temps where olive oil can get a bit gummy. And get a chainmail scrubber to keep it clean!" — Ryan Grenoble, HuffPost reporter

$47.88 at Amazon

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