Cuisinart Cast Iron Casseroles

[scubacat1]

@Baoz

Is there something inherently wrong with products manufactured in China, as you imply?

No doubt in my mind whatsoever. Lead probably leeches out of the materials that they make cookware from, like steel, iron and the coatings.

[scubacat1]

@WLAURENT

We got a couple of these last time around, 1 for us and 1 for a gift. We also have a couple of the le creuset versions in different sizes.

For the life of me I can not see why these are $50-$70 and the French ones are $300 to $450. Perhaps time will tell but these Cuisinart ones have been working out wonderfully.

Becuase the 50-70 ones are cheap and have alot of imperfections and mass produced by child labor. Because the various brands made in France (LeCrueset and Staub) are individually hand-finished by the same artisans who have worked at the plants for 40+ years. LeCrueset’s been made for 100 years. A $450 one is quite large. They can be had for less than $300 for smaller ones. My first one came from Williams-Sonoma for $60 bucks, all because it was a discontinued color.
So there.

[willyone]

@skou

Yes, the Cook’s Illustrated recipe is great, but you need to try in in a “Real” cast iron pot. I will guarantee that pot will NEVER chip. Period!

(Oh, Cook’s Illustrated “borrowed” the recipe from the NYT recipe. {With permission.})

steve

Years ago I recorded the “America’s Test Kitchen” episode where they introduced their “no-knead” bread recipe which, originated with the NYT recipe however they made some minor changes/improvements to the process.

I’m not sure where your aversion toward enamel coated cast iron stems, but of course the Cuisinart is “real” cast iron. I use my lodge non-enameled pieces for camping but prefer the convenience of the enamel coated in the kitchen, alleviating myself from having to season the pot. Granted, the seasoning process doesn’t require a lot of effort, but I prefer not having to do it at all. Novices to cast iron may point out that you can buy pre-seasoned pieces, mistakenly thinking no maintenance will ever be required. Others will point out how they use their grandmother’s 40 year old seasoned pot/pan that doesn’t require any maintenance. And, in general, they would be right because the pot/pan is WELL seasoned! However, until it is WELL seasoned, some maintenance is recommended so that you don’t have to use a pot/pan for years to achieve the WELL seasoned status. Less maintenance is required if a vessel is used frequently, however it’s still recommended the vessel be heated to 200° or above occasionally to open the pores (yes, cast iron has pores/grain) and, while warm, apply a thin coating of vegetable oil to maintain it’s seasoning until the day finally comes where you have a truly WELL seasoned vessel. Though even then, some still maintain that the vessel should still be “oiled” occasionally.

[radrdff]

@willyone

…until it is WELL seasoned, some maintenance is recommended so that you don’t have to use a pot/pan for years to achieve the WELL seasoned status. Less maintenance is required if a vessel is used frequently, however it’s still recommended the vessel be heated to 200° or above occasionally to open the pores (yes, cast iron has pores/grain) and, while warm, apply a thin coating of vegetable oil to maintain it’s seasoning until the day finally comes where you have a truly WELL seasoned vessel. Though even then, some still maintain that the vessel should still be “oiled” occasionally.

Thank you for the tip, what would you use to apply the oil?

[willyone]

@radrdff

Thank you for the tip, what would you use to apply the oil?

I just pour some on a folded up paper towel and wipe/coat the warm interior surfaces. “Oiling” only pertains to raw, non-enameled pieces. Everytime the vessel is used to cook oil producing foods, the grease/oil will naturally duplicate the effect of oiling, which is why “back in the day” when many used cast iron cookware solely and on a daily basis, seasoning occurred naturally and maintenance was basically a non-issue.