Best Enameled Cast Iron Skillet (2024) for Browning and Braising

Best Enameled Cast Iron Skillet (2024) for Browning and Braising

If I could have only one pan, it would be an enameled cast-iron skillet. The best enameled cast-iron skillet is incredibly durable and versatile enough to work as a sauté pan, a frying pan, a braising pan, and even a baking pan. It’s long-lasting, ovensafe, compatible with all cooktops, and because porcelain enamel is alkaline-resistant, you can cook acidic foods in it without issue (not so for uncoated cast iron, which can lose its seasoning with too much acid).

The best enameled cast iron skillet

The enamel also eliminates nearly all of the maintenance required for raw cast iron, so it’s a great option for busy home cooks who want the excellent heat retention and distribution you get from cast-iron pots and pans but may not have time to care for uncoated cookware.

It won’t get as nonstick as very well-seasoned, uncoated cast iron; you’ll always need some butter and oil to get easy release. But even a budget-friendly enameled cast-iron pan will last a lot longer than pricey nonstick pans.

After testing 10 popular and highly rated enameled cast-iron pans, I’m pleased to report that most were pretty good. But in terms of performance and versatility, the Staub Traditional Deep Skillet stood out as the best overall.

Below, find more details on the Staub, along with recommendations for a lightweight option and a budget pick. You can also learn more about how I tested, what I looked for, and what I thought of the enameled cast-iron pans that didn’t make my top picks.

The best enameled cast-iron skillet: Staub Traditional Deep Skillet

If you want the look of a classic cast iron skillet with the durability and versatility of an enameled pan, Staub’s Traditional Deep Skillet is the best you can buy.

Everything I cooked in this pan turned out beautifully. With a generous pat of butter, not even fried eggs stuck to the lightly-textured black enamel cooking surface—though I did get a perfect crispy edge on the whites. This pan continued to impress when I cooked quesadillas, grilled cheese, and large cuts of meat. The straight but slightly-flared sides maximize the cooking surface area, and they’re tall enough that you can easily use this skillet for shallow “deep” frying and braising. This is also the only one of my top picks that didn’t hold onto any of the cornbread I baked in it (and yes, I buttered each one very well).

I loved this pan out of the box, though I admit that might have had something to do with the fact that the matte black version (which costs $20 less than the other colors) could be easily mistaken for meticulously-maintained raw cast iron. To add to its traditional look, it has two pour spouts, a not-too-long handle that still looks classic, and a solid helper handle that’s small but functional enough when you need it.

What I didn’t love about the Staub Traditional Deep Skillet

Other than the price, there’s not much I didn’t love about this enameled cast iron skillet. That said, it’s always a little annoying when something is advertised as dishwasher safe (like this pan), and then you read the manual and realize “hand washing is recommended.” The manual also recommends using non-metal utensils in this pan. I’m sure it’s to avoid scratches, but part of the point of using cast iron instead of nonstick is that you can use whatever utensils you want. Also, because the handle and pan are all cast together, the handle will get piping hot even on the stove, so you’ll want to use a silicone handle cover or oven mitt—but that’s an issue you’ll experience with nearly every cast iron skillet.

Best budget enameled cast iron skillet: Cuisinart Chef's Classic Enameled Cast Iron Skillet

Well-made enameled cast iron is generally pretty pricey, and the quality of Cuisinart’s gear is all over the place, so I was repeatedly surprised by the performance of this truly affordable enameled cast iron fry pan.

Enameled Cast Iron Is Not Nonstick—And That’s Okay.

If I had to pick just one kind of cookware to have in my kitchen, it would be enameled cast iron. No, it’s not the most practical choice (that would be stainless steel) or the sexiest (wassup, carbon steel?) or even the trendiest (we all see you, DTC nonstick). But for someone like me who does a lot of stovetop-to-oven cooking, and who doesn’t have a lot of time for a multistep cleaning routine when I’m done, enameled cast iron is as close to perfect as it gets.

Enameled cast iron works with all kinds of cooktops, including my fancy Italian induction range, and it offers amazing heat distribution and retention. The porcelain enamel isn’t just for looks; it protects the cast iron, making it rust-resistant and nonreactive to acidic foods like tomato. The most ubiquitous enameled cast iron pieces, Dutch ovens, are great for simmering soups and stews, braising big cuts of meat, frying chicken, and even baking bread. At my house, an enameled cast-iron pan is also the go-to for flawless pancakes, seared steak, and crispy grilled cheese.

The moral of the story here is that enameled cast iron is the best because it’s incredibly versatile, amazingly durable, and easy to clean. But there’s one thing it’s not: nonstick.

Cooking with enameled cast iron

While most Dutch ovens feature a smooth white porcelain interior, enameled frying pans usually have a darker, slightly textured cooking surface. When I tested 10 different pans, I found that the darker, more textured enamels did a much better job of browning food and of releasing it. The texture helps to prevent sticking by allowing a tiny bit of fat to move around between the food and the surface.

To get the best performance out of your enameled cast iron, you have to follow a few rules. No matter what the inside of your enameled cast iron cookware looks or feels like, food will stick to it if you don’t allow it to fully preheat. Five or six minutes usually does the trick. You’re also going to have a sticky situation if you try to skip the butter or oil.

On the flip side, enameled cast iron doesn’t require seasoning, so cleanup and maintenance are pretty simple. With very little effort, high-quality enameled cast iron cookware will last a lifetime—which is more than you can say about any nonstick pan.

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