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Cast iron skillets are a perfectly oiled cog in the machine that is an efficient home kitchen. As a material, cast iron is suitable for so much — grilling, browning, sautéing, or Dutch Baby-ing — because of its unique ability to conduct heat and maintain temperature.
The cast iron skillets’ enameled counterpart is another animal entirely. When it comes to cookware, the advantages of an enameled surface can’t be denied. For one, enamel ensures easy cleanup without potential rusting. While raw cast iron requires a notable increase in attention and seasoning, some enameled cast iron even goes so far as to claim it’s dishwasher-safe. Non-reactive enamel material also holds up to the kinds of acidic foods that typically corrupt cast iron. Heat distribution is more even due to the enamel coating, too. “Enameled cast iron skillets offer the benefits of standard cast iron skillets, like even heat distribution and heat retention, without the concerns about seasoning or reactivity,” says chef Taffy Elrod, an educator and cookbook author.
Convinced enameled cast iron is right for you and your kitchen? Look no further. We’ve tested the best of the best of these versatile skillets to inform your decision. Based on design, performance, ease of cleaning, and durability, each pan was rated and ranked until we found the perfect all-around skillets for every budget and need.
This skillet has so many pros it’s working double time, including its versatility. (We really love the dual pour spouts, by the way.)
A little pricey, but worth the investment. It may be shallower than some home cooks are used to.
A good enameled cast iron skillet is an investment that can last years when treated with proper care. This makes it a thoughtful gift for any cook. To be worthy of gifting, the skillet you choose needs to be functional, versatile, and pretty enough to win pride of place on your stovetop. The Le Creuset skillet was among our highest-ranked skillets in all tests. It’s a classic beauty designed to suit any kitchen. It comes in ten colors, from a clean, glossy white to the subtle green of “Sea Salt.”
The Le Creuset has a powerful range of abilities. In our tests, we did everything from sweating onions to baking cornbread — this pan easily accomplished every task. While a nonstick-like coating of enameled cast iron can prevent a good crust from forming on meat, this skillet could brown and sear beef chuck, delivering a proper fond. It boasts even heating across its surface, too, producing perfectly golden crepes every time. On the heavier side for its class, we determined this contributes to its ability to hold an even temperature while being easy to pour from thanks to its two pour spouts and user-friendly design. Overall, while the Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast Iron Skillet comes in at a higher price than other models we tested, its longevity and quality make it a worthy investment.
Price at the time of publish: $200
This was so close to being our best overall — we just had to make it our runner-up.
We have no complaints here. Though, the helper handle is key for lifting when hot out of the oven.
This skillet was an obvious runner-up pick for our best overall. It is almost as perfect as the Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast Iron Skillet but with fewer features, like its hand wash-only recommendation. We love how easily this skillet fits in the hand and is maneuvered while cooking; it’s extremely comfortable to hold, lift, and pour from despite being one of the heavier skillets we tested. We also love the additional “helper handle,” which makes pulling the skillet from the oven a simple task — just one feature of its smart design. While available in three colors (“Pistachio,” “Blue Velvet,” and “Cast Iron Black”), the interior remains black to hide imperfections caused by use and wear.
Like our best overall pick, the KitchenAid Enameled Cast Iron Frying Pan, knocked out every test. It seared meat well, producing color and flavor. It baked cornbread to an even golden brown, turning it out of the pan without a hitch. It also released bacon from its surface with no prying or scraping required. Durability is a significant asset for a skillet, and the KitchenAid model showed no signs of use throughout our rigorous testing. It’s also far less expensive than our best overall skillet. While investing in a legacy brand like Le Creuset guarantees generations of usage, this skillet is still an excellent investment.
Price at the time of publish: $130
Food & Wine / Brandi Fuller
Food & Wine / Brandi Fuller
A beautifully designed, high-performing pan worth a splurge.
This skillet gets very hot, and two hands were required to lift it from the oven.
Sometimes, splurging on a piece of cookware is the right thing to do. Whether it’s to guarantee a long life in your kitchen or to give as a wedding gift, established brands are often the way to go for a reason. Staub products are known for their craftsmanship and durability, and Staub's Cast Iron 11-Inch Traditional Deep Skillet is no different.
While it's a deeper skillet than others, we all agreed its sides help reduce grease splatters. It’s a heftier model, though not difficult to manipulate on a stovetop. Its surface heated evenly and released the most delicate foods with ease, like crisping a piece of skin-on fish without sticking. We love its gorgeous, traditional style, branded handle, and the array of colors available. For a skillet that’s made to be displayed proudly, this is our best pick.
Price at the time of publish: $180
Food & Wine / Abby Moore
Food & Wine / Abby Moore
Food & Wine / Abby Moore
Food & Wine / Abby Moore
The perfect skillet for a first-time user or someone adding to an existing collection.
A smaller budget equals an enameled cast iron skillet that might not last as long. That said, this pan is one tough cookie.
Enameled cast iron skillets can be expensive. If you’ve never used one, splurging might not be the way to go on your first round. But when dipping your toes into the cookware pool at a depth, it’s still essential to maintain the quality, design, and versatility of a higher-price model on a lower budget.
Our solution? The Crock-Pot Artisan Cast Iron Skillet. Clocking in at $60 and made by the trusted brand Crock-Pot, this skillet won our best-value pick for its performance despite its low price. Its design invokes a more expensive item. It features dual pour spouts, a glossy exterior, and high sides to prevent spills and support splash-free stirring. It aced all our tests, proving good heat retention and that perfectly semi-nonstick enamel coating. It’s somewhat smaller than other skillets we tested, but it also heats quickly.
Whether you’re an experienced enameled cast iron user looking to add an inexpensive addition to your collection or you’re new to the material entirely, the Crock-Pot Artisan Cast Iron Skillet never sacrifices quality.
Price at the time of publish: $60
Food & Wine / Grace Kelly
Food & Wine / Grace Kelly
Food & Wine / Grace Kelly
Food & Wine / Grace Kelly
It does not have a pour spout.
Versatility is a significant consideration when shopping for enameled cast iron. While the ideal skillet should have all the qualities you’d like — even heating, pour spouts, etc. — some are better at certain things than others. For a universally helpful piece of cookware, we recommend the Our Place Cast Iron Always Pan.
The Our Place skillet does everything, from baking fluffy cornbread to rendering the fat on pork chops for Sunday supper. It comes with two silicone holders to make handling easier. Plus, Our Place sells other complementary accessories (steamer basket, anyone?), making this one of the most versatile pieces of equipment in your kitchen. Known for its chic, modern design, the Our Place skillet makes a beautiful gift for yourself or the busy home cook in your life.
Price at the time of publish: $120
The Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast Iron Skillet is a gorgeous skillet with convenient pour spouts, the right amount of weight, and superior nonstick properties. For a value pick, we also liked the Crock-Pot Artisan Cast Iron Skillet.
In order to find the best enameled cast iron skillets, we tested 23 models side by side. The first evaluation is comfortability. We measured half a cup of cooking oil, poured it into the skillet, poured it out again, and assessed how easy it was to lift, manipulate, and hold the pan.
Second, we checked heat distribution and nonstick properties. We baked batches of cornbread from the same recipe. After allowing the cornbread to cool for a minimum of five minutes, it was turned onto a wire rack or cutting board. We checked the bottom of the cornbread for hot and cold spots and sticking, and looked for a deep color and nice crust on both sides. We also sautéed vegetables, evaluating if they were able to effectively sweat vegetables and aromatics without getting too hot and how easy or difficult it was to control the skillets’ heat. We also washed each skillet according to the manufacturer's instructions, noting whether there was any damage after the dishwasher cycle (if dishwasher-safe).
Third, as we incorporated the skillets into their daily cooking routines, we seared, sautéed, and utilized other cooking methods to see how the pan would hold up throughout testing. After using each pan for some time, we made sure to check to see if the skillet exhibited any signs of chipping, scratches, or warping.
Comfortability is a big factor when it comes to kitchenware. Ease of use makes or breaks how frequently you use an item. Enameled cast iron skillets can be bulky due to the excess weight of the enamel coating. Well-designed handles and pour spouts can alleviate some of that inconvenience with even the heaviest pans. Consider what you might be using your skillet for (as well as what size your cabinet can accommodate) before settling on a size.
“Enameled cast iron doesn’t need to be seasoned. A new skillet only needs to be washed with warm, soapy water and thoroughly dried. I find that all pans become naturally seasoned over time with cooking, but enameled cast iron doesn’t need to be seasoned the way cast iron does,” Elrod notes.
Subjecting your enameled cast iron to certain factors, like overly high heat, can naturally erode the coating. However, investing in a higher-quality pan can help ensure your skillet’s longevity.
This may vary from skillet to skillet, but most enameled cast iron can withstand a maximum temperature of 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Some, however, can handle much less. Be sure to check the skillet’s max temperature and purchase based on the type of recipes you plan to use it for.
“The nice thing about an enameled skillet is that it doesn’t need quite as much attention as a cast iron skillet. It does have to be treated with care, though. After cooking with it, wash it with warm, soapy water and dry it completely before putting it away,” says Elrod. “Some skillets have an exposed edge that is not enameled. That part of the skillet is still susceptible to rust and wear if it isn’t kept clean and dry, so be attentive to it.”
We recommend cleaning your pan immediately after cooking. Enameled cast iron is best cleaned before any food can dry and adhere to the surface to avoid staining and sticking. However, enameled cast iron is lightyears simpler to clean than regular cast iron. Just use soap and water to clean out any food mess — and, as Chef Elrod notes, no seasoning is required.
“I love cooking with cast iron,” says Elrod. “Enameled cast iron skillets offer the benefits of standard cast iron skillets, like even heat distribution and heat retention, without the effort of seasoning or concern of reactivity. For instance, I love baking pineapple upside down cake in a cast iron skillet, but pineapple can react with cast iron and discolor the cake or interfere with the seasoning on the pan. In an enamel pan, I don’t have to worry about that. Enamel skillets are great for frying eggs with tomatoes, reducing wine-based sauces, baking cakes and quick breads, and sauteing acidic fruits and vegetables.
They are also a good alternative to non-stick skillets with no worries about wearing the finish off with everyday cooking.”
Enameled cast iron can be used for almost everything regular cast iron can, except for reactive foods, as noted above. It will perform best if you follow Chef Elrod’s advice for pre-heating.
“Cooking on an enameled skillet is different than cooking in a steel or aluminum skillet in that it’s best to use a lower, slower heat instead of a quick burst of high heat,” notes Elrod. “Give the skillet time to fully heat up over a lower heat, even if you want to cook something quickly. Cast iron’s strength lies in its ability to hold heat and radiate it evenly, so heating the pan fully on a lower heat before adding fat and cooking will give a better result and protect the integrity of the pan over time. This holds true for a standard cast iron skillet as well.”
Be gentle with your enameled cast iron above everything else. In contrast to the seasoning process for cast iron, you should also avoid steel wool and other abrasive cleaning materials. It is possible to damage the enamel coating this way.
“The enamel can chip and scratch, so don’t use metal utensils in enameled skillets,” says Elrod. “Don’t use steel wool or harsh scrubbers when washing the skillet. Use care on glass cooktops and metal grates. Also, like all cast iron, don’t expose the pan to drastic temperature changes, like putting a hot pan directly into cold water.”
Enameled cast iron combines the properties of standard cast iron and nonstick pans to make a perfect hybrid. Cast iron offers a tough surface with the ability to brown and grill foods with ease, but enameled cast iron is gentler with delicate foods.
“Le Creuset recommends buying their black enameled skillets for cooking at high heat. But of course, enamel cast iron is also available in a galaxy of jewel-like colors, shapes, and sizes,” says Elrod. “But the beauty comes at a cost because enameled pans are more expensive than standard cast iron. But the investment in an enameled skillet can last a lifetime. When treated with care, an enameled cast iron skillet can outlast other skillets, especially nonstick skillets.”
The short answer: No. How convenient!
Great Jones 12-inch King Sear Skillet ($110 on Great Jones)
We don’t have many negative things to say about this attractive pan, other than it’s extremely heavy. It seared and browned nicely throughout the entire test.
Lava Cookware 11-inch Enameled Cast Iron Ceramic Skillet with Side Drip Spouts ($67 on Amazon)
Affordable and high-performing, but too heavy to maneuver comfortably.
Bruntmor 12-inch Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Frying Pan ($45 on Amazon)
Seared meat successfully but had issues with more delicate foods (like eggs) sticking to the surface.
Staub Cast Iron 10-Inch Fry Pan ($200 on Amazon)
We love Staub with all our hearts, but the higher price for the smaller pan puts this just outside our best picks.
Made In 12-inch Enameled Cast Iron Skillet ($150 on Made In)
This is a fantastic pick, but it’s a bit heavy. If that doesn’t bother you, this one is a great buy.
Tramontina 12-inch Covered Skillet Enameled Cast Iron ($80 on Amazon)
We like this skillet’s tall, angled sides and handle, but the too-small pour spouts made it a little less appealing.
While we were wowed by many enameled cast iron skillets, others left us wanting more, including models from brands like Hamilton Beach, Cuisinart, Hearth & Hand, and more. On some, we didn't love the design, like lack of pour spouts, too short of sides, or just too heavy to safely maneuver. Others had problems with sticking, food not properly releasing, severe burning, or uneven heat distribution.
Christa Glennie has been a freelance writer and food editor for nearly 20 years. She is also the author of two cookbooks and specializes in food and drink trends, agriculture, the regional foodways of Western New York, and the restaurant business. For this piece, she used Food & Wine's tested insights and interviewed Taffy Elrod, a chef instructor, recipe developer, and food writer.
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