If you thought pots and pans that tread that fine balance between flawless performance, easy cleaning and a look that’ll elevate your kitchen was a culinary pipe dream, allow us to enlighten you to the wonders of enamel cookware.
It’s for good reason that enamel cookware has been used in kitchens for centuries. Durable enamel-coated pots, pans and oven trays are what some professional chefs consider their secret ingredient thanks to their ability to provide consistent, even heat.
Add to that their classic, kitchen catalogue-ready design, enamel-coated cookware has become a popular choice for all manner of cooking methods, be it Dutch ovens, baking trays or that which you didn’t even know you needed, like milk and omelette pans.
With so many ways to incorporate enamel into your cookware collection, we’ve dedicated this article to breaking down the various ways this material can help you bring your kitchen A-game, before bringing you our edit of the best enamel cookware you can have in your cupboards.
Why buy enamel cookware?
The list of reasons why enamel cookware is worthy of a place in your home cooking armoury could be longer than the list of ingredients in an Ottolenghi recipe. Here are the need-to-knows:
- Durability: Enamel cookware tends to be made by fusing a layer of glass onto a metal base for extreme durability and resistance to chipping or scratching. This naturally withstands high temperatures and is far less likely to warp than non-enamel-coated alternatives.
- Non-reactive: The surface of enamel cookware won’t react with acidic or alkaline foods, thus preventing any unwanted metallic tastes from being imparted into your kitchen masterpiece.
- Easy clean-up: The non-stick, non-porous surface makes dreaded post-dinner dish duty a breeze. Unlike 100 per cent cast iron pans, they also don’t require regular seasoning to keep them in good nick, so are very low maintenance.
- Versatility: Enamel cookware is suitable for most cooking methods, including gas and induction hobs, ovens, grills and even open fires. It’s great for one-pot recipes and serve-yourself-type meals, simply plonked on the table (atop a trusty trivet, of course).
- Aesthetics: Unlike other cookware which tends to be either black or metallic, there’s a much broader range of colours and stylesl, making it a great choice for trendy shaker-style kitchens with open shelves or exposed pot racks.
What kinds of enamel cookware are there?
Firs things first, when we’re talking enamel cookware we’re referring to the coating – most enamel cookware is fused to metal, and some of the most popular types are cast iron.
Enamelled cast iron cookware tends to encompass skillets, griddles and Dutch ovens, which are deep, heavy pots with tight-fitting lids. These are some of the most versatile types of enamel cookware thanks to their ability to be used in the oven, grill and on the hob for a wide range of dishes. The combination of materials guarantees an even heat distribution alongside all the non-stick, easy-clean upshots.
Taking the cast iron out of the equation, enamel is also used alongside steel and aluminium for saucepans that lend themselves well to sauces and smaller frying pans for the likes of omelettes.
Enamel roasting pans are also a popular choice for meat and veg, while enamel bakeware is a must for dessert makers. This variety of enamel cookware tends to be cheaper than cast iron options and traditionally comes in a two-tone design like white and blue – a chintzy look that’s bang on trend. If you’re after enamel cookware from a purely decorative point of view, this kind of cookware is antique shop bread and butter.
Best enamel cookware at a glance
- Best for versatility: Le Creuset Signature Cast Iron Round Casserole - from £111, Amazon
- Best for healthy home cooks: Staub Round Cast Iron Saute Pan - £229, John Lewis
- Best for quirky kitchens: Brambly Cottage Grimes Aluminium Multi-Pot - £29.99, Wayfair
- Best for entertaining: ProCook Heavy Gauge Enamel Roasting Tin Set - £37, Procook
- Best for omelettes: Riess Pastel Omelette Pan - £40.77, Amazon
- Best for #instakitchens: Toast Large Enamel Dish - £25, Toast
- Best for hot chocolate: Labour And Wait Enamel Milk Pan - £30, Labour & Wait
- Best for convenience: Our Place Cast Iron Always Pan - £108, Our Place
- Best for traditional style: Falcon Bake Set - £93.95, Amazon
- Best for roast dinners: John Lewis Vitreous Enamel Self-Basting Roaster with Lid - £20, John Lewis
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Le Creuset Signature Cast Iron Round Casserole
Best for: versatility
There’s a reason why even those who stay away from the kitchen at all costs are familiar with Le Creuset. The French-made cookware brand has built a rep for exquisite versatility, durability and utterly timeless design. This cast iron round casserole dish is arguably the most famous product from the brand. Available in many vibrant colourways, it comes in a variety of sizes to accommodate everything from stews for one to extended-family banquets. Speaking of which, it’ll last a lifetime, so can likely be passed down to someone at that table, justifying a price tag that sits over the £100-mark even for the smallest incarnation. We certainly haven’t come across any owners with buyer’s remorse…
Buy now £111.00, Amazon
Staub Round Cast Iron Saute Pan
Best for: healthy home cooks
There’s something about Staub’s French-made cookware that’ll do more for your food’s flavour than any combination of herbs and spices. This round cast iron saute pan is a go-to for professional chefs, providing a large 30cm-wide cooking surface to sear, brown and sauté ingredients to perfection. The matte black enamel used by Staub is unique in its ability to inensify flavour while also requiring very little fat for frying – a big selling point for healthy home chefs looking to keep the calories of their creations to a minimum. And we’d be remiss to gloss over that glossy exterior. Available in a selection of rich hues, from grenadine to basil, it makes a stunning centrepiece at dinner parties.
Buy now £229.00, John Lewis
Brambly Cottage Grimes Aluminium Multi-Pot
Best for: quirky kitchens
While enamel cookware tends to come in kitsch, traditional styles, this multi-pot takes a decidedly more “out-there” approach with its marbling swirls of red, blue or black. So much more than just an eye-catching design, however, Brambly Cottage’s multi-pot is a clever choice for smaller kitchens as it offers two easily-stacked items of cookware for the price of one, weighing in at under 1kg combined. Great for soups, stews and pasta dishes individually, used in conjunction they can even function as a mussel steamer, should moules-frites be on the menu this summer.
Buy now £29.99, Wayfair
ProCook Heavy Gauge Enamel Roasting Tin Set
Best for: entertaining
A combination of heavy gauge carbon steel and a thick layer of enamel serves up optimal roasting results in this three-piece set. Neatly handling protein, sides and veg for group feasts, this is an exceptionally durable set that will quickly become a host’s best friend. Short on oven space? Worry not – it’s been engineered to also work on BBQs, hobs (including induction) and even open fires, providing even heat distribution whatever your method. And the party doesn’t stop when the dinner guests depart – not only does the enamel finish make cleaning up a joy, the neatly stackable tins provide simple, space-saving storage for whoever’s on putting-away duty.
Buy now £37.00, ProCook
Riess Pastel Omelette Pan
Best for: omelettes
Whether for quick and easy cooked breakfasts or work-from-home weekday lunches, the pleasure of cooking omelettes in a dedicated enamel omelette pan is hard to beat (pun very much intended). Invest in this Riess omelette pan and you’ll never have to settle for unintended scrambled egg again, offering strong non-stick credentials and an evenly spread heat distribution. Not only that, it also boasts especially omelette-friendly dimensions and is super lightweight for easy transfer from hob to plate without a hitch. Thanks to the hole in its handle, this is a great pan to hang close to your stovetop, not just because you’ll be using it all the time, but to show off that beautiful pastel colour, too.
Buy now £40.77, Amazon
Toast Large Enamel Dish
Best for: #instakitchens
Toast is a mecca for effortless style, be it fashion, ceramics, textiles or, yes, even enamel cookware. This large enamel dish levels up traditional styles with an oh-so-Grammable colour combination of cream and leaf green. The result is the kind of kitchen accessories that wouldn’t look out of place in the photos of your most highly regarded cookbook. While it’s perfectly adept at producing tasty casseroles and one-pan roasts, this is as much a vessel for presentation as it is for food prep, especially when it comes to the likes of colourful salads. Taking things a step further, Toast’s coordinating crockery has all the makings for garden party perfection.
Buy now £25.00, Toast
Labour And Wait Enamel Milk Pan
Best for: hot chocolate
Going back to basics is all part of enamel cookware’s appeal. Forget about fancy milk frothers and viral velvetisers; an enamel milk pan embraces the simple things, and it doesn’t hurt that Labour And Wait’s offering also looks pretty as a picture hanging above the stovetop, either. More than just a means to heat milk, this made-to-last pan is the perfect tool for melting butter and making sauces, benefitting from the even heat distribution that’ll prevent scorching. As such, you’ll find yourself favouring it over other saucepans when baking, whipping up a bechamel, thickening a gravy and much, much more.
Buy now £30.00, Labour And Wait
Our Place Cast Iron Always Pan
Best for: convenience
Never has a cookware brand caused quite as big a commotion as Our Place. Oprah is reported to have called the brand’s cult favourite Always Pan a “kitchen magician”, and it can count popstar-turned-cooking show host Selena Gomez among its collaborators. The cast iron iteration of its signature product employs an easy-care matt black enamel coating to bolster its already impressive convenience credentials. These include an integrated beachwood spatula and two rubber hot grips for safe handling. And if you want more from the eight-in-one design that bakes, broils, braises and the rest, you can even opt in for added extras including a fry deck and alternate clay Tagine lid.
Buy now £108.00, Our Place
Falcon Bake Set
Best for: traditional style
Think enamel cookware, think traditional white baking trays with a royal blue border. The Falcon bake set may well resemble the kind of cookware your grandparents had in their kitchen. It might even resemble what their grandparents had in theirs. Like we said, there’s a good reason enamel has stood the test of time. Rather appropriately, this five-piece set is perfect for cross-generational feasts, providing a range of different sizes for mains and sides that’ll transfer from oven to dining table without a hitch. If the white and blue feels a little old-school for your liking, alternative pigeon grey or pillarbox red options serve up a slightly more contemporary take on the classic.
Buy now £93.95, Amazon
John Lewis Vitreous Enamel Self-Basting Roaster with Lid
Best for: roast dinners
Never suffer a dry bird again. This roaster by John Lewis employs a dimpled lid that’ll keep large joints of meat and poultry basted all through the cooking process, resulting in roast dinners that are juicy, moist and flavourful. Thanks to its vitreous enamel coating, any need for elbow grease is removed from the post-roast clean-up, and at just £20 it’ll set you back less than the cost of a Sunday lunch at most London gastro pubs. Not just a Sunday saviour; the lid also doubles as an extra roasting pan when chicken’s off the menu.
Buy now £20.00, John Lewis
