cast iron cooking and those covered with enamel

[lurve]

so i am a bit confused! i really want to get away from my teflon set of cooking ware. i know that. i see that cast iron seems to be the safest. but the le creusant's (excuse spelling!) cast iron is also covered with some enamel (thus not letting the iron get into the food). also, on the mercola site they have a pre-sale for similar cast iron with enamel covering. in his video he says that the iron from cast iron pots/pans can cause free radicals within the body so too much is bad (especially for men and women not menstrauting). so should i go for his pre-order set? should i just thrift store for regular cast iron? thanks!

[momaste]

Cast iron is safe and has been used for generations without problems. It's also naturally non-stick once well seasoned, and if uncoated, gives anything cooked in it added iron (especially good for people with anemia.) Le Creuset is fantastic, too, but don't be turned off of cast iron. It is a staple around here, and has been for at least 5 generations! (If only I could get my great-great-grandma's skillet, oh, the wonderful cornbread I could make!)

[Naturalyst]

My face scrunched upon reading about the "free radicals" ... it just doesn't jive with everything I've read. I have to agree with the pp - the small bit of iron that gets into food from cooking in cast iron is a good thing. A well-seasoned cast iron pan has been part of my cooking for decades.

That said, I love Le Creuset pots for soups, tomato sauce, etc ... anything I want to cook on a low flame for a long time (or put in the oven to simmer). I also love their casserole pans and quiche pans too.

There's an option for buying Le Creuset at a discount. Their outlet stores always have a section of "seconds" - pieces with tiny nicks or scratches that don't interfere with use. And, they run sales for every holiday - including upcoming Memorial Day. If you were to buy a "second" on a holiday, it would be a bargain.

Until I moved closer to an outlet store, I used to call an outlet store and the salesperson would tell me what they had, describe what caused the item to be deemed a "second" and ship me whatever I decided to buy, charging me almost nothing to ship.

Le Creuset stands behind their product. I had a 15-yr. old pan that my equally-old dd ruined. (Don't ask.) I brought it to the outlet store to ask what I might do to restore it. The saleswoman took it, and handed me a new one! She explained their product is guaranteed for a lifetime. So, while it may be more expensive, it is a one-time investment.

If you enjoy cooking, you'll not really want a "set" of anything - different pots and pans do best for different things. So, while you may want a cast iron skillet for frying, you might opt for a covered Le Creuset pot for your soups and stews.

[ledzepplon]

Originally Posted by Naturalyst

If you enjoy cooking, you'll not really want a "set" of anything - different pots and pans do best for different things. So, while you may want a cast iron skillet for frying, you might opt for a covered Le Creuset pot for your soups and stews.

I agree. I love my cast iron skillet, but also use my Le Creuset dutch oven ALL THE TIME. The cleanup with Le Creuset is so easy, too.

Happy cooking!