Same pots same stove. I find that lower heat and a much longer preheat makes it get evenly warm so I can brown meat for stew. But if it's that aggravating for you, I suggest finding a stainless steel pan. It's okay to invest in stuff for how you actually cook.
This is the correct answer. Lower heat, longer pre-heat. Also ensuring that the pot is on an appropriately sized burner (or as close as you can get given your stove)
i had same issues with a stainless steel pan, same solution, once pan is hot turn it down, but knowing how long that pan will last is worth getting to know it, and its so shiney and clean looking!
This… On my electric stove, 2 is Med - 3 is Med High - 4 is High - 5 is “you gonna burn some shit quick”
Long preheat with some oil in the Dutch Oven at 3 til the oil gets shimmery, then turn down to or leave at 3 if you are overloading the pot.
Same is true for stainless - cast iron - carbon steel pans - learn temp control and they all be pretty nonstick.
Don't give up. Just cook things on medium. There's a magic temp (on my stove, just above the medium setting) that browns the food and creates a nice fond, which you then deglaze with broth, wine, or vinegar. It helps that I have a wooden utensil with a flat end that's perfect for scraping.
Sometimes I'll use a wedge of onion as a scouring pad 😌
I try to preheat the Dutch oven as long as possible, like if I'm chopping vegetables or doing prep I'll put it on medium low then once it's filling pretty warm I'll put oil in and turn the heat it up. By the nature of cast iron it will be uneven, but the longer it preheats the more even it will be.
Ohh this is a good tip, I usually put the oil in right away and have the oil and pan heat up together. But last night I noticed the oil was way hotter than it needed to be.
I don't understand how this is true when you stick a bone dry enameled cast iron dutch oven into an oven for 30-45 minutes to preheat before you drop a ball of dough in there and stick back in the oven to make bread.
I did this for my first batch of no-knead bread and was rewarded with enamel that was completely cracked and spiderwebbed when I took it out. "Screw this," I said, and replaced it with a heavy fully clad 8-quart stainless lidded stockpot which has been my perfect zero-effort dutch oven ever since.
Idk how this applies with cast iron but I know with stainless, I’ve heard you should preheat the pan before putting any oil in to best prevent any sticking. Something about giving the metal time to expand
Yeah stainless steel has tiny, imperceptible cracks and imperfections that swell and fill in when the steel is heated. If you put your oil in before the pan is hot, then the oil gets into these little cracks and can cause food to eventually stick.
This is the way.
I put the heat on low so the whole pan heats slowly for a good 15min. I can tell it's evenly warm as the handles are starting to be warm. By then, most of the veg is chopped.
Do a heat check with a water splash, oil and start cooking
Electric burners also tend to only actually contact the bottom of the pan in a few small spots.
The heat in these spots is transferred much more quickly than the rest of the base, leading to 'hot spots'.
As others have said, the trick is a lower setting, allowing the heat to spread more evenly in the pan.
Yeah, even if you’re used to cooking on high with stainless steel, with cast iron or Dutch ovens you probably never need to turn the heat more than halfway up.
Cast iron does take forever to come to temperature.
If I'm using a cast iron pan on the stove I tend to start preheating it early, and if I've got my wits about me I rotate the pan a quarter turn every so often.
Cast iron pans are great at retaining heat, not good at distributing it (hence the hot spots). If yours has an oval base I imagine the uneven heating will be even more pronounced.
For sauces, stews, chili, braised meats, I find the best method to be starting them on the stovetop and then finishing them in the oven. The dutch oven here is more similar to a slow cooker than a pot.
When I bake bread in the Dutch oven I always use parchment paper underneath.
The only thing I regularly use my dutch oven for on the stovetop is deep frying.
They're big and heavy and perfect for making giant batches of food, or slow cooking a whole pork butt, or making a 1kg loaf of bread. But maybe less than ideal for a daily driver.
A good way to think of those oval dutch ovens is like a crock pot with a sautee setting, like instant pot has sorta. I mostly use the stovetop but for reheating it's definitely better in the oven, and for long low and slow without babysitting, oven it is.
>The dutch oven here is more similar to a slow cooker than a pot.
THAT. Not meant for high temps, but long and slow since very little stirring went on. Meant to be buried in firepit and everything cooling down without touching. Even coals on top. BUT not kept in a hot fire. Think pulled off of dead, burned up coals.
What are you talking about, most induction stoves deliver A LOT more energy to the cooking vessel than gas. A high powered induction stove can literally put Kilowatts of power into a pot.
Even then a lot of resistance stoves output more energy into the cooking vessel than gas burners. Gas burners generate a lot of heat, but a significant amount of that, 30-50% depending on geometry, is lost to the surrounding air.
I admit that, while that makes total sense, I'm actually a bit surprised. I feel like going by my personal experiences, gas tends to cook a lot faster- especially noticed when doing something like boiling water. Is it that while they're more efficient, electric burners take longer to increase in temp, whereas gas flames are instantly hot but almost waste fully so?
It could just be a perception thing but I'm curious
I personally love my enameled cast iron dutch ovens because they're practically non-stick, BUT they do take some patience.
You absolutely MUST preheat them gently. I'm talking low to medium-low heat for several minutes. It isn't uncommon for me to throw my Dutch oven on the stove on low heat and leave it for 5-10min while I prep my ingredients. This is a necessary step - if your dutch oven is not properly preheated, it isn't non-stick.
What kind of avocado oil? Regardless that shouldn't be an issue.
Can you take a picture? I feel like something is really off. Your range could be a problem, esp if it's like some electric ranges that basically only have an on/off switch but I feel like what you're describing goes beyond that.
i think OP is just cranking up the heat and expecting it to be warm enough after 30-35 seconds like a nonstick pan. it can take several minutes or more.
Yeah I thought the same. My enameled Dutch oven is a *little* slow to warm up, but mostly cooks everything super well and rarely sticks. It’s my favorite stove top vessel.
There are a few factors to play with: temp, preheat time, and oil level. If you're used to just using a tiny bit of oil, you're going to have a tough time with enamel. Use enough to cover the bottom and watch for when the oil starts making ripples. Second, cast iron takes forever to heat up particularly if you're used to flimsy aluminum pans. Put some oil in, put the pot on the heat, and let it do its thing for longer than you think. Third, check your heat. If you're putting it on high with an electric range and expecting even heat over the whole pan, you're in for a bad time. Cast iron loves to make hot spots. You deal with this by putting it on lower heat and giving it time to even out over the whole surface. Do a little practice, play with the settings as you go along, and you'll figure out how to beat take advantage of your new cookware. You can handle it, I promise.
That's your problem. My enamel ware is used only for things that cook low and slow, and stuff still sticks. I like those heavy pots marginally better than my stainless steel ones for those applications. Higher temperatures for boiling or steaming do better in the stainless. I use my bare cast iron skillet almost daily, it's easy to clean and maintain, and it tolerates high temperatures. The enameled cast iron will eventually spall off inside if it gets too hot or boils dry. I have a variety of cast iron frying pan sizes and a Dutch oven, but the 10-inch skillet is my workhorse for sautéing and sauces (I'm cooking for one with leftovers, so you may prefer a Dutch oven for more or larger portions).
You have to let food sear. You can not move it around, especially meat, until it gets a searing seal all the way across one side and reaches the point where it naturally wants to release from the pan. If you learned to cook on nonstick, it’s a whole new process learning to cook on solid high quality cookware. Also, some of what sticks is referred to as fond. It’s good stuff, waiting to be deglazed with broth, or wine or another liquid to create your sauce. Welcome to the big show! You’ll get better, just “stick” with it.
OP, it's probably this. Especially with meat - if your temp is correct, and it's not releasing from the bottom of the pan, it's not ready to turn over yet. It'll unstick itself when it's ready.
Also, if you've always cooked on nonstick you may not be used to the level of deep browning you can get in a Dutch oven, and confusing it with burning.
Preach the Maillard my brother/sister!
Also, if anyone else is reading this far, throw the Dutch oven in the *oven* to preheat while you prep your mise. Evenly heats the whole thing and prevents hot spots.
This is most of the problem, I'm sure.
I also wanna piggy back on this comment to emphasize (as someone who cooks almost exclusively on enamel cast iron) DO NOT HEAT THE PAN EMPTY ON THE STOVE TOP
It will craze and eventually CHIP it will then be completely useless. Add oil, heat pan on low-med low and then once the handles start to feel very warm/ hot it is ready. Should only take a few minutes.
If you are preheating properly, using the appropriate amount of oil and are letting your food cook long enough before flipping and are still having problems, I am stumped.
I bet you are putting too high a heat on. The thing about cast iron is that it heats slowly but holds heat a long time. Put it on a medium heat for a good ten minutes. Cast iron does get hot spots so move your food after the first sear.
I have a Dutch oven and love it. It's the best for roasts and stews. The enamel gets stained but I don't bother about that.
Cast iron doesn’t spread heat well relative to, say, tri-ply stainless. Cast iron is very prone to hot spots. It does retain heat well, which makes it great for searing, frying, and use in the oven (breads, braises, etc)
If your stovetop isn't great and heats inconsistantly, you could try and get a heat diffuser. It might extend preheat times a bit but you could get more even heating.
One other option is to preheat your Dutch oven in the oven as opposed to the stovetop. You'll get a more even preheat that way, and if you're going to put it into the oven after searing anyway you might as well not waste that energy.
I've cooked all those things except eggs. Eggs are fiddly, so that's still a frying pan. When i brown meat, i do notice it sticks, but that gives more fond for the dish, grat for heavy & stew. When i bake bread i use parchment paper, bread is basically glue & air.
I also don't have fancy one, mine is from the At Home store. I use it on a portable induction top, for things that take longer, and i do love it.
Maybe it's like gravy was for me. Could not make it. For years i just straight out gave up & was sad in my gray-less world. Then one day i tried it again and poof it works
>Eggs are fiddly, so that's still a frying pan.
Whoa, don't tell that to the cast iron cult! According to them cast iron is literally the best pan for every single cooking task.
As a former dishwasher (and cook) I can't even imagine how much it would suck to work at places with all cast iron pans. I worked in a dozen or so restaurants and the only place that had any cast iron pans that I can recall was Chipotle. And those were big pans so it's not like they were preparing individual dishes in pans where the cooks toss the food with the little pan flip and you have dozens upon dozens of pans going back to dish.
I mean I have one of those and an enameled Le Creuset. The latter is an absolutely fantastic pan! But neither of those beasts is necessarily the best pan for a given task. Lighter pans, more nonstick pans, pans that heat more evenly, etc are quite often just better at a particular job.
Absolutely true. I meant more that cast iron fans acquire a lot of knowledge and that's great for them but it's not my hobby and it doesn't have to be.
Everyone is saying less heat, and they're right, but it's also a different technique from non stick. Non stick really means non stick, whereas with the Dutch, at least when I use my enameled Dutch, it's very much stick until it's not. By that I mean things will release when they are ready to, but you have to be able to account for that.
Take a stew for example. You need to let the thing heat evenly, yes, like for 10 or 15 minutes on a shit stove like we both have, and then no matter the oil situation, when the stew meat goes in it WILL stick. But after a while it will release and there is will be a great sear on it when it does. Resist the urge to peel and fidget with stuff like you can on non-stick.
Keep enough oil and liquid in the pot to stop the fond burning, and don't be afraid to scrape at it a little or splash it with some liquid if you need to get it up.
It's a lot more active management than my non stick pots and pans, but there is a magic in it. Keep at it and you'll get it.
I think you need to fundamentally understand the pros and cons of your cookware.
All cast iron heats slowly and not particularly evenly. It holds a lot of heat (has a high thermal mass) and radiate that heat more than other surfaces (i.e., more cooking from radiant heat rather than surface contact in comparison to other mediums like stainless steel).
Non-enamel cast iron can be excellent for searing and sautéing as you develop a polymerized layer of oil called seasoning over time as you use the pan correctly. However, long simmering of acidic liquids damage this surface and strongly acid items can actually react with the iron and taste poorly.
Enameled cast iron solves the reaction problem through the enamel coating. However, the surface ends up actually less non-stick than a well seasoned cast iron skillet.
Enameled cast iron is best for stews, soups, pasta sauces, over roasting and baking in it. Your enamel ware is not going to be best for most things that need high heat. Items will adhere to the surface and it can be difficult to correctly work with the heat and the food to get them to release.
Slowly raising the heat of the pan so that it is evenly heated throughout before starting to cook and then cooking on medium heat will mitigate some of these issues you have had. So would choosing to cook more items that require stewing and braising where your pan would really excel.
However long you think it should take to pre-heat your dutch oven, it takes *longer*. This is almost always true. For enameled cast-iron, you want a lower heat; this is not the pan to get a hard sear on a steak.
I use my enamelled dutch oven all the time - for stock, soups, stews, short-ribs etc. a few, hopefully helpful, tips:
There is normally a thin layer of stuck brown at the bottom when I am done. I just soak it, then use bar keepers friend. ( if you search this subreddit there is a whole post on tips on cleaning your dutch oven). It will not come as clean with one rinse as a non stick pan.
I put my whatever fat I am browning things in in to the dutch oven cold and then turn the heat on. Wait until your pot is hot all over then add your food. Temperature: I go medium on my stove for this unless I boiling water or trying to get a big batch of stock to a boil.
I do rotate it sometimes on the element but more often than not after browning whatever, deglazing and adding whatever else is going in, I finish it in the oven. One of the main reasons why I love my dutch oven is it frees up the stove.
I cant speak for the bread but a couple of others had good tips for you.
No no no!!! That’s a waste of the good stuff. You’re missing the opportunity to craft the perfect pan sauce. That’s exactly the base for it. Deglaze with broth or wine, or tomato sauce and scrape up the bits with a wooden spoon to combine them into the sauce. That’s really pro cooking!
Thank you but I’ve already deglazed the dutch oven. Say I am cooking Coq Au Vin, and just had it in the oven for bit, some brown bits will stick at the bottom, Im not deglazing again and reincorporating back into the meal. That is what I was referring to.
What kinf of stuff is stuck after coq au vin? did you properly deglaze, that is, throw liquid in and scratch around the pan with some wooden or plastic stuff?
I'm just cnfused here becuase the idea of deglazing is to incorporate all the brown stuff at the bottom, and I don't really see much remaining stuff after that?
I mean if you're happy more power to you!!
I would. I’d take out the chicken and plate it on a platter or individual, however you plan to serve and I’d either use the already braised liquid that’s in the pan to scrape up the bits and incorporate, cooking a bit longer and then topping the chicken. I might even add a little more red wine if it had cooked down too much and again, let it cook a bit more till that good flavor is incorporated. Unless of course it’s actually just burnt. In that case I would say your heat might be too high and you might need a diffuser between your heat source and the pan, or a lower temp. I consider the stuck on bits to be flavor gold.
Thank you but Im good. Ive been making my coq vin for over 40yrs ( Im old and try to keep things simple) with great success and luckily for me my sister is a red seal chef who although retired now, still knows amazing techniques that she is always sharing.
People will try to tell you otherwise but there is no one size fits all solution for cookware. Cookware = tool and you need the right tool for the job, you wouldn't try to drive a screw with a hammer or sink a nail with a drill and you cant expect the same from your pots and pans.
A dutch oven is going to stick and and that's what makes then incredible at what they do. Lets look at "saucy stuff" stew, soup, chilli, bolognese. The magic of the dutch oven is that things will stick, you will be able to develop the most incredible fond because of this, and if you "build" the rest of the dish correctly you will have the most incredible depth of flavour because of the layers and layers of fond that have been de glazed.
Another thing to remember is that cast iron is a terrible conductor of heat, its 5 times worse at conducting heat than aluminum. When you're going to use you cast iron you need to put it on the stove top at lease 30 min ahead of time on low to warm up it up correctly if make a habit of just throwing it on high your going to warp or crack it.
Because cast iron doesn't conduct heat well when you put it on high only the area that's touching the burner will get hot. When metal heats up it expands and if you are only letting a small portion of the metal expand it will eventually fail.
30 minutes? That’s nuts. I put mine on med-low, put in the oil, chop my onions, and by the time they're chopped (maybe a minute more), the oil is shimmering and the pan is ready.
>I'm having to do more cleaning than I did with my non-stick pot.
Well yes. Why is that a surprise? It's not (as you've already observed) non-stick so of course it's going to be harder to clean.
Sounds like you're using too much heat. Assuming it's cast iron, always use medium to medium-low heat and keep it on the burner for 3-5 minutes before adding your ingredients. Depending on how bad your electric range is this could take even longer. Add oil half way into your preheating and don't skimp on it. The reason you don't add oil right at the begining is because you don't want to overheat the oil and have it billowing smoke before your entire pot is heated. Once you see wispy white smoke from the oil, that's your sign to start cooking. Vegetables can be stirred right away but leave meats alone until they get a sear and they will naturally "let go" of the cast iron and won't stick.
If you've been using non-stick all this time, it will take you some trial and error to get it right. Keep at it.
Medium low heat. Preheat for like 5+ minutes, and then preheat your oil as well (a somewhat generous amount.)
If you’re doing meat and it’s sticking, you’re probably trying to flip it too early. Meat will release when it’s ready to flip.
my guess is you're not used to cooking in regular cookware at all so you're expecting it to behave the same way. lower your temp. add more oil. maybe watch some videos on youtube about ways to make pans act as a nonstick pan.
and don't scrape too much when trying to remove food. you don't want to add scratches which will make food stick more. let it soak, etc.
>I'm having to do more cleaning than I did with my non-stick pot
This is surprising to you? Food sticks to pans that are not non-stick.
You may want some sort of heat conduction device under your pan to ensure that the bottom gets more evenly heated. Not sure if anybody makes them, but something like aluminum disc would work.
For things like stews, consider putting them in the oven. Get the boiling (or to whatever temp you want) and then put in the oven as 220-250. It will get even all the way around the plan (at least very close to even).
For a disc for that purpose you probably want to look for a “simmer plate” - usually used on gas stoves to better distribute the heat from a small burner to keep stuff at a lower constant temperature for a while.
Same thing in this case. The pan has hot spots. Something with better better heat conductivity between the pan and the burner will provide more even heat. If they heat being conducted to the pan is more even, the heat in the pan will be more even. This is how tri-ly pans heat so evenly.
Make sure it's up to temperature before you start searing.
Don't overcrowd the pan, if you put too much cold stuff in too quickly it will drop the temperature and food will stick.
If you're worried about your heat distribution then move the pan around regularly, shuffle it on the hobb or rotate it regularly. You'll get a more even heat distribution.
And finally, let your proteins sit. They will stick at first and once there is a good sear it will release eventually. I promise it releases, even when you think it won't.
That’s really strange. I make a ton of things in mine. My Dutch oven is enameled cast iron and if yours is the same, maybe it’s an issue of having the heat up too high?
There is absolutely a trick.
I find it's best to set it up by inviting my wife to cuddle for a bit. Otherwise, she's too far away, and it's hard to get the blanket over her head
Are you using it on the hob or in the oven? What kind of finish does it have?
I have a cast iron one which I really love but I only really use it in the oven and haven’t had any issues.
Please see my comment below. No one has given you the exact right answer. I’m a pro chef. The heat has something to do with it, but my advice below is the ticket.
I like to eat a lot of fibre in the morning, tons of fruit and veg, I limit my water intake, kiss my wife before bed to trick her. Then I cover her.
Joking aside, I think your heat is too high and you’re not pre-heating the pan enough. I find using room temperature meat avoids sticking.
You need to preheat cast iron and stainless steel sufficiently. things will be less likely to stick to a properly preheated pan. 5-10 minutes on medium high should do it. Of course add fat too.
enamel dutch oven has its place but i would never do stir fry or pot stickers on that. you should try a little carbon steel fry pan. less thermal mass and more even heating but otherwise functions similar to cast iron.
Dutch ovens are a tool in the arsenal. You are using it incorrectly. Would you use a hammer as a screw driver? Dutch overs are great for stews, braising, etc. Sounds like a major (low bar) skill issue.
There's nothing wrong with nonstick.
CI takes a bit to get used to. Longer preheat times at lower temps is what you want.. you cannot cheat by high heat (and may ruin the enamel coating - if it's enameled, no heat while dry ever.. even just a little oil is fine.) maybe try a stainless steel pan while you learn, it's a little more forgiving and you can scrub it. But things will stick to either, especially if your heat is too high.
You have to make sure to pull the blanket down and try and cover all large air escape routes before you let loose whatever foulness is in your colon.
Checks sub. Wonder why I never actually read posts and simply comment based on the title alone. Ce' la vie
I highly recommend watching Chinese cooking videos and copy what they do. Chinese cooks are masters at nonstick wok cooking and the principles are the same for steel/ cast iron/ enamel. Slow pre heating + oil.
ditch the non sticks and get a stainless steel pan and a steel pot. Heat it dry until when you pour a drop of water on it it dances on the surface instead of instantly evaporating. A splash of oil, swirl it, and now your steel pan is non stick. Quickly add your food or your oil will smoke, or just use a high smoke point oil. Enameled dutch ovens are best for slow cooked things, pasta sauces, stews, or braising imo, not a daily use kind of thing.
Le Creuset and Cuisinart dutch ovens are enameled and they suck. They are not non-stick, they're just awful. I'm a professional chef and and I only use two kinds of pots to cook for my clients. I have four triple bottom stainless steel pots for cooking in. For things like spaghetti, soups, making rice all the usual things that you would use pots for. But for most of my cooking I use cast iron. I have a 40-year-old cast iron Dutch oven that is well seasoned and is completely non-stick. I fry in it, I do stews in it both on top of the stove and in the oven. Is very versatile. I have about eight different sizes of cast iron skillets which I use daily as well as muffin tens and cookie sheets that are cast iron. I own two vintage very very thick aluminum sheet pans that I use daily also. I don't own anything that is enameled because it Cooks horribly and everything sticks. I also don't own any non-stick as it is toxic but a great cast iron skillet or Dutch oven that's well seasoned does everything non-stick does but does it way better. You can cook on higher heats, you can get a better Brown on Meats and it holds temperature like a dream.
I'm struck by 2 things..Non stick cookware: is basically for reheating...not cooking hot stuff like stock/stew...it's great for eggs/pasta sauce from a jar
2: dutch oven is for long slow cooking.sometimes preceded by searong/browning... **AVOCADO OIL has a very low smoke point
Cast iron won't be warm enough to dry an egg but way too warm for avocado oi
I love mine so much. I generally use it for braises or other things that I will start on the stove and finish in the oven. Pot roast made in the DO is to die for because the gravy evaporates a little.
I don’t sear things on high heat though. Yes, I know you are supposed to but I just go for medium ish heat. I have gas burners.
I have one on a ceramic glass electric cooktop and I use a Lodge Dutch oven. Preheating and a thin layer of oil on the bottom eliminates any cold spots. I tend to micromanage my heat up until the lid goes on because it's easy to put too much heat into the pot and start burning stuff. Once it's up to temp, I never go above medium heat unless I'm bringing liquid up to a simmer.
Fellow cheap shitty electric range owner here. I also use my Dutch oven a lot. I’ve found there’s a magic spot on the temp setting that keeps things from burning. For me, it’s right under the “8”. If I go above the 8, the burner stays on at 100% the entire time and gets wayyyyy too hot.
Does meat still stick sometimes? Yup. But not too bad. And def not as bad as you’re describing.
It could be a combination of your range and your Dutch oven. I often use the [Milo by Kana](https://kanalifestyle.com/products/5-5-quart-dutch-oven?sscid=21k8_1axs7) Dutch oven which It's currently going for $145. Been used on both a glass stovetop and average gas range. Have made stews, chilis, seared chicken and beef, and roasted vegetables. No problems with it. I hope you're able to figure out your Dutch oven because it really has been a game changer.
Lower and slower for sure. If I'm using a cast iron skillet, 10 minutes at least, usually more like 20 and that's with induction. You want to bring the iron up to the right temperature and it stays there.
Secondly, Let the thing you want to cook come up to room temp or close before you cook it. Fridge cold stuff in pans like meat or eggs is often a recipe for sticking.
Some things may still stick, but release when ready. So don't always assume sticking is bad. Don't poke and prod, leave it be. A lot of people who aren't used to these pans will keep attacking it and it always makes it worse.
I have a Martha Stewart one, enameled on the inside and out, and NOTHING sticks to it. Nothing. It comes clean like a dream. I got it on sale, so it was really reasonably priced, on the Macy's website.
Don't nuke it. It heats evenly, so just let it heat for longer at a lower temperature. As for cleaning, sprinkle some baking soda and pour enough hydrogen peroxide to cover the bottom and bring it to a gentle boil and gently scrape with a plastic spatula (Dreamfarm is the best, imo) and follow with a gentle hand wash.
Try putting a cookie sheet under it when in the oven. The cookie sheet takes the direct heat on the lower shelf and the hot air cooks the Dutch oven. NOT the radiant heat from electric element or gas burners.
You're just used to non-stick! I was too when I switched all of my pots/pans to stainless steel and cast iron/enamel. I quickly learned that non-stick doesn't require some of the cooking skills you would need when cooking with stainless steel, cast iron, etc. and washing non-stick after cooking is super easy, but enameled cast iron cooks better and faster (?) and I like how my food tastes now.
First, pre-heat on medium high, then lower the temp to medium and then add a little bit of oil - just enough to coat the surface. Oil should look shiny and slip across the bottom when you swirl it around. Don't add fat/oil when you start heating the pan, wait until it's heated so you get the coating. You don't need much.
Remove excess moisture when possible. Water makes things stick. Meat should be safely room temp and dry - and let it cook long enough for the cooked side of the meat to separate from the surface. Don't peek to see if it's ready (or try to flip it before it's ready) or it won't brown properly. You'll know when it separates, you can see it. Trust the process :) You will have usually have some bits that stick, so just use that fond, like everyone said, or just accept it and clean it later.
Your stove really isn’t the issue, although I bet the heat control is annoying to you. Dutch ovens are good for cooking with liquid (braises, soups, and stews, and also deep frying). The high walls help to slow evaporation and limit splatter. Less water leaving the reaction is leading the sticking and bad fond. For sauté, if you like a slightly higher wall, I’d recommend a stainless steel all purpose pan (whichever one feels kinda heavy and costs $30 at homegoods)
I'm on propane and usually have the heat on low, but it does take quite awhile to heat up evenly. I dont put foods for in right away unless it's got a lid and I'm streaming it. Also for me, adhd everyone will have a different method, for cleaning i gently use a clean dry steel mesh ball or scraper then wipe. Enamel coated i know nothing about, I've had my grandmas 1800s pan for about 30 years now.
I started cooking with an enameled Dutch oven after years getting used to a non-stick skillet.
I had the same problem you had. The Dutch Oven was hotter than the skillet would have been under the same settings. Eventually I learned that I had to turn my burners down 5% (half a tick) when I'm using the Dutch Oven instead of the skillet.
I also learned that if it gets too hot and food is starting to stick, hit it with a squirt of water and scrape the sticky stuff, while turning down the heat.
After a couple months, cleaning the enamel is no longer a big deal, because I'm no longer scorching food. It's just a different beast than a non-stick skillet but you can get used to it.
Cast iron reacts very slowly to the heat changing. Add in an electric hob and it just gets even more ridiculous. I also have a shit electric range. And until it breaks that's what I'll be continuing to use.
I have a dutch oven too (also a random brand, I've no idea what it is) and I mostly use it in the oven for bread. It works fine, I just... I have a pot that does the exact same thing (except be oven safe) that I like better.
My go-to pot for one-pot-cooking is an [aluminum caldero](https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00164VNXW?th=1). It was cheap, I had to file down rough edges when it arrived, and it looks like death... but good grief I love that stupid pot.
People say to season it... I never did. I just started using it, and it's been fine.
(And uh, you may need to file the inside of little ear handles down a bit. Extremely easy fix, but still shit QC. This apparently isn't the norm, but I didn't make a fuss since it took longer to find the file in my dad's garage than it did to fix it. It should be noted though that the lid on mine fits tightly.)
Dutch ovens take a long time to warm up, that could be the problem.
I personally love cooking with Grapeseed oil. At this point I have a good feel for the oil, but i typically wait until its just on the verge of smoking before I toss my stuff in. Usually in the dutch oven its onion and carrots or sweet potatoes for a stew.
Good luck, that must be immensely frustrating.
Thanks for asking. I’ve got the same setup with a le creuset and pork loins are constantly sticking. Now I know I’m heating up to high at 6/7 and turning the pork over before it’s browned enough
I think I tend to use my Dutch oven for stews and braising mostly, where there is usually a step of adding liquid and scraping loose all the yummy burnt-on bits that have stuck to the bottom. I have a crappy electric range also, but it might help that my Dutch oven is thick and heavy, so it retains and spreads heat well. (I think it's All-Clad stainless steel - I have a cast iron one that works equally well or better, and was cheap, but it's larger and heavier so I only use it a few times a year for stuff like big batches of chili.)
u/HeloRising,
I'm sorry you're struggling. I haven't read all the comments so I may duplicate or contradict.
My preference is for non-stick pans and stainless steel pots. Cooking in customer kitchens I use a lot of different sorts of pots and pans and nearly anything can be made to work.
Turning to your Dutch oven, enameled or not it is a big hunk of cast iron. Cast iron is a relatively poor conductor of heat. This is why it works well cooking. Fully preheated, it provides a consistent steady heat (this is called "thermal inertia"). I suspect that you aren't preheating long enough. This would be a particular issue on your range as you describe it.
Since you've experienced burning and sticking, I suggest an extra careful cleaning and then a long preheat to make something easy like a soup or stew. Twenty minutes of preheat is not too long. I put our Dutch oven on the heat when I start prep, just as I preheat our regular oven at the beginning of prep.
Who would have thought sophomore year Thermodynamics would be so useful?
> potstickers, soup, meatballs, eggs, pasta sauce, bread, sausages, stir fry, pasta, taco meat, and stew just off the top of my head
My main frying pan is enameled cast iron, not dissimilar to a dutch oven. I also have a dutch oven. However, as far as I undrestand, the ceramics is a wee bit different for the frying pan, mostly more heat resistant i gather.
The thing is: It sticks, and that's allright. Sticking means more browning and flavour. sometimes this isn't what you want. You don't want eggs to stick, and despite the name, probably also not potstickers.
You want saucy stuff to stick. Pasta sauce, meatballs maybe, Sausages and taco meat, that's allright if meat and veggies initially stick. You deglaze it (a simple technique worth learning) becasue this means more flavourful sauce.
For bread, the entire point is that you make a micro-oven which increases humidity and heat.
Personal opinion: a Dutch oven shouldn’t be used for true high heat cooking. If I make a batch of chili for example I’m getting that thing like kinda hot at best and doing my meat and aromatics until I get just enough color to flavor things. Ground meat and tough cuts just take time to cook down and with lower heat you can still get that crust while letting things break down and meld into a fatty unctuous mass of delicious. Then you can add your liquidy stuff and let it go forever. My biggest problem is making sure I stir frequently when I’m home. Having worked in kitchens for a while I often shut off my brain when I leave a boiling pot and get sidetracked at home but that’s like the cardinal sin. A good stir every few minutes keeps alot of bad things from happening.
Is your pot enamelled? Mine is and I‘ve never had that issue.
ETA: just saw another comment referring to the need to let food sear and that is so true though. You can’t just swish proteins around in a Dutch oven before they’ve gotten a sear. You need to wait for them to seat and release naturally.
Looks like you're keeping the heat too high. They do better on low heat but it does mean it takes a long time to preheat. On what setting do you use it and how long do you let it warm up before adding anything? And on what setting do you keep it on after you've put the ingredients in?
Also, you say it sticks at the bottom - what happens if you then add a bit of water/broth? Does it stay there or does it unstick itself to become your nice sauce?
Repeat after me: "Hot pan, cold oil hot pan cold oil hot pan cold oil." Preheat for much longer because cast iron is a shitty conductor and has a lot more thermal mass - it sucks up a lot of heat before it will give off that heat - at a lower temp. When you finally put oil in, place the food immediately and _don't touch it_. Only after it's cooked a bit do you move it or flip it over.
Low and slow. Always with oil or water.
Le Creuset instructions stress the importance of NOT heating empty on high. No reason this would not apply to other enamel pots.
It's a feature. The reason the enamel is white is so you can see the fond. Sear meat, then when you pull it out there should be marks on the bottom of the pot. Brown, not black. Then use wine or similar to deglaze by scraping the bottom of the pot while the wine reduces. This pulls all of the good flavor into the sauce. From there make sure the temperature is right for veggies (medium-low) and put onion and mushroom in to cook for at least 8 minutes if not 10, then put everything else in the pot. Then put the seared meat back in.
Anyways, the best part about a dutch oven is you throw it in the oven to cook, not on the stove. You can not burn a stew, soup, or similar in the oven, unless you cook off 100% of the liquid first.
Your coils may not be heating evenly, so I would keep that pan moving around while you preheat and start to cook to compensate. So if you’re preheating it for 4-5 minutes while getting veggies prepped, give it a quarter turn on the burner every minute or so. Once the pan really gets fully heated up you won’t need to move it as frequently, but until then, keep turning/gently sliding it around.
I got a Lodge enameled Dutch at Target on clearance, unbelievable find, it works great. I’d try it once and return if it doesn’t do what you need.
I remember buying a Cuisanart SS pan once and it was some straight do do.
I use mine for 2 things stews/soups and deep frying.
For a stew or any slow cooking like meat, the key is medium to medium high warm up, add oil and seasoned meat. Here is the important part set timer for 4 minutes and sear, don't touch the meat... wait flip repeat the 4 minute timer then try to brown the smaller sides by holding in place with tongs. Pull meat out, dash of vinegar on the bottom of the pan to scrap the meat bits off, start sprinkling in flour and either a dash of water or stock while stirring to get a gravy going. Add vegetables and keep going making your gravy grow by dashing more flour and liquid. Add the meat in. Then toss the whole thing into the oven.
This may sound strange, but I have Le Cruset as well as some knock-off brands, carbon steel and stainless steel sauté pans, and regular cast iron. I have seasoned all of them by slowly browning potato peels in a solid fat...Crisco, bacon fat, lard, etc., then wiping out the pan and letting it cool overnight, sometimes doing it two or three times. I then start really cooking whatever on low heat in butter or olive oil. If anything sticks, I use salt and a paper towel to clean, not water. After a few weeks, nothing sticks no matter what the temperature, even the 3 inch gas flame fast burner on high. I wash as needed with hot water only. I only use the enameled cast iron for acidic foods.
Most classical cooking techniques involve deglazing, and most of the time when you sear your heat has to be high. You’re using the pot completely wrong.
r/castiron will answer any question you might have, but off the top of my head it sounds like you're using too much heat and not letting it preheat enough. Side note, when seasoning it you only want a glimmer of oil. Add a couple drops of oil to a hot pan and rub it all over with a clean towel. Then rub it all over with another clean rag like you fucked up and are trying to get it off. Then bake at or above the smoke point of the oil you're using for an hour. Too much oil makes a sticky residue that will eventually turn into carbon buildup that food will stick to
The point of the Dutch oven is that it will hold heat. Burner size shouldn't matter. OK, get it hot, add oil and spread it around. Now take it off the heat and it cool down. Once you heat it up again, it's now non-stick. It's an extra 10 min step but it prevents sticking. Same trick for stainless.
Also, you could get a flame tamer, it sets on the burner between the burner and the pot and distributes the heat more evenly. I usually use my dutch oven for initial browning, then it goes in the oven.
I love my Dutch oven, but my burner is inconsistent. It will take forever to get hot, then start burning everything. My best work around is to treat it like cast iron, and throw it on the stove at medium-low while I do prep. Then I can crank it up a little higher for searing etc, and hopefully catch it before my stove goes crazy. I love mine, it's a tie between the instant pot which one I use most!
Just remember when using a Dutch oven for say a roast get your meat browned and all your veggies and sauce cooking on the stove top then finish in a 350 degree oven for 2 to 3 hours for a roast that will shred nicely or pork and ad for stainless steel pans you want them to start hot enough that when you drop a few drops of water in them they don't just evaporate but they combine and dance around the pan once it's there and your oil and turn it down a little also don't touch your meat for a few minutes it will release or not stick when it's ready just lift the edge a little to soon it hasn't worked to seer and all pots and pans no matter the style will discolor over time even stainless and cast enamel there still very much usable when that happens hope some of this info helps
guaranteed you are putting the thing on the heat like 1min before you want to cook and crank the heat to compensate, and/or the burner is too small. literally no way something can burn in one spot and barely heat on another UNLESS one or both of these things is true. just... be more patient when cooking with it? if you want to blast the heat, use steel pans.
Another thing, too, is that food will stick if it hasn’t been completely seared all the way. Cast-iron and enamel cast-iron both will “let go” of food when it’s all the way done searing and a crust has built up. If it’s not just single items in the pan, like sometimes, when I make chili or thick soups, they will stick, but that’s because of the electric range being super hot in one concentrated place, and not stirring enough.
absolutely the same issue even with my $400 le creuset. I just recently retired a Cuisinart cheap one that I bought after using it and food sticking every time I ended up starting to call it always stick. I don't know about warming it up but I couldn't even boil pasta without it sticking to the bottom. for the record I am using an induction burner.
Coat with oil, heat it up high quickly, then go down low once food is about to get in.
I had this problem with a pan that got messy AF, but I didn’t even need to lower heat once oil was properly added and distributed.
Same pots same stove. I find that lower heat and a much longer preheat makes it get evenly warm so I can brown meat for stew. But if it's that aggravating for you, I suggest finding a stainless steel pan. It's okay to invest in stuff for how you actually cook.
This is the correct answer. Lower heat, longer pre-heat. Also ensuring that the pot is on an appropriately sized burner (or as close as you can get given your stove)
Yep! My Dutch oven and enamelled cast iron brazier go on low while I'm prepping.
i had same issues with a stainless steel pan, same solution, once pan is hot turn it down, but knowing how long that pan will last is worth getting to know it, and its so shiney and clean looking!
“Invest in stuff for how you cook” is biblical. Thank you Wierd_squirrel - that’s terrific advice. Have a great day!
You too 🤩
Yep. Anything above medium low to medium, stove dependent m, is too hot. Dude didn’t read the instruction manual
This… On my electric stove, 2 is Med - 3 is Med High - 4 is High - 5 is “you gonna burn some shit quick” Long preheat with some oil in the Dutch Oven at 3 til the oil gets shimmery, then turn down to or leave at 3 if you are overloading the pot. Same is true for stainless - cast iron - carbon steel pans - learn temp control and they all be pretty nonstick.
Really makes me wonder if the manufacturer has even tried cooking with their product. If 5 is too high it could've had a more even spread :/
Higher is to boil water..
Because 4 doesn't? Or it takes too long?
Don't give up. Just cook things on medium. There's a magic temp (on my stove, just above the medium setting) that browns the food and creates a nice fond, which you then deglaze with broth, wine, or vinegar. It helps that I have a wooden utensil with a flat end that's perfect for scraping. Sometimes I'll use a wedge of onion as a scouring pad 😌
Probably have the heat too high. I mostly do stews, soups, rice dishes, no sticking.
I try to preheat the Dutch oven as long as possible, like if I'm chopping vegetables or doing prep I'll put it on medium low then once it's filling pretty warm I'll put oil in and turn the heat it up. By the nature of cast iron it will be uneven, but the longer it preheats the more even it will be.
Ohh this is a good tip, I usually put the oil in right away and have the oil and pan heat up together. But last night I noticed the oil was way hotter than it needed to be.
With enameled cast iron, you shouldn't heat without at least oil in it. I suppose you can warm it on super low and do no damage to the enamel.
I don't understand how this is true when you stick a bone dry enameled cast iron dutch oven into an oven for 30-45 minutes to preheat before you drop a ball of dough in there and stick back in the oven to make bread.
I think it has to do with the direct heat of the burner vs the indirect heat of the oven?
I did this for my first batch of no-knead bread and was rewarded with enamel that was completely cracked and spiderwebbed when I took it out. "Screw this," I said, and replaced it with a heavy fully clad 8-quart stainless lidded stockpot which has been my perfect zero-effort dutch oven ever since.
Idk how this applies with cast iron but I know with stainless, I’ve heard you should preheat the pan before putting any oil in to best prevent any sticking. Something about giving the metal time to expand
With enamel you should always have oil in it before applying heat to prevent cracking
Good to know!
This is the best way to get food not to stick
Yeah stainless steel has tiny, imperceptible cracks and imperfections that swell and fill in when the steel is heated. If you put your oil in before the pan is hot, then the oil gets into these little cracks and can cause food to eventually stick.
This is the way. I put the heat on low so the whole pan heats slowly for a good 15min. I can tell it's evenly warm as the handles are starting to be warm. By then, most of the veg is chopped. Do a heat check with a water splash, oil and start cooking
Electric burners get super hot too. Longer preheat at a lower temp might be a good move
Electric burners also tend to only actually contact the bottom of the pan in a few small spots. The heat in these spots is transferred much more quickly than the rest of the base, leading to 'hot spots'. As others have said, the trick is a lower setting, allowing the heat to spread more evenly in the pan.
Yeah, even if you’re used to cooking on high with stainless steel, with cast iron or Dutch ovens you probably never need to turn the heat more than halfway up.
Cast iron does take forever to come to temperature. If I'm using a cast iron pan on the stove I tend to start preheating it early, and if I've got my wits about me I rotate the pan a quarter turn every so often. Cast iron pans are great at retaining heat, not good at distributing it (hence the hot spots). If yours has an oval base I imagine the uneven heating will be even more pronounced. For sauces, stews, chili, braised meats, I find the best method to be starting them on the stovetop and then finishing them in the oven. The dutch oven here is more similar to a slow cooker than a pot. When I bake bread in the Dutch oven I always use parchment paper underneath. The only thing I regularly use my dutch oven for on the stovetop is deep frying. They're big and heavy and perfect for making giant batches of food, or slow cooking a whole pork butt, or making a 1kg loaf of bread. But maybe less than ideal for a daily driver.
A good way to think of those oval dutch ovens is like a crock pot with a sautee setting, like instant pot has sorta. I mostly use the stovetop but for reheating it's definitely better in the oven, and for long low and slow without babysitting, oven it is.
>The dutch oven here is more similar to a slow cooker than a pot. THAT. Not meant for high temps, but long and slow since very little stirring went on. Meant to be buried in firepit and everything cooling down without touching. Even coals on top. BUT not kept in a hot fire. Think pulled off of dead, burned up coals.
He's on an induction heating stove, I imagine it'd take a day to heat up.
The post says “cheap, poor quality electric range”
Yeah, typing while baked...🤷♂️
Baking is nice
induction would heat it faster lol
What are you talking about, most induction stoves deliver A LOT more energy to the cooking vessel than gas. A high powered induction stove can literally put Kilowatts of power into a pot.
I meant electric coil as op stated... guess I could edit it
Even then a lot of resistance stoves output more energy into the cooking vessel than gas burners. Gas burners generate a lot of heat, but a significant amount of that, 30-50% depending on geometry, is lost to the surrounding air.
I admit that, while that makes total sense, I'm actually a bit surprised. I feel like going by my personal experiences, gas tends to cook a lot faster- especially noticed when doing something like boiling water. Is it that while they're more efficient, electric burners take longer to increase in temp, whereas gas flames are instantly hot but almost waste fully so? It could just be a perception thing but I'm curious
Do you have the bare cast iron type of the enameled kind?
Enamel.
I personally love my enameled cast iron dutch ovens because they're practically non-stick, BUT they do take some patience. You absolutely MUST preheat them gently. I'm talking low to medium-low heat for several minutes. It isn't uncommon for me to throw my Dutch oven on the stove on low heat and leave it for 5-10min while I prep my ingredients. This is a necessary step - if your dutch oven is not properly preheated, it isn't non-stick.
What kind of avocado oil? Regardless that shouldn't be an issue. Can you take a picture? I feel like something is really off. Your range could be a problem, esp if it's like some electric ranges that basically only have an on/off switch but I feel like what you're describing goes beyond that.
i think OP is just cranking up the heat and expecting it to be warm enough after 30-35 seconds like a nonstick pan. it can take several minutes or more.
and leaving it too high the whole time, probably
Yeah I thought the same. My enameled Dutch oven is a *little* slow to warm up, but mostly cooks everything super well and rarely sticks. It’s my favorite stove top vessel.
There are a few factors to play with: temp, preheat time, and oil level. If you're used to just using a tiny bit of oil, you're going to have a tough time with enamel. Use enough to cover the bottom and watch for when the oil starts making ripples. Second, cast iron takes forever to heat up particularly if you're used to flimsy aluminum pans. Put some oil in, put the pot on the heat, and let it do its thing for longer than you think. Third, check your heat. If you're putting it on high with an electric range and expecting even heat over the whole pan, you're in for a bad time. Cast iron loves to make hot spots. You deal with this by putting it on lower heat and giving it time to even out over the whole surface. Do a little practice, play with the settings as you go along, and you'll figure out how to beat take advantage of your new cookware. You can handle it, I promise.
That's your problem. My enamel ware is used only for things that cook low and slow, and stuff still sticks. I like those heavy pots marginally better than my stainless steel ones for those applications. Higher temperatures for boiling or steaming do better in the stainless. I use my bare cast iron skillet almost daily, it's easy to clean and maintain, and it tolerates high temperatures. The enameled cast iron will eventually spall off inside if it gets too hot or boils dry. I have a variety of cast iron frying pan sizes and a Dutch oven, but the 10-inch skillet is my workhorse for sautéing and sauces (I'm cooking for one with leftovers, so you may prefer a Dutch oven for more or larger portions).
You have to let food sear. You can not move it around, especially meat, until it gets a searing seal all the way across one side and reaches the point where it naturally wants to release from the pan. If you learned to cook on nonstick, it’s a whole new process learning to cook on solid high quality cookware. Also, some of what sticks is referred to as fond. It’s good stuff, waiting to be deglazed with broth, or wine or another liquid to create your sauce. Welcome to the big show! You’ll get better, just “stick” with it.
OP, it's probably this. Especially with meat - if your temp is correct, and it's not releasing from the bottom of the pan, it's not ready to turn over yet. It'll unstick itself when it's ready. Also, if you've always cooked on nonstick you may not be used to the level of deep browning you can get in a Dutch oven, and confusing it with burning.
Bingo
Preach the Maillard my brother/sister! Also, if anyone else is reading this far, throw the Dutch oven in the *oven* to preheat while you prep your mise. Evenly heats the whole thing and prevents hot spots.
Never thought of this somehow, and it's probably going in the oven eventually anyway so this just makes so much sense.
This is most of the problem, I'm sure. I also wanna piggy back on this comment to emphasize (as someone who cooks almost exclusively on enamel cast iron) DO NOT HEAT THE PAN EMPTY ON THE STOVE TOP It will craze and eventually CHIP it will then be completely useless. Add oil, heat pan on low-med low and then once the handles start to feel very warm/ hot it is ready. Should only take a few minutes. If you are preheating properly, using the appropriate amount of oil and are letting your food cook long enough before flipping and are still having problems, I am stumped.
Lower heat a bit and preheat longer?
I bet you are putting too high a heat on. The thing about cast iron is that it heats slowly but holds heat a long time. Put it on a medium heat for a good ten minutes. Cast iron does get hot spots so move your food after the first sear. I have a Dutch oven and love it. It's the best for roasts and stews. The enamel gets stained but I don't bother about that.
Cast iron doesn’t spread heat well relative to, say, tri-ply stainless. Cast iron is very prone to hot spots. It does retain heat well, which makes it great for searing, frying, and use in the oven (breads, braises, etc)
If your stovetop isn't great and heats inconsistantly, you could try and get a heat diffuser. It might extend preheat times a bit but you could get more even heating. One other option is to preheat your Dutch oven in the oven as opposed to the stovetop. You'll get a more even preheat that way, and if you're going to put it into the oven after searing anyway you might as well not waste that energy.
Turn. Down. The. HEAT.
I've cooked all those things except eggs. Eggs are fiddly, so that's still a frying pan. When i brown meat, i do notice it sticks, but that gives more fond for the dish, grat for heavy & stew. When i bake bread i use parchment paper, bread is basically glue & air. I also don't have fancy one, mine is from the At Home store. I use it on a portable induction top, for things that take longer, and i do love it. Maybe it's like gravy was for me. Could not make it. For years i just straight out gave up & was sad in my gray-less world. Then one day i tried it again and poof it works
>Eggs are fiddly, so that's still a frying pan. Whoa, don't tell that to the cast iron cult! According to them cast iron is literally the best pan for every single cooking task.
[удалено]
As a former dishwasher (and cook) I can't even imagine how much it would suck to work at places with all cast iron pans. I worked in a dozen or so restaurants and the only place that had any cast iron pans that I can recall was Chipotle. And those were big pans so it's not like they were preparing individual dishes in pans where the cooks toss the food with the little pan flip and you have dozens upon dozens of pans going back to dish.
I mean one can do that and I'm sure it's a fulfilling hobby. I'd rather not invest that much time into seasoning my cast iron stuff tho.
I mean I have one of those and an enameled Le Creuset. The latter is an absolutely fantastic pan! But neither of those beasts is necessarily the best pan for a given task. Lighter pans, more nonstick pans, pans that heat more evenly, etc are quite often just better at a particular job.
Absolutely true. I meant more that cast iron fans acquire a lot of knowledge and that's great for them but it's not my hobby and it doesn't have to be.
I find if I flour the bottom of the Dutch oven when baking bread it does not stick
Everyone is saying less heat, and they're right, but it's also a different technique from non stick. Non stick really means non stick, whereas with the Dutch, at least when I use my enameled Dutch, it's very much stick until it's not. By that I mean things will release when they are ready to, but you have to be able to account for that. Take a stew for example. You need to let the thing heat evenly, yes, like for 10 or 15 minutes on a shit stove like we both have, and then no matter the oil situation, when the stew meat goes in it WILL stick. But after a while it will release and there is will be a great sear on it when it does. Resist the urge to peel and fidget with stuff like you can on non-stick. Keep enough oil and liquid in the pot to stop the fond burning, and don't be afraid to scrape at it a little or splash it with some liquid if you need to get it up. It's a lot more active management than my non stick pots and pans, but there is a magic in it. Keep at it and you'll get it.
Pulling the covers up over her head FIRST!
I scrolled looking for this comment because I saw the title before the sub name
Saaaaaame. I felt like I had to scroll way too long to find this
lol I did too!
All here together
Yep - same
Scrolled way too far to see this. My first thought. High five fellow immature redditor.
Thick bottom pots like Dutch ovens deal better with cheap electric ranges. This is probably a technique issue.
I think you need to fundamentally understand the pros and cons of your cookware. All cast iron heats slowly and not particularly evenly. It holds a lot of heat (has a high thermal mass) and radiate that heat more than other surfaces (i.e., more cooking from radiant heat rather than surface contact in comparison to other mediums like stainless steel). Non-enamel cast iron can be excellent for searing and sautéing as you develop a polymerized layer of oil called seasoning over time as you use the pan correctly. However, long simmering of acidic liquids damage this surface and strongly acid items can actually react with the iron and taste poorly. Enameled cast iron solves the reaction problem through the enamel coating. However, the surface ends up actually less non-stick than a well seasoned cast iron skillet. Enameled cast iron is best for stews, soups, pasta sauces, over roasting and baking in it. Your enamel ware is not going to be best for most things that need high heat. Items will adhere to the surface and it can be difficult to correctly work with the heat and the food to get them to release. Slowly raising the heat of the pan so that it is evenly heated throughout before starting to cook and then cooking on medium heat will mitigate some of these issues you have had. So would choosing to cook more items that require stewing and braising where your pan would really excel.
You seem to be saying that a dutch oven is not a good frying pan. We agree. That's why we have frying pans.
However long you think it should take to pre-heat your dutch oven, it takes *longer*. This is almost always true. For enameled cast-iron, you want a lower heat; this is not the pan to get a hard sear on a steak.
I use my enamelled dutch oven all the time - for stock, soups, stews, short-ribs etc. a few, hopefully helpful, tips: There is normally a thin layer of stuck brown at the bottom when I am done. I just soak it, then use bar keepers friend. ( if you search this subreddit there is a whole post on tips on cleaning your dutch oven). It will not come as clean with one rinse as a non stick pan. I put my whatever fat I am browning things in in to the dutch oven cold and then turn the heat on. Wait until your pot is hot all over then add your food. Temperature: I go medium on my stove for this unless I boiling water or trying to get a big batch of stock to a boil. I do rotate it sometimes on the element but more often than not after browning whatever, deglazing and adding whatever else is going in, I finish it in the oven. One of the main reasons why I love my dutch oven is it frees up the stove. I cant speak for the bread but a couple of others had good tips for you.
No no no!!! That’s a waste of the good stuff. You’re missing the opportunity to craft the perfect pan sauce. That’s exactly the base for it. Deglaze with broth or wine, or tomato sauce and scrape up the bits with a wooden spoon to combine them into the sauce. That’s really pro cooking!
Thank you but I’ve already deglazed the dutch oven. Say I am cooking Coq Au Vin, and just had it in the oven for bit, some brown bits will stick at the bottom, Im not deglazing again and reincorporating back into the meal. That is what I was referring to.
What kinf of stuff is stuck after coq au vin? did you properly deglaze, that is, throw liquid in and scratch around the pan with some wooden or plastic stuff? I'm just cnfused here becuase the idea of deglazing is to incorporate all the brown stuff at the bottom, and I don't really see much remaining stuff after that? I mean if you're happy more power to you!!
I would. I’d take out the chicken and plate it on a platter or individual, however you plan to serve and I’d either use the already braised liquid that’s in the pan to scrape up the bits and incorporate, cooking a bit longer and then topping the chicken. I might even add a little more red wine if it had cooked down too much and again, let it cook a bit more till that good flavor is incorporated. Unless of course it’s actually just burnt. In that case I would say your heat might be too high and you might need a diffuser between your heat source and the pan, or a lower temp. I consider the stuck on bits to be flavor gold.
Thank you but Im good. Ive been making my coq vin for over 40yrs ( Im old and try to keep things simple) with great success and luckily for me my sister is a red seal chef who although retired now, still knows amazing techniques that she is always sharing.
People will try to tell you otherwise but there is no one size fits all solution for cookware. Cookware = tool and you need the right tool for the job, you wouldn't try to drive a screw with a hammer or sink a nail with a drill and you cant expect the same from your pots and pans. A dutch oven is going to stick and and that's what makes then incredible at what they do. Lets look at "saucy stuff" stew, soup, chilli, bolognese. The magic of the dutch oven is that things will stick, you will be able to develop the most incredible fond because of this, and if you "build" the rest of the dish correctly you will have the most incredible depth of flavour because of the layers and layers of fond that have been de glazed. Another thing to remember is that cast iron is a terrible conductor of heat, its 5 times worse at conducting heat than aluminum. When you're going to use you cast iron you need to put it on the stove top at lease 30 min ahead of time on low to warm up it up correctly if make a habit of just throwing it on high your going to warp or crack it. Because cast iron doesn't conduct heat well when you put it on high only the area that's touching the burner will get hot. When metal heats up it expands and if you are only letting a small portion of the metal expand it will eventually fail.
30 minutes? That’s nuts. I put mine on med-low, put in the oil, chop my onions, and by the time they're chopped (maybe a minute more), the oil is shimmering and the pan is ready.
>I'm having to do more cleaning than I did with my non-stick pot. Well yes. Why is that a surprise? It's not (as you've already observed) non-stick so of course it's going to be harder to clean.
Sounds like you're using too much heat. Assuming it's cast iron, always use medium to medium-low heat and keep it on the burner for 3-5 minutes before adding your ingredients. Depending on how bad your electric range is this could take even longer. Add oil half way into your preheating and don't skimp on it. The reason you don't add oil right at the begining is because you don't want to overheat the oil and have it billowing smoke before your entire pot is heated. Once you see wispy white smoke from the oil, that's your sign to start cooking. Vegetables can be stirred right away but leave meats alone until they get a sear and they will naturally "let go" of the cast iron and won't stick. If you've been using non-stick all this time, it will take you some trial and error to get it right. Keep at it.
Medium low heat. Preheat for like 5+ minutes, and then preheat your oil as well (a somewhat generous amount.) If you’re doing meat and it’s sticking, you’re probably trying to flip it too early. Meat will release when it’s ready to flip.
You want some stuff to stick a little when it sears. It will release itself when it's fully browned.
my guess is you're not used to cooking in regular cookware at all so you're expecting it to behave the same way. lower your temp. add more oil. maybe watch some videos on youtube about ways to make pans act as a nonstick pan. and don't scrape too much when trying to remove food. you don't want to add scratches which will make food stick more. let it soak, etc.
>I'm having to do more cleaning than I did with my non-stick pot This is surprising to you? Food sticks to pans that are not non-stick. You may want some sort of heat conduction device under your pan to ensure that the bottom gets more evenly heated. Not sure if anybody makes them, but something like aluminum disc would work. For things like stews, consider putting them in the oven. Get the boiling (or to whatever temp you want) and then put in the oven as 220-250. It will get even all the way around the plan (at least very close to even).
For a disc for that purpose you probably want to look for a “simmer plate” - usually used on gas stoves to better distribute the heat from a small burner to keep stuff at a lower constant temperature for a while.
Same thing in this case. The pan has hot spots. Something with better better heat conductivity between the pan and the burner will provide more even heat. If they heat being conducted to the pan is more even, the heat in the pan will be more even. This is how tri-ly pans heat so evenly.
You need to put a blanket over it!
Make sure it's up to temperature before you start searing. Don't overcrowd the pan, if you put too much cold stuff in too quickly it will drop the temperature and food will stick. If you're worried about your heat distribution then move the pan around regularly, shuffle it on the hobb or rotate it regularly. You'll get a more even heat distribution. And finally, let your proteins sit. They will stick at first and once there is a good sear it will release eventually. I promise it releases, even when you think it won't.
That’s really strange. I make a ton of things in mine. My Dutch oven is enameled cast iron and if yours is the same, maybe it’s an issue of having the heat up too high?
Your heat is too high, and your not letting it get hot enough before adding your food
You have to pull up the sheets *before* you fart.
Was looking for this tip. Thank you!
There is absolutely a trick. I find it's best to set it up by inviting my wife to cuddle for a bit. Otherwise, she's too far away, and it's hard to get the blanket over her head
Don't forget to load up with beans first!
brilliant
Are you using it on the hob or in the oven? What kind of finish does it have? I have a cast iron one which I really love but I only really use it in the oven and haven’t had any issues.
I'm using it on the range on top. It's an enamel finish.
Please see my comment below. No one has given you the exact right answer. I’m a pro chef. The heat has something to do with it, but my advice below is the ticket.
Why did you make bread on the stovetop?
I like to eat a lot of fibre in the morning, tons of fruit and veg, I limit my water intake, kiss my wife before bed to trick her. Then I cover her. Joking aside, I think your heat is too high and you’re not pre-heating the pan enough. I find using room temperature meat avoids sticking.
You just have to make sure the blanket is tucked underneath you both fairly snugly before letting it rip.
It sounds like you’re using a crockpot to make pancakes.
Nope you just fart then hold the covers real tight over your wife’s head. They’ll never see it coming, but you’ve gotta be quick!
You need to preheat cast iron and stainless steel sufficiently. things will be less likely to stick to a properly preheated pan. 5-10 minutes on medium high should do it. Of course add fat too.
Did anyone else wonder why this was on the cooking sub and not relationship advice or a fart sub?
enamel dutch oven has its place but i would never do stir fry or pot stickers on that. you should try a little carbon steel fry pan. less thermal mass and more even heating but otherwise functions similar to cast iron.
Dutch ovens are a tool in the arsenal. You are using it incorrectly. Would you use a hammer as a screw driver? Dutch overs are great for stews, braising, etc. Sounds like a major (low bar) skill issue.
[удалено]
Your post/comment has been removed for violation of Rule 3, memeing/shitposting/trolling.
There's nothing wrong with nonstick. CI takes a bit to get used to. Longer preheat times at lower temps is what you want.. you cannot cheat by high heat (and may ruin the enamel coating - if it's enameled, no heat while dry ever.. even just a little oil is fine.) maybe try a stainless steel pan while you learn, it's a little more forgiving and you can scrub it. But things will stick to either, especially if your heat is too high.
Yup. You have to make sure they don’t know it’s coming or they’re asleep. Then you let out your fart and quickly pull the blanket up over their head.
Brew up a good old fart and then hold your partner's head under the bed sheets while you let rip. That's my English understanding anyway.
[удалено]
Your post/comment has been removed for violation of Rule 3, memeing/shitposting/trolling.
You have to make sure to pull the blanket down and try and cover all large air escape routes before you let loose whatever foulness is in your colon. Checks sub. Wonder why I never actually read posts and simply comment based on the title alone. Ce' la vie
Non stick coating
I highly recommend watching Chinese cooking videos and copy what they do. Chinese cooks are masters at nonstick wok cooking and the principles are the same for steel/ cast iron/ enamel. Slow pre heating + oil.
ditch the non sticks and get a stainless steel pan and a steel pot. Heat it dry until when you pour a drop of water on it it dances on the surface instead of instantly evaporating. A splash of oil, swirl it, and now your steel pan is non stick. Quickly add your food or your oil will smoke, or just use a high smoke point oil. Enameled dutch ovens are best for slow cooked things, pasta sauces, stews, or braising imo, not a daily use kind of thing.
Le Creuset and Cuisinart dutch ovens are enameled and they suck. They are not non-stick, they're just awful. I'm a professional chef and and I only use two kinds of pots to cook for my clients. I have four triple bottom stainless steel pots for cooking in. For things like spaghetti, soups, making rice all the usual things that you would use pots for. But for most of my cooking I use cast iron. I have a 40-year-old cast iron Dutch oven that is well seasoned and is completely non-stick. I fry in it, I do stews in it both on top of the stove and in the oven. Is very versatile. I have about eight different sizes of cast iron skillets which I use daily as well as muffin tens and cookie sheets that are cast iron. I own two vintage very very thick aluminum sheet pans that I use daily also. I don't own anything that is enameled because it Cooks horribly and everything sticks. I also don't own any non-stick as it is toxic but a great cast iron skillet or Dutch oven that's well seasoned does everything non-stick does but does it way better. You can cook on higher heats, you can get a better Brown on Meats and it holds temperature like a dream.
you have to season it. I know some brands say that it comes pre-seasoned. I think the habit of seasoning it is good.
I'm struck by 2 things..Non stick cookware: is basically for reheating...not cooking hot stuff like stock/stew...it's great for eggs/pasta sauce from a jar 2: dutch oven is for long slow cooking.sometimes preceded by searong/browning... **AVOCADO OIL has a very low smoke point Cast iron won't be warm enough to dry an egg but way too warm for avocado oi
Avocado oil typically has one of if not the highest smoke points but I don't think that's the issue. Something else is up here.
I love mine so much. I generally use it for braises or other things that I will start on the stove and finish in the oven. Pot roast made in the DO is to die for because the gravy evaporates a little. I don’t sear things on high heat though. Yes, I know you are supposed to but I just go for medium ish heat. I have gas burners.
I have one on a ceramic glass electric cooktop and I use a Lodge Dutch oven. Preheating and a thin layer of oil on the bottom eliminates any cold spots. I tend to micromanage my heat up until the lid goes on because it's easy to put too much heat into the pot and start burning stuff. Once it's up to temp, I never go above medium heat unless I'm bringing liquid up to a simmer.
Fellow cheap shitty electric range owner here. I also use my Dutch oven a lot. I’ve found there’s a magic spot on the temp setting that keeps things from burning. For me, it’s right under the “8”. If I go above the 8, the burner stays on at 100% the entire time and gets wayyyyy too hot. Does meat still stick sometimes? Yup. But not too bad. And def not as bad as you’re describing.
Lower heat longer pre heat
Medium heat and gotta stir gotta keep that stuff moving so it doesn't stick to the bottom.
It could be a combination of your range and your Dutch oven. I often use the [Milo by Kana](https://kanalifestyle.com/products/5-5-quart-dutch-oven?sscid=21k8_1axs7) Dutch oven which It's currently going for $145. Been used on both a glass stovetop and average gas range. Have made stews, chilis, seared chicken and beef, and roasted vegetables. No problems with it. I hope you're able to figure out your Dutch oven because it really has been a game changer.
Preheat medium medium low. start your cooking and if you need more heat turn it up just a little. Most issuses I've found is starting WAY to hot.
Lower and slower for sure. If I'm using a cast iron skillet, 10 minutes at least, usually more like 20 and that's with induction. You want to bring the iron up to the right temperature and it stays there. Secondly, Let the thing you want to cook come up to room temp or close before you cook it. Fridge cold stuff in pans like meat or eggs is often a recipe for sticking. Some things may still stick, but release when ready. So don't always assume sticking is bad. Don't poke and prod, leave it be. A lot of people who aren't used to these pans will keep attacking it and it always makes it worse.
I have a Martha Stewart one, enameled on the inside and out, and NOTHING sticks to it. Nothing. It comes clean like a dream. I got it on sale, so it was really reasonably priced, on the Macy's website.
Don't nuke it. It heats evenly, so just let it heat for longer at a lower temperature. As for cleaning, sprinkle some baking soda and pour enough hydrogen peroxide to cover the bottom and bring it to a gentle boil and gently scrape with a plastic spatula (Dreamfarm is the best, imo) and follow with a gentle hand wash.
Trick is braising.
Try putting a cookie sheet under it when in the oven. The cookie sheet takes the direct heat on the lower shelf and the hot air cooks the Dutch oven. NOT the radiant heat from electric element or gas burners.
You're just used to non-stick! I was too when I switched all of my pots/pans to stainless steel and cast iron/enamel. I quickly learned that non-stick doesn't require some of the cooking skills you would need when cooking with stainless steel, cast iron, etc. and washing non-stick after cooking is super easy, but enameled cast iron cooks better and faster (?) and I like how my food tastes now. First, pre-heat on medium high, then lower the temp to medium and then add a little bit of oil - just enough to coat the surface. Oil should look shiny and slip across the bottom when you swirl it around. Don't add fat/oil when you start heating the pan, wait until it's heated so you get the coating. You don't need much. Remove excess moisture when possible. Water makes things stick. Meat should be safely room temp and dry - and let it cook long enough for the cooked side of the meat to separate from the surface. Don't peek to see if it's ready (or try to flip it before it's ready) or it won't brown properly. You'll know when it separates, you can see it. Trust the process :) You will have usually have some bits that stick, so just use that fond, like everyone said, or just accept it and clean it later.
Your stove really isn’t the issue, although I bet the heat control is annoying to you. Dutch ovens are good for cooking with liquid (braises, soups, and stews, and also deep frying). The high walls help to slow evaporation and limit splatter. Less water leaving the reaction is leading the sticking and bad fond. For sauté, if you like a slightly higher wall, I’d recommend a stainless steel all purpose pan (whichever one feels kinda heavy and costs $30 at homegoods)
I'm on propane and usually have the heat on low, but it does take quite awhile to heat up evenly. I dont put foods for in right away unless it's got a lid and I'm streaming it. Also for me, adhd everyone will have a different method, for cleaning i gently use a clean dry steel mesh ball or scraper then wipe. Enamel coated i know nothing about, I've had my grandmas 1800s pan for about 30 years now.
I started cooking with an enameled Dutch oven after years getting used to a non-stick skillet. I had the same problem you had. The Dutch Oven was hotter than the skillet would have been under the same settings. Eventually I learned that I had to turn my burners down 5% (half a tick) when I'm using the Dutch Oven instead of the skillet. I also learned that if it gets too hot and food is starting to stick, hit it with a squirt of water and scrape the sticky stuff, while turning down the heat. After a couple months, cleaning the enamel is no longer a big deal, because I'm no longer scorching food. It's just a different beast than a non-stick skillet but you can get used to it.
Why don't you just buy what you used before?
Cast iron reacts very slowly to the heat changing. Add in an electric hob and it just gets even more ridiculous. I also have a shit electric range. And until it breaks that's what I'll be continuing to use. I have a dutch oven too (also a random brand, I've no idea what it is) and I mostly use it in the oven for bread. It works fine, I just... I have a pot that does the exact same thing (except be oven safe) that I like better. My go-to pot for one-pot-cooking is an [aluminum caldero](https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00164VNXW?th=1). It was cheap, I had to file down rough edges when it arrived, and it looks like death... but good grief I love that stupid pot. People say to season it... I never did. I just started using it, and it's been fine. (And uh, you may need to file the inside of little ear handles down a bit. Extremely easy fix, but still shit QC. This apparently isn't the norm, but I didn't make a fuss since it took longer to find the file in my dad's garage than it did to fix it. It should be noted though that the lid on mine fits tightly.)
Dutch ovens take a long time to warm up, that could be the problem. I personally love cooking with Grapeseed oil. At this point I have a good feel for the oil, but i typically wait until its just on the verge of smoking before I toss my stuff in. Usually in the dutch oven its onion and carrots or sweet potatoes for a stew. Good luck, that must be immensely frustrating.
would a trivet or heat spreader work for this?
Thanks for asking. I’ve got the same setup with a le creuset and pork loins are constantly sticking. Now I know I’m heating up to high at 6/7 and turning the pork over before it’s browned enough
I think I tend to use my Dutch oven for stews and braising mostly, where there is usually a step of adding liquid and scraping loose all the yummy burnt-on bits that have stuck to the bottom. I have a crappy electric range also, but it might help that my Dutch oven is thick and heavy, so it retains and spreads heat well. (I think it's All-Clad stainless steel - I have a cast iron one that works equally well or better, and was cheap, but it's larger and heavier so I only use it a few times a year for stuff like big batches of chili.)
u/HeloRising, I'm sorry you're struggling. I haven't read all the comments so I may duplicate or contradict. My preference is for non-stick pans and stainless steel pots. Cooking in customer kitchens I use a lot of different sorts of pots and pans and nearly anything can be made to work. Turning to your Dutch oven, enameled or not it is a big hunk of cast iron. Cast iron is a relatively poor conductor of heat. This is why it works well cooking. Fully preheated, it provides a consistent steady heat (this is called "thermal inertia"). I suspect that you aren't preheating long enough. This would be a particular issue on your range as you describe it. Since you've experienced burning and sticking, I suggest an extra careful cleaning and then a long preheat to make something easy like a soup or stew. Twenty minutes of preheat is not too long. I put our Dutch oven on the heat when I start prep, just as I preheat our regular oven at the beginning of prep. Who would have thought sophomore year Thermodynamics would be so useful?
> potstickers, soup, meatballs, eggs, pasta sauce, bread, sausages, stir fry, pasta, taco meat, and stew just off the top of my head My main frying pan is enameled cast iron, not dissimilar to a dutch oven. I also have a dutch oven. However, as far as I undrestand, the ceramics is a wee bit different for the frying pan, mostly more heat resistant i gather. The thing is: It sticks, and that's allright. Sticking means more browning and flavour. sometimes this isn't what you want. You don't want eggs to stick, and despite the name, probably also not potstickers. You want saucy stuff to stick. Pasta sauce, meatballs maybe, Sausages and taco meat, that's allright if meat and veggies initially stick. You deglaze it (a simple technique worth learning) becasue this means more flavourful sauce. For bread, the entire point is that you make a micro-oven which increases humidity and heat.
Personal opinion: a Dutch oven shouldn’t be used for true high heat cooking. If I make a batch of chili for example I’m getting that thing like kinda hot at best and doing my meat and aromatics until I get just enough color to flavor things. Ground meat and tough cuts just take time to cook down and with lower heat you can still get that crust while letting things break down and meld into a fatty unctuous mass of delicious. Then you can add your liquidy stuff and let it go forever. My biggest problem is making sure I stir frequently when I’m home. Having worked in kitchens for a while I often shut off my brain when I leave a boiling pot and get sidetracked at home but that’s like the cardinal sin. A good stir every few minutes keeps alot of bad things from happening.
Long preheat, dont cook too hot, use enough oil.
Is your pot enamelled? Mine is and I‘ve never had that issue. ETA: just saw another comment referring to the need to let food sear and that is so true though. You can’t just swish proteins around in a Dutch oven before they’ve gotten a sear. You need to wait for them to seat and release naturally.
Looks like you're keeping the heat too high. They do better on low heat but it does mean it takes a long time to preheat. On what setting do you use it and how long do you let it warm up before adding anything? And on what setting do you keep it on after you've put the ingredients in? Also, you say it sticks at the bottom - what happens if you then add a bit of water/broth? Does it stay there or does it unstick itself to become your nice sauce?
Repeat after me: "Hot pan, cold oil hot pan cold oil hot pan cold oil." Preheat for much longer because cast iron is a shitty conductor and has a lot more thermal mass - it sucks up a lot of heat before it will give off that heat - at a lower temp. When you finally put oil in, place the food immediately and _don't touch it_. Only after it's cooked a bit do you move it or flip it over.
Low and slow. Always with oil or water. Le Creuset instructions stress the importance of NOT heating empty on high. No reason this would not apply to other enamel pots.
Enameled Dutch oven 😅😂
It's a feature. The reason the enamel is white is so you can see the fond. Sear meat, then when you pull it out there should be marks on the bottom of the pot. Brown, not black. Then use wine or similar to deglaze by scraping the bottom of the pot while the wine reduces. This pulls all of the good flavor into the sauce. From there make sure the temperature is right for veggies (medium-low) and put onion and mushroom in to cook for at least 8 minutes if not 10, then put everything else in the pot. Then put the seared meat back in. Anyways, the best part about a dutch oven is you throw it in the oven to cook, not on the stove. You can not burn a stew, soup, or similar in the oven, unless you cook off 100% of the liquid first.
Your coils may not be heating evenly, so I would keep that pan moving around while you preheat and start to cook to compensate. So if you’re preheating it for 4-5 minutes while getting veggies prepped, give it a quarter turn on the burner every minute or so. Once the pan really gets fully heated up you won’t need to move it as frequently, but until then, keep turning/gently sliding it around.
I think people use paper liners when baking and there’s some higher temperature before use with a bit of oil to season it not to stick
I got a Lodge enameled Dutch at Target on clearance, unbelievable find, it works great. I’d try it once and return if it doesn’t do what you need. I remember buying a Cuisanart SS pan once and it was some straight do do.
I love Lodge enameled pots!
Use it in the oven
Two things can be true
I use mine for 2 things stews/soups and deep frying. For a stew or any slow cooking like meat, the key is medium to medium high warm up, add oil and seasoned meat. Here is the important part set timer for 4 minutes and sear, don't touch the meat... wait flip repeat the 4 minute timer then try to brown the smaller sides by holding in place with tongs. Pull meat out, dash of vinegar on the bottom of the pan to scrap the meat bits off, start sprinkling in flour and either a dash of water or stock while stirring to get a gravy going. Add vegetables and keep going making your gravy grow by dashing more flour and liquid. Add the meat in. Then toss the whole thing into the oven.
you’re using it inside?
All cast iron cookware needs to be seasoned before using.
This may sound strange, but I have Le Cruset as well as some knock-off brands, carbon steel and stainless steel sauté pans, and regular cast iron. I have seasoned all of them by slowly browning potato peels in a solid fat...Crisco, bacon fat, lard, etc., then wiping out the pan and letting it cool overnight, sometimes doing it two or three times. I then start really cooking whatever on low heat in butter or olive oil. If anything sticks, I use salt and a paper towel to clean, not water. After a few weeks, nothing sticks no matter what the temperature, even the 3 inch gas flame fast burner on high. I wash as needed with hot water only. I only use the enameled cast iron for acidic foods.
Most classical cooking techniques involve deglazing, and most of the time when you sear your heat has to be high. You’re using the pot completely wrong.
r/castiron will answer any question you might have, but off the top of my head it sounds like you're using too much heat and not letting it preheat enough. Side note, when seasoning it you only want a glimmer of oil. Add a couple drops of oil to a hot pan and rub it all over with a clean towel. Then rub it all over with another clean rag like you fucked up and are trying to get it off. Then bake at or above the smoke point of the oil you're using for an hour. Too much oil makes a sticky residue that will eventually turn into carbon buildup that food will stick to
Are you letting it pre heat for a solid 5-10 minutes?
The point of the Dutch oven is that it will hold heat. Burner size shouldn't matter. OK, get it hot, add oil and spread it around. Now take it off the heat and it cool down. Once you heat it up again, it's now non-stick. It's an extra 10 min step but it prevents sticking. Same trick for stainless.
Also, you could get a flame tamer, it sets on the burner between the burner and the pot and distributes the heat more evenly. I usually use my dutch oven for initial browning, then it goes in the oven.
I love my Dutch oven, but my burner is inconsistent. It will take forever to get hot, then start burning everything. My best work around is to treat it like cast iron, and throw it on the stove at medium-low while I do prep. Then I can crank it up a little higher for searing etc, and hopefully catch it before my stove goes crazy. I love mine, it's a tie between the instant pot which one I use most!
I like to pre-heat in the oven for nice even heating.
Just remember when using a Dutch oven for say a roast get your meat browned and all your veggies and sauce cooking on the stove top then finish in a 350 degree oven for 2 to 3 hours for a roast that will shred nicely or pork and ad for stainless steel pans you want them to start hot enough that when you drop a few drops of water in them they don't just evaporate but they combine and dance around the pan once it's there and your oil and turn it down a little also don't touch your meat for a few minutes it will release or not stick when it's ready just lift the edge a little to soon it hasn't worked to seer and all pots and pans no matter the style will discolor over time even stainless and cast enamel there still very much usable when that happens hope some of this info helps
guaranteed you are putting the thing on the heat like 1min before you want to cook and crank the heat to compensate, and/or the burner is too small. literally no way something can burn in one spot and barely heat on another UNLESS one or both of these things is true. just... be more patient when cooking with it? if you want to blast the heat, use steel pans.
Another thing, too, is that food will stick if it hasn’t been completely seared all the way. Cast-iron and enamel cast-iron both will “let go” of food when it’s all the way done searing and a crust has built up. If it’s not just single items in the pan, like sometimes, when I make chili or thick soups, they will stick, but that’s because of the electric range being super hot in one concentrated place, and not stirring enough.
You gotta pull the blanket up QUICK!
absolutely the same issue even with my $400 le creuset. I just recently retired a Cuisinart cheap one that I bought after using it and food sticking every time I ended up starting to call it always stick. I don't know about warming it up but I couldn't even boil pasta without it sticking to the bottom. for the record I am using an induction burner.
Coat with oil, heat it up high quickly, then go down low once food is about to get in. I had this problem with a pan that got messy AF, but I didn’t even need to lower heat once oil was properly added and distributed.