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If I could have only one pan, it would be an enameled cast-iron skillet. The best enameled cast-iron skillet is incredibly durable and versatile enough to work as a sauté pan, a frying pan, a braising pan, and even a baking pan. It’s long-lasting, ovensafe, compatible with all cooktops, and because porcelain enamel is alkaline-resistant, you can cook acidic foods in it without issue (not so for uncoated cast iron, which can lose its seasoning with too much acid).
The enamel also eliminates nearly all of the maintenance required for raw cast iron, so it’s a great option for busy home cooks who want the excellent heat retention and distribution you get from cast-iron pots and pans but may not have time to care for uncoated cookware.
It won’t get as nonstick as very well-seasoned, uncoated cast iron; you’ll always need some butter and oil to get easy release. But even a budget-friendly enameled cast-iron pan will last a lot longer than pricey nonstick pans.
After testing 10 popular and highly rated enameled cast-iron pans, I’m pleased to report that most were pretty good. But in terms of performance and versatility, the Staub Traditional Deep Skillet stood out as the best overall.
Staub 11-inch Traditional Deep Skillet
Below, find more details on the Staub, along with recommendations for a lightweight option and a budget pick. You can also learn more about how I tested, what I looked for, and what I thought of the enameled cast-iron pans that didn’t make my top picks.
The best enameled cast-iron skillet The best budget enameled cast-iron skillet The best lightweight enameled cast-iron skillet What to know before buying an enameled cast-iron skillet How I tested What I looked for Other skillets I tested
If you want the look of a classic cast iron skillet with the durability and versatility of an enameled pan, Staub’s Traditional Deep Skillet is the best you can buy.
Everything I cooked in this pan turned out beautifully. With a generous pat of butter, not even fried eggs stuck to the lightly-textured black enamel cooking surface—though I did get a perfect crispy edge on the whites. This pan continued to impress when I cooked quesadillas, grilled cheese, and large cuts of meat. The straight but slightly-flared sides maximize the cooking surface area, and they’re tall enough that you can easily use this skillet for shallow “deep” frying and braising. This is also the only one of my top picks that didn’t hold onto any of the cornbread I baked in it (and yes, I buttered each one very well).
I loved this pan out of the box, though I admit that might have had something to do with the fact that the matte black version (which costs $20 less than the other colors) could be easily mistaken for meticulously-maintained raw cast iron. To add to its traditional look, it has two pour spouts, a not-too-long handle that still looks classic, and a solid helper handle that’s small but functional enough when you need it.
Other than the price, there’s not much I didn’t love about this enameled cast iron skillet. That said, it’s always a little annoying when something is advertised as dishwasher safe (like this pan), and then you read the manual and realize “hand washing is recommended.” The manual also recommends using non-metal utensils in this pan. I’m sure it’s to avoid scratches, but part of the point of using cast iron instead of nonstick is that you can use whatever utensils you want. Also, because the handle and pan are all cast together, the handle will get piping hot even on the stove, so you’ll want to use a silicone handle cover or oven mitt—but that’s an issue you’ll experience with nearly every cast iron skillet.
Sizes available: 6.5 in, 11 in, 12 in (varies by retailer) Color options: Yes (varies by retailer) Oven safe to: 500ºF Dishwasher safe: Yes
Staub 11-inch Traditional Deep Skillet
Well-made enameled cast iron is generally pretty pricey, and the quality of Cuisinart’s gear is all over the place, so I was repeatedly surprised by the performance of this truly affordable enameled cast iron fry pan.
The Cuisinart’s heat retention and distribution rivals the Staub and when warmed over medium-high heat on my induction cooktop, the center of the pan reached a target temperature of 350ºF in just under four minutes. More impressive, however, was that the entire cooking surface had reached the same temperature after just five minutes; constant temperature checks with an infrared thermometer showed that the pan heated very evenly too.
It also had the best cooking surface of all the under-$100 pans I tested. With a generous pat of butter, the matte black enamel had enough texture to beautifully brown a fried egg, a quesadilla, and a grilled cheese sandwich without any of them sticking—but it was smooth enough that it didn’t hold onto fibers from my kitchen towel or paper towels. The edges of my cornbread did stick ever so slightly, but as I get into more down below, enameled cast iron isn’t supposed to be non-stick cookware.
Cuisinart makes a lot of enameled cast iron cookware, but the Chef’s Classic fry pan is only available in one size (10 inches) and two colors (blue and red), and even then, it’s not easy to find in stock. I’d certainly be more enthusiastic about this pan if it were available in at least one neutral color like the larger, pricier Cuisinart Chicken Fryer pan.
Sizes available: 10 in Color options: Yes (limited, varies by retailer) Oven safe to: 500ºF Dishwasher safe: Yes Warranty: Lifetime
Cuisinart Chef's Classic 10-inch Enameled Cast Iron Skillet
Enameled or not, cast iron is heavy—which can be truly problematic for those with mobility issues and still annoying even for those without. Lighter, thinner carbon steel pans are often presented as a lightweight alternative, but like raw cast iron, carbon steel requires regular seasoning maintenance.
Enter the Vermicular Oven-Safe Skillet, the lightest enameled cast iron skillet I tested and, as far as I know, the lightest in the world. This Japanese-made pan has all the best features of enameled cast iron and carbon steel combined: lightweight materials that are compatible with all cooktops, a dark and smooth-but-not-too-smooth cooking surface, and a durable enamel that is actually dishwasher safe. Plus, unlike any other enameled cast iron skillet I tested, the Vermicular has a stay-cool handle so you can manipulate it while it’s on the stove without an oven mitt (you might still want one for pulling it out of the oven, though).
This pan’s black enamel also helps brown foods beautifully. With the same generous pat of butter I used in the other pans, my fried eggs had an ideal barely-there brown edge but lifted effortlessly from the pan and I had equally great results making quesadillas and grilled cheese. That said, it’s very important to note that because the cast iron is so thin, I have to use a lower heat setting on my stove with this pan than I do with traditional cast iron.
Because of that thin cast iron, this pan heats up and cools down very quickly, so if you’re used to cooking on traditional cast iron, there’s a bit of a learning curve. I also had some trouble getting my baking times and temperatures right with my cornbread test. It cooked incredibly quickly and some stuck to the pan every time, so this wouldn’t necessarily be my first choice for true baking projects. Oh, and if you’re interested in a matching glass or stainless lid for this already-pricey pan, it will cost you an additional $45 or $50.
Sizes available: 9.4 in, 7.9 in, 10.2 in, 11 in Color options: No Oven safe to: 570ºF Dishwasher safe: Yes
Read my full review of the Vermicular Oven-Safe Skillet.
A lot of research goes into selecting specific items for our product reviews here at Epi, and part of that involves reading one- and two-star customer reviews—especially on popular and trendy gear. Sometimes the bad reviews alert us to long-term durability issues, but more importantly negative reviews help me to understand not only how people are using these items at home but also how they expect these products to work. And the most important thing I learned when researching for this particular piece is that a lot of people expect enameled cast iron skillets to be smooth and nonstick.
Enameled cast iron cookware is not nonstick. Though the cooking surface of an enameled Dutch oven is certainly less sticky than bare cast iron, it’s not meant to be nonstick. Enamel protects the cast iron from elements in the kitchen (water, acid, etc.) which in turn, makes the cast-iron a lower-maintenance option than its uncoated counterpart.
When you think of enameled cast iron, Le Creuset’s beautiful Dutch ovens with their smooth sand-colored interior probably come to mind. But not all enamel is smooth and pale, and in my testing, I found that the skillets with darker, textured interior enamel did a much better job of browning foods than the lighter, smoother cooking surface. I was also initially surprised that with the same preheating time and well-sized pat of butter, fried eggs stuck to both of the light-enameled pans I tested while they did not stick to any of the pans that had a dark, textured cooking surface. As I cooked more on these pans it started to make sense: Even just a slight texture leaves just enough room for a little bit of butter or oil to move around between the food and the cooking surface which can prevent sticking, but a smooth surface doesn't really allow that.
Out of the box, I washed each pan with dish soap and warm warm water then fully towel dried them. Before cooking anything, I preheated each one on medium-high heat on my induction stovetop (lower for the lightweight pan) then melted a half-tablespoon of butter in each for 90 seconds. I looked closely at how the butter spread out on each cooking surface, then fried one egg in each pan, and repeated the test if an egg stuck to make sure it really was the pan and not the person cracking the egg into it. I continued to use each pan to brown tortillas then make quesadillas, and followed that with grilled cheese sandwiches. Flat, mass-produced white bread made it easy to see how evenly a pan distributed heat. When I had eliminated about half the pans, I used an infrared thermometer to see how quickly and evenly the finalists heated up, checking multiple points on the cooking surface every 60 seconds. I did the same after removing the pans from the stove to see how long each one retained heat. Finally, I made cornbread in each of my top picks to see how evenly the batter cooked and how much of the cornbread stuck to the inside of the well-greased pan.
How well does the interior enamel brown food? When used with butter or cooking oil, do foods stick to the surface? Are there any noticeable hotspots?
Does the pan heat evenly as it warms and once it’s fully preheated? How well does it hold heat when removed from the oven or stove?
With the exception of intentionally lightweight pans, cast iron is heavy and theoretically, the heavier it is the better it will retain heat. So I didn’t fault a pan for simply being heavy. I did, however, consider whether the weight felt well distributed enough for the pan to be easily maneuverable from stove to oven to table and so on.
When using cookware this heavy, a long, ergonomic handle makes it easier to transport the pan around the kitchen and dining room. A functional helper handle is also, well, helpful when moving a whole chicken or heavy pork chops in the pan.
Does the pan feel like it will be able to withstand everyday use for years? (And do customer reviews indicate otherwise?)
Is the pan dishwasher safe? I didn’t fault the pans that weren’t, but I did look at whether or not the interior enamel was textured in a way that collected lint from a cloth or paper towel when hand drying. And I absolutely dinged the pans that got all linty.
I really enjoyed cooking the Made In 11-inch skillet. With its deep, sloped sides, it reminded me of a braiser and it has the highest oven threshold temperature (580ºF) of all the pans I tested. It heated as well and as evenly as the Staub, and with the proper amount of butter, not even an egg stuck to the dark gray, hand-enameled cooking surface. But it lacks pour spouts and the helper handle is almost too small to be truly helpful if you’re wearing an oven mitt—especially for a pan that weighs almost six pounds. If you don’t plan to fry in your skillet, those might not be deal breakers, but it does make this pan less versatile than my top pick.
Sizes available: 11" Color options: Yes Oven safe to: 580º Dishwasher-safe: No
Made In Cookware Enameled Cast Iron Skillet
The name Le Creuset is practically synonymous with high-quality enameled cast iron; the brand’s enameled cast iron Dutch ovens are considered the best you can get (a claim my colleagues have backed that up with testing). And I have very few complaints about the Signature cast iron skillet. None of the pans with a dark matte interior enamel like this one were bad, and this was among the best I tested. In the end, the decision came down to some small details. The cast iron on Le Creuset skillet is a little thicker than my top pick so it took longer to warm up (though it also retained heat a little better). This pan also has lower sloped sides, which made the 10.25" skillet I used feel shallow, crowded, and a little less versatile than the Staub.
Sizes available: 6.3", 9", 10.25", 11.75" (varies by retailer) Color options: Yes (varies by retailer) Oven safe to: 500º Dishwasher-safe: Yes (handwashing recommended)
Le Creuset 10.25-Inch Signature Enameled Cast-Iron Skillet
This very large, very sturdy pan from DTC brand Great Jones is very cool. Like all of the brand’s cookware, it’s aesthetically pleasing in a modern kind of way and in my testing it beautifully cooked eggs, grilled cheese, and quesadillas. But the straight, low sides are somewhat limiting and overall the pan just feels on the verge of being too big and too heavy for everyday use—though it would be great for making deep-dish pizzas as long as you don’t go over 500ºF in your oven. Hand-washing the cooking surface of the King Sear also required a little more elbow grease than comparable pans (an issue I also experienced with the Great Jones baking sheets).
Sizes available: 12" Color options: Yes Oven safe to: 500º Dishwasher-safe: No
I’ve been using a (raw) Lodge cast iron pan at home for as long as I can remember and my enameled Lodge braiser is a wonderful alternative to my Le Creuset braiser, with a much more affordable price point. Unfortunately, the enameled Lodge skillet didn’t impress me as much as other Lodge cookware I’ve used. It didn’t heat as evenly as my budget pick, the helper handle was small, there were no pour spouts, and most frustratingly, the matte black enamel on the cooking surface was so rough that it constantly collected fibers from my supposedly lint-free kitchen towels as well as paper towels. It’s also pretty hard to find in stock right now, but Lodge is rolling out a new line of enameled cast iron made in the USA, so I’m crossing my fingers for a better enameled cast iron skillet from this brand sometime in the near future.
Sizes available: 11" Color options: Yes (limited, varies by retailer) Oven safe to: 500º Dishwasher-safe: Yes (handwashing recommended)
Lodge 11-Inch Enamel Cast Iron Skillet
Tramontina is regarded for its affordable, but high-quality stainless steel cookware and many consider their pots and pans to be All-Clad “dupes.” But I was a little disappointed with this enameled cast iron pan out of the box. It has the lowest oven temperature threshold of any pan I tested (450ºF), and like the Lodge, the dark interior enamel coating enamel coating collected lint from my kitchen towel and paper towels when I dried it by hand. When I made quesadillas, it appeared this pan had some hot spots, and I later confirmed that with an infrared thermometer.
Sizes available: 10", 12" Color options: Yes (limited, varies by retailer) Oven safe to: 450º Dishwasher-safe: No
Tramontina 10-inch Cast Iron Skillet
This pan from Crock-Pot’s “non electric cookware” has a smooth off-white interior enamel, which caused my fried egg to stick. And because it’s a thinner cast iron than most of the other pans I tested, it heats up very quickly, almost too quickly (I accidentally made brown butter on medium-low heat).
Sizes available: 8", 10", 12" (varies by retailer) Color options: Yes (limited, varies by retailer) Oven safe to: 500ºF Dishwasher safe: No Crock-Pot Artisan 10" Enameled Cast-Iron Skillet
Crock Pot Artisan 10-Inch Enameled Cast Iron Skillet
Amazon has recommended this 9.8" Bruntmor cast-iron pan to me multiple times, so I thought it might be worth testing, especially because the brand has a wide selection of light- and dark-enameled cast iron griddles, grill pans, and bakeware, as well as some preseasoned raw cast-iron cookware sets (which sound like way too much maintenance for me; I can make my soups in something else, thank you very much). Unfortunately, due to the smooth, light interior enamel it had the same issues as the Crock-Pot pan above. But it’s a moot point now that as of publication, this particular pan is no longer available to order.
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