5 Valuable Benefits of Enamel Cast Iron Cookware | Healthier Cooking

Featured item: Nouvelle Cast Iron Cookware Set

You’ve just dished out what you hope is a mouth-watering meal.

Suddenly, you freeze mid-ladle.

What are those suspicious black flakes lurking in the bottom layer of the sauce? Those are not meant to be in there! you mouth in silent horror, staring daggers at your 3-month-old non-stick pan. I’ve only ever used wooden and plastic utensils on you, followed the cleaning instructions to the T, and this is how you reward me??

The kids’ demanding whines (which you’ve got pretty good at blocking out) vaguely break into your consciousness, as you remember that dinner’s already late and you’re busy conversing with a cooking utensil.

You brush off the thought that you may be about to feed your family their last meal, grab the plates, and head for the dinner table (aka site of possible forthcoming family homicide). Heck, you haven’t eaten anything yourself since 10am, so right now, it’s do or die. (Or both).

Note to self:

• Cooking shouldn’t involve this kind of mental distress.
• It shouldn’t be time-consuming and stressful due to cooking utensils that are unpredictable, bad quality or high-maintenance.
• It shouldn’t have you feeling anxious or embarrassed about what you’re putting on the table.

So…Are you ready to explore a new way of cooking that’s easier, safer, healthier, and yummier? Heck yes! Let’s do it!

The ‘New’ Way of Cooking That’s Been Around for Centuries

Confession time.

We’re not talking about something that’s exactly new here. More like, as old as the hills.

Yep, cast iron cookware has been around for centuries. The first recorded use actually dates back to 220 AD in China! Commercial casting techniques took off in Europe in the 1500’s, and since then, ye olde cast iron pots and pans have been stocking the kitchens of both humble cooks and ambitious chefs around the world.

So why the dip in popularity?

Well, even though your mom probably had at least one or two hand-me-downs squatting in her cupboard, the 20th century saw an explosion of new cookware technology, including stainless steel and non-stick inventions like Teflon, which quickly eclipsed those old cast iron stalwarts.

Enter the 21st Century, and much of the world has been turning to greener, more wholesome products and ways of living. In particular, we’ve started recognising and reacting to some of the health and safety concerns related to non-stick substances being used in modern cookware.

Featured item: Nouvelle Cast Iron Cookware - Red

In the search for alternatives, many people have been re-discovering the numerous advantages of cast iron cookware – the ones our grans and great-grans would still swear by – including the bonus benefits that come with modern enamelled cast iron.

Let’s take a closer look at 5 top reasons so many households are choosing enamelled cast iron over other types of modern cookware.

Go Non-Stick Without the Sticky Side Effects

Remember those ads of the guy blowing a pancake off the non-stick frying pan? Now there’s a concept, we all thought. (Let’s not take a poll of how many of us actually achieved this feat at our own pancake parties!). Non-stick cookware has clearly created a much more convenient cooking experience – no mess, no fuss.

But here’s the sticky problem.

Those non-stick coatings are made with a unique kind of chemical compound known as PFCs (perfluorinated chemicals), PFASs (perfluoroalkyl substances), or simply, Teflon. With its ability to repel water and oil, Teflon is useful for a wide variety of applications, from stain protection treatments, outdoor gear, and building materials, to our ubiquitous non-stick pans.

The catch is, PFCs have become a dangerous pollutant because of their tendency to build up in the environment, in wildlife, in our water supplies, and worryingly, in our own bodies. Studies have linked PFCs to serious health risks like cancer, hormone disruption, liver toxicity, and infertility. It’s especially important for pregnant and breastfeeding moms to avoid PFCs, as they can pass through the placenta and through breastmilk.

Scientists have called these chemicals ‘virtually indestructible’ – they stubbornly refuse to biodegrade. Unfortunately, our Teflon pan coatings are somewhat less indestructible. Over time, they can start leaching PFCs into our food – especially when we’re dry heating the pans to high temperatures. The problem gets even worse when that non-stick coating is scratched.

Featured item: Nouvelle Cast Iron Skillet - 26cm - Buttermilk

Perhaps the most worrying thing is that most people don’t seem to be aware or take these risks very seriously – how many times have you cooked on a scratched non-stick pan?

Thankfully, you don’t have to give up the convenience of non-stick cooking. Cast iron cookware has long been a safer, healthier non-stick cooking alternative. Traditional cast iron needs to be properly seasoned (a process that allows a thin coating of oil to physically bind to the inner cooking surface when heated) to achieve the full non-stick effect, but when done right, the results only get better over time.

Featured item: Nouvelle Cast Iron Casserole - 20cm - Buttermilk

The great news (for those of us who prefer having less to think about in the kitchen) is that enamelled cast iron comes with its non-stick feature built right in, no seasoning required.

Is the non-stick-ability of enamel cast iron as fool-proof as Teflon? Well, no, not entirely. You can’t drop a cold egg into a cold enamel cast iron pan, heat it up with no oil and expect your cooked eggs to wisp off with a flutter of the spatula. But if you follow a few simple cooking rules – pre-heating the pan, and using a small amount of oil in the early stages, you and your eggs will be golden!

Featured item: Nouvelle Cast Iron Collection - Buttermilk

2. Cook Anything, Any Way, Anywhere

Cooking should be as much about creativity as nutrition. The tools you use in your kitchen should allow you to explore and experiment, rather than giving you an endless list of rules and conditions you need to follow.

The essence of great cookware is the ability to cook anything you feel like, any style, anywhere.

And that’s what you get with enamelled cast iron. It’s middle name is Versatility. (It wasn’t the most popular kid at school, but that’s all in the past).

Featured item: Nouvelle Cast Iron Casserole - 24cm - Buttermilk

It can handle high temperatures for searing and braising (although, with enamelled cast iron, you’ll only need medium heat to reach those perfect temperatures).You can transfer your pan or pot from the stovetop straight to the oven for grilling and roasting – and back to the stovetop to simmer your gravy. You can use a Dutch oven or casserole for baking delicious, moist breads and cakes, thanks to its excellent heat retention and emissivity (see point #3) which ensures great surround heat through the baking process.

Featured item: Nouvelle Cast Iron Collection - Plum

One slightly controversial aspect of bare cast iron is that it’s been shown to react with acidic foods, releasing small amounts of iron into food during cooking. Although an extra dose of iron can be very useful to certain people, like pregnant moms or individuals with iron deficiencies, excessive iron intake can pose a danger to others.

Enamelled cast iron takes this potential worry out of the equation. Unlike bare cast iron, these utensils will not interact with acidic foods, unless the enamel barrier is cracked or otherwise compromised.

Another aspect of enamel cast iron’s versatility is that it can be used on virtually any heat source, including:

• Gas stoves
• Induction cookers
• Glass tops
• Solid electric plates
• Radiant plates

The only place you can’t cook with enamel cast iron is over an open flame. If you’re a camping family or keen to whip up some braai sides over the fire, you’ll need to get yourself a traditional cast iron pan – but you’ll only need one for life!

Enamelled cast iron will meet all your needs for everyday cooking. Unlike bare cast iron, it’s safe for the microwave and the dishwasher, can be used to store food in the fridge and the freezer, and makes a beautiful serving dish for your table too!

Featured item: Nouvelle Cast Iron Collection - Caribbean Blue

3. Turn Down the Heat, Turn Up the Taste

When you use cast iron cookware for the first time, your first thought is probably going to be, Dang, this thing’s heavy! It may take a little getting used to, but this noticeable heft has some major advantages.

For one thing, you’ll always have a highly effective weapon for self-defence handy in your kitchen (Tom & Jerry weren’t kidding around…and that was one strong mouse).

More importantly, its mass also translates into higher thermal mass, which means it holds its heat like a champ. It will take a little longer to heat up compared to Teflon or stainless steel, but it only needs medium temperatures to cook beautifully, and once it’s hot, it stays hot for way longer.

This makes the cooking experience a lot simpler – rather than playing a game of ping-pong with your temperature knobs as you try to mind-read your moody stove, you simply set the heat you want your food to be cooking at, and leave it at that.

Featured item: Nouvelle Cast Iron Casserole - 24cm - Red

Another advantage is cast iron’s high heat emissivity – the amount of heat it radiates from its surface. Stainless steel has an emissivity of about .07, which means only the food directly in contact with the surface gets any action.

Cast iron’s emissivity is more than 9 times higher at .64 – meaning that surface heat really gets around, cooking your food faster and more thoroughly. This is part of what gives it such versatility. Want to do your roast on the stove? No problem! Just be sure to use an oven mitt when handling these hotties!

4. Minimise the Costs of Cooking

It’s pretty simple logic to see how enamelled cast iron will save you all kinds of costs.

Save energy

Because you only need to cook at low to medium heats, and you can turn off the heat earlier while your cookware holds on to it, you can save a bucket on energy and gas costs.

Save time

Cooking with cast iron creates a much simpler cooking process from beginning to end. It’ll save you both cooking time and clean-up time. For one thing, you’ll be using less cookware – one pot or pan can take you from stovetop, to oven, to table, to the fridge – which means way less clean up! Plus, the actual cleaning and maintenance couldn’t be simpler. No elbow grease needed – cooked food lifts off easily, so handwashing is a breeze, or just stick it in the dishwasher. Enamelled cast iron won’t rust, and doesn’t need seasoning between cooking, so there’s really no special treatment required!

Featured item: Nouvelle Cast Iron Oven Pan - 30cm - Buttermilk

Save money

Both the above benefits will be adding up to save you money in the long run as you spend less on electricity and gas, cooking oil, and cleaning products.

But you might be wondering, isn’t the cookware itself going to cost more?

Well, the answer is one of those ‘yes and no’ deals. Which brings us to the next point…

5. Invest in a Long-term Relationship that Won’t Fall Apart

If you knew you could buy one set of cookware that would last you a lifetime and keep delivering the best results, wouldn’t you be happy to invest a little more in that kind of long-term relationship?

Cast iron has proven its incredible durability time and time again. It’s a one-time purchase that will see you through your cooking years, till finally, one day, you realise you’ve made your last piece of French toast, and it’s time to pass on your beloved cookware set to the grandkids.

Can you see your Teflon non-stick pans making it into the will? All it takes is one stressful, overtired day where you accidentally use the metal spatula instead of the plastic one…one incident of your teenager scrubbing it with the abrasive side of the sponge… and your pan is totalled. It’s happened to all of us. And it will happen again.

So do yourself a solid, and ditch those flakers. You don’t need ‘em (and neither does your liver). Cast iron’s got you covered – and once you commit, it’s with you for the long haul.

Featured item: Nouvelle Cast Iron Collection - Plum

Well, Hello There! Introducing the Nouvelle Range: All the Value, Less of the Price Tag

Now you know all the benefits enamelled cast iron can bring to your table, are you feeling a twinge of evening romance? Imagining those mouth-watering aromas blossoming over a dim blue flame?

Well, we bet you’ll be falling head over heels before long.

Because the great news is, you can have all of these amazing benefits at a fraction of the price you’d normally pay for top enamelled cast iron brands.

Nouvelle offers you a fully home-grown enamelled cast iron cookware range that will simplify and elevate your cooking, while bringing a fresh dose of style to your kitchen.

Featured item: Nouvelle Cast Iron Cookware

The Nouvelle range features solid die-cast iron glazed with multicoat porcelain enamelling fired at up to 1400 degrees, which guarantees amazing performance and durability. Each piece is ergonomically designed and individually hand-finished, so you can be sure you’re getting a master-crafted item you’ll be proud to showcase at mealtimes. Plus, you can choose from a range of neutrals or trendy colours to blend in or brighten up your kitchen.

With just a few select pieces from the Nouvelle range, you’ll have everything you need to get your inner chef fired up and cooking up a storm!

With Nouvelle, you can enjoy all the benefits of healthier, more versatile, more efficient non-stick cooking, wrapped into a tough, durable product at amazing value for money.

Seriously, what more could you ask for?

Check out the complete Nouvelle cookware range at Cielo’s online store, and find out more at www.nouvelle.co.za.

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