History of enamelware - kitchen & household

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Early enamel-lined cooking pots

Think about enamel kitchen utensils today, and you probably imagine something coated all over in enamel. That certainly wasn't the case in the early years. To begin with, cooking pots were lined inside with enamel, but they looked like any other cast iron on the outside. People wanted a way of coating iron to stop metallic tastes or rust getting into food: something acid-resistant and easy to clean without laborious scouring, something more durable than the tin linings used inside copper.

The story of enamel cookware begins in the 1760s in Germany. The idea of finding a safe, convenient coating first took hold there: in scientific writing and in actual iron works. Fifty years later vitreous enamel linings, also called porcelain, for kitchen pans were becoming familiar in several European countries. Enamelling was no longer limited to decorative arts and crafts.

Were enamel-lined cooking pots really as clean and safe as they seemed? Some people praised them as far better than anything known before. Others spoke of poisonous ingredients leaching into the food. Finding out what cooks or housekeepers thought in the early days is not so easy.

Over the next few decades enamel-coated metal came into use for domestic pots, pans, basins, as well as for street signs, medical equipment and more. And yet enamelware was still a long way from the attractive and useful mass-produced utensils of the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Enamel in the USA: flourishing after a late start

Enamelled cookware came to the US after Western Europe. Around 1850 Americans began to own enamel-lined culinary utensils, but they were very plain, nothing like the colourful mottled surfaces that were yet to come. The Stuart & Peterson foundry in Philadelphia was making enamel-lined cast iron pots in the 1860s.

The interior of the hollow ware, as prepared by the steam lathe, is covered with a white paste, and put into the oven to be dried. After drying, it is transferred to an enamelling oven, where a white heat, sufficient to melt glass, is applied, which fuses this coating, making it soft as liquid glass. While in this state it is swiftly taken from the oven, rapidly covered with a white powder, and immediately returned back to the oven, where it is again subjected to a white heat, aud finally taken out to be gradually cooled in the open air. The enamel is, in fact, a regular coating of porcelain upon the metal, and with ordinary care is imperishable. On the contrary, the enamelled iron ware made in England (which has been nearly driven out of American consumption by Stuart & Peterson's manufacture) finally runs into an infinitesimal number of minute cracks, which chip off and render the vessel quite useless.
A history of American manufactures from 1608 to 1860, Bishop, Freedley, and Young, 1868

Plenty was written about unsatisfactory cookware:

Ten years ago the porcelain-lined kettles were considered a great invention for boiling substances that required particular care, and many a thrifty housekeeper has congratulated herself on the possession of one, and then grieved herself sick almost to find it burned black in a few days, through the carelessness of servants, and just as liable to spoil her delicacies as an ordinary tin saucepan.
Lady's Home Magazine, Philadelphia, 1857

The utensils for roasting and even grinding coffee are now frequently lined with porcelain, as are many other articles for the kitchen. No doubt the porcelain is exceedingly clean and nice while it remains perfect; and it is an advantage to the coffee-berry especially not to be brought into immediate contact with heated metal. But porcelain-lined articles are not only very expensive, but they never can be depended on. They are quite as liable to crack and fly in pieces the first time of using as the fiftieth; and, of course, are of no further service.
The Art of Confectionery, Tilton and Co., Boston, 1865

It was in the 1870s that a surge of competitive creativity began to change American kitchenware. Out of this came the huge range of enamel goods spattered, speckled, and splashed, which appeal to collectors today. Two companies led the way in patenting and promoting innovations: not just attractive surface decoration but continuing improvements in enamelling sheet metal joints, attaching handles etc. We shouldn't forget that throughout the 1800s changes in metal working are important in the story of enamelware. It's not all about the surface.

Mottled, marbled, or plain?

The first two big US companies making enamel homewares were founded by migrants from Europe in the 1860s. One company had French heritage, the other German. Lalance and Grosjean started as a business importing sheet metal and metal homeware before setting up their Manufacturing Company in New York, with a metal stamping factory in Woodhaven. Their mottled enamel was agateware, typically blue.

Frederick and William Niedringhaus built up the St. Louis Stamping Co. in Missouri, then moved graniteware production to Granite City, Illinois.  They later evolved into NESCO, whose grey enamel was sometimes said to flow from "pure melted granite" . They got the first US patent for a mottled enamel finish, just a few months before a competing patent by L & G. Both companies went on to patent numerous improvements: from better spouts to novel surface decoration.

Vollrath managed to establish itself a little later, and there were other companies too. Carl Vollrath had to assert the uniqueness of his enamelling method to get a patent for his kind of "enameled iron-ware of the kind known as speckled or pepperedware":

The ware is distinguished from what is known as mottled ware, such as granite or agate ware, in the fact that the contrasting specks are produced by the incorporation in the enamel coating of an agent which presents the contrasting color, whereas in the case of the mottled ware the specks or spots are not only generally of a larger and somewhat less defined character than those found in the speckledware, but are caused by the absorption into the glaze of oxide of iron formed upon the surface of the metal during the process of enameling.
From Vollrath's 1893 patent

The best-known brands, especially the granite and agate ware names, held onto a strong position into the 20th century. They sold for higher prices. In 1899 Lalance and Grosjean’s “Agate nickel-steel ware” was much more expensive than Haberman’s “grey mottled enameled ware” L&G's 2 quart lipped saucepan cost 18¢ ; Haberman's was 7¢. Meanwhile, Sears had a set of 17 pieces of "Peerless gray enamel ware" selling for about $2.70.

Agate nickel-steel ware ads claimed a "chemist's certificate" proving it free of "arsenic, antimony, and lead" from the 1890s onward. Enamel had not quite shaken off the suspicion that some formulas leaked toxins into cooked food. Today most enamelled cast iron usually has a plain, often white, lining however gorgeously coloured the outside is.

At the time when mottled enamel was a huge success in the USA some countries stuck to a plainer look. Classic British enamel was typically white with navy trim, though deeper colours were also used. Sweden had a lot of cream with green edging. Other countries had a mixture of plain and speckled, with folk art decoration, like floral motifs, also popular in some places.

New rivals - aluminium, stainless steel, Pyrex, plastic - brought serious competition. From the 1930s enamelled metal was never again an "obvious" attractive, affordable choice.

Timeline: enamelled metal for culinary and domestic use

...We are aware that sheet-iron vessels constructed of a single piece of sheet metal have been stamped into shape and enameled in mottled colors to represent granite and marble, and also that sheet and cast metal vessels have also been enameled with vitreous enamels, when constructed in one piece, and this we do not wish to claim.
What we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is —
A sheet-metal vessel constructed in two or more sections, united at the edges by semicircular overlapping joints, and coated with vitreous enamel, whereby the lapped joints are cemented together and held, and the vessel strengthened and ornamented, substantially as set forth...
1877 patent for inventors John C. Milligan, of South Orange, New Jersey, and George Booth, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, assignors to Lalance and Grosjean

...until a few years ago, almost all thinly enameled ironware, whether of wrought or cast iron, had a plain surface or one of uniform color, blue, brown, violet, white or gray. Subsequently there was introduced and extensively sold upon the market so-called mottled ware, or granite or agate ware, which is ware in which the enamel coating is given a variegated appearance...
1894, Vollrath patent

Notes

~ To find out about specific patterns and finishes from a collector's point of view you will probably need at least one serious collector's reference book, and/or membership of a collector's society.
~ Graniteware is a general name for speckled or mottled enamel nowadays, often used without meaning the original brand.

5 March 2012

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Lodge Vs. Le Creuset

Lodge Vs. Le Creuset

 

I have long been a fan of cast iron cookware.  I have tried just about every type of cast iron there is– from classic, vintage Griswold, to modern day Lodge, to luxury brands such as Le Creuset and Staub.  I have tried ’em all, folks. And during my exhaustive (and fun!) testing, I have come up with some mighty cool stuff to tell you about which cast iron pieces I recommend, which are worth the money, and which, quite simply, are not.

And since this test is done 100% of my own volition, with my own cast iron pieces that I own and no one sent me for free, my reviews are deliciously (literally!) honest.  🙂  Today I am giving an honest, “nobody paid me to say it” review of Lodgevs. Le Creuset enameled cast iron.  And if you’re on the fence as to whether you should buy a cheapie or invest in a more high end Dutch Oven, then I think you’re gonna love it.  😉

What are we waiting for?  Let’s do this!

First, if you are new to the Cast Iron world, let me explain the 2 main types of cast iron cookware, just to make it easier.

1.  Regular, black/seasoned Cast Iron.  This is your classic Black skillet that Grandma probably used.  This is like, the classic “black” Lodge skillet.  The classic, non-coated cast iron must be “seasoned” (basically not washing the skillet after cooking but just wiping it out, and allowing oil to build up and create a slick, non-stick coating over years of use).  In my opinion, these types of skillets are difficult to use, especially for beginners. They can rust if left in the sink, and the seasoning process can be difficult to master.  And until they are “well seasoned,” everything will stick to them.  Not my cup of tea, just being honest.
2. Enameled Cast Iron.  Enameled Cast Iron takes the classic heating properties of cast iron, and pairs them with the quick and easy cleanup of a nonstick pan.  Enameled cast pieces can be left in the sink overnight, without rusting.  They do not require seasoning.  They DO require low heat (but it’s ok because cast iron heats like nobody’s business.  More on this in a moment), or the enamel will crack or even, if the heat is super high, pop off in pieces.  Before you say “Exploding enamel!  Yikes!  I will never get an enameled cast iron pan!” let me just say, I suppose a plastic knife could kill you, too.  But you don’t stop using them, because you possess common sense.  Don’t turn your pan (any pan) to high heat.  It’s bad for your cookware, and bad for your food.  I am able to get a gorgeous diamond grill pattern on steaks by turning my cast iron to 3.5 on the dial.  Cast iron takes time to heat up, but you never need to use more than low heat. Those who skip the directions and turn it right to 8 or 9 are the ones with exploding enamel. But not you. Because you’re being smart and reading the directions first.  You’re welcome.

Enameled cast iron is my favorite, bar none.  It’s gorgeous bakeware, ovenware, stovetop ware . . . you name it.  And I have never had a problem with exploding or cracking enamel, and I cook with it every day in some form. Just keep your heat low, and let the iron heat up slowly.  It will get there. Just like a good relationship, cooking in cast iron is a labor of love that takes a little time . . . but will be totally worth it.  😉

When I FIRST started researching enameled cast iron, I kept coming up against 2 giants in the cookware world– Le Creuset, and Lodge.  Lodge is a classic, tried and true American brand. People have been cooking with Lodge cookware for generations, albeit “usually” the black, classic “you have to season this pan” variety.  I was curious to know how the 6 qt. Enameled Lodge (introduced in 2005) stacked up against a high end luxury brand, such as Le Creuset (made in France since 1925).  So today, opposite the Lodge is one of my favorite Dutch ovens– the 5.5 qt. Le Creuset in Juniper Green.

Now, what exactly IS Le Creuset?  Oohh La La . . . I’m so very glad you asked! 🙂  Le Creuset has been making enameled cast iron since 1925.  They are still produced in small quantities and limited colors in France, and shipped over here (wouldn’t you hate to do THAT postal delivery?!).  They are well known for almost a century of craftsmanship and for their famous “lifetime guarantee.”  However, all this French class comes at a price.  A classic Le Creuset 5.5 qt. Dutch Oven is gonna run you about $325.  Ouch.

When I first wanted to get an enameled cast iron piece, I thought, “I wonder if the super expensive ones are worth the money?”  And now, after having cooked with both . . . voila!  I’m prepared to show you what I found and let you make your own decision. 🙂  I don’t want to just tell you “I think this oven is better.” Because, ya knowwwww . . . what if we have different taste?  I’d much rather show you the features of each, and “how they handle,” and let you decide, based on specifics, which oven is right for you. 🙂

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Appearance

In appearance, here is what I found:

Lodge: the color was surprisingly bright and good, but I did notice a few bumps in the paint.  These in no way affect performance, but bumpy surface *can* sometimes indicate a more cheaply made piece, and I wanted to mention them.  The pot didn’t seem to be dull on the bottom, as some cheaper cast iron pieces are. The shape was rounded and pleasing, and the handles were nice and large, but I found them to be a bit blockish. The round lid knob was a pleasing shape, and I liked the silver color.  I also liked the ombre color effect of the oven, fading to darker on the edges.  Overall, I give this oven a 9 out of 10 on appearance.

Le Creuset: the color is bright and extremely shiny.  The handles are ample (although *some* LC models have smaller handles, so keep that in mind if you decide to purchase), and smoother than the Lodge handles.  The handle was a matte black (although LC sells other handles including stainless steel, if you prefer) and had a nice, chunky grip.  The paint was smooth as silk, overall.  I saw no bubbles or flaws in the paint.  I also loved the ombre paint effect.  Overall, 10/10 on appearance for LC.

Quality

Lodge: The cheaper Lodge pan was surprisingly heavy, and I was pleasantly surprised.  Generally, cheaper cast iron pieces tend to be lighter because manufacturers use fillers to save money.  But this Dutch Oven was nice and heavy. No sign of quality skimping, here.  The lid was nice and heavy, too, and it fit nice and snug (a wobbly lid is a sure fire way to tell you have a poorly made piece).  I was slightly concerned that the interior white enamel was a little lumpy.  Generally, pans that are not perfectly smooth do not have as long of a shelf life, and tend to crack and craze more easily, but that remains to be seen since I haven’t had this oven long.  The slightly bumpy surface did not seem to affect cooking, so for now I will just keep an eye on it, and mention it.  It bears mentioning, too, that the interior of the Lodge pan is rounded, which gives slightly less cooking space.  I give Lodge 9 out of 10 for quality, which is really astounding considering its price point of about 25% the cost of its more expensive counterpart.

Le Creuset: The quality of Le Creuset is legendary for a reason.  The pot is heavy and “equal” in my hands, with no unevenness at all.  The surface of the enamel, both inside and outside, is like a mirror, it’s so smooth.  To be honest, when I was trying to take a photo of the interior, to show you the difference, my camera was unable to find a “point” to focus on inside the LC.  That should tell you something about the smoothness. So I “helped” out my camera and put the lens cap in there for focusing purposes. But seriously.  They don’t get any smoother than this.  The Le Creuset lid fits perfectly with no wobbling, and the lid is equally heavy and high quality.  The angle of the bottom of the pan is straight, rather than rounded, which gives a squidge more cooking space (which I love).  The LC Dutch Oven receives a 10 out of 10 for quality.

Cooking Ability

This is what I was really looking forward to seeing.  Because, at the end of the day, even if a pan is pretty, it’s got to work hard to survive in my kitchen. 😉  I was curious to see how the Lodge held up to the much more expensive LC.  A note on cast iron cooking: the better made the piece, the better it conducts heat.  That just means that a well made piece will be able to sear meat on low heats, if given time to heat up.  A cheap piece will not heat up as well, and you will need to turn the heat up higher to achieve the same sear as a more well made piece.

 

Lodge: I put the Lodge out at first on the same heat that I usually start my LC pieces on to brown meat: 2 on the dial.  I know what you’re thinking.  “Um . . . two?  How can you cook anything on a 2?!  It’s barely warm!”  Well, a good quality cast iron pan will brown and sizzle on 2 on the dial.  BUT you have to give it time. Too many people break the enamel on their pieces by turning up the heat too high, too fast.  People who don’t cook with cast iron expect the piece to heat up in a minute or two, like a nonstick pan. But honestly, it takes a cast iron piece 8-10 minutes to achieve “full” heat.  So when I’m going to cook something, I put my cast iron on the stove before I get any of my materials out, and start it preheating.  Then, when I get my vegetables chopped, or my meat prepared, the pan is nice and ready.

*Ahem*  haha.  Sorry. I told you I was passionate about this subject. It’s hard not to ramble. 😉

So anyhoo . . . the Lodge.  I started it out on 2 on the dial, like I do LC.  I gave it 10 minutes to heat up.  And I added my hamburger to brown.  But I noticed that my hamburger was barely cooking. So I turned up the heat to 3.  Still not really. So I went to 4. And then my meat started browning, but not burning up.  So I had to turn the heat up higher than LC for this pan, which was an indication to me that the pan was perhaps not as good at conducting heat.  However, with the slightly higher heat, it performed its little heart out.  I was quite pleased.

When I added my lid after preparing the chili, it fit snugly enough that the chili simmered nicely, and I found that the simmer time was comparable to LC, albeit at a slightly higher heat on the dial.  Overall, this Lodge pot performed like a champ! 🙂  The higher necessary temperature makes me wonder how the quality will fare in the long term, but I was quite impressed.  Overall, the only problem I could find with this oven was that I had to use a higher temperature, but once I did, it cooked its little cast iron heart out for me.  I give this oven a 9 out of 10.

Le Creuset: I can fill my LC with water, turn the dial to 2, and cover the pan. The water boils in 6 minutes.  That’s how amazing these pots conduct heat.  They are legends for a reason.  I browned my hamburger on 2 on the dial (3 is enough to sear a steak), and simmered at 1/2 (turning it to 1 will actually be too hot, as they conduct heat so well).  People who turn these ovens to 8 on the dial thinking “It’s not getting hot!” will have enamel crack or pop off. Don’t blame the pan.  These babies are the Cadillac of cookware.  They really can cook almost anything without going above 3.5 on the stove dial.  Give them a little time and keep the heat low, and they will serve you well for a lifetime. 🙂

The LC browned my meat, bubbling merrily, at 2 on the dial. It simmered like a dream at 1/2, and the lid fit snugly and kept in the moisture, keeping everything nice and tender.  I give this oven a 10 out of 10.

Other Features

Lodge:  I love that the Lodge offers a 6 qt. size.  I found it to be *just* big enough for a huge pot of chili.  The LC oven is 5.5, and I felt that 6 qt. added that teensy little bit of extra space that made all the difference.  I liked this extra “wiggle room” greatly.

Lodge has excellent customer service, but they do NOT offer a lifetime guarantee on their pieces. And I mean, seriously, who can blame them.  The price of the Lodge oven is about 1/4 the price of a LC.  These ovens aren’t expected to last a lifetime, and you aren’t paying for that.  But they do really give you a nice bang for your buck, and if you have to replace it when you’re 70, then I still think that’s money well spent, and definitely more use than you’d get out of a cheapie store brand pot.

Le Creuset: The LC doesn’t offer a 6 qt. size, and I wish they did.  The sizes jump right from 5.5 qt. to 7.25 qt, so if you want to make a pot of chili I find that the 5.5 is a squidge too small, and the 7.25 is a squidge too big.  Of course, there are other smaller and larger sizes.  Lodge currently offers only the 6 qt. and is experimenting with a braiser type, 3 qt. model in enameled cookware.  While LC has many more size choices, I do wish that they offered a strict 6 qt. size.

LC also has their drool-worthy “lifetime guarantee.”  I have personally taken advantage of this guarantee, and LC replaced my Dutch Oven, no questions asked.  They were jolly well nice about it, too.  Seriously.  LC customer service cannot be beat.  *however* LC will replace the pan only if it is not user error that caused the accident– it must be a flawed piece.  This merely means that when you don’t read the directions, and you turn up the heat to 8, and your enamel pops off, and you destroy the Cadillac of cookware because you weren’t paying attention and giving it time to heat up on low heat, LC won’t replace a piece because of your error.  And honestly, that seems fair to me.  But they will replace any piece that is flawed, or has some sort of manufacturer error. Like I said, I have personally taken advantage of this guarantee, and they could not have been nicer, walking me through the returns process and sending me a new oven right to my door.

So, to sum it all up, here is what I found.

1.  The Lodge is about 1/4 the cost of a Le Creuset.
2. The Lodge does NOT offer a lifetime guarantee, while LC does.
3. Le Creuset offers many more color and size options in enameled cookware.
4. The quality of LC is pretty much flawless, but Lodge gave a fine account of itself.

And at the end of the day, all that really matters is whether my chili tastes good or not. 😉  And friends . . . both chili recipes were DEEEEEEELICIOUS!

Me, personally, I think Le Creuset is absolutely worth the money.  The quality is insane, and the guarantee is for life.  I cook with my LC pieces every single day, and they have never once let me down or made me anything but proud.

But I admit I was highly impressed with the Lodge pan. For its price point, it gave a darned good account of itself in the kitchen.  And I think if I were new to cast iron cooking, I would start out with a Lodge enameled piece– try it out to see if I even like cast iron cooking, without breaking the bank.  And then once I decided that I LOVED cast iron (come on!  Who doesn’t!!!), I would invest in the more expensive Le Creuset.

These are my thoughts, and you will have your thoughts.  But give cast iron cooking a try, today.  Your Grandma was smart– she knew cast iron was the way to go.

And the chili tastes just fine, whether it came out of a red or a green pot.  😉

You did it. And I’m just so proud of you.

 

 

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which just means that we get a few pennies if you purchase through our link. I never recommend products that I don't personally use and love. Thanks!

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