What is this casserole dish and how do I not ruin it?
December 13, 2020 11:12 AM Subscribe
I am very not kitchen-savvy. I bought what looks like a nice casserole dish at a thrift shop and I would like to use it properly and avoid ruining another item out of ignorance. Please, help me identify this dish and advise me on its proper maintenance!
Here are photos of the actual dish described as “KitchenAid WL401 Porcelain Enamel Induction Capable”. I do not know what these words mean. Is it porcelain? Enamel? Cast iron? The care and maintenance of each is different and is overwhelming for this kitchen noob to interpret.
My dish looks a lot like this KitchenAid KCLI60CRAU Autumn Glimmer Cast Iron 6-Quart Casserole Dish. Since it’s a different model number I don’t want to assume it is the same item or has the same physical properties.
My questions are:
1. What is this dish made of?
2. How do I maintain it properly - what are the Dos and Don’ts for keeping it clean and ready to use?
3. Can I throw it in the oven or on the stovetop without concern (my kitchen has a gas oven and stovetop)?
4. Is it different from a dutch oven?
Explain like I'm 5 - please and thank you!
Here are photos of the actual dish described as “KitchenAid WL401 Porcelain Enamel Induction Capable”. I do not know what these words mean. Is it porcelain? Enamel? Cast iron? The care and maintenance of each is different and is overwhelming for this kitchen noob to interpret.
My dish looks a lot like this KitchenAid KCLI60CRAU Autumn Glimmer Cast Iron 6-Quart Casserole Dish. Since it’s a different model number I don’t want to assume it is the same item or has the same physical properties.
My questions are:
1. What is this dish made of?
2. How do I maintain it properly - what are the Dos and Don’ts for keeping it clean and ready to use?
3. Can I throw it in the oven or on the stovetop without concern (my kitchen has a gas oven and stovetop)?
4. Is it different from a dutch oven?
Explain like I'm 5 - please and thank you!
Googling suggests that it might be enamel-coated steel, not enamel-coated cast iron. The easy way to tell the difference is by weight: cast iron (whether coated or not) is very heavy, while steel feels approximately as heavy as any comparably-sized pan you might have. Either way, you can use it on the stovetop or in the oven. You can even use it on the stovetop then move it directly to the oven, like when you brown a roast (on the stove), add in some vegetables, and put it all in the oven to cook. You'll find it to be very versatile and easy to keep clean, using the method cooker girl outlined.
If you want more specific information, you could always try calling KitchenAid. Since you have the model number, they should be able to provide you with the details about your dish. I have found them enormously knowledgeable and helpful through the years.
posted by DrGail at 12:11 PM on December 13, 2020 [1 favorite]
If you want more specific information, you could always try calling KitchenAid. Since you have the model number, they should be able to provide you with the details about your dish. I have found them enormously knowledgeable and helpful through the years.
posted by DrGail at 12:11 PM on December 13, 2020 [1 favorite]
I agree with (the very appropriately named) cooker girl above -- the inside of the lid sure looks like cast iron to me, and looks like it is intended for stews/braises/etc, where you start the dish on the stovetop and move it to the oven for slow cooking.
posted by Dip Flash at 12:43 PM on December 13, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Dip Flash at 12:43 PM on December 13, 2020 [1 favorite]
If it’s steel, it will be made of sheet metal and coated. This means a constant material thickness everywhere, and no projections. Cast iron can be kind of bumpy, and can have features cast into it.
Oven-safety wise, the only thing you have to watch out for is any sort of plastic knobs, handles, etc. Even then, they’re usually rated up to at least like 350.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 12:48 PM on December 13, 2020 [2 favorites]
Oven-safety wise, the only thing you have to watch out for is any sort of plastic knobs, handles, etc. Even then, they’re usually rated up to at least like 350.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 12:48 PM on December 13, 2020 [2 favorites]
1. What is this dish made of?
2. How do I maintain it properly - what are the Dos and Don’ts for keeping it clean and ready to use?
3. Can I throw it in the oven or on the stovetop without concern (my kitchen has a gas oven and stovetop)?
4. Is it different from a dutch oven?
1 - Enamel covered cast iron (or steel - it doesn't really matter from a practical point of view)
2 - Wash with soap and water with a sponge; I'd avoid steel wool, aggressive green scrubbies, and the dishwasher - though it probably can take a lot of abuse so don't obsess over it.
3 - Yep, that's probably the intended use scenario. Double check that knob on the lid isn't plastic before using in the oven (you can get a metal replacement knob at the hardware store if you are in doubt of the current one's melt-proofness)
4 - These days "dutch oven" is kind of a vague designation for any number of large lidded pots meant for use in the oven. Originally, a "dutch oven" referred to a pot with a lid that had a raised rim so you could put hot coals on top of the lid while the pot was nestled among the embers in an open hearth. Like this. But these days it means lots of things. Yours is essentially a dutch oven as most people/recipes use the term.
posted by niicholas at 12:54 PM on December 13, 2020 [3 favorites]
2. How do I maintain it properly - what are the Dos and Don’ts for keeping it clean and ready to use?
3. Can I throw it in the oven or on the stovetop without concern (my kitchen has a gas oven and stovetop)?
4. Is it different from a dutch oven?
1 - Enamel covered cast iron (or steel - it doesn't really matter from a practical point of view)
2 - Wash with soap and water with a sponge; I'd avoid steel wool, aggressive green scrubbies, and the dishwasher - though it probably can take a lot of abuse so don't obsess over it.
3 - Yep, that's probably the intended use scenario. Double check that knob on the lid isn't plastic before using in the oven (you can get a metal replacement knob at the hardware store if you are in doubt of the current one's melt-proofness)
4 - These days "dutch oven" is kind of a vague designation for any number of large lidded pots meant for use in the oven. Originally, a "dutch oven" referred to a pot with a lid that had a raised rim so you could put hot coals on top of the lid while the pot was nestled among the embers in an open hearth. Like this. But these days it means lots of things. Yours is essentially a dutch oven as most people/recipes use the term.
posted by niicholas at 12:54 PM on December 13, 2020 [3 favorites]
Cooker girl is right on all counts.
Induction-capable means a substantial part of the bottom is ferrous, i.e. either iron or steel. The shape says it's a casting, so under the enamel coating it's all one piece. Since it's a casting and it's cookware, it's enameled iron, not steel. While steel can be cast, the process is much too expensive to be used in cookware.
Steel is actually heavier per volume than cast iron, but steel is stronger so things can be made thinner out of steel, and that's where the weight savings comes from.
But again, this isn't steel. It's iron.
With a coating of enamel.
posted by jon1270 at 1:10 PM on December 13, 2020 [1 favorite]
Induction-capable means a substantial part of the bottom is ferrous, i.e. either iron or steel. The shape says it's a casting, so under the enamel coating it's all one piece. Since it's a casting and it's cookware, it's enameled iron, not steel. While steel can be cast, the process is much too expensive to be used in cookware.
Steel is actually heavier per volume than cast iron, but steel is stronger so things can be made thinner out of steel, and that's where the weight savings comes from.
But again, this isn't steel. It's iron.
With a coating of enamel.
posted by jon1270 at 1:10 PM on December 13, 2020 [1 favorite]
Clarification: since it's a casting, and it's cookware, and it's induction capable, it's iron. Cast aluminum cookware is a thing, but it's not induction capable. Cast steel cookware is not a thing.
posted by jon1270 at 1:13 PM on December 13, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by jon1270 at 1:13 PM on December 13, 2020 [1 favorite]
I would be surprised if the knob wasn’t oven safe — KitchenAid is a reputable manufacturer, and that looks like it’s designed to go in the oven. It’d be weird to put a non-oven-safe knob on something like that.
posted by LizardBreath at 2:13 PM on December 13, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by LizardBreath at 2:13 PM on December 13, 2020 [1 favorite]
Seconding the warning to avoid chipping or cracking the enamel. It can start to rust if you do. So basically, be very careful of dropping it, or dropping things on it.
(Since it's a thrift store purchase, look it over carefully for existing chips or cracks. Small chipped areas can be dabbed with oil after cleaning to prevent rust.)
posted by Pallas Athena at 2:34 PM on December 13, 2020
(Since it's a thrift store purchase, look it over carefully for existing chips or cracks. Small chipped areas can be dabbed with oil after cleaning to prevent rust.)
posted by Pallas Athena at 2:34 PM on December 13, 2020
Congratulations, it looks like you've found a lovely pot. I searched the KitchenAid site, as you probably have already, and it looks like they have discontinued their cast-iron series. Now I am just guessing, but this happened with a lot of brands during the 2010's after they initially sold enameled cast iron made abroad that didn't hold up to the standards they promised/expected. I have such a dutch oven (not Kitchen Aid) that was very cheap, and it has stained badly. I won't put it on the table any more. However, it is not at all dangerous to use, and it is still very useful in the kitchen.
If you want to keep your pot's good looks, don't heat it up too much, and heat it up slowly when you do. Make sure you don't burn anything on the stovetop. It's great for a stew if you keep an eye on it while browning the meat and deglazing, then you can put it in the oven for a slow braise. It's great for cooking soup, like minestrone. I'd use it for any gravy, or pasta sauce. Anything cooked slow for a long time, remember, you don't need a slow cooker if you have an oven and a cast iron pot: put whatever in it in the morning at low heat, and take out a lovely dinner at night.
I'd not use it for roasting stuff or for those dutch oven breads where you need high heat and a dry pan.
posted by mumimor at 2:43 PM on December 13, 2020 [1 favorite]
If you want to keep your pot's good looks, don't heat it up too much, and heat it up slowly when you do. Make sure you don't burn anything on the stovetop. It's great for a stew if you keep an eye on it while browning the meat and deglazing, then you can put it in the oven for a slow braise. It's great for cooking soup, like minestrone. I'd use it for any gravy, or pasta sauce. Anything cooked slow for a long time, remember, you don't need a slow cooker if you have an oven and a cast iron pot: put whatever in it in the morning at low heat, and take out a lovely dinner at night.
I'd not use it for roasting stuff or for those dutch oven breads where you need high heat and a dry pan.
posted by mumimor at 2:43 PM on December 13, 2020 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thank you to everyone who weighed in, your answers are all so, so helpful for this kitchen noob, much appreciated! I feel much more educated about the dish I will be cooking with, and feel empowered to start cooking instead of afraid of how I might ruin my cookware!
MeFi, you are the best. :)
posted by Goblin Barbarian at 5:35 PM on December 13, 2020 [2 favorites]
MeFi, you are the best. :)
posted by Goblin Barbarian at 5:35 PM on December 13, 2020 [2 favorites]
Re: oven-safe knobs - you'd think it was a given, but several dutch ovens on the market, including some pretty pricey Le Creuset models, used to, or currently, come with plastic knobs that are only safe up to 400 f. or so - fine for casseroles but completely unsuitable for baking bread (at 500 f.), which is what many people use them for. So it doesn't hurt to check the knob on your particular pot.
posted by niicholas at 12:57 PM on December 14, 2020
posted by niicholas at 12:57 PM on December 14, 2020
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It looks like enameled cast iron, which is enameling put over cast iron. It'll hold heat beautifully and doesn't have the usual maintenance requirement of cast iron. You should be able to clean it with soap and water and a scrubby sponge for any stubborn areas. I would not put this in the dishwasher, but I'm a person who doesn't put any pots/pans in the dishwasher, even if the instructions say I can.
The studded lid makes me think its purpose is very similar to a dutch oven. The lid will be great for braising and stewing things. I would be comfortable putting this in the oven.
The only thing I would be extra careful about is chipping the enamel. That said, my enameled cast iron cookware has some chips and I've had them for YEARS and it doesn't affect the cooking at all, it's just annoying and may eventually rust.
posted by cooker girl at 11:39 AM on December 13, 2020 [2 favorites]