We Tested the Best Enameled Cast Iron Skillets of 2024

Food cooking in the Crock Pot Artisan Cast Iron Skillet on a stove — Photo:
Allrecipes / Grace Kelly

There are a few pieces of cookware that we consider must-haves, and one of them is a cast-iron skillet. Sturdily constructed with a reputation for superior heat retention, it’s a fairly versatile pan that can be used for high-heat searing and sautés, or lower heat simmers. But bare cast iron requires a little more upkeep than other cookware, like regular oiling to maintain its seasoning and prevent it from rusting.

An enameled cast-iron skillet, however, has an added protective layer that eliminates the need for meticulous maintenance. The smooth enamel surface also makes it less prone to sticking and generally easier to clean, all while retaining the heating capabilities and durability of cast iron (plus, they’re very pretty).

About Our Tests

To determine the best enameled cast-iron skillets for your kitchen, we tested 22 popular options. Our tests included baking cornbread to evaluate heat conductivity and the nonstick quality of the enameled surface, and pouring oil out of the skillet to assess the design of the pour spouts. We also seared a variety of proteins and sautéd additional foods to see how the pan performed. Lastly, we ranked the skillets in a number of critical categories:

Design: Are the sides tall enough to prevent spills? Are they so tall that it's hard to maneuver a spatula? Is the handle comfortable to grip? Does the skillet have a pour spout? Is it effective?
Performance: How easily does cornbread release from the pan after cooking? Does seared food come out with a deep color and a nice crust on both sides? Is it easy to control the skillet's heat?
Ease of Cleaning: Does the manufacturer recommend washing by hand, or is the skillet dishwasher safe? Is it easy to wash by hand?
Durability: Over the course of the testing period, did the skillet exhibit any signs of chipping, scratches, or warping?

Our Top Picks

Our Top Pick:

KitchenAid 12-Inch Enameled Cast Iron Frying Pan/Skillet at Amazon $130

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Best Splurge:

Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Skillet at Amazon $220

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Best Budget:

SALE

Crock-Pot Artisan 10-Inch Cast Iron Skillet at Amazon ~~$45~~ $30

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Most Versatile:

SALE

Our Place 10 Inch Cast Iron Always Pan at Amazon ~~$155~~ $110

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Best With Lid:

Tramontina Enameled Cast Iron Covered Skillet at Amazon $80

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Our Top Pick

KitchenAid 12-Inch Enameled Cast Iron Frying Pan/Skillet

KitchenAid Enameled Cast Iron Frying Pan

PHOTO: Amazon

$130 at Amazon Orig. $260 $130 at Walmart $104 at Wayfair

Why It’s Great: Generous size; impressive release; attractive

Grain of Salt: Lower sides allowed splatter; hand-wash only

KitchenAid’s 12-inch enameled cast-iron pan is a fantastic combination of performance, quality, and overall value. Its generous size makes it ideal for cooking up large portions, providing maximum surface area for searing and sauteing. The exterior of the pan comes in several colorways, with a matte black interior that camouflages any evidence of wear and tear. Compatible with induction, it’s also oven safe up to 500°F, so you can finish items in the oven if needed.

It delivered even, consistent heating and an excellent sear during tests. We were able to make flawless cornbread that released effortlessly—no utensils required. The long handle was very comfortable when maneuvering the pan with an oven mitt, while the helper handle proved its worth when moving the pan and using its pour spouts. The price is higher than what you’d pay for a regular cast-iron pan, but the enamel finish adds more durability and style, making it a vessel that goes easily from stove to table.

The Details: 12-inch diameter; 8.9 pounds; oven safe to 500°F; hand-wash only

Allrecipes / Brandi Fuller
Allrecipes / Brandi Fuller

Best Splurge

Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Skillet

Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast Iron Skillet

PHOTO: Amazon

Orig. $220 $200 at Amazon View on Nordstrom Orig. $220 $176 at Sur La Table

Why It’s Great: Heirloom quality; heats extremely evenly; available in many colors.

Grain of Salt: Light interior shows wear over time; sides feel shallow

Le Creuset is perhaps the benchmark for enameled cast iron cookware, with a long-held reputation for quality goods that are often handed down through generations. This skillet measures 10.25 inches in diameter, but also comes in 9-inch and 11.75-inch options. Available in many stylish colors, it’s a great looking piece that can also act as serveware. It’s oven-safe to 500°F and comes with a limited lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.

It was incredibly easy to fry eggs, caramelize onions, sear beef, and bake cornbread in the skillet. Crepes came out evenly cooked with no hot spots detected, showing off its even heating capabilities. The enamel coating is mostly nonstick, but there was a little sticking when it came to making eggs and cornbread. While we did achieve a great sear on beef chuck, the sides of this pan seemed a little shallow, which resulted in some spattering. But overall, this is an excellent investment that will stand up well in your kitchen and likely last the test of time with proper care.

The Details: 10.25-inch diameter; 6.3 pounds; oven safe to 500°F; hand-wash only

Allrecipes / Frances Crouter
Allrecipes / Frances Crouter
Allrecipes / Frances Crouter

Best Budget

Crock-Pot Artisan 10-Inch Cast Iron Skillet

PHOTO: Amazon

Orig. $45 $30 at Amazon $32 at Wayfair $50 at QVC

Why It’s Great: Works on all cooktops; good responsiveness; nice size helper handle

Grain of Salt: Not as balanced as others; interior tends to stain

You don’t need to spend a ton for a good enameled cast-iron skillet—this model from Crock-Pot does the job nicely, and at an easy price point. We tested the 10-inch diameter pan, but it also comes in an 8-inch and 12-inch version and a variety of color options. It features a light interior so you can easily monitor your fond in progress, and two spouts for effortless pouring.

This evenly sauteed mirepoix, seared a variety of meats, and made perfect cornbread. That last one baked evenly and popped right out of the pan with zero sticking, which we loved. There was also a nice sear on chicken breasts and pork chops, noting that the higher walls of the pan kept grease fairly contained. One downside is that the light interior is susceptible to staining, but if you don’t mind the “gently worn” look, we think this pan delivered a great performance, especially considering its low price.

The Details: 10-inch diameter; 8 pounds; oven safe to 500°F; hand-wash only

3/4th of a cake inside of the Crock Pot Artisan Cast Iron Skillet on a gray background — Allrecipes / Grace Kelly

Most Versatile

Our Place 10 Inch Cast Iron Always Pan

PHOTO: Our Place

Orig. $155 $110 at Amazon Orig. $155 $110 at Nordstrom View on Fromourplace.com

Why It’s Great: Comes with a lid and accessories; excellent nonstick performance; modern colorways

Grain of Salt: No pour spout

Our Place’s contemporary style and gorgeous colorways will have you oohing over this pan’s aesthetics alone. Aside from being really ridiculously good looking, this 10.5-inch pan comes with a glass lid, silicone covers for its handles, and a wooden spatula—everything you need to start using it. The pan is oven safe to 425°F with the lid and 500°F without, and should be hand-washed.

We tested this with a variety of cooking methods, from making rice pilaf to stir-frying vegetables to searing meat. Searing with this pan gave a gorgeous, even crust, showing off the excellent heat distribution of this skillet. Cornbread also baked evenly and turned out without any sticking. The one fault this has is that it lacks pour sprouts, which means there’s more of a chance of making a mess when pouring off juices or oil. Regardless, it’s a beautiful piece and also has additional accessories you can buy—like a steamer basket or tagine lid—that really expands the range of what this pan can do.

The Details: 10-inch diameter; 6.9 pounds; oven safe to 425°F with lid, 500°F without lid; hand-wash only

Allrecipes / Elise Wojczyk Wang
Allrecipes / Elise Wojczyk Wang
Allrecipes / Elise Wojczyk Wang

Best With Lid

Tramontina Enameled Cast Iron Covered Skillet

PHOTO: Amazon

Orig. $80 $75 at Amazon $51 at Wayfair $95 at Kohls.com

Why It’s Great: Self-basting ridges on lid; cast-iron lid helps trap heat; great nonstick performance

Grain of Salt: Pour spout is small

This 12-inch skillet from Tramontina provides a generous cooking surface, and features a helper handle and two pour spouts. A heavy cast-iron lid keeps moisture and heat trapped to aid in cooking or to keep contents warm. It’s compatible with just about every cooktop, and is oven safe up to 450°F.

We used this skillet to cook sausage and eggs, sear meats, and make grilled cheese sandwiches for testing. The heat stayed consistent without any adjustments to the flame, a testament to the pan’s ability to retain heat. Searing meat was quite easy, and the lid allowed us to finish cooking our proteins to temperature without having to transfer them to the oven. The cornbread was baked evenly and came out with zero sticking.

One thing we didn’t love is that the two pour spouts are quite small, requiring you to be very careful when pouring anything from the pan. But with the overall performance, it’s nothing we can’t overlook.

The Details: 12-inch diameter; 7.81 pounds; oven safe to 450°F; hand wash only

The Tramontina Enameled Cast Iron Covered Skillet in use on a stove — Allrecipes / John Somerall

Our Takeaway

For the best combination of performance, value, and style, we like the KitchenAid Enameled Cast Iron Frying Pan. It’s got a generous cooking surface and an impressively nonstick surface that we can’t get enough of. For a less expensive option, we picked the Crock-Pot Artisan Cast Iron Skillet which is slightly smaller, but has higher walls that contain splatter. We can’t ask for a better overall performance at its super approachable price.

How to Pick the Right Enameled Cast Iron Skillet

Design

Most enameled cast-iron skillets have a similar general design—wide cooking surface, medium-high sides, and a generously sized handle to bear its heft. But slight variations can make all the difference when it comes to how the pan performs. You’ll want to pick a size appropriate for your cooking needs; if you need to sear a lot of protein at once, a larger skillet will ensure your meats won’t be too crowded. Since these pans tend to be heavy, a helper handle will assist greatly in transporting them on or off the stove or in and out of the oven. And lastly, pour spouts are an important feature for transferring liquids like oil or pan juices from your skillet to another vessel.

Color

While the exterior color of your enameled cast-iron skillet can be a factor in your selection, in this instance, we’re talking about the color of the interior of your skillet. Some might prefer a light interior, which makes it easier to monitor the development of fond. The drawback to a light interior is that it is prone to staining. Dark interiors are equally as nonstick and efficient as lighter ones, but can also hide signs of wear better.

Care and Storage

One of the benefits of enameled cast iron is that they’re much easier to care for than bare cast iron—they do not require the additional steps to maintain their seasoning. Most enameled cast iron is easy to clean by hand with mild dish soap and a non-abrasive scrubber. To remove stains on light-colored enamel, you may want to use a bit of baking soda or Bar Keeper’s Friend and a bit of elbow grease. Since these skillets tend to be bulky and heavy, be sure you have enough room to store your chosen size.

The Leftovers: Other Enameled Cast Iron Skillets We Tested

Staub Cast Iron 11-Inch Traditional Deep Skillet: This Staub skillet is made in France and features deep sides that help keep heat and splatter contained. It performed well when searing and making eggs, demonstrating excellent heat distribution and top-notch nonstick capabilities. It even turned out cornbread effortlessly. We wished it had a slightly longer handle and a bigger helper handle to make maneuvering the pan easier, but overall, we can’t deny the quality of this highly-rated skillet.
Made In 11-Inch Enameled Cast Iron Skillet: This good-looking skillet is also made in France, boasting a higher oven-safe temperature—580°F—than others we tested. Everything easily released from this pan, from seared salmon to cornbread. But it heated almost a little too efficiently, so you may have to keep your eye on it especially at higher temperatures. In the end, it’s a pretty great skillet that you could use every day, and cleaning it by hand is a breeze.
Great Jones 12-Inch King Sear Skillet: The roominess of a 12-inch cooking surface and handles that are both generous in size and easy to hold make this a great skillet. The walls are on the shorter side, so you may experience a little bit of splatter, but the shallow walls also allow steam to escape, which makes for better crisping. We were able to achieve great sears in the pan and made a perfectly cooked cornbread with no sticking. One caveat is that this pan is quite heavy at nine pounds, so if you have any mobility or strength issues, it may be too difficult to lift.

Butter melting into the Great Jones 12-Inch King Sear Skillet on a stove — Allrecipes / Nicholas Reiter

Common Questions

How long does enameled cast iron last?

Most of (if not all) of the selections we’ve included are made to last a lifetime with proper care. While the enamel is very durable, it may be prone to cracking if dropped or struck and can also be subject to crazing—little cracks under the enamel—if subjected to thermal shock. Always let enameled cast iron cool completely before submerging it in water, avoid using harsh abrasives, and be careful when handling your cookware to keep your enamel intact. If your enamel does start to chip or crack, it may be time for a new pan.

Is there anything you shouldn’t cook on enameled cast iron?

Not really! The beauty of enamel is that it’s nonreactive, meaning it can handle acidic ingredients like tomatoes and vinegar without issue, unlike bare cast iron. With an enameled cast iron skillet, you can stir-fry vegetables, sear meats, make gooey mac n' cheese, create tasty omelets, and even bake tasty desserts.

Do you need to season an enameled cast-iron skillet?

No. The enameled finish essentially acts as seasoning to protect the bare cast iron underneath, so there’s no need to preseason or maintain its finish aside from general cleaning. This is a great option for people who like cast iron cooking without the additional hassle.

Why Take Our Word for It?

Bernadette Machard de Gramont is an Los Angeles-based writer who specializes in global food and wine content. After a 2-year stint at the Williams-Sonoma Headquarters in San Francisco, she now researches and tests a variety of cookware, bakeware, wine tools, and other home and kitchen goods and interviews field experts for their insight.