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When you find a pot or pan that makes cooking easier, you hold on to it forever. I’ve encountered only a handful of such cookware pieces in my life, and I think the reason they stick out in my memory is because they make up for all the subpar pots and pans that have burned me — literally and figuratively — in the past. My newest piece of “forever” cookware was a replacement for a fussy cast-iron skillet, and it’s become one of my most prized possessions.
This Le Creuset skillet is special because it’s finished with a black satin enamel coating on the inside, which makes it just as slick as pans coated with PTFE, Teflon, or other nonstick materials, but much easier to take care of than my old skillet. Traditional cast-iron pans need to be seasoned before you can cook with them, and you have to maintain that seasoning by carefully washing, drying, and oiling the pan. I didn’t realize how much work that would be when I got my first cast-iron pan years ago, and I’m so glad to have replaced it with a modern cast-iron pan that requires zero maintenance to work flawlessly every time.
What is the Le Creuset Signature Skillet
Le Creuset’s Signature Skillet is a modern upgrade on the old-school cast-iron pan. It comes in four size options — from about 6 inches wide to nearly 12 inches wide — and over a dozen colors, and unlike traditional cast-iron cookware, this pan doesn’t need to be seasoned. Its enamel coating creates a slick, nonstick surface that won’t wear down over time — even if you use metal utensils! The pan works on all types of stovetops — gas, induction, and electric — is oven-safe up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, and you can clean it in the dishwasher.
This skillet can handle any kind of cooking style, from frying and sautéing to baking and broiling, and it doesn’t require any kind of special maintenance or care (unlike non-enameled cast-iron cookware). It also looks more chic than plain, rustic cast-iron skillets because of its painted exterior, so you can use this one pan as both cookware and a serving dish.
Why I Love the Le Creuset Signature Skillet
I love my Signature Skillet for giving me all the benefits of cast iron without any of the annoying baggage. I can cook whatever I want in it — chicken thighs, hash browns, frittatas — without worrying about my food getting stuck. Then when I’m done, I don’t have to maintain any seasoning on the pan with some complicated oiling ritual — I just clean it and put it away like any other pan.
I believe that good cookware should be easy to use and easy to clean. Traditionally, that’s not the case with cast-iron pans, which can be damaged by soap and water and which can even deteriorate over time if you don’t use or re-season them regularly. With this enameled cast-iron skillet, you won’t run into any of those issues — ever. Plus, if you have an occasion coming up to shop for someone, this colorful skillet makes a stunning housewarming, birthday, or holiday present. I feel like I gifted it to myself, and I’ll be holding on to it for a long, long time.