A beginners guide to Staub cast iron cookware.

Staub makes some of the highest quality enameled cast iron cookware on the market. Instead of lowering standards to reduce costs, emphasis has been on producing some of the world’s best quality cookware. In this article, you can learn about Staub cast iron cookware. And what separates it from the competition.

Table of contents

• Staub Information.
• Answering enamel FAQs.
• Why is Staub cast iron popular with cooks?
• What cast iron cookware do they make?
• Learn about the Staub cocotte.
• Advice about the Staub grill pans.
• Learn about Staub cast iron baking dishes.

Staub Background Information

Who is Staub?	Staub is a French company that produces high-end cookware. They specialize in enameled cast iron.
Is Staub cast-iron made in France?	Yes, although the company outsources the production of their ceramic range. 100 percent of Staub cast iron cookware is made in France.
Is Staub cast-iron heavier than Le Creuset?	Yes, I find Staub heavier than Le Creuset. Although, Staub is much thinner than low-cost cast-iron and celebrity-chef labeled products. Most of which are simply massed produced in countries with low manufacturing costs.
What is a Staub cocotte?	French cuisine is renowned as some of the best food in the world. I’d like to think the French also make some of the best slow cookers.
What products do they sell?	Staub has a full line of cookware. However, in this article, I will focus on cast iron. Staub’s cast iron range includes skillets, grill pans, cocottes, griddles, roasters, and braisers.

What are the benefits of using Staub enameled cast iron cookware?

Does Staub cast iron cookware need seasoning? 

Seasoning regular cast iron provides a protective layer that separates bare metal from food and liquid. And helps prevent the cookware from rusting. However, every piece of Staub cookware is enamel-coated with three layers of glaze. So seasoning enamelware is unnecessary. 

Staub enamel is textured rather than smooth. So, if wanted to season your cast iron, the oil will adhere a lot better than smooth enamelware. If you gently wash your Staub cast iron, some polymerized oil will adhere to the cookware over time. But every time you put your pot in the dishwasher, the seasoning will come off. 

Can I put Staub cast iron in the Dishwasher?

Staub enameled cast-iron is dishwasher safe. But I recommend you to hand wash as much as you can. Dishwashing detergents can remove to most stubborn of caked-on food and oil build-up. But long term dishwasher use may take away the gloss of the enamel.

Enamelware can be soaked in water, so even the most baked-on food releases easily. Metal utensils and sponges can be used since Staub enameled cookware is scratch-resistant.

Can I cook chili in my Staub?

Staub cast iron cookware is non-reactive to acidic foods. So you can cookware any food you like. Including acidic foods such as tomatoes and chili. 

The enamel glaze is non-porous and hard. And perfect to cook highly acidic foods that can react which metal cookware and taint the taste of food cooked. 

Is Staub cast iron considered food safe? 

Enameled cast iron is considered food safe. It’s non-porous and separates food from coming into contact with a metal surface. 

Many people consider enameled cookware one of the safest options to cook on. Enamelware cookware totally separates any contact of food with metal and non-stick surfaces such as Teflon.

Why is Staub cast iron cookware popular?

Staub makes a wide range of products that a made for daily use.

A lot of cooks like to collect or use one brand of cookware. And this is where Staub excels. Staub is always adding its line of cookware and increasing the color range. 

If you want to collect multiple pieces of cast iron cookware. Then consider Staub. Their product range includes 

• Grills
• Frying pans
• Roasters, skillets
• Cocottes 
• Braisers

Will my cast iron Chip?

No enamel is totally chip resistant. But the enamel on Staub cast iron is a lot more resistant to chipping and cracking than other brands. Staub coats their cookware with three layers of enamel. Making chipping less likely. 

Staub cast iron has black enamel on the cooking surface.

Other manufacturers enamel their cast iron cookware with light interiors. But Staub prefers dark interiors and gives a traditional look. Darker interiors also hide food stains better than lighter colors. 

Where is Staub cast-iron made?

Staub chooses to manufacture their enameled cast-iron in their hometown, in the beautiful region of Alsace that borders Switzerland and Germany.

What cookware does Staub make?

Cast iron cocotte

Staub of a lot of colors to choose from.

You can choose between Staub’s signature color Matte Black or you could opt from the wide range of glossy finishes. Both look fantastic and will look great in any kitchen. The matte black has a slightly rough texture for the traditional look and feel. But the finish on the colored enamel is smooth to the touch. 

To learn more about the Staub cocotte, you can click the link. 

Use traditional cookware with the benefits of nonporous enamel.

You can cook anything you like in the Staub cocotte. It is fully enameled, so it is nonreactive to foods with acidity. And you can use your cocotte for the following.

• Tomato dishes
• Stewing fruit 
• Red wine

Why does Staub use black enamel?

Using black enamel has a few benefits over light enamel. And these are often overlooked by online reviewers.

• Black enamel hides food stains, and this makes cleaning more carefree.
• A darker enamel hides scratch better than light colors. 

Cocotte recommendation

I recommend the 4 quarts or 5 1/2 quart round cocotte. Any bigger can be too weighty, and I find these two sizes are best for daily use.

You can choose your favorite colors, but if you want a tip from a Staub cast iron cocotte user. I find the dark blue more prone to leaving fingermarks.

	Staub 4 quart round cocotte	Staub 5.5 quart round cocotte
Weight	10.58 pounds	12.9 pounds
Dimensions	11 x 10.2 x 4.9 inches	12.9 x 10.2 x 6.6 inches
Available on Amazon	You can read over two hundred reviews on Amazon (affiliate link)	Check out the reviews on Amazon (affiliate link)

The Staub cast iron grill pan

The French foundry makes some must-have grill pans that will give your steak and vegetables that professional barbeque sear without the need to brave the elements outside. But probably the main benefit of the grill is the potential health benefits. 

Staub Grill Pans have higher ridges than most of the competition. And this allows excess oil to drain away freely. Making them ideal for more health-conscious folks. 

And when you combine Staub’s high ridges with Staub’s highly chip-resistant enamel, it makes a strong contender as one of the best grill pans you can use.

Recommendation

You can choose from a variety of sizes. I have a 10-inch Staub grill pan, and it’s an ideal size for a couple of sirloin steaks. But, I’d recommend a larger size, such as the 13-inch square grill pan. This gives you a much larger cooking surface so you can cook a few steaks and sear some vegetables. 

Here’s an affiliate link to Amazon if you want to check out the different sizes. But I find the grill pan with double handles on the 13-inch easier to move around than the 12-inch grill pan. And the 10-inch pan is just a little on the small side.

Cast iron gratin/baking dishes

Do you use your baking dishes often? Then you might want to consider a Staub cast iron gratin/baking dish. Here are a few reasons.

• Baking dishes come in a variety of sizes.
• Can be used on the stovetop and in your oven.
• Great thermal density for even cooking.
• Thermal density prevents food from drying and sticking.

Recommendation

You can use your Staub cast iron baking dishes for frying, baking, and roasting. Here’s a tip, a smaller cast-iron baking dish is great for roasting vegetables. Choosing a smaller size can save you from wasting cooking oil. Here’s an affiliate link to Amazon if you want to see the sizes available. 

I have the oval shape, but the round options could be an alternative to buying a separate enameled skillet. 

If you’re looking for enameled cast iron, consider Staub.

If you are looking for the same benefits of cast iron without maintenance, Staub cast iron cookware is an ideal choice. The cookware is scratch and chip resistant and uses multiple layers of glaze. 

The cookware is incredibly durable, long-lasting, and beautiful. But you can learn more about Staub cookware by clicking here.

Staub is lesser-known than Le Creuset in America. And the cookware is often conversation pieces in the kitchen with friends and guests.

Finally, Staub is an exceptional brand that specializes in cast-iron enamelware. So it is no surprise it makes it into the best cast-iron skillets list. But if you want to learn more about their French oven, check out this article on the Staub cocotte.

Resources

1. https://www.finecooking.com/article/grill-pans
2. https://www.staub-online.com/content/staub/uk/en/series/cast_iron/grills.html
3. https://www.staub-online.com/content/staub/uk/en/categories/castiron.html
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21701093
5. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/household-products/safe-use-cookware.html
6. https://www.iom3.org/vitreous-enamellers-society/concise-history-enamel