Casseroles
Helpful Tools
The most useful casseroles are flameproof. They are strong enough for browning food on the hob before it goes into the oven. Look for a sturdy pot with a thick base and tightly fitting lid.
Casseroles come in all shapes and sizes. A 3-litre pot serves 2-3; a 6-litre pot serves four to five. If you like catering for a crowd, the 8-9-litre size is worth having; it can always double up as a stockpot or a pasta pot.
Materials
Cast-iron is a good choice as it heats up slowly, allowing the food to brown and soften at a gentle pace. Once the pot is hot, it holds heat well, even over a low flame. However, cast-iron is very heavy to lift. Think twice if you have weak wrists.
Untreated cast-iron needs seasoning, a process of oiling and heating that creates a stick-resistant coating on porous metal. A more maintenance-free choice is enamelled cast-iron which doesn't need seasoning.
Stainless steel is also good, provided it has a thick base with a copper or aluminium core that extends up the sides of the pan. This distributes the heat evenly all the way through the pan, and stops any sizzling when the food touches the sides.
There are also non-stick casseroles available, made of light-weight titanium. There is little risk of sticking, but you do miss out on those delicious caramelised brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
Clay pots
Clay pots are designed for simmering over a very low gas flame or in the oven. Although they can be fragile, these pots are great for absorbing heat slowly and evenly. Food cooks gently and stays deliciously moist. Clay pots are no good for browning; it's better to do this in a frying pan before adding the food to the pot.
Good Food Cookshop
Both Le Creuset and Chasseur have a wide selection of cast iron casseroles, with Le Creuset being the market leader and Chasseur offering a similar but slightly less expensive product.
Click here for Le Creuset casseroles
Click here for Chasseur casseroles
We have a wide selection of stainless steel casseroles, many with a substantial discount.
Click here for stainless steel casseroles
Casseroles come in all shapes and sizes. A 3-litre pot serves 2-3; a 6-litre pot serves four to five. If you like catering for a crowd, the 8-9-litre size is worth having; it can always double up as a stockpot or a pasta pot.
Materials
Cast-iron is a good choice as it heats up slowly, allowing the food to brown and soften at a gentle pace. Once the pot is hot, it holds heat well, even over a low flame. However, cast-iron is very heavy to lift. Think twice if you have weak wrists.
Untreated cast-iron needs seasoning, a process of oiling and heating that creates a stick-resistant coating on porous metal. A more maintenance-free choice is enamelled cast-iron which doesn't need seasoning.
Stainless steel is also good, provided it has a thick base with a copper or aluminium core that extends up the sides of the pan. This distributes the heat evenly all the way through the pan, and stops any sizzling when the food touches the sides.
There are also non-stick casseroles available, made of light-weight titanium. There is little risk of sticking, but you do miss out on those delicious caramelised brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
Clay pots
Clay pots are designed for simmering over a very low gas flame or in the oven. Although they can be fragile, these pots are great for absorbing heat slowly and evenly. Food cooks gently and stays deliciously moist. Clay pots are no good for browning; it's better to do this in a frying pan before adding the food to the pot.
Good Food Cookshop
Both Le Creuset and Chasseur have a wide selection of cast iron casseroles, with Le Creuset being the market leader and Chasseur offering a similar but slightly less expensive product.
Click here for Le Creuset casseroles
Click here for Chasseur casseroles
We have a wide selection of stainless steel casseroles, many with a substantial discount.
Click here for stainless steel casseroles
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