Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Signature Iron Handle Skillet, 9", Caribbean

I purchased the 9" Le Creuset skillet after my ancient (at least 35 year old) 9" cast-iron skillet developed a crack down the center. I had a grease fire in the drip pan below it and I'm still unclear whether it was the victim or the culprit. I grew up in a home where cast iron was used daily, and know a lot of people are cooking and baking with cast-iron these days. As I type this, 9" Lodge skillets are in short supply -- so I cast my eyes on Le Creuset and decided to take the plunge. I read a lot of reviews from people who purchased the Le Creuset skillet and thought about the purchase for a few days before ordering one in the Flame colorway. I am not sorry I purchased this skillet. I have an old stove with electric elements, and am used to turning the element on low, and letting my skillets heat up. I did the same thing with "Flame", tossed in half a pat of butter, and then a couple of eggs. They cooked beautifully and slid off the bottom of the skillet when I turned them over, without breaking apart (a rare occurrence), and produced the tenderest fried eggs I've ever eaten. I'm looking forward to making sauces, and cooking in this skillet - clearly we get along together! There is something about the quality of the food that comes out of this pan that is a step above, and borderline magical. Similarities to my old cast-iron: they both contain the same volume of water. Differences: (1) the handle of my old cast-iron often stayed cool to the touch with simple sauteing, and the Le Creuset handles can get hot, so have potholders handy; (2) Le Creuset has a handy grab hold on the opposite end -- good to have since it is 3/4 oz. heavier than my old cast-iron skillet; (3) Le Creuset is enameled; after reading the pamphlet I'm buying some teflon whisks and keeping metal implements away from this pan. Do I recommend this pan? Yes, with one reservation. If you are not used to skillet cooking: frying, sauteing, making sauces, browning, etc. I recommend perfecting the art using a cast-iron or standard frying pan until you get basic cooking under your belt. This is an expensive skillet, and deserves to be treated with respect. Also, read the booklet that comes with this skillet; it has a lot of good advice on how to use it.

Great pan. Food never sticks. Works well for one to two people. I like to cook stir fry in it. If your food is sticking the pan is too hot.. This is my favorite pan.

My wife and I have two of the Le Creuset Signature pans - this nine inch version and the twelve inch iteration. We got the thirty centimeter pan for our first anniversary and the twenty three centimeter for our second. These pans are, without question, the best frying pans I have ever used. I first encountered them in the care of a roommate who was gifted two of them upon graduating culinary school. The special enamel coating is unlike any pan I have ever used: it is not a traditional "non-stick", nor is it a plain cast iron. It is a unique enamel formulation that, over a short period of time, acquires a patina which offers the best of both worlds. It imparts the kind of rich carmelization and browning you expect from well-seasoned cast iron, while also having outstanding non-stick qualities without any unusual chemicals (PTFE, etc.) being involved. Unlike traditional cast iron, the Signature pans do not require seasoning with oil and high heat, and can be washed with regular dish soap and scrubber sponges or the like. You can put them in the dishwasher, and you can use heavy scrub brushes on them, but both of these things will inhibit (or outright prevent) the development of the patina that enables the enamel finish to really function as intended. I recommend only hand washing, and only using soft nylon scrubber sponges at most. Fortunately, even high heat cooking rarely if ever sticks anything to this pan so badly that you can't clean it off with a sponge or, at worst, getting at it with a wooden spoon. To really make the pan shine - literally and figuratively - I recommend that after cleaning and drying it, you spray it with a light coating of neutral vegetable oil (soy or canola) and gently wipe it down with a paper towel to form a light shiny coat. Doing this every time will help develop the patina more quickly, and leaves the pan ready to fry the next time you reach for it. You don't need a lot of oil here - just a smidge. These pans are expensive, no question. They are also ridiculously durable and incredibly useful. They will probably end up in our will. We barely use any of our other pans anymore! They're that good.

After using my mom's vintage Le Creuset skillet for years, I bought a Creuset Dutch Oven about a year ago, and it was a huge hit in our household. It's totally a repeat buy for everyone in my family. After a while I wanted to get a bigger skillet to add to the collection, because the vintage one can really only cook a very small amount of food at the same time. Since I bought this at the beginning of lockdown, I think a lot of other people were splurging on kitchen gear because they were cooking more from home. So this took about a month to arrive. Once it got here, I was excited to try it out, and the whole family has been using it. I've had it for at least 3 months by now. Pro: 1. Larger surface space 2. Cast iron is sturdy, and easy to clean 3. It's high quality, so it will last for years. 4. I can cook more food at one time. Cons: 1. There is no protective handle, since it's all made of cast iron. This isn't a problem if you're frying a quick egg, pancakes, or grilled cheese. But if you're cooking for a while with items that need to simmer, the entire thing gets hot, and you need to wear oven mits/gloves. 2. It's very heavy to pick up and put in the sink. If I pick it up with one hand, my arm is shaking. I typically need two hands. But if it's still hot, it's really difficult. Maybe I'm just really weak. I find that I still gravitate towards my old vintage skillet, because it's easier for me to hold, pick up, etc. I can't say that I regret buying this, because it's useful in its own way. But basically, I think I would repeat buy the dutch oven and vintage style skillet, but I'd never get this one again.

First off no seasoning required for this skillet? The manual says no seasoning required but I wondered. So I have cooked with this pan not seasoned and it cooks very well but some things tend to stick no matter how much butter or oil is added. I recently seasoned this pan, it cooks much better and nothing sticks to the pan anymore. I feel this is the single greatest pan/skillet for searing, frying or baking in the oven. Cooking is a joy with this skillet, we use medium to low heat on everything as the manual suggests and we let the pan come to temperature before using it. Using high heat with this skillet is sure to make everything you cook Stick to the skillet. We use wood spoons with this to ensure it will last a lifetime so my bad habit of banging a spoon on the side will not hurt this skillet. Cleaning this skillet is easy with soap and hot water as long as you do not burn stuff in it, using high heat will make cleaning Harder. If you have been holding off about purchasing this skillet Buy it, it will make cooking more enjoyable if you love cooking.

Worth the money, my son and daughter in-law love this gift! They both are avid culinary experimenters :)

Like all cast iron cooking surfaces, this skillet needs seasoning prior to its first usage. Otherwise, some food particles with high protein content such as eggs are likely to stick. The first photograph shows the skillet after seasoning which in this case was done with the application of a very thin layer of grape seed oil (which was in my pantry), and baking consecutively at 350, 400 and 500 degrees, cooling and re-oiling in between. This creates a harder cooking surface which is slightly smoother than the original. Cooking thereafter becomes easy. The second photograph shows an omelette cooked without any adhesion to the surface. Also, cleaning is relatively effortless. Henceforth, every cooking will add to the protection and further seasoning of the surface. This skillet is well made with a good flat bottom which doesn’t rock on the cooking grate. The outer enamel is also well applied. Like all cast iron cooking surfaces, this skillet distributes heat evenly which makes for better cooking. This skillet is recommended for those seeking more predictable cooking.

When I first got it, I was disappointed everything I tried to cook stuck to the pan like crazy. I followed Le Creuset's instructions and those of others I found on YouTube, but nothing seemed to make much of a difference. I finally found a video on YouTube that solved the problem. Since I can't locate the video, here's the basics. Heat pan on medium low until water dropped on surface dances and skitters around the pan. If it sits and boils dry, the pan is not hot enough. Once it's the right temp, turn down the heat, and add a thin coat of oil (I use coconut). On my gas stove, I start on 4 (scale of 1 to 10), then turn it down to 3 right before adding oil. I have my eggs in a bowl ready to go. I add a small pat of butter, brush it around the pan, and add the eggs. Since doing it this way, I've had no trouble of sticking. This also works on stainless steel.