Two exact examples
| Difference | Caraway 6.5-quart Ceramic Dutch Oven, Cream | Lodge 5-quart Dutch Oven with Bail Handle |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | Ceramic coated | Cast iron |
| Cooking surface | Ceramic nonstick | seasoned cast iron |
| Included shapes | Dutch oven | Dutch oven |
| Stated capacity | Dutch oven: 6.5 US qt | Dutch oven: 5 US qt |
| Supplied lids | 1 | 1 |
| Empty total weight | 6 lb | 13.21 lb |
| Dishwasher | Hand wash only | Hand wash only |
| Induction | Works on induction | Works on induction |
What each one is
A ceramic pan is an aluminum body with a slick ceramic (sol-gel) coating; Caraway's pans and Dutch oven are built that way. Cast iron is solid iron poured into a mold and protected by seasoning, oil baked onto the metal. Lodge seasons its pans at the foundry, and the finish gets slicker the more you cook.
Enameled cast iron, like Le Creuset or Staub, is sometimes called ceramic because its coating is a glassy enamel (Staub says the enamel outside its pots is made from crushed glass). Underneath it's heavy cast iron, and it cooks like cast iron.
A few pots and pans are solid ceramic: fired clay all the way through, with no metal inside. Xtrema, which makes them, says to warm them slowly on low heat and warns that a sudden drop in temperature can crack the surface, so thaw frozen food first and keep a hot pot away from cold water and cold countertops. Solid ceramic doesn't work on induction.
Weight and heat
Cast iron is heavy and slow to heat, then holds its heat, which is what makes it sear, fry and bake so well. The pans we list show the gap: Caraway's 10.5-inch ceramic fry pan weighs 2.7 lb and Lodge's 10.25-inch cast-iron skillet 5.66 lb; Caraway's 6.5-quart ceramic Dutch oven weighs 6 lb and Lodge's 5-quart cast-iron Dutch oven 13.21 lb. Ceramic heats quickly through its aluminum, but it wants low to medium heat, because high heat wears the coating.
Living with them
A ceramic pan is washed by hand with a soft sponge and used with wooden, silicone or nylon tools; Caraway says the coating wears down with heavy use. Cast iron takes metal utensils and soap, but never the dishwasher or a long soak: dry it at once and oil it, or it rusts, Lodge says. Its seasoning starts to break down only around 650°F, so it goes from stove to oven to grill or campfire. Rust can be scrubbed off and the pan seasoned again; a worn ceramic coating can't be renewed.
Which one to buy
Choose ceramic for a light everyday pan for eggs, fish and quick dinners, or a Dutch oven you can lift easily, and replace it when food starts to stick. Choose cast iron for searing, cornbread, frying and long braises, and for a pan that lasts for generations if you keep it dry and oiled. For a Dutch oven that holds heat like cast iron but needs no seasoning, look at enameled cast iron.
How these comparisons are made
Questions about this choice
Is a ceramic or a cast-iron Dutch oven better?
For searing and a steady, long simmer, cast iron, bare or enameled. A ceramic-coated Dutch oven is much lighter (6 lb for Caraway's 6.5-quart against 13.21 lb for Lodge's 5-quart cast iron) and nonstick, but it wants gentle heat and hand washing.
Is enameled cast iron ceramic?
Not in the way a ceramic pan is. Enameled cast iron has a glassy enamel fused onto cast iron, so it's as heavy as cast iron and holds heat like it. A ceramic pan is a nonstick coating on aluminum.
Do both work on induction?
Cast iron always does, because iron is magnetic; Lodge calls it a great choice for induction. A ceramic pan works only if its base has steel in it, as Caraway's do.