What each one is
Enameled cast iron is heavy cast iron coated in a smooth porcelain enamel, so it needs no seasoning. Lodge says its enamel stands up to acidic food, and you can marinate, cook and keep food in the fridge in it. Clad stainless steel is layers of steel around an aluminum core, with nothing on the cooking surface to wear out.
How they cook
Cast iron heats slowly and then holds its heat, which keeps a braise, a stew or a loaf of bread steady. Stainless with an aluminum core responds quickly when you turn the burner up or down, which suits sautéing, pan sauces and boiling. All-Clad, which makes both, puts it the same way: cast iron for slow cooking where steady heat matters most, stainless for quick changes of temperature.
Living with them
Enamel is the part to look after. Le Creuset asks for low to medium heat, never heating fast or on high, and lifting the pot rather than sliding it on a glass top, and it says to stop using a pot once the enamel inside chips. Le Creuset and Staub rate their pots to 500°F and allow the dishwasher, though both suggest washing by hand.
Stainless takes high heat, metal utensils and a scrub with cleanser paste. All-Clad's D3 goes to 600°F, broiler included, and is hand wash only; Made In rates its stainless to 800°F and allows the dishwasher.
Which one to buy
Choose enameled cast iron for a Dutch oven or a braiser: soups, chili, braised meat, no-knead bread and tomato sauces that simmer for hours. Choose stainless for skillets, saucepans, sauté pans and stockpots: everyday cooking, searing and pan sauces, boiling pasta. Many kitchens are best served by stainless pans and one enameled Dutch oven, the pairing All-Clad itself suggests.
How these comparisons are made
Questions about this choice
Is enameled cast iron or stainless better for searing?
Both sear well. Enameled cast iron holds its heat once hot, so the pan doesn't cool when the meat goes in; stainless responds faster when you change the heat, All-Clad says. Le Creuset asks for low to medium heat on its pots, so let one heat up gently.
Can both go in the oven?
Yes. Le Creuset and Staub rate their enameled pots to 500°F. Stainless goes higher: 600°F for All-Clad's D3 and 800°F for Made In's.
Does enameled cast iron work on induction?
Yes, because the iron underneath is magnetic. Le Creuset asks you to match the pot's base to the size of the cooking zone.