This Staub casserole dish, also known as a cocotte, is made of solid cast iron.
Cast iron is known for its excellent heat retention and gradual, even heat distribution. Once it gets hot, you can lower the heat. The reverse applies too: the pan also remains cool for longer. You can use it to keep your dishes cool outside the refrigerator on a hot summer's day. With these properties, cast iron pans are perfect for cooking, roasting and stewing.
Staub pans are extremely solid and will last for generations. The pan is highly versatile. Regardless of the heat source. It doesn't matter whether you're cooking on induction, gas, or anything else. The pan feels right at home on any type of stove, and it looks great on the dining table too, thanks to the intense colours of the enamel.
Casseroles with special lids
Staub's casserole dishes all have a special lid. On the inside of this flat lid, you'll find little bumps. These bumps look like little droplets, and are evenly distributed across the lid. During cooking, these protrusions allow the cooking liquid to fall back into the pan. Because these bumps are evenly distributed, the cooking liquid also falls back into the pan evenly, instead of all via the edge, as is the case with many other pans. As a result, up to 9 times more moisture falls back into the middle of the pan. This means your whole dish will taste great. Due to the weight of the lid and the good seal it creates, up to ten percent more moisture remains in the pan!
The outside of the lid has also been considered. The rim is raised so that you can put ice cubes on the outside of the lid, thereby speeding up the condensation process in the pan.
You can also place the spoon on top of the pan during preparation, so you always have the spoon close to the pan. The knob on the lid can withstand temperatures up to 250 degrees Celsius. Handy for oven use!
Majolica enamel: glossy, intensely deep colours
The majolica enamel technique is used to achieve deep, intense enamel colours with high gloss. Each pan is covered with two to three layers of enamel. A base coat covers the cast iron, the second layer gives the pan the desired colour, and the last layer provides the high gloss with contrasting nuances.
The production process
The molten cast iron is poured into a sand mould. Each sand mould is only used once, so every pan is unique. Surplus cast iron is removed after the pan is taken out of the sand. Any remnants of the casting sand and other imperfections are also removed. The cast iron is then prepared for the enamel layers. After applying the enamel layers, the pan is baked for 30 minutes at 800 degrees Celsius. This results in an incredibly solid pan that will last for generations!
Pans with no PFAS, PFOA or PTFE
The abbreviation PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. These are man-made substances that do not naturally occur in the environment. Some examples of PFAS are GenX, PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFOS (perfluorooctanesulfonic acids). PFAS is an umbrella term for all these substances, which are used in many products, including frying pans, grill pans and wok pans. PFAS have useful properties: among other things, they are repellent to water, grease and dirt. However, we now know that PFAS are harmful to health.
Teflon is the commercial name for various plastic fluoropolymers, such as PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene). PFAS is used to make these plastic fluoropolymers. Teflon provides the product with a water-repellent and dirt-repellent layer, and it is also heat-resistant. PTFE also allows two surfaces to slide over each other easily. That is why PTFE can be found in pans with a non-stick coating. In other words: they're all the same thing. This pan is free from PFAS, PFOA and PTFE. You can use this pan to cook with complete peace of mind.
