For actual cooking, no difference.
Enameled is easier to clean and care for but can chip.

Personal I prefer raw cast iron. I like the rustic look and the fact they're a fraction of the price. I also enjoy the seasoning process.

Casserole pot made from different, usually lighter, by weight, material like cast aluminium, ceramic, etc..
Pure cast iron produces better fond, which translates in more flavour after deglazing.

If you plan to cook on open fire coals go for camp oven, it has flat lid with a rim so you can put coals on top of it.

To break in and to maintain cast iron you need to season it. Use a paper towel or such to oil it, then bake it for an hour or so, let it to cool and then wipe excess oil so it looks dry. Most of cast iron comes preseasoned from shop. BTW, you have to do the same routine for hammered carbon steel like crepe pan.

There are also variation of camp oven called kazan used in Central Asia like Uzbekistan, Tajikistan Afghanistan, etc., real good for lamb plov (pilaf) https://shepherdsongfarm.com/lamb-and-goat-recipes/lamb-or-goat-plov-uzbek-style
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note: for seasoning use neutral oil, olive oil has too strong flavour unless it is refined.

Cast iron is really heavy.
Dutch oven pots have thicker walls than a normal stainless steel soup pot, give more even heating than thinner walled stainless steel pots.
Stainless with copper/aluminium sandwich gives a pretty good even cooking effect.

If you have an induction cooktop, the whole pot becomes the element, the heating is perfectly even using normal stainless.
A copper/aluminium sandwich based stainless steel pot will not work on an induction cooktop.
I am a big fan of stainless.

Now there’s this….

Air fryer or oven… what’s your preference?

Review by Choice…

https://www.choice.com.au/home-and-living/kitchen/benchtop-cooking/articles/air-...

I’ve got a big oven and I find I’m using it less and less, I use this older style round convection oven a lot!
I love it. It heats up quicker than a big conventional oven. I’m even considering ridding the big conventional oven for more cupboard space. I’ve noticed a lot of people selling theirs on fb marketplace. Plus I have the Thermomix I cook with.

The problem with many air fryers being difficult to get dish out from above the containment.
So I went and bought this today in Aldi!
It’s not just an air fryer but a steamer as well!

https://www.aldi.com.au/special-buys/special-buys-wed-17-july-sp/wednesday-detai...

Laugh till you cry wrote on Jul 29^th, 2024 at 1:21pm:


Yes compact.
I think the trendy word of “air fryer” gets a lot of interest with young ones to be encouraged to cook more.
I’m interested to see how this one I bought will perform as a steamer.
Some 4-5 years ago when updating the kitchen… I was looking at steam ovens and they were soooo expensive.

I bought these weird black sizzle/griddle plates… to put on top of bbq… separate stuff like fish for non meat eaters. I finally found what these plates are made of… worth $55 each… I got one for $10 

https://minimaru.com/products/saliu-the-chef-grill-plate-l