Our Honest Review of the Caraway Enameled Cast-Iron Braiser

Tested by Taylor Murray

Caraway has been a favorite in the Food Network Shopping Experts' test kitchen since the brand debuted its signature collection of ceramic-clad cookware. Long known for their commitment to aesthetics and design, Caraway started as a social media favorite and quickly claimed its place as one of the most highly reviewed cookware brands on the market today. Since the original launch of their four-piece cookware set, Caraway has gone on to release bakeware, prepware, food storage and more. Now, they are releasing a brand-new line of enameled cast-iron cookware.

There are four pieces in the new collection: a skillet, grill pan, Dutch oven and braiser. Each piece comes in six colors — all neutral, muted choices like rust and cream. Every one of these pieces is versatile and useful, particularly the braiser. This pot fulfills the spot between a skillet and a Dutch oven. It features a wide base and high sides that aim to help reduce liquids and trap in heat. We got our hands on one of these pots to see if the performance could match what we've come to know and love from Caraway.

What Is the Caraway Enameled Cast-Iron Braiser?

Of the four new pieces in Caraway's new cast-iron collection, the braiser pot is arguably one of the most versatile. Smaller than a Dutch oven but with higher sides than a skillet, the braiser can be used for everything from searing to baking, as well as, of course, braising. It has three-inch deep sides that corral in liquids and sauces, plus a heavy lid for trapping heat and moisture. The lid is dotted on the interior with drip points which convert steam into condensed water, evenly dispersing them back over your food.

Like all the enameled cast-iron pieces by Caraway, it has a scratch-resistant, easy-to-clean coating that offers the superior heat retention of cast iron without the worry about seasoning. It has two amble handles on either side, as well as one on top of the lid for hassle-free moving and maneuvering.

Is the Caraway Enameled Cast-Iron Braiser Nontoxic?

The enameled cast-iron pieces of Caraway's new collection are touted as nontoxic because the company does not use PFAS, PFOA or PTFE to make the coating. The hard, strengthened coating is impervious to scratches from metal utensils and rated for a high oven temperature, so you won't have to worry as much as you would when cooking in a nonstick or ceramic pan. In fact, enameled cookware is known to last decades without damage, so this is the type of pan to get if you want to invest in something to last. In addition to the nontoxic construction, this line is also made from 50 percent recycled materials to lower the carbon footprint and do better for the planet.

How We Tested the Caraway Enameled Cast-Iron Braiser

In order to give our honest review of this braiser, we put it through a few rounds of rigorous testing. After receiving the pot, we took it out of the box, read through the manual and checked it out for first impressions. After that, we cooked a few recipes in the braiser.

Braised Pork Test: For the first test, we made a braised pork and beef ragu. Country-style pork ribs and beef short ribs sear in the braiser before heading into the oven in a rich tomato sauce to cook until fall-off-the-bone tender. We found that the pot was able to sear the meat deeply and evenly, without sticking to the bottom. There was plenty of room for stirring the mirepoix around and deglazing the pot, even once we added the meat back in. Thanks to the heavy lid, the sauce did not over-reduce in the oven or scorch in any spots.

Braised Fish Test: After the longer braised recipe, we wanted to try a quicker braise with more delicate ingredients. We opted to make a braised halibut in a puttanesca sauce. This recipe starts with sweating fennel and onion in the pan before deglazing with wine and adding tomato sauce. (Unlike uncoated cast iron or carbon steel, enameled cast iron is impervious to acidic ingredients, and you won't damage the finish by cooking with tomato.) When sweating the vegetables, we found we had ample room for navigating a spoon around the pan to push the onions and fennel. Towards the end, we did note some spots that started to caramelize the onion and fennel a bit more rapidly than others, but this was quickly remedied when we moved to the next stage of cooking. Overall, the pan allowed the fish to gently braise in the tomato sauce without overcooking. The lid prevented the fish from drying out on top before it had a chance to simmer on the bottom, and each piece was perfectly and evenly cooked through and through.

Baked Pasta Test: For the third test, we made a baked cheese pasta dish that starts with a creamy bechamel sauce. We started by stirring butter and flour together, then whisking in milk and cream. The smooth, rounded inner corners of the pan facilitated these steps easily, leaving no room for clumps of flour to stick or scorch. Once we added the cheese and broccoli, there was just enough room to fold in the pasta. A brief trip into the oven browned the breadcrumb topping and gave us a nice baked cheese rim around the edge of the pan (thanks to the heat conduction of the cast iron).

Chicken Cutlets Test: Any braiser should be able to be used for searing, so we breaded some chicken cutlets and gave them a quick cook in olive oil. In this test, we noticed that the pan was prone to some hot spots, especially if we tried to get by with a minimal amount of oil. Adding a decent amount of oil to the pan helped even out the heat issue.

After each round of testing, we thoroughly cleaned the pan and noted how easy or hard that was. While the pan is heavier than a nonstick-coated aluminum pan would be, the enameled coating prevented a lot of sticking. Most of our tests only needed a quick scrub with a stiff bristled brush. Only the baked-on cheese from the broccoli pasta recipe gave us trouble, but we were able to get through it after a quick soak in hot water.

What We Think About the Caraway Enameled Cast-Iron Braiser

Performance: For the most part, the braiser performed spectacularly well at its primary function. Whether braising, sauteing or baking, it delivered perfect results. The only spot where this pan stumbled was when it came to searing the chicken cutlets. We would expect a cast-iron pan to be able to moderate the heat well enough to overcome hot spots and not cause uneven cooking.

Appearance: The overall aesthetic of the pan is gorgeous, with clean, minimalist lines. The light storm gray of the specific pot we received would look great in any kitchen, though we wouldn't be mad about any of the other neutral colors. If other heritage cast iron brands evoke a timeless country charm, the Caraway cast-iron pans find a middle ground between classic and contemporary.

Cleaning: Cleaning enameled cast iron is much less fussy than cleaning ceramic or other nonstick-coated pans. You can use hard bristle brushes and scrubbers to get through tough, baked-on residue and the pan isn't too delicate to prevent you from opting for a quick soak if needed. The coating on the pan didn't leave many opportunities for us to do much more than a quick scrub.

Value: It's a hefty price tag for a single pan, but we're more inclined to spend the money on something durable. The brand claims that these pots can last generations, and after testing we have no reason to believe otherwise.

Bottom Line: Who Should Buy the Caraway Enameled Cast-Iron Braiser?

If you love the aesthetics and colors that this brand is known for but are worried about the longevity of the ceramic line, you might be interested in the enameled cast-iron pieces. These pans are much more durable and easier to clean than ceramic, but still look just as attractive. Buy this pan if you're looking for something to take the spot between a skillet and a heavy Dutch oven and you're not willing to put up with the handling of a traditional cast-iron pot or pan.

Other Pieces in the Caraway Enameled Cast-Iron Cookware Collection

Shop more pieces from Caraway's new enameled cast-iron cookware collection, including a skillet, Dutch oven and grill pan. These pieces are also available in a set and duos at a discounted price of what you would pay if you bought them separately.

Why You Should Trust Our Tester

Taylor Murray is a graduate of Johnson and Wales University with a degree in Culinary Nutrition. She worked as a professional chef for over 10 years before moving into recipe and product testing and development. She has tested several hundred products for Food Network and other brands over the last six years, covering everything from carbon steel pans to food dehydrators.

Why You Should Trust Food Network Shopping Experts

Food Network Shopping Experts believe the best method for testing products is based on how our fans are going to use them in the real world. In each of our Tested and Reviewed stories, products are tested in real home kitchens that reflect real-world use cases. Our testers follow rigorous testing rubrics designed by our expert editors and take copious notes during the testing process. When choosing the best products, our testers evaluate all of the testing data and take into consideration many factors including ease of use, price, product availability and practicality. The products covered on FoodNetwork.com are chosen completely independently by our editors without any outside influence. Our editors do not accept products in exchange for a positive review or promised coverage.