I bought some very cheap enameled steel (not cast iron, stamped steel) pots, for cooking pasta and potatoes and such.
Background: After I dropped my decades old stainless steel pasta pot and the plastic handle broke off, I got some cheap IKEA so-called “stainless steel”, which is chrome-free, and it rusted (do not recommend). So I’m trying enameled steel since it’s cheap and cannot rust (well except the rims which just have some chromed steel crimped on I guess). Only 40 € for four pots in different sizes.
I can boil water on the electric stove at full blast, and that hasn’t broken them, but I also have a super powerful mini induction hob, and that’s like 10x faster and I’m afraid to try that in case it might shatter or warp.
Theoretically they’re great for cooking liquids because they’re not reactive, thin, light and good on induction but I’m kind of afraid of breaking them. Enameled steel used to be a thing here in Germany but pretty rare now. It seems to be almost unheard of in the US, but maybe some people on here from around the world have some experience about what sort of abuse these pots should be able to take.
Like those clay-lined dutch ovens? I love those things!
Those dutch ovens are usually cast iron, so much thicker and cast (poured into a sand mold) and not pressed into shape from a sheet of steel, like the pots I’m talking about. Both get enameled with some kind of glass. I think that process is similar to glazing clay/porcelain, but there’s no clay involved here.