I bought my first piece of enameled cast iron cookware in the spring of 2007. It was from TJ Maxx and cost all of $40 (which felt like a fortune on my grad student budget). It was lime green, held about five quarts, and I thought it was the nicest thing in my kitchen. Heartbreakingly, the enamel began to chip and crack after only dozen uses.
Since then, I’ve had a number of pieces of enameled cast iron from a number of different makers, but continue to search for the unicorn of this category. A piece that is affordable enough that I can recommend it to someone on a grad school budget, that doesn’t chip easily, holds enough to feed a crowd, and is great for cooking down jams, fruit butters, and sauces.
Friends, I think I’ve finally found the mythical creature of enameled cast iron cookware and it’s known as Anolon’s Vesta Cast Iron 7 Quart Casserole. The outside is an elegant coffee color and the interior sports a matte black enamel interior. The underside of the lid is studded with raised nubs that are designed to channel flavorful liquid back into the food as it cooks. It conducts heat evenly, cleans up beautifully, and is far more affordable than other enameled cast iron pots of comparable size.
Now, if this pot looks familiar, that’s because I featured the braiser from this line a couple of years back. And while I still regularly employ that braiser, this seven quart casserole is the pot that’s taken up permanent residence on my stove top. I’ve used it for at least eight batches of jam, chutney, and compotes, as well as several rounds of soup and pasta sauce. It’s a work horse and I couldn’t be more pleased with it.
If you watched my livestream earlier tonight, you saw me scooping chutney out of this very pot! And happily, this week the folks at Anolon are letting me give away one of these highly useful, totally durable, and perfectly elegant casseroles away to a lucky blog reader! Use the widget below to enter!
For more information about Anolon and their cookware, follow them on social media. Here’s where you can find them.
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Disclosure: Anolon is provided both the casserole you see here and the one I’m giving away at no cost to me. All opinions expresses are entirely my own.
This is a beautiful pot, especially for clam chowder.
Vegan chili with lots of beans.
tomato sauce an stew
African Peanut Stew. Love the fall!
Minestrone, with all the end of season veggies, like tomatoes, summer squash, shell beans, and more!
Beef stew!
I love to make bone broth, chicken and beef.. It is the basis for wonderful from-scratch, healthy soups and the beef broth enhances prime-rib gravy. 7 quarts is the perfect size.
First thing: Jam. Maybe strawberry!
Salsa! Heading out to local tomato u-pick this morning.
Peach jam. I need a need pot.
I’m planning a peach-picking day soon, and I’d love to use this gorgeous pan to make a batch of peach butter. I’ve made peach jam, but I’m really looking forward to making peach butter this year!
Applesauce in large quantities – two toddlers are eating it by the gallon around here!
Peach Jam
Salsa for canning!
Dutch oven bread. Yum! The crust is the best in a dutch oven, thanks for the chance.
Spaghetti sauce!
Hmm…I’d probably make Chile Verde or my dad’s vegetable soup!
Carnitas!
It would have to be a batch of salsa- we ned one more to get through to next summer….
I’d love to try using it for the Indiana peach chutney!
I’d probably make a thai curry first. It’s a regular on the dinner rotation. Once fall comes, it will, likely, be all about the soups.
I think I might make some vegetarian chili!
Now that it’s New Mexico green chile season (finally!), some vegetarian New Mexico green chile sauce.
Been looking for a multi-purpose “work horse”. Will start with what is growing like crazy in my garden when I get this new pot 😉 but I think it will really shine with soups and stews.
I have some bison ribs in the freezer that would be lovely braised in the new pot. Thanks for the giveaway.
I’d love to try my hand at braising something in this (maybe a chicken). Would also love baking bread in it.
First dish? Coq Au Vin. I’ve never tried it and I’ve always wanted to.
The inaugural use would be making a batch of marshmallow cereal treats, per spousal request
Pork ragu
Looks like a lovely pot. Would love to gift this to my daughter who doesn’t have any enameled cast iron cookware.
I would love to add this to my collection – I see some chutney in it’s future!
Beans… we love beans
I would make a zucchini casserole because I have so many zukes right now!
The first thing I would make? Pulled pork (home raised by a friend) and home made barbecue sauce.
The first thing I’d make on chicken Tikka masala or channa masala. Thanks for the giveaway!
I would make some poached pears.
Wow! Hard to decide but ratatouille with eggplant
Dying to make some cardamom-plum chutney in that.!
Now that plums are in season, I’d make a big batch of plum cardamom jam – enough to give away at Christmas, with plenty left over for toast through next summer!
I would make some sort of zucchini relish since that is my newest love.
I would make braised short ribs with vegetables. I would also make chutney. This looks very nice!
I’ll have to take a look at this pot, as I too have been on the lookout for an enamel pot–perfect for jams, for sure!
I’d probably make tomato sauce. This is my first year growing paste tomatoes. Though today I made mjedra, and it seems like a good pot for that. After that? Everything! Soups, sauces, jams and jellies, stews and various concoctions!
I would braise chuck roast with chili peppers to shred for enchiladas!
Since today is cool and rainy the first think that comes to mind is sausage and potato soup. My favorite go to homemade soup.
Bread. It looks like something that a new book I got calls for to bake bread. It is such a pretty pan.
Probably some buttered chicken. Thank you for the chance, have a great day!
Based on the garden’s progress, probably something with tomatoes!
I have a bunch of prickly pears waiting to be turned into jelly.
Since we have been in the zillion degrees forever……I have been hungry for pot roast…..doesn’t make a lot of sense…..
I would cook a hearty chili!
First thing: lamb curry!
I have pears, grapes, and apples coming from my food co-op, so the first thing I’d make would probably be some sort of jam or jelly with those.