664052 Mon Nov 02 07:06:02 -0800 2009 6 41 Cookware 0 5148644 I'm considering purchasing a vintage Dansk enamelled cast iron cocotte (uh...Dutch Oven, I think, in English) -- but the one I was looking at has enamel on the bottom, not just cast iron. Is it safe/OK to use an enamelled pot, which has enamel on the bottom, on my gas stovetop? Or is that kind of pot meant to be used in the oven only? Thanks for any advice. Mon Nov 02 07:06:02 -0800 2009 98622 charmoula 1 5148850 All the le crueset pots and pans I have are enameled completely inside and out - except the very edge of the rim. I use them on the stovetop all the time with no problem - I brown, sear, and simmer. I've even used one of the ovens to make jam. Mon Nov 02 08:17:31 -0800 2009 5148644 139725 janniecooks 2 5151716 I just bought an old Le Creuset Dutch oven at a second hand store ($15!!!) and the bottom is bare metal, but the rest is fully enamelled. I don't think it would make a difference one way or another when it comes to cooking. An enamelled bottom would, naturally, have a tendency to scratch but these are not museum pieces - it's cookware and it should be used. Tue Nov 03 07:31:00 -0800 2009 5148850 12383 Nyleve 3 5159939 le Creuset=enamelled cast iron=sturdy and durable workhorse, Dansk=enamel on steel=does not heat as evenly, enamel can chip easier than le crueset, IMHO, should be used with more ( loving ) care , and a diffuser can help even the heat on the stove top. "Jens Quistgaard, a celebrated Danish industrial designer whose clean-lined and immensely popular pieces for the Dansk brand of tableware helped define the Scandinavian Modern style for postwar Americans His work, which won many international awards, is in the permanent collections of major museums, among them the Metropolitan Museum, the Museum of Modern Art and the Louvre." Thu Nov 05 20:13:37 -0800 2009 5151716 10190 ciaolette 1 5148906 For vintage, though, as an added measure of caution (and because I managed to crack one!) do remember to heat EVENLY...in other words ensure you use the correct sized burner for the size of the pot. I cracked my big beauty because I was unwise enough to think I could do a pre-braise browning on a smaller burner (sort of one side of the big Le Creuset...having pushed aside some things I'd already browned) Bad decision... Mon Nov 02 08:34:44 -0800 2009 5148644 24738 LJS 1 5149591 I am not sure which type of Dansk you are looking at, but I have some vintage Dansk, as well as vintage Le Crueset and Descoware. The Dansk is lighter and a bit more fragile than the others, and I don't cook in mine, though of course they were made for that> I just love the design of the Dansk, and want to keep it in good condition, since I can't replace it, as I could the le crueset.If you want to use the Dansk on gas stovetop, I would use a diffuser. The Dansk designs are classic and beautiful, lovely collectors items. Mon Nov 02 11:51:59 -0800 2009 5148644 10190 ciaolette 1 5154749 I think one reason they're enameling the bottom of a lot of this cookware is so that it's more glass-cooktop friendly; as noted by others, it doesn't effect its stovetop performance. Wed Nov 04 07:42:10 -0800 2009 5148644 1120489 VaFrank