Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Signature Iron Handle Skillet, 9" (1-3/8 qt.), Cerise

I purchased the 9" Le Creuset skillet after my ancient (at least 35 year old) 9" cast-iron skillet developed a crack down the center. I had a grease fire in the drip pan below it and I'm still unclear whether it was the victim or the culprit. I grew up in a home where cast iron was used daily, and know a lot of people are cooking and baking with cast-iron these days. As I type this, 9" Lodge skillets are in short supply -- so I cast my eyes on Le Creuset and decided to take the plunge. I read a lot of reviews from people who purchased the Le Creuset skillet and thought about the purchase for a few days before ordering one in the Flame colorway.I am not sorry I purchased this skillet. I have an old stove with electric elements, and am used to turning the element on low, and letting my skillets heat up. I did the same thing with "Flame", tossed in half a pat of butter, and then a couple of eggs. They cooked beautifully and slid off the bottom of the skillet when I turned them over, without breaking apart (a rare occurrence), and produced the tenderest fried eggs I've ever eaten. I'm looking forward to making sauces, and cooking in this skillet - clearly we get along together! There is something about the quality of the food that comes out of this pan that is a step above, and borderline magical.Similarities to my old cast-iron: they both contain the same volume of water.Differences: (1) the handle of my old cast-iron often stayed cool to the touch with simple sauteing, and the Le Creuset handles can get hot, so have potholders handy; (2) Le Creuset has a handy grab hold on the opposite end -- good to have since it is 3/4 oz. heavier than my old cast-iron skillet; (3) Le Creuset is enameled; after reading the pamphlet I'm buying some teflon whisks and keeping metal implements away from this pan.Do I recommend this pan? Yes, with one reservation. If you are not used to skillet cooking: frying, sauteing, making sauces, browning, etc. I recommend perfecting the art using a cast-iron or standard frying pan until you get basic cooking under your belt. This is an expensive skillet, and deserves to be treated with respect. Also, read the booklet that comes with this skillet; it has a lot of good advice on how to use it.

My wife and I have two of the Le Creuset Signature pans - this nine inch version and the twelve inch iteration. We got the thirty centimeter pan for our first anniversary and the twenty three centimeter for our second. These pans are, without question, the best frying pans I have ever used. I first encountered them in the care of a roommate who was gifted two of them upon graduating culinary school. The special enamel coating is unlike any pan I have ever used: it is not a traditional "non-stick", nor is it a plain cast iron. It is a unique enamel formulation that, over a short period of time, acquires a patina which offers the best of both worlds. It imparts the kind of rich carmelization and browning you expect from well-seasoned cast iron, while also having outstanding non-stick qualities without any unusual chemicals (PTFE, etc.) being involved.Unlike traditional cast iron, the Signature pans do not require seasoning with oil and high heat, and can be washed with regular dish soap and scrubber sponges or the like. You can put them in the dishwasher, and you can use heavy scrub brushes on them, but both of these things will inhibit (or outright prevent) the development of the patina that enables the enamel finish to really function as intended. I recommend only hand washing, and only using soft nylon scrubber sponges at most. Fortunately, even high heat cooking rarely if ever sticks anything to this pan so badly that you can't clean it off with a sponge or, at worst, getting at it with a wooden spoon.To really make the pan shine - literally and figuratively - I recommend that after cleaning and drying it, you spray it with a light coating of neutral vegetable oil (soy or canola) and gently wipe it down with a paper towel to form a light shiny coat. Doing this every time will help develop the patina more quickly, and leaves the pan ready to fry the next time you reach for it. You don't need a lot of oil here - just a smidge.These pans are expensive, no question. They are also ridiculously durable and incredibly useful. They will probably end up in our will. We barely use any of our other pans anymore! They're that good.

Why did you pick this product vs others?:I feel so fancy using this because all the cool people have these, and it cooks so well!!! It is very good quality and sturdy! Love this French brand!

As usual, high quality. It is small but useful.

First off no seasoning required for this skillet? The manual says no seasoning required but I wondered. So I have cooked with this pan not seasoned and it cooks very well but some things tend to stick no matter how much butter or oil is added. I recently seasoned this pan, it cooks much better and nothing sticks to the pan anymore. I feel this is the single greatest pan/skillet for searing, frying or baking in the oven. Cooking is a joy with this skillet, we use medium to low heat on everything as the manual suggests and we let the pan come to temperature before using it. Using high heat with this skillet is sure to make everything you cook Stick to the skillet. We use wood spoons with this to ensure it will last a lifetime so my bad habit of banging a spoon on the side will not hurt this skillet. Cleaning this skillet is easy with soap and hot water as long as you do not burn stuff in it, using high heat will make cleaning Harder. If you have been holding off about purchasing this skillet Buy it, it will make cooking more enjoyable if you love cooking.

Perfection!It honestly doesn’t get any better than this.Don’t waste your life or money on cheaper substitutes. Once you own and use one, you’ll never look back.