Every good cook knows the value of having a decent cast iron casserole cooking pot in your cookware lineup. This two piece set from Salter is very reasonably priced, so-much-so that I’m wondering if it’s too good to be true, with both dishes setting you back just £59.99 thanks to Black Friday deals this weekend.
Some premium branded cast iron cookware can set you back hundreds of pounds. Arguably it’s a worthwhile investment, because unlike some other pots and pans, cast iron cookware will usually last a lifetime. But Salter appears to be offering the same look and functionality at a fraction of the price, so I’m all ears.
I tried this set at home, using both pieces multiple times. And, spoiler alert, I was really impressed. If you’re looking for cast iron cookware that doesn’t break the bank, read on to see what I cooked in this set and why I think it’s a great buy.
In a nutshell
The set includes a 30cm wide shallow 2.8 litre capacity pot and a taller 3.4 litre pot with a smaller 24cm diameter. These enamel coated cast iron pots come with lids that have little bumps on the underside to promote self-basting.
I reviewed the cream set, but it also comes in a dark green colour, or you could buy each of the two pots individually. But of course, it’s more cost effective if you buy them together in the set. They’re suitable for all hob types, as well as oven cooking, but they’re not dishwasher safe.
I enjoyed using this set, they performed exactly as I hoped, whilst also looking good enough to use as serving dishes, and being easy to clean. Despite the pale cream colour, not even a curry, or blackberries stained the inside of the pot.
On the whole, I was impressed that for under £80 (RRP) Salter has delivered a set of two cast iron pots that are up to the job of slow cooking, sauteeing, and simmering all of your favourite dinners. If you ask me, it’s a bargain.
Who tested this set?
Product specs
- Materials: enamel coated cast iron
- Metal utensil safe? yes
- Dishwasher safe? no
- Pan Diameters: 24cm and 30cm
- Warranty: lifetime guarantee
- RRP: £79.99
Unboxing and first impressions
The two casserole dishes arrived together in one large, heavy box. I was pleased that all the packaging was paper or cardboard, not a hint of plastic or polystyrene. Once I’d removed them from their individual boxes, I was impressed with the quality.
At first glance, they look and feel far more premium than the price tag might suggest. They appear every bit as sturdy and well made as the more expensive, premium brands.
I already own two very similar size and shape casserole dishes and one thing I immediately noticed was that the wide, shallow dish has much more substantial handles than my current one. I can comfortably get my hands in the handles, which makes for easier lifting.
The handles aren’t quite as generous on the taller pot, but they’re perfectly functional. Both pots look nice enough to use as serving dishes, so you can take meals from oven to table and save on the washing up.
They’re heavy, and will be pretty weighty when full of food. But, that’s just the way it goes with cast iron cookware, you can’t escape the fact that this style of cookware requires a bit of muscle. Having said that, it’s also one of the reasons you should buy it, the thick cast iron will hold on to heat, so it’s perfect for slow cooked dishes that benefit from a few hours of low, slow heat.
Cooking in the 2.8 litre pot
Veggie lentil bolognese
As previously mentioned, I already own a wide, shallow cast iron pot, and I frequently use it to cook my veggie lentil bolognese. So naturally, I had to make this staple meal in the Salter pot to see if it was up to the job.
To start, I sauteed onions over a medium heat, before adding diced mushrooms, followed by peppers and garlic. The vegetables softened nicely without any sticking. You do get some browning on the enamel, but that’s all flavour that gets de-glazed as soon as any liquid is added.
After I’d added tinned tomatoes and lentils, I left it to simmer for the best part of an hour on a medium heat. It cooked perfectly, but it’s also nice to know that if I needed to pop out, the oven safe pan could be transferred to the oven for a low, slow cook instead.
Image 1 of 3
Unlike other styles of cookware, the handles on both the pot and the lid get hot during cooking. Plus these pots are heavy when full, so you do need to take care when moving from the hob to the table.
Nachos
The wide, shallow design of this cooking pot lends itself really nicely to grilling up some tasty nachos. It’s the perfect size for a big bag of tortilla chips. I topped them with cheese and jalapenos then put it under a hot grill to melt the cheese.
Once grilled to perfection and taken to the table, the pot stayed warm and kept the nachos warm while we loaded it up with extra toppings like salsa and guacamole. You just have to take care when reaching in for a handful of nachos in case the rim of the pot is still very hot from the grill.
Pasta bake
I’ve got a new obsession with making a healthier version of pasta bake. I swap out pasta for butter beans and chickpeas, don’t worry though, I still load it up with cheese on top.
For this bake, I sauteed vegetables in the pot and added a spicy mexican style paste for a bit of a twist. Then I added my butter beans, chickpeas, sweetcorn, and tinned tomatoes. I topped it all with a generous helping of cheese, which included cheddar, feta, and mozzarella.
It went in the oven at 200C for around 30 minutes until the cheese was golden. I love the fact that I can saute the vegetables on the hob, oven cook the bake, and take it to the table all in one pot. It’s great for minimal mess, low fuss dinners.
Cooking in the 3.4 litre cooking pot
Three bean chilli
For my first use of this pot, I made a three bean chilli. I started on the hob, sauteeing onions, carrot and peppers. Then once these were softened I added all my spices, followed by my tins of beans and tomatoes.
Once everything was in the pot, I popped the lid on and moved to a preheated oven set to 120C and left it to bubble away for four hours. I checked it two or three times during its stint in the oven, giving it a bit of a stir and adding extra seasonings, but on the whole I left it to slow cook.
At the end of the four hours it had reduced to a thick, rich bean chilli. It was packed with flavour and the sauce was the perfect thickness.
A fair amount of liquid had escaped, which was fine by me as that’s what made it thicker and richer. But, it does show that the lid isn’t a very tight seal, so it won’t suit every recipe, especially the ones where you’re looking to lock in moisture.
Slow cooked chicken madras
Next up, I made a slow cooked chicken madras curry. My approach was similar to the chilli, I sauteed ingredients on the hob and once everything was added to the pot, I put the lid on and popped it in the oven.
My oven was set to 140C and I left the curry to cook for three hours, stirring it a couple of times. At the end, the sauce was thickened, rich, and deeply flavourful, and the chicken was soft and tender. The curry had a much richer flavour than if I’d only simmered it on the hob for a short while.
For both the curry and the chilli, I filled the pot quite full and was able to make enough for six portions. This capacity makes it a great size for most households.
Sourdough loaf
Lots of people who bake bread at home do so inside a cast iron pot, it helps lock in steam for the first half of the bake, then removing the lid allows the crust to brown and crisp up during the second half. I baked a loaf of sourdough in the taller pot to see if it was up to the task.
My loaf cooked nicely, with a good rise and a crisp crumb. The only caveat being that the pot is on the smaller side, so my loaf only just fit in, and ended up squishing to a rounder shape than normal. It’s totally fine though, if you’re happy with a round shape and you’re not trying to make an extra large loaf.
I should also say that I cooked the bread at 240C for the first 20 minutes, which is the upper temperature limit recommended for this pot. And as expected, it coped well with this very hot oven temperature, with no visible impact on the pot, lid, or the enamel.
Fruit compote
At the time of writing it’s late autumn and I’ve been gifted a glut of homegrown apples and blackberries so I’m trying to use them up before they spoil. One of the things I made was a simple sugar free apple and blackberry compote to have for breakfast with oats and yogurt.
This involved adding blackberries, peeled, diced bramley apple, and a splash of water to the pot then simmering until all the fruit was soft and delicious. It cooked well without any sticking and once cooked, I left the mixture to cool for a few hours while I went out for the morning.
I was intrigued to see whether this vibrant fruity mixture would stain the pot, especially as I’d left it sitting for several hours. But after I’d spooned it all out into a tupperware and washed the pot, it looked as good as new.
What’s it like to clean?
Despite not being dishwasher safe, cleaning these casserole pots was quick and easy. Nothing that I cooked left a mark or discolouration on the cream enamel. After every use, both pots came clean easily with just hot soapy water, no scrubbing required.
The only thing that required a bit of effort was manhandling these heavy pots in the sink, but that’s par for the course with this style of cast iron cookware. Though it’s also worth noting that you should take care with enamelled cast iron, while it is usually very sturdy, you can chip the enamel if you bash it about too much.
What’s it like to store?
It’s worth having a bit of a think about where you’ll store the casserole set. There’s no getting around the fact that these are heavy and bulky pots. However, they’re nice enough to have out on show, if you have open shelving.
You could sit the smaller pot inside the larger one, if you use a pan protector in between to avoid scratching it. But that’ll still leave the larger lid to be stored separately.
How does the set compare?
One of the best known cast iron cookware brands is Le Creuset. You’ll pay more for this leading brand (though there’s a great deal on 2-piece set from QVC right now for £175) but on the plus side, it’s dishwasher safe. What’s more, it comes in a plethora of colours and sizes, so you can choose a colour to suit your kitchen as well as the perfect size for your household or favourite recipes.
If you like the idea of a set, but space is at a premium, the Staub La Cocotte 3-Piece Cast Iron Pot Set (available at Borough Kitchen for £379) is a clever space-saving stacking set. It’s pricey, especially in comparison to the two piece Salter set, but for the money you get three different size pots that nestle into each other and still manage to look good on the kitchen counter.
Should you buy the Salter Chester Cast Iron Casserole Set?
Based on the price as well as the performance, I think this set is a great buy. If you’re new to cast iron cookware and want to try it out without committing hundreds of pounds to a premium brand, this is a fantastic entry-level set that should see you through for many years.
The combination of the two different size and shaped pots offers plenty of versatility in terms of what you can cook in this set. The pots were easy to clean and produced excellent meals, I can’t really think of a reason not to buy them.
Read the full article here