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Who doesn't love a delicious and flavourful meal made in a casserole dish? Also known as casserole pans, this type of cookware is really versatile and can be used in ovens and grills as well as all sorts of hobs. And while they're typically made from cast iron, you also have the option of modern-looking materials like aluminium and stainless steel.
Whether you want a heavy or lightweight casserole dish to cater for large parties or just the two of you, our detailed buying guide will show you how to purchase the perfect one. And of course, we have included a ranking list of our favourite products from Le Creuset, Master Class and more, available to order to your door through Amazon, Argos and John Lewis.
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Table of Contents
This buying guide will definitely blow your mind as most of us aren't aware of all the little things to consider when buying a good casserole dish. Don't skip this part, it surely will change how you purchase a casserole dish or even other similar cookware forever!
Casserole dishes can be made from various materials, each of which has its own characteristics and appeal. Take a look at the four materials below to see which one you would prefer:
If you have a rough idea of the material you'd like for your choice of casserole dish, the next step is to check out the various quantitative measurements, such as the depth, capacity, weight and diameter.
The capacity of a casserole dish can range from 2 litres to 6 litres, and while a larger capacity means serving more food and catering to more people, the cooking time will be significantly longer compared to more compact sizes. That's why we think it's important to match the capacity to your household.
For reference, a 4-litre casserole dish would be more than enough to cater for a family of four, while if you live as a couple or alone, a capacity of 2-3 litres would be just right.
Casserole dishes are amazing pieces of cookware that have a special way of heating food evenly. But while they can perfectly seal in the moisture of your meat or beautifully roast your vegetables, the depth of the dish will impact the way you cook.
Deep or normal casserole dishes are best for cooking family-sized stews or for roasting a whole chicken, as they contain as much food as you wish within one pan. However, they do take up more space so you'll have to rearrange your baking shelves to accommodate their depth.
Shallow dishes are slightly more versatile, as not only are they perfect for making lasagne, cottage pies and other bakes, but you'll be able to put several dishes in the oven at once – great when you have lots of other meal components to prepare.
The most exciting part of using a casserole pan is bringing the freshly-made dish directly from the oven or hob to the dinner table, but not everyone has the wrist and arm strength to carry it all the way, especially if it's a cast iron dish full of food.
Cast iron pans tend to have an average weight of 4 kg, although some can be as heavy as 6 kg! If a heavy casserole dish will impact your motivation for cooking or safety is your main concern, check the weight. And remember, dishes made from aluminium and stainless steel will usually be comparatively lighter.
It isn't a matter of right or wrong when it comes to the diameter of your casserole dish, as it's all about what will work for you. But if you're still unsure or can't decide which size you'd like to have, this tip might be able to help you make a decision.
A wider diameter means a larger surface area, so when it comes to apple crumble, cottage pie or lasagne, you've got more of the crunchy crumble, crispy mashed potato edges or perfectly-golden melted cheese to enjoy. Yum!
Just be aware that casserole dishes with larger diameters will take up more room while baking, and they'll also demand a bit more storage space.
Besides the quantitative information, you might want to consider other features such as whether or not the cookware is non-stick and dishwasher-safe, and what the lid is made from. We promise these tips will help you finalise your choice of casserole dish!
You'll definitely want to consider whether or not you prefer a non-stick casserole dish, as it will directly impact your cooking and even the way you do the washing.
With non-stick cookware, you have the option to use less oil in your dishes as the food won't stick onto the casserole pan, and it'll be much easier to clean, too. Another merit is that less oil for cooking means a healthier diet for you!
However, remember that most non-stick cookware uses a specialist coating to prevent food from catching, which will wear out eventually. You will also have to avoid using metal utensils and scourers to keep it intact as long as possible.
Dishwashers are very convenient as all you have to do is press the 'start' button and they'll automatically take care of everything. However, casserole dishes made from cast iron cannot be washed in the dishwasher as the water will cause its material to rust, leaving your beautiful new cookware damaged.
Other materials such as stainless steel and aluminium are mostly safe to be washed by the dishwasher, but if you want your cookware to be in perfect condition for as long as it can, we always recommend hand washing it.
Covering your casserole dish with a lid while cooking ensures all the best flavours are locked in, but did you know the material of the lid will affect the outcome of your food too?
Most cast iron casserole dishes come with a lid made from the same material, which allows the heat to be distributed evenly around the pan – with this, you can expect only the best, most intensely-flavoured result!
Other dishes, meanwhile, can come with a glass or stainless steel lid. These still do the job to prevent moisture leaving your cooking and a glass lid will allow you to check on the contents without removing it. However, both materials will be slightly less effective in comparison to cast iron.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Price | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | MasterClass Lightweight Casserole Dish With Lid | £29.99 Low Mid | Every Ideal Cookware Quality Wrapped Up in One Dish | ||
2 | Le Creuset 3-Ply Stainless Steel Shallow Casserole With Lid | £116.00 High Mid | The Lighter, More Affordable Version From an Famous Brand | ||
3 | ProCook Gourment Non-Stick Induction Shallow Casserole Pan with Lid | £34.00 Low Mid | A Convenient, Safe and Beginner-Friendly Option | ||
4 | GreenPan Barcelona Evershine Stainless Steel Shallow Casserole & Lid | £100.00 Mid | Fancy Cookware Made With Two Trademarked Technologies | ||
5 | Denby Pomegranate Oval Casserole | £92.99 Mid | The Perfect Piece of Cookware for a Sunday Roast | ||
6 | Argos Home Cast Iron Shallow Casserole Dish | £45.00 Low Mid | A Shallower Design for Even Browning | ||
7 | Le Creuset Signature Cast Iron Round Casserole Dish|Teal, 26 cm | £260.00 High | Probably the Best Cast Iron Casserole Dish on Earth | ||
8 | Staub Tomato Casserole Dish | £199.95 High Mid | Adorably Shaped to Capture Everyone's Attention | ||
9 | John Lewis & Partners Cast Iron Round Casserole Dish|Frost Grey | £60.00 Mid | Reasonably Priced With Guaranteed Quality |
We think you'll definitely agree that this casserole dish has earned its place at the top! For one, it's resistant to scratching as it has two layers of anti-scratch non-stick coating while most products only have one. Secondly, cast aluminium doesn't require as much care as cast iron, and you won't have to worry about this product turning rusty at all.
Not to mention its ability for high-performance home cooking – this casserole dish from MasterClass has the lightest weight on this list while still offering a very decent capacity. Add that to the price, and we think this product has all the ideal qualities you'd want to find in a casserole dish!
Not everyone can afford Le Creuset's cast-iron products, so we thought this stainless steel casserole pan gives you the best of both worlds! The innovative 3-ply stainless steel layers allow quick heating and excellent retention, plus it's oven safe up to 260°C. As it's lighter in weight, it's more comfortable to work with, too.
The lid also has a special feature like no other: it's very tight-fitting to ensure not a single drop of moisture can escape and all the true flavours of the ingredients are locked in. Lastly, it's dishwasher safe, but you can just use soap and warm water for no-fuss cleaning if you like.
If you want convenient yet low-maintenance cookware, we highly suggest purchasing this product. Non-stick, very lightweight and dishwasher safe, this dish is more than suitable for daily cooking. Cooking healthy meals and doing the cleaning has never been this effortless.
It even has the rare feature of thick silicone-covered handles, which provide a superb grip that'll allow even the clumsiest beginner chef to cook a stress-free meal. And of course, the lid is made from tempered glass so you can keep an eye on your culinary creations without lifting the lid. So what are you waiting for? It's time to get one!
This casserole pan is made with two trademarked technologies that really set it apart from the crowd. The first is achieved by enhancing the ceramic non-stick coating with diamonds – this makes it effectively anti-scratch and gives excellent heat conduction so the casserole dish doesn't require pre-heating.
The Evershine™ stainless steel technology is also used to protect against heat discolouration, so your pan will last longer. And with its sleek looks and handles designed for comfortable holding, this product sounds really fancy, doesn't it?
Sunday roasts can be made much less stressful when you have the perfect-sized dish to roast your chicken in! This pomegranate-coloured oval casserole dish has the ideal capacity and shape to slowly roast your meat. Or, use it to make a stew and you could easily serve up to six people.
With its unique quick-heating properties and long-lasting heat-retention, the overall cooking time will be relatively short and your food will remain warm throughout the meal. For a very fair price compared to its competitors, we think it's worth giving Denby's product a go.
Nothing's better than watching every part of your dish turning a perfectly-caramelised brown colour in a sizzling pan, and this casserole dish happens to fulfil that wish. With a diameter of 39 cm, you can roast plenty of vegetables or pieces of meat in one go without having to worry about them overlapping.
This flat, oval dish, however, will also take up a lot more space, whether you're cooking on the hob or in the oven. But if that's not a major concern for you, we think it would be marvellous for cooking paella or other recipes suited to shallow dishes.
We're pretty sure that no one is unfamiliar with this iconic piece of cookware from French brand Le Creuset. Made with the best and highest possible quality, you're basically guaranteed a lifetime membership for buying just one casserole dish.
While it's great that you can choose from many sizes and stunning colours to accommodate your cooking style, household and tastes, Le Creuset's products are also well-known for being very costly. But considering it's probably the best casserole dish on earth, we think it's worth the investment!
This is one of those products that we just have to share with the world, because how often do you find cookware shaped like a tomato? This dish will attract people's attention every single time, no matter how often you use it to make delicious meals for your guests or family. It would look lovely on display, too.
This adorable pan sadly has a comparatively small capacity of 2.5 litres, despite weighing just as much its larger cast-iron counterparts. Unless you live in a big household, we think this quirkily-shaped dish can cater to smaller families without fail.
A classy-looking dish with soft grey ombre colours from John Lewis, we think this product is very reasonably priced considering the size and the quality. Many customers agreed that this casserole dish is as excellent as one from a more well-known brand, but costs only a quarter of the price.
However, we'd like you to know that this product is rather heavy at 6.5 kg, so definitely ask for help if you feel like you can't carry this casserole dish confidently from the oven to the dinner table.
Casserole dishes are one of the best pieces of cookware you can get to help you whip up a wonderful meal, but you'll probably need a few other kitchen tools, too. Check out our recommendations for oven gloves, tongs and crockery so you can swiftly transfer the freshly-made food onto the dinner table and share it amongst friends.
Whether or not you're planning to purchase a casserole dish right away, you've still learnt a lot about this amazing piece of kitchen equipment! Always remember to choose one that satisfies all your needs in terms of size, material and design, and you'll never want to use any other dish again.
Author: Angina Chow
No. 1: MasterClass|Lightweight Casserole Dish With Lid
No. 2: Le Creuset|3-Ply Stainless Steel Shallow Casserole With Lid
No. 3: ProCook Gourment|Non-Stick Induction Shallow Casserole Pan with Lid
No. 4: GreenPan|Barcelona Evershine Stainless Steel Shallow Casserole & Lid
No. 5: Denby| Pomegranate Oval Casserole
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