Under Review: Fed up with Heavy Cast Iron Cookware? Commichef Aluminium Casseroles could be the answer

Sometimes customers come in looking for cookware, pick up a piece of Le Creuset castiron and remark on its weight, and sometimes that’s the end of the story. If you’re in that camp, for whatever reason, maybe a dislike of heavy cookware or for example you have arthritis and find lifting heavy things painful, then I may have an answer for you.

A while ago John Day, who is the agent for one of our major suppliers, Grunwerg’s of Sheffield, showed me some enamelled cast aluminium casseroles. They came in a range of sizes and they were really light. So light in fact that I dismissed the idea as not really us (light usually means poor quality and/or poor heat distribution), and also partly because they appeared to be copying Le Creuset in style and I’m not keen on plagiarism, however flattering it may be.

But some of my colleagues disagreed with me and pointed out that there was a significant demand for light but good quality. Cutting a longish story very short. We borrowed a piece from John, tried it out and didn’t find it wanting. In fact it performed very well, which is largely down to them being made of aluminium which spreads heat fast and evenly*.

They come in 5 versions and in two colours, Black and Cream. Two sizes of shallow casserole and three sizes of deep. They are nonstick coated inside (which I think is a shame, as you need to be wary of not using excessive heat, as any nonstick will burn off if treated in a cavalier manner**) but that apart, and to my surprise, I’ve got very little to say against them. They even look nice.

As with everything we sell, if you try it , don’t like it, you may return to us for a full refund.

*Paul tells me he did a Ragout in it when trying it out, and got very good control over all the aspects from frying the onions to reducing. He was very impressed by it but did warn me that the side handles get hot very quickly…looking on the bright side that supports my assertion about the fast heat transmission of an aluminium body.

** Cavalier is turning it up to 7 without oil or food in it. DON’T do it!