13.5-Inch Cast Iron Braiser

When you are cooking for a table rather than a plate, this is the pan to reach for. The 13.5-inch braiser is wide and shallow rather than deep, which gives you 10.8 inches of cooking surface to brown things properly on before anything goes in the oven — eight chicken thighs skin-side down, a whole head of cauliflower, short ribs browned and then left to go soft for three hours. It holds 4.9 quarts, works on gas, electric coil, glass, ceramic and induction, and is as happy on a grill or over a campfire as it is in the kitchen.

The inside is machined smooth right across the cooking surface and then finished again, so food releases cleanly and the seasoning has something to grip. The rim is flared to pour without running down the outside and the walls are an even thickness all the way round, so a long braise stays at the same temperature across the whole pan. It weighs 7.3 pounds empty.

There is no enamel and no synthetic coating anywhere on it: the only thing between your food and the iron is oil seasoning. The iron is melted in the US from mostly recycled material and checked for purity at several points in the supply chain and again during production.

Choose the seasoned finish and it arrives ready to cook, hand-finished with two coats of a certified non-GMO blend of canola, grapeseed and sunflower oil. Choose bare and you get the same pan unseasoned, under a film of mineral oil that stops the bare iron rusting on the way to you, ready for a seasoning of your own. Add the 13.5-inch cast iron lid, sold separately, and you can braise and roast with the moisture kept in.

Materials

Cast gray iron, mostly from recycled material sourced in the US. Seasoned finish: certified non-GMO canola, grapeseed and sunflower oil. Bare finish: unseasoned iron, coated with mineral oil for transit.

Sizing

Rim diameter 13.5 in. Cooking surface diameter 10.8 in. Depth 2.5 in. Height 2.6 in. Total length including the handles 17.3 in. Capacity 4.9 qt. Weight 7.3 lb.

Care

Let the pan cool, then wash it under hot running water with a sponge or a chain mail scrubber. Dish soap is fine. Rinse, then dry it immediately and completely — a few minutes on the stovetop over low heat finishes the job, and standing water is what causes rust. Not suitable for the dishwasher. Metal utensils are fine. Preheat on low for 5 to 10 minutes before turning the heat up or adding food; low to medium heat is usually enough to cook on. For stuck-on food, add a little water, bring it to a gentle boil and scrape it away with a spatula. If rust appears, scrub it off with hot water and an abrasive pad, dry thoroughly and re-season straight away. To re-season, wipe a thin coat of a high smoke point oil such as grapeseed or avocado onto a warm pan and heat it until the oil looks dry.

Made in

Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA.

Please note

No lid is included. Cast iron holds heat for a long time and the handles get hot. Take care lifting the braiser after it has been in the oven, on a grill or over a fire, and allow plenty of time for it to cool.