Packnwood Eco Inspirations & New Products Releases

Enamel: A History of Enamel in Cooking

Written by Melanie Green | Aug 10, 2023 3:00:00 PM

PacknWood now has enamel cookware and serveware, including plates, bowls, pots, pans, and cups. These reusable enamel restaurant supplies are a great choice if you want to improve your restaurant’s impact on the environment with high-quality dishes and cooking supplies. Although our enamel collection is new, enamel has a long history of use in the kitchen. Here is what you should know about the history of enamelin cooking. 

What is Enamel?

Enamel is, in essence, a coating for your cookware. All enamel cookware is made of enamel-coated materials, like cast iron, stainless steel, or aluminum. Enamel is a mix of porcelain and smaller amounts of other materials.

To be more clear, enamel is made primarily of porcelain, which is what fine China is made of. Porcelain contains white clay and various stone materials like quartz. When used to make enamel, it becomes very hard and durable while also conducting heat well. 

Why is Enamel Good for Cooking?

Enamel is good for cooking because it is eco-friendly, heats well, and is food-safe. The enamel does not break down under heat, meaning it won’t end up in your food. It also has similar properties to cast-iron where it retains heat well. 

Since it is made of natural materials, it is also better for the environment. Enamel cookware is rarely disposed of since it can last a very long time. That means less waste in landfills and more cost-savings for you over time. 

Enamel’s Use In Cooking

Enamel is often used in cooking to coat pots and pans. On the inside, they are steel, cast iron, or aluminum. The enamel finish is more attractive, but it also increases the durability of your cookware. 

Another reason why chefs like it is that it retains heat very well, allowing them to keep things warm without using stoves and other means that raise utility bills. 

The most common example of this is the Dutch oven. Many families and restaurants have them because they are great for cooking large meals over a long time. Stews are often the meal of choice because they take a long time to cook, but enameled pots keep them warm without additional heat sources. 

Enamel’s Use in Serving

Enameled dishes, cups, and trays are also common. Porcelain China is coveted around the world for its quality and sophistication. Enameled serveware gives you the beauty of enamel without the very high costs of all-porcelain dishes. 

PacknWood’s Enamel Collection

PacknWood now offers an eco-friendly enamel collection of reusable plates, bowls, pots, pans, cups, and trays that you can add to your restaurant’s supplies. All of our options come in the elegant white finish of porcelain that customers associate with fancy restaurants. Adding these to your supplies not only helps the environment but can help you improve the preparation and presentation of meals. Use them to take your restaurant to a new level. 

Get Eco-Friendly Supplies From PacknWood

PacknWood specializes in offering eco-friendly restaurant supplies to help foodservice companies reduce their environmental impact without sacrificing price or quality. Contact PacknWood for help switching your restaurant over to eco-friendly restaurant supplies.