Concern about smoking enameled dutch oven.

[Charles]

I have a no-brand enameled dutch oven from Target which I use to bake bread in the oven. I preheat the empty dutch oven to 500 to get the baking process started, but this makes it smoke.

Is it normal for enameled dutch ovens to smoke at 500?

I am a little concerned for my health - I imagine the bread gets infused with some of that smoke when it's in there with the lid on. And the smoke does have an odd, if not very strong, smell.

Thanks,
Charles

 

[Andy M.]

If there is oil in the DO, that would be smoking at 500 F. Also the knob on the lid could be burnsmoking at that temperature. Enameled cast iron should not smoke at 500 F or ever much higher temperatures unless it's defective.

 

[Robo410]

the enamelling is fired at 1500*F or higher so it is ok. The bread recipe is now many years old and no one has reported a safety hazzard from the DOs.

 

[Scotch]

I agree that enamel should not smoke at a mere 500 degrees, or really at any temperature you're likely to achieve in a home oven or grill.

If the coating on your Dutch oven IS actually smoking, however, I think you need to make sure that it is in fact enamel and not paint or some sort of plastic coating.

One other possibility -- if there is some residual oil, fat, or grease on the pan, that will smoke at 500 degrees. Be sure the pan is completely clean before heating it.

 

[Charles]

Thanks.

Thanks all. There's no residue to smoke, so it's probably the cheap coating that's vaporizing. It's definitely enamel rather than plastic/paint, but it's probably an inferior enamel. I may try a different pot and see how it goes.

All the best,
Charles

 

[Scotch]

Is your pot non-stick by any chance?

If so, you can't heat it to 500, and the fumes that result if you do may be toxic.

 

[Charles]

Is your pot non-stick by any chance?

If so, you can't heat it to 500, and the fumes that result if you do may be toxic.

No. Just enamel, thanks.