What is enamelware(with pictures And Video) Food And Cooking

Enamelware is your daily usable stuff for your kitchen. Their beauty and functions are so diverse that they have become a part and parcel in our dining table. They have got history to come this far. Their importance and uses knows no bound. At first, we need to understand what enamelware is. In this article we would like to discuss about its definition, uses, safety causes, benefits and other related things.

What is enamelware?

Enamelware refers to some material that may have a porcelain finish. Enamel is a metal that does not work by itself. Rather enamel coats another material, for example, iron or Aluminum. Still, your kitchen utensils such as pan or pots are not the only things that have enamel as coating. From the washing machine to the fridge everything may have an enamel coating. People also call them by porcelain on steel, vitreous enamel, agateware or graniteware.

History and background

Since the enamelware is seen everywhere now you may feel that it’s a new thing. But no, they are experiencing its renaissance. The history of enamel is thousand years old. The people from ancient Rome used to use it.

Greece used to use enamel metal in jewelry or other decorative things. In mid 19^th century, Germany developed vitreous enamel. Britain first started to produce blue like enamelware. By the late 18^th century, for example in 1890 one of these, namely Agateware, became very popular and famous. One of these sets named “Dutch oven” became very famous in the 19^th century.

What does enamelware consist of?

Enamelware is actually a material made of powdered glass. They are made of two types of different enamels, namely Agateware and graniteware.

What is Agateware?

Agateware is a type of enamelware which is distinctive. It has particular design. The enamel circles bands and have multi-colored curves. It may also have other markings.

What does Graniteware mean?

This enamel name is named after its component which is granite. It helps to give a beautiful finish and particular coloration. The Niedringhaus brother introduced it in 1874 in Illinois.

People used to call the city as the Granite City.

Processing if Enamelware

The process towards making enamelware and glass is almost same. To make enamel, Firstly, one needs electrolytes, metal oxides, water and clay. We can find feldspar, borax and quartz in the enamel mixture. You need to heat all of these at extreme temperatures. As a result they turn into liquid. To achieve this extreme temperature we need a smelter. When the mixture becomes liquid, we have to pour it between two high pressure rollers. This step ensures to squeeze out any extra moisture. The leaves strip of glass is smashed. So, it produces a material namely as “frit”. Later, we can coat the base material using this “frit”. As the last step we have to  heat the enamel and the basic material together. This procedure helps to bond both the material altogether.

Types of enamelware

The enamelware comes in different types and shapes. They usually have the color of  in blue, red, purple, brown, green, pink, gray and white. Patterns are also as well differs as the colors. Besides the familiar swirls, speckles, shades, and solids, other patterns are also available.

What is Kitchen enamelware?

Items such as pan, pots, kettle, baking tins are some of the kitchenware. These kitchenware’s are made of enamelware. These are mostly stapled from thin sheet of metals.

What is Antique Enamelware ?

Antique enamelware refers to the old enamelware that has got some beautiful design and color pattern. Many collectors collect them for their aesthetic beauty.

Benefits :

Enamelware is getting popular day by day. But this is not a new comeback.They are  quite popular because of its many advantages. Some of the advantages of them may follow as below:

• They provide smooth non-porous surface
• They ensure a good level of hygiene.
• The enamelware are antibacterial
• People find them easy to clean
• The glass surface helps to remove the food easily from the cookware.
• These set can easily hold a lot of temperature.
• A thin coat of enamel make the base material extremely flexible

Is it safe to use for cooking?

Enamelware is completely safe to use for cooking food. Though porcelain may chip and reveal the metal underneath. It is naturally safe to use. People can consume their foods without any risk of contamination.

Can you use them in micro oven?

Firstly, enamelware is made of steel or cast iron. So it’s better to not put them in the microwave .Since they are metallic. This can be very dangerous.

How do You Care them?

• You shouldn’t expose them to temperatures above 400 degrees Fahrenheit or 204 degrees Celsius.
• When you buy a new set of these, be sure to wash with warm soapy water. Furthermore, you can use a soft cloth or sponge. After that, you may towel dry.
• You should never use steel wool pads or abrasive cleansers.
• You should not bang on these on a hard surface.
• Please avoid quick temperature changes.
• Do not use metal utensils. Rather you should opt for wood or silicone spoons
• If they are stained you can soak overnight using 1 part vinegar to 1 part water. Then you should wash and rinse and also towel dry.

How can you clean them?

Enamelware is very easy to clean. You can clean them with some water and detergents. A mixture of lemon and salt can also make a huge difference. After cutting a lemon you can mix the juice with salt and it can make some foam. Then you can scrub against the sponge.

Disadvantages of using enamelware

It just got a few bad sides. Enamelware tends to corrode over a long period of time if one uses them for boiling liquids or water with acidic qualities. This may leave a crack. But you can sole it using special enamel paint.

Final Thoughts

In brief, we can say that, These are classic and popular kitchenware .They are generally made of agateware and graniteware. As a result, They have got a lot of advantages. So they are popular among people.