Is It Safe To Cook With A Scratched Dutch Oven?

If bits of enamel are coming off and landing in your food, you’re essentially eating glass.

For many home cooks, a high-quality enameled Dutch oven represents one of the most valuable and serious cookware investments. Elite brands like Le Creuset and Staub sell Dutch ovens for hundreds of dollars each, and part of what justifies the high price tag is the assumption that these artisanally crafted pieces can last a lifetime (and beyond). So when you spot a scratch (or even a chip) on the enamel of your Le Creuset, it can send you into a not-so-minor tailspin.

But how disastrous are enamel scratches really? Is it still safe to use a scuffed Dutch oven, or is your beloved pot now doomed for the dumpster? We asked a group of professional chefs and food safety experts to break down the potential health consequences of using a scratched Dutch oven, when a scratch needs to be taken seriously, and whether it’s possible to bring a badly worn Dutch oven back to life. Here’s what they had to say.

A deeply scratched Dutch oven can cause food contamination.

First of all, we asked the experts to explain why exactly a scratch or a chip on an enameled Dutch oven can prove dangerous.

“Enameled cast iron that is chipped can present a physical hazard because the enamel coating is essentially glass that is fused to the iron,” said Bryan Quoc Le, a food scientist and food industry consultant for Mendocino Food Consulting. So if bits of enamel are coming off and landing in your food, you’re essentially eating glass, which can lacerate your mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach and/or intestines.