I own three of these mini pans. I own two 9" inch and two 11" Staub skillets as well. Overall, I own 23+ pieces by Staub. I own Le Creuset and I sell and own Vollrath commercial nonstick cookware for a living and I cook. Staub's greatest strength is browning meat and sauteing vegetables. Eggs are tricky in these pans but worth it if you know how to use them.
The Caveat: You must understand how these pans take heat and break them in with a proper seasoning, not curing, before using on a daily basis, especially if you want to do eggs. These pans should be in every home simply for what they represent in quality and performance.
I"m going to set forth the proper way to season and clean pans because I've never found one person who gets it right. I know, you want my credentials. I learned the proper way to season pans and clean pans on the job cooking 10 hours a day 10 days in a row, 25 weeks a year. The mindless repetition of my job taught me how pans take heat and how to clean them. Oddly enough, I discovered my pans worked better longer when I DIDN'T clean them with water. Wiping them out with dry paper towels while the pans were still hot was the quickest easiest way to clean them. I noticed they didn't get that tacky yellow tar that has to be scrubbed out of a pans. Being that I sell nonstick this was a revelation because tar is the enemy to nonstick pans. Tar causes sticking even in nonstick pans. So, there was an even larger revelation to this because it applies to all cookware except cast iron which has to have tar on it to keep it from rusting.
First, enamel is porous and these pours MUST be treated a few times with oil so food doesn't deposit into the pours which eventually would damage the surface of the pans.
The seasoning process does two things. It deposits the oil in the pours but more importantly it teaches you about how the pans take heat. It creates a learning curve and brings you way up the curve. So don't dismiss the process. Cast iron needs very little heat to get hot. Remember that.
Warm the pan on low heat and pour about 2mm of olive oil in the bottom of the pan and wipe it all the way up the sides with a rag. Swirling the hot oil up the sides is the easiest way to do this. Add more oil if needed keeping at least 2mm in the bottom at all times. While massaging the warm oil around the pan with paper towel or rag be careful not to burn your fingers. Olive oil means olive oil. Low heat means your lowest setting. Do this for at least five minutes on low heat all the time massaging the oil all the way up the sides. You never want to smoke the oil because that means you are burning oil and depositing carbon in the pours of the pans. The oil should only shimmer a little. Pay attention. Watch for the shimmer of the oil. Now after five minutes turn up the heat to medium-low always swirling the hot oil up the sides to the rim. The pours are still opening even though you are now bored with the process. After ten minutes turn off the heat and keep massaging and swirling the oil as it cools. Wipe dry and do NOT wash. REPEAT at least ONE more time before cooking. Now, personally, after the two olive oil treatments I buy a whole duck and render duck fat in every pan I buy for the first cooked meal. It's a right of passage for all my enamel. Yes, I I love duck but more importantly it's the best type of fat for enamel. I don't expect you to buy a duck but duck fat is the best fat you can season a pan with after you do the initial olive oil treatments. And, it will put you at the top of the learning curve. What you will learn during this process is how hot the pans get and you will notice a medium-low flame on cast iron goes a very long way. Medium heat could almost be very hot and you will probably scorch food if you don't pay attention.
Always wipe dry with a paper towel and never pour water in a hot pan to deglaze. That forms tar in the pan which is gummy and eventually turns black. Oil is not water soluble so dismiss the deglazing myth. Once cool wash in warm soapy water and dry immediately.
In closing always wipe a tablespoon of olive oil in a cold pan before cooking and always wipe clean, as much as possible, while still hot. Do not be worried about a mess still being in the pan even after you wipe it with a dry paper towel. Wiping the pans is important because it removes a lot of material that WOULD end up becoming tar. Every little bit removed while hot will help. Then later, after the pan has cooled down to room temperature wash in warm soapy water. They should have a beautiful shine to them. Good luck.
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