:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/faw-fgf-staub-x-buster--punch-collab-tout-3e74061814904915a150b4d2bcc6d757.jpg "Staub and Buster + Punch Cookware Reviewed")
Home cooks and professional chefs worldwide love Staub’s gorgeous cast iron pieces, and for good reason: They are functional, durable, and can last for a lifetime with proper care. I couldn’t imagine any improvement to Staub’s famous cocotte, but this collaboration with London-based design company Buster + Punch brings a fresh take on the brand’s most classic designs.
Billed as “half French, full English” — a nod to Staub’s French heritage and the famous full English breakfast — the collection includes our favorite Dutch oven, also called a cocotte, and a frying pan made of black cast iron, with the addition of stylish metal hardware. On the cocotte, Buster + Punch’s T-bar handle replaces Staub’s signature round knob, while on the frying pan, an eye-catching metal handle contrasts with the pan’s cast iron body. The metal accents come in brass or steel and feature Buster + Punch’s signature diamond-cut cross knurling. Design-forward and useful, the texture from knurling results in a better grip.
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For those unfamiliar with the classic Staub cocotte, it’s a straight-walled cast iron vessel with a heavy lid. Just like the brand’s other ovens, it has the same self-basting design with spikes on the underside of the lid redirect moisture down into the pot. We tested this 4-quart cocotte by braising short ribs and cooking chili, and as expected, it can get rip-roaring hot for searing meats and retains heat well for simmering and braising our proteins.
It features Staub’s signature enamel coating, making it easy to clean by hand while eliminating the need to season the pan — though you can oil the pan’s interior surface to reduce the patina that may build up over the years, according to Staub. It’s oven-safe up to 482°F, so you can slow braise and bake without worry. I tested the 9.45-inch cocotte, but it’s also available in a roomier 11.02-inch version as well.
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While we didn’t test the frying pan, based on our experience with the cocotte and other Staub pieces we’ve tested, we think it would make a handsome addition to any cookware collection. It also features a contrasting metal handle with Buster + Punch’s signature diamond-cut cross knurling. Weighing just under 7 pounds, it feels proportionately hefty for its size. We also want to point out its shape: Instead of the straight sides of a skillet, it has the gently sloped sides of a frying pan, making it easier to sauté mushrooms or potatoes for a traditional English breakfast or to maneuver a spatula underneath eggs. Like the cocotte, it’s enameled and doesn’t need to be seasoned, but regularly oiling the interior surface can help improve its nonstick qualities and preserve its finish over time.
Our Expertise
Bernadette Machard de Gramont is an LA-based freelance writer specializing in food, wine, cookware, and other kitchen and home products. After a two-year stint at Williams Sonoma headquarters in San Francisco, she now researches and tests a variety of cookware, bakeware, and wine tools, and interviews field experts for their insight.
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