Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Enamelware

In addition to loving canning jars - another item I have a thing for is enamelware! Chipped or not - I just love it! It is old-fashioned, yet useful. I decided to pull out all my pieces for one big photo:

Some of the pieces are new - from the camping section of a store or reproduction enamelware pieces. But, most of them are old and a few have even been in my family for years. I have received almost all of this as gifts and I just love using it! Picnic dishes, a tea kettle, a soap dish, a baking dish, a fruit bowl. How could I ever pick a favorite piece?

Does anyone else like enamelware? What is your favorite piece and where did it come from? I'd also love to hear if there is something else you enjoy collecting that is a useful item as well as charming!

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love enamelware! I have a giant pot that belonged my mother in law. She gave it to me when she got a new stainless steal one. It is my favorite pot and I use it for everything from soups and stews to big batches of salsa and spaghetti sauce when the tomatoes are ready!

Jthemilker said...

When I was first married I decided to make spaghetti. Easy enough! I boiled some water in an enamel pan on our apartment's electric stove. The burner was so hot that it burned the enamel off the bottom of the pan and caught fire. The next time I burned something (innocently) my husband's immediate response upon entering was "You tried to make spaghetti again, didn't you?" I trashed the pan and haven't used enamelware since. HA!

AmyG said...

yep--love it--especially my campimg coffee pot--a big, blue perculator. I like how useful and pretty it all is.

Anonymous said...

One of the things I like best about enamelware is that it reminds me of you! :)
Love, Mom

Tracy said...

I have a roaster, and a stock pot. And two mugs. I collect teapots. So far I have 19. They are adorable, and I use them all! My grandma chastises me, saying thta things you collect aren't meant to be used, but I beg to differ. Why collect something that can't be used?

Paige said...

I saddly passed up an enamelware husband warming plate. (that's what I called it). It was a deep dish plate, with three sections and a lid. It was meant to put daddys dinner in, in a warm oven incase he'd be late for dinner. I thought it was brilliant and now am waiting for the gal to host another yard sale and PRAY like mad it's still there. Only 7 bucks and a real clever idea.
I like cast iron and am slowly getting my collection. I wait for yard sales as it's already "seasoned" and much cheaper than brand new.
p~

*carrie* said...

Mo,

Fun to see your collection. I have one enamelware piece, my big bowl with red trim. I like to store fruit/garden produce in it. (Sadly, it's empty right now!)

Anonymous said...

I love enamelware too! I don't have as much as I would like, but we did use a yellow enamelware bowl for the sink in my daughter's play kitchen. So much cuter than just using a stainless bowl, makes it look more vintage.
Elise

Courtney said...

I also love enamelware! I'm a primitive addict:) I love your blog. I have been reading & your love for your family & God is truly amazing. Glad I found your blog!

Amy said...

I love your collection and am always looking for these pieces, but no such luck yet when doing my thrift shopping.

I do collect dishes though and have quite the collection. My favorite thing to collect is serving platters and bowls. I love a pretty China bowl and platter- it changes the whole look and feel of the table.

Thanks for sharing your collection!!

Wendi said...

Oh the memories this has brought back! I remember my grandmother using enamelware often. Sadly I think my uncle threw out everything in the kitchen when he cleaned out the old farm house. Mom and I could have cried when we found this out!

Besides canning jars I also like baskets.

Katy said...

oh i love it too!!! I actually have some spatterware that i just adore! You have a lot of enamelware!!! That is fantastic! :)

Anonymous said...

I love enamelware, too! I'm so glad to see that you not only enjoy yours, but use it as well!

PhDCow said...

I love, love, love my Le Creuset enamel-covered cast iron cookware. I would much rather cook with enamelware than anything else!

Anonymous said...

Monica,
One year three friends and I discovered a very large selection of enamel ware at a local dollar store. We bought them out! Then we travelled to every dollar store within a 40 mile radius and bought those out as well.

In the end we each had a four piece place setting for 6. How I enjoyed those dishes...And the children too, for my son begged me to save the few remaining pieces for him after he left home, some 20 years later.

And yes, I still love enamel ware though I am momentarily down to 3 pieces.

nannykim said...

I have some old enamelware dishes that I use a lot--I keep them above my frig and often use them during the day. I do not use the pots because they were so thin and I did not like the cooking quality (these were the old ones)

Anonymous said...

I absolutely love enamelware. I have a few pieces that I have been able to purchase. It's one of my favorite things.
Ruth

Debbie J said...

I just have 2 roasting pans that came from Walmart..., but have many memories of enamelware used by my grandparents and parents.

I also like fabric lined baskets and like you, canning jars. Canning jars can be used for so many things.

Anonymous said...

Monica, this may sound weird, but I've got two enamelware salad plates that I bought from Old Navy years ago, when I was in university. My mom kept them for me when I went overseas and now I've got them back again and I hate them :( They're pretty and everything - white with navy blue trip and some daisies on one edge, and of course they say old navy at the top, but they can't go in the dishwasher!!
Would you like them for your collection? I'll happily post them to you, my treat :)

cbweaver said...

Canning jars, old bottles, kerosene lamps, and ragrugs seem to fill our home making it cozy and homey. And cast iron cooking ware seems to come my way too. I think I get everyones cast offs. And I have a small amount of enamel ware.