Cast Iron

[Ashley]

I have not cooked with cast iron at home...What are the benefits of using cast iron in/on the home oven? It seems like cast iron skillets are pretty popular here. Any suggestions on brand, care, and usage? What about glazed cast iron?

 

[bigeasygator]

The biggest benefits to cast iron are heat retention, heat distribution, ease of cleaning (handwash with just warm water or mild soap, season with vegatable oil), their versatility (ability to fry, sear, saute, and bake), and their durability. Glazed cased iron isn't quite as versatile and the enamel can be compromised, but glazed cast iron still has the heat retention and distribution properties of normal cast iron, it cleans up easily, and is still pretty versatile (can't be used over an open campfire or on an outdoor grill). I have quite a few Lodge products and they're all pretty good.

 

[mtswampfox]

lodge or peruse e-bay for a wide variety of cast products. some of my favorite utensils. back off the heat tho or you can have a sticky mess on stovetop. makes the best cornbread.....

 

[Poser]

Cruise some yard and estate sales for antique cast iron with years of seasoning intact.

Don't use soap or scrub with overly abrasive materials. You can use a little sea salt and water for tough scrubbing jobs.

If you guy new, even with a preseason, it will take awhile to get that "slick" seasoned surface.

A 14 inch skillet is probably the best place to start. A Dutch oven is probably your best option 2. I find the griddle pretty useful, too, especially for browning large cuts of meat for stew etc.

 

[boom]

lodge for me is too rough. it takes a lot of cooking to build up a layer of seasoning to make the bumps less "grippy"

i searched craiglist and found vintage stuff. i have two. i have a griswold and a wagner. the pans are amazing. right from the get go, they are smooth..like it was sanded down or something. seasoning it was a cinch, and the pans are super slick now.

the advantage of cast iron is that they retain heat. they are the ultimate kitchen multitasker. you can do it all from poach eggs to make a paella. i do have a 14" lodge that i use for roasting prime rib and pan fried chicken. i dont need a slick non-stick surface for either dishes.

camping? truck camping? i take one of them. nothing better on a two burner camp stove. yummy toasty tortillas.

the only disadvantage of it that i can think of right away...if you have a cool modern convection top stove..you may scratch it up. dunno.

 

[Mikeha33]

+1 for Griswold. I use ours at least 3 times a week, probably more in the winter when grilling isn't as enjoyable. I got mine out of an old barn when I bought my house. Took a little steel wool to her, knocked the rust off, and started rubbing her down with oils and fats. She looks brand new new. One thing to do, is NEVER ever wash with soap. Hot water and coarse salt is great for getting stubborn junk out of there. After each time of using mine, I sipmly rinse it out, dry it off, and put back on the heat. Putting it back on the heat allows the iron to open back up for seasoning. I try to always use animal fat (bacon grease is probably the easiest) to season mine with. Once it gets hot, just rub some bacon grease, (or cooking oil) onto a paper towel or rag, and go to town, rubbing the entire surface, sides, top, and handle(s) with the grease, and take off of the heat, let cool, and put it away. That is how I season mine. Gives it some good flavor, and helps with the non-stick factor.

 

[Stid2677]

+1 for griswold, use mine several times a week. Cast Iron Pizza is awesome, makes the best sauce and cornbread.

 

[Poser]

I have a cast iron wok that rocks, though you need a monster flame for it to work correctly as a walk. The base of it is 1 inch of solid cast iron.

 

[Mckinnon]

Cast Iron is the best, fry, bake, open fire, coals, you name it. As a side note I wouldn't ever put soap in it, you want to keep it seasoned... I have a Lodge and like it, takes some seasoning even though its pre-seasoned, but it cooks well.

 

[Muledeernv]

Lodge is a good brand. I love cooking in cast just makes it taste better. But May just be me. Cooked an elk roast in my Dutch oven on Sunday turned out great.

 

[Nick Muche]

+1 for griswold, use mine several times a week. Cast Iron Pizza is awesome, makes the best sauce and cornbread.

Cast iron pizza! That sounds good.

I love my cast iron pan.

 

[Stid2677]

Cast iron pizza! That sounds good.

I love my cast iron pan.

The trick with cast iron pizza is to preheat the oven to 500 or as hot as it will go, leave your cast iron in there and let it get hot too. Get your crust and all your topping ready, once the oven is preheated place the skillet or flat plate on one of the stove burners on high and quickly assemble your pie and stick it back in until down. Only takes 10 minutes or so just cook until the crust is done but not burnt and the toppings and cheese are hot.

 

[Nick Muche]

Oh my!

 

[Hunt'nFish]

Honestly I do not like any of the new cast iron products.
The best cast iron skillets & dutch ovens are the OLD vintage ones.
The new ones are not machined smooth inside and are left in sand cast condition. I hate a sand cast finish inside. My last new cast Dutch Oven set took me forever with a disk sander to get smooth. Not worth the effort.
Now I just watch Goodwill and 2nd Hand stores for good old ones....not that I need anymore but hey, a bargain is a bargain right?
Hunt'nFish