Cast iron cookware.

[Crashbox]

Shoot, I haven't used my stove in I-don't-know-how-long. It's 99.99999% microwave for my single self.

But whenever I use the stove for frying steak, etc. it is always cast iron.

I clean mine by boiling them out with some salt thrown in. That's how I was taught. I NEVER soap mine because of the possibility of the pores retaining some soap, thereby transferring to my food and cleaning ME out.

Cast iron RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: Mr_Incredible
My modern teflon dies after a couple of years. Still, teflon has a place on the stove for daily cooking.

I don't think you have to use teflon at all, atleast we don't. Sometimes I'd like a pan with less thermal mass than cast iron, particularly when I'm trying to get my eggs to the perfect runniness, but probably I should just take them out of the pan instead of trying to time them to my toast...

 

[StevieC]

A way to get your egg's runny in a Cast-Iron pan is to use one of those metal things that you put down on the element to lift a glass coffee perculator(sp?) off the element. (can't remember what it's called) but it works great under the cast-iron pan to give you a more normal heat conduction similar to teflon pans... I like my eggs the same way!

 

[tdpark]

One thing to keep in mind about cooking with cast Iron- the food absorbs iron from the cookware. For most that is a good thing- for some of us who have high iron- not so good.

My father was diagnosed with blood problem where his body absorbs iron too quickly and i have the same tendency- was told not to use cast iron.

Other than that- cast iron is great cookware and cheap.

 

[philobeddoe]

i only cook in cast iron
it's fantastic, and i have a small handful of lodge frying pans, frier and dutch oven
butterflied a whole chicken in one pan, and diced skillet taters in another, all on the weber, last night ... the crowd went nuts

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted By: philobeddoe
i only cook in cast iron
it's fantastic, and i have a small handful of lodge frying pans, frier and dutch oven
butterflied a whole chicken in one pan, and diced skillet taters in another, all on the weber, last night ... the crowd went nuts


What's your cholesterol looking like these days?

Nothing beats a Cast-Iron IMO!

 

[Kestas]

The metallurgy of cast iron is such that the surface has nooks and crannies that other metals don't. This is what holds the oil and makes it "seasoned". Thermal transfer is good too.

But the other half doesn't like the iron taste it puts in the food. So she buys a non-stick aluminum pan every year.

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted By: Kestas
The metallurgy of cast iron is such that the surface has nooks and crannies that other metals don't. This is what holds the oil and makes it "seasoned". ...


Should use a 20wt cooking oil in it then eh?

 

[JHZR2]

I bought a cheap cast iron skillet from K-mart in college for cooking simplicity. Didnt want to have to worry about teflon in the food. I had to season it, which I did with olive oil, the only cooking oil that I have.

We have since gotten a number of le cruset pieces, but I still pull out the old K-mart skillet to cook breakfast, steaks and fish from time to time.

Cleanup is similar to what others have said: boil salt water in it, then scrape out and re-oil with olive oil.

 

[StevieC]

Olive oil is the best kind of oil for you!

 

[NJC]

I have one cast iron frying pan, and the rest Kirkland 304SS. No more teflon coated for me either. The copper-bottomed SS pans are excellent, and it's a wash between cast iron and SS.

 

[AcuraTech]

I just "wash" mine out with hot water and a vegetable brush. No soap. It gets all the crust off without killing the seasoning.

 

[philobeddoe]

cholesterol is solid

don't eat grains or dairy ... gluten free
just eat meat, fish, fruit, and veggies
plus olive oil and coconut oil

i'm a monument to clean living