where are you at with respect to Cast-Iron pans?

[Darth-Baiter]

I once met a guy on the verge of divorce.  it was literally "either your pans go, or I go!".  I bought a couple of vintage American cast irons from the guy and scurried away.  he gave me a great deal.  he had hundreds of cast iron things in a barn.  and a really sad look on his face. 

 

one is a Griswold.  another is an unmarked pan that never leaves my stovetop.  nothing warms a tortilla better.    or sears a steak.  

 

now?  6 years ago I dipped my toe into carbon steel pans.  I went with a French pan.  a De Buyer, Mineral B pan.  seasoning it was a lesson in patience and understanding the occasion defeat.  now I love the thing, but it would be a big deal if I bought another fresh pan to season.  no thanks. I wouldn't call it as "easy"

but with this pan, I am using my Cast-iron less and less. I think it sears better (maybe not a steak, but for sure - fish).  it certainly does small stir-fry dishes way better.  I love cast iron, but there is a new kid on the block for sure.  I love putting the pans on my bbq grills to heat and cook. saves me the issue of heating up my house in the summer.  

 

 

 

 

[J Francho]

I'm mostly stainless, but we have an antique cast iron pan that only gets cleaned with pickling salt and boiling water. 

[padlin]

I use cast iron pretty much only on the grill or smoker, maybe once a week. Anything fried goes cast iron, that's fried, not grilled.  Pizza goes in the pellet smoker in a 12" skillet. Started making artisan bread in a CI Dutch oven.

[Darth-Baiter]

my cast iron gets washed with soap and water on occasion.  the seasoning is super robust.  it isn't going anywhere.  in fact, two summers ago, it got too thick.  I heated it up beyond hot in hot oven, knocked off the burned off carbon and then rubbed 200 grit wet/dry sandpaper and took it to almost new looking.  it was light gray in color.  I started over.   slick as snot now.  

[Catt]

Certain foods simply tastse better cooked in Lodge Cast Iron. 

 

Cajun rice & gravy, chicken fricassee, smothered potatoes & sausage, corn bread.

 

[Mobasser]

I have dutch ovens and skillets. I like cast iron

[Bird]

We are almost exclusively cast iron here.

I can cut the burners off and fry for 10 more minutes.

[Tennessee Boy]

I love using cast iron.   I only use Lodge because it’s made in Tennessee so it has to be the best.  ?

 

[TnRiver46]

My wife cooks at least once a day in her grandmothers cast-iron pan. We also have a huge lodge  Dutch oven and also a lodge large pan that are newer

[Spankey]

I don’t know much about them other what my wife makes in them is great. 
 

I was told a long time ago that I’m not to touch her cast iron pans. Ok, I’m fine with that. 

[NavyToad]

Bought my wife a couple new-fangled super space aged pans with kryptonite martian coating and she loves them. In the long run it beats flowers.

[Bankbeater]

My mom always cooked in a cast iron pan.  My brother in law trained to be a chef.  He says the cast iron distributes the heat more evenly.

[Jig Man]

I only have 1.  I use it to melt lead so I can flux it then cast it into ingots.

[SWVABass]

I have two skillets and a flat pan that are great. I have enamel coated Dutch ovens that I love too. They have their place for cooking that for sure. But I wouldn’t limit myself to just cast iron that’s like saying I only throw a senko ?

[Mobasser]

When our first president George Washington's wife Martha, made out her will, the first thing she wanted willed was her collection of cast iron cookware.                            Lewis and Clarke took cast iron with them on they're expedition.                             And range cooks on the big cattle drives west cooked almost everything in large cast iron Dutch ovens. Just do a Google search of chuck wagon cooking and check out all the cast iron.                           Cast iron holds it's heat, and works great. If there is any drawback to it it's the weight. Lodge of Tennessee is the last American cast iron forge. They make cast iron you can pass down for generations.

[DitchPanda]

I have 4 or 5 cast iron hand me downs from my mom..love them

[TnRiver46]

Wife’s grandmas pan 

 

second or third use ever for big Dutch oven in 2020

blackberry cobbler 

 

[Big Rick]

We use cast iron every day. Griswold and Wagner are the favorite old skillets. However, there was an ad in the side column on this very forum that advertised for Smithey in North Carolina. I checked them out. They use the old artisan style of making their pans and they are smooth as glass. I bought my wife a couple and we absolutely love them!  I am so glad I clicked on that ad!

[Mobasser]

11 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Wife’s grandmas pan 

 

second or third use ever for big Dutch oven in 2020

blackberry cobbler 

 

I also have a Lodge camp Dutch oven, with three small legs on the bottom. You can cook most anything in these. Like any cooking, heat control is the key.                                     Several years ago I bought my son in laws one for Christmas. Weve used them on family camp outs.             One guy cooks meat, another cooks potatoes, and one cooks desert- usually a cobbler like yours. Always taste great.

You guys should look up chuck wagon cooking. In old cow camps, the cook was the main man. Cooking everything in  cast iron ovens. They say these guys were excellent cooks. The hands wouldn't stay with an outfit that served bad food.

 

[Catt]

@TnRiver46 spent may a day & night around a camp fire with a Dutch Oven on it.

 

There's nothing like bacon & eggs on an open fire.

[BrianMDTX]

Get it smokin’ hot (I mean smokin’!) and plop a nice NY strip brought to room temperature seasoned with generous salt and pepper and a sprinkling of cumin, turn on the fan and sear it until medium-rare and with a great crust. I love my cast iron skillet. 
 

Kosher salt and hot water to clean. Lasts forever. What’s not to love?

[Catt]

For the best steak ?

 

 

[Mobasser]

1 hour ago, Catt said:

For the best steak ?

 

 

Hibachi! I've always wanted one Catt.

[Deephaven]

On 8/16/2022 at 2:06 PM, Darth-Baiter said:

I once met a guy on the verge of divorce.  it was literally "either your pans go, or I go!".  I bought a couple of vintage American cast irons from the guy and scurried away.  he gave me a great deal.  he had hundreds of cast iron things in a barn.  and a really sad look on his face. 

 

one is a Griswold.  another is an unmarked pan that never leaves my stovetop.  nothing warms a tortilla better.    or sears a steak.  

 

now?  6 years ago I dipped my toe into carbon steel pans.  I went with a French pan.  a De Buyer, Mineral B pan.  seasoning it was a lesson in patience and understanding the occasion defeat.  now I love the thing, but it would be a big deal if I bought another fresh pan to season.  no thanks. I wouldn't call it as "easy"

but with this pan, I am using my Cast-iron less and less. I think it sears better (maybe not a steak, but for sure - fish).  it certainly does small stir-fry dishes way better.  I love cast iron, but there is a new kid on the block for sure.  I love putting the pans on my bbq grills to heat and cook. saves me the issue of heating up my house in the summer.  

I have a few griswolds, some super thick copper pans, and some carbon steel pans.  I use the copper for anything where I may want to vary the heat quickly, the steel for when I am going to beat the crap out of the pan, and the cast for when I want it to hold heat after I put whatever into the most.  Each have their place.

On 8/16/2022 at 2:24 PM, J Francho said:

I'm mostly stainless, but we have an antique cast iron pan that only gets cleaned with pickling salt and boiling water. 

That is an antiquated need.  Soap doesn't have lye anymore so you can soap your cast and no lose your finish.

On 8/16/2022 at 4:12 PM, Tennessee Boy said:

I love using cast iron.   I only use Lodge because it’s made in Tennessee so it has to be the best.  ?

 

Except they are a serious pan to get fit for cooking.  The need to be sanded down as the interior finish is way too rough straight from Lodge.  They are also artificially heavy which is great if you need high heat and have a wimpy stove, but super sluggish if not.  I've sanded a lodge smooth, but still sold it and prefer the older pieces.

23 hours ago, Mobasser said:

When our first president George Washington's wife Martha, made out her will, the first thing she wanted willed was her collection of cast iron cookware.                            Lewis and Clarke took cast iron with them on they're expedition.                             And range cooks on the big cattle drives west cooked almost everything in large cast iron Dutch ovens. Just do a Google search of chuck wagon cooking and check out all the cast iron.                           Cast iron holds it's heat, and works great. If there is any drawback to it it's the weight. Lodge of Tennessee is the last American cast iron forge. They make cast iron you can pass down for generations.

Interesting, I didn't hear that and was standing in her kitchen yesterday.

[J Francho]

9 hours ago, Deephaven said:

That is an antiquated need.  Soap doesn't have lye anymore so you can soap your cast and no lose your finish.

Tell that to my wife, it's her grandmother's cast iron.  Her rules.