Cast iron pans.

[Darth-Baiter]

20 years ago i met dude with a wife that clearly “drew a line in the sand”. It was literally, “it’s me or the pans”

 

the guy had an obsession. He had a barn full of vintage pans. I bought two for $40.  One is unmarked, the other is a small logo Griswold.  He told me small logo pans are not that desirable.  Pfft!  Can I cook with it?   I never made it a hobby, and I never shopped for other pans.  I cleaned and seasoned them and put them thru the paces of a crazy home kitchen. 
 

I love these things. Best tortilla warmers ever.  I sear meats with them beautifully.  I’ll take them car camping 100%. I am about to convert to an electric stove. Induction.  I can use them, but I can’t imagine the same experience.   
 

you all still going old school with cast iron?  Or is it stainless or non stick for you? 
 

 

[Siebert Outdoors]

I wish I could use them.  I have a glass top range and it would probably scratch it up real quick.  I'd prefer a gas stove with cast iron.

[Darth-Baiter]

Yea. Going to a glass top soon. Store

says cast iron will work, but I’m not believing it.  
 

I have outdoor burners I use all the time to keep my kitchen clean. 

[volzfan59]

We've got a glass top range for now anyway. My wife has cast iron and has used it on the glass top. I guess it has scratched it some, but not terribly. We're talking about a kitchen and bath remodel or just buying another house. Either way, we're going gas in the next one 

[TnRiver46]

We’ve got hand me downs from early 1900s and a new lodge stove top pan as well as huge lodge Dutch oven with legs for outdoor cooking 

[Darth-Baiter]

5 minutes ago, volzfan59 said:

We've got a glass top range for now anyway. My wife has cast iron and has used it on the glass top. I guess it has scratched it some, but not terribly. We're talking about a kitchen and bath remodel or just buying another house. Either way, we're going gas in the next one 

i love gas for cooking.  however, my asthma is worsening, and everyone on my medical side tells me a gas range is no bueno.  i am hoping to play the long game in life :D.  i will use the CI outdoors where there is ventilation for days.  

 

i already upgraded my elec box and service.  step one is done.  now to keep saving $$.  

[padlin]

I have a handful of CI, other then the Dutch oven they are strictly for outdoor use.

 

For me there is nothing like a Greek style pan pizza (oiled skillet) off the smoker. All our fish gets cooked outside on one of the skillets, usually foiled.

[volzfan59]

1 hour ago, Darth-Baiter said:

i love gas for cooking.  however, my asthma is worsening, and everyone on my medical side tells me a gas range is no bueno.  i am hoping to play the long game in life :D.  i will use the CI outdoors where there is ventilation for days.  

 

i already upgraded my elec box and service.  step one is done.  now to keep saving $$.  

I forgot about your medical issues. Gas probably is not for you! I'll be praying for you.

[Darth-Baiter]

I'll be fine.  its mild now, and I am just trying to keep it that way.  hahah..

 

my mom's friend died from COPD and it was unpleasant looking.  

[Choporoz]

My wife uses cast iron on glass top.  I'm not aware of any new scratches,  but if so, could be intentional.   She's hoping this electric that came with the house will crap out soon so we can switch to gas.

[TOXIC]

Wife found a treasure trove of cast iron pans when we went on a cleaning binge in our huge storage room in our lower level. It is a concrete room that is directly under our 2 1/2 car garage and is cement on all 4 walls and ceiling.  We have been accumulating grandparents and parents items after they pass.  We ended up stripping the pans and reseasoning them.  Gave some to my daughter who now has her own farm and we kept some for our use.  We have a glass electric stove and aside from it taking longer to get the cast iron up to temperature, there’s no scratches.  Funny thing is that not long after we remodeled and put in an expensive glass top, my wife was taking a small spice jar out of the cupboard and the jar slipped out of her hand hitting the corner of the glass top.  It shattered.  We called the retailer we bought it from and they told us it was not covered.  I told them that if a small spice jar could shatter it, there must be a manufacturer defect.  The repair service they sent said that the glass top was normally more expensive than the entire stove.  We have a gas furnace and in the remodel I wanted to run gas to the stove but the gas line and venting was too expensive. 

[GRiver]

I’ve got skillets, deep skillets with basting lids, cast iron griddle, Dutch ovens plus a waffle maker. I like cast iron cookware. My nieces and nephews call them my cowboy pots. I can hang them over the fire pit, cook bake beans, chili and they love beanie weenies. 

[gim]

I don’t have cast iron pans. I was recently gifted a very nice set of Hinkel SS pans though and they work very well with my gas stove that has cast iron grates.

 

My last house has an electric glass stove and I hated it. This house I bought in May 2022 has a GE natural gas stove top and oven, which I prefer. Immediate heat, and far more efficient.

 

My Weber grill has cast iron grates. They last forever.

[LrgmouthShad]

Yes. I use Lodge cast iron pans quite a bit

[casts_by_fly]

You’ll love induction. It’s a completely different animal than glass top electric. We had one in the UK on 220v. We could take a big pot of water from faucet to boiling in about 3 minutes. That’s half the time of gas (we have the same pots on gas now). Temperature change in your pan is practically immediate. Cast iron and enameled cast work great but some of the benefits are lost. Cast is great for holding heat. But some of the times you use it to hold heat are because a gas or electric stove can’t keep a regular pan hot enough. Induction is much better in that regard in how much energy it imparts.

 

when our current stove craps out in 5-10 years we’ll move to induction without hesitation. 

[GreenPig]

Got my first cast iron a few months ago, it's a 15" Lodge and cooks great on my junky electric stove. It's a heavy beast but distributes the heat nicely. 

[Catt]

In Louisiana you're not considered a Chef unless you use cast iron.

 

I own 10-12 of various sizes, can't think of anything I don't cook in them.

 

Everyone laughs when I say I have a gas stove, gas heaters, & gas water heater. After back to back hurricanes & a historical ice storm...I'm the one laughing.

[J Francho]

I use All Clad stainless and non stick. I do have two very old cast iron pans that get used quite a bit. Each are just tools, but none are always the right pan for the task. 

[flyfisher]

I never got into the cast iron deal but when I have used them they are good.  Now one thing I do like are my enameled cast iron pieces  I have a bunch of Dutch oven types of various sizes but my favorite is a straight walled lasagna pan that is perfect for the job of making lasagna.  The straight walls are the key so you don't have a different amount of noodles on each layer.

[Darth-Baiter]

@flyfisher  truth.  emameled CI pans are my MVP time and time again.  

[Catt]

7 hours ago, J Francho said:

Each are just tools, but none are always the right pan for the task. 

 

Yes sir ? 

 

I cook rice-n-gravy, Jambalaya, or pot roast in cast iron but not gumbo or dirty rice. Those have special pots!

[GReb]

2 hours ago, Catt said:

 

Yes sir ? 

 

I cook rice-n-gravy, Jambalaya, or pot roast in cast iron but not gumbo or dirty rice. Those have special pots!

OG Magnalite pot is required for gumbo

[WRB]

Nothing cooks more evenly the cast iron and a well seasoned pan creates wonderful flavors that coated cast iron can’t duplicate. You should’t clean cast iron with dish soap or put it in a dishwasher, ruins the seasoning.

We have a set hand me downs from both parents who received them from their parents. 

I have a large gas cooking island and use it nearly year around u less it’s raining. Cook nearly everything from vegetables, fish, meats and fresh peaches for desert.

My wife has her AlClad for the kitchen and I have the cast iron for my island.

Tom

[Darth-Baiter]

Cast iron actually heats fairly uneven, that’s why some people preheat them in the oven. 
 

snd as far as soap.  I find it’s no big deal. Soap isn’t made from lye anymore.  I use dish soap on occasion and I can’t hurt my seasoning. It’s robust as heck. 

[J Francho]

The most even heat comes from the right size burner on gas flame. It has zero to do with the pan. Wrong flame on your great grandmothers pan and the meal is only so-so. Get over your obsession with pans.  Cook how you know to cook.