Does It Take A Long Time To Cook Food With Cast Iron Cookware?
Current Ebay Listings:
 Antique GRISWOLD 833 Dutch Oven Cast Iron  US $29.18
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 Lodge 10 1/4" Cast Iron Dutch Oven w/Lid US $14.99
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Do these cast iron cookware pans cook better than the regular ones?
Do they cook on regular ovens?
or does it take longer for it to cook rice?
With the regular cooking pan it takes me 20 min to cook the rice
It just depends on the dish you’re making. Cast iron is known for slow cooking because it heats evenly and cooks evenly.
I wouldn’t try cooking just rice on the stovetop with cast iron. It would work, but it would take some tinkering. You’d be better off with just a regular pan.
oven cooking, then a dutch oven would actually help things to cook faster, since in an oven you have hot and cold spots, and a cycling heat source. But if you cook it in cast iron or earthenware, they act as thermal capacitors, doling out constant and even heat, which can actually cook it faster.
They really shine in long and slow dishes, but there’s no reason why you couldnt use one as a regular baking dish I suppose. Just try and check on it every once in a while.
For skillets, I prefer the cast iron to aluminum or other such. It heats more evenly, and keeps the heat, making for a shorter bounce-back time after you put something cool on the pan, and making the food cook evenly. I have one griddle that is my absolute favorite thing for making pancakes, because no matter where you are on the griddle, you get good heat, and everything turns golden perfectly.
Also, I have to disagree with the guy who said not to deep fry in cast iron. I have a dutch oven that is perfect for deep frying. It keeps heat even like I said, and since it is so dense, it has a lot of residual heat. This makes it bounce back a lot quicker after the food hits the fat.
And Lodge is the best quality I have found. Also, it is the only domestic cast iron, which I like.
The kind you have posted here is too thin to be very good. Remember, when dealing with cast iron, light doesn’t mean good. It means cheap. And you get what you pay for.
I don’t like to disagree with other contributors but in this cases I need to defend cast iron cookware!!!
It is wonderful for cooking all types of food including rice and for “deep frying” It heats evenly, holds the heat well and once you are familar with cooking in cast iron you will turn out fantastic rice and full meals. This is the type of cookware our ancestors used for everything and they cooked over open flames.
I did not look at the set you referenced. I would advise you to purchase only good cast iron cookware such as Lodge or Wagner brands. You can sometimes find them at yard sales.
One word of warning!!!! Cast iron must be “seasoned” before use. When cleaning do not soak the pans, use salt to scrub them if needed. Good pans will develop a lovely patina with use.
cast iron is awesome.
but not for all things (don’t deep fry foods in cast iron)
but searing, baking, browning, they are the best. easy to take care of bullet proof. there really is no difference in time. they hold heat longer and move from the stove top to the oven with no problem. there heat displacement is excellent. the whole pan will have the same consistent heat from corner to corner. no hot spots. Unless you have your pan moved half way off your heat.
i have big ones little ones deep ones shallow ones ones with grills inside too. try it you’ll like it
No. Cast iron is an excellent heat conductor, and gives even, steady heat. You can cook on the stove or in the oven w/ them. They do require a bit of special care, such as keeping them oiled, no dishwasher use, but it’s no big deal.
I’m not certain FIngerhut is the place to buy it… for $10 a month, you can buy a piece of Lodge brand (made in USA) at Walmart. I’d be worried the set you linked to is too thin to be much good.
cast iron is good for meats, I wouldnt cook rice there. And yes, much better to cook meat there than in a non stick pan