Comments on: What Are Your Experiances Using/buying A Cast Iron Skillet?

By: Jesse C

Jesse C — Mon, 04 May 2009 12:56:20 +0000

Remove all packaging and adhesives from a new unseasoned cast iron skillet. Some modern cast iron cookware is preseasoned at the factory, but it won’t hurt to season it again. Make sure all paper and pricing stickers are completely removed. Use a sponge and light, soapy water to quickly remove any remaining surface dirt and dry the pan thoroughly with paper towels or by air drying. This is the only time water should ever be used to clean the inside of a cast iron skillet. Future cleaning should be done with dry paper towels and salt only, to prevent damage from rust. Once the cast iron pan is completely dry, find a supply of cooking oil, shortening, bacon grease or animal lard.
Preheat the oven and prepare the skillet. Different people will tell you different temperatures for proper seasoning, ranging from 250 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Since the main point of seasoning is to bake the oil or grease into the pores of the skillet, a preheating temperature of 350 degrees or higher seems reasonable. As the oven heats, wipe a generous amount of your chosen oil or grease around the inside of the skillet. Wipe out any obvious excesses, but remain generous with the coating.
Place the cast iron skillet upside down on the top rack of the hot oven. To prevent the grease or oil from dripping onto the bottom burners, place a cookie sheet or other oven-proof tray on the lowest rack. Allow the pan to remain in the oven for at least an hour. Do not be alarmed if you see or smell smoke — this is a normal part of the seasoning process. The oil or grease is filling up all of the pores of the cast iron, creating fewer crevices for food to become trapped.
After an hour or more has elapsed, use oven mitts to remove the cast iron skillet from the oven. Place on a heat-resistant surface (right side up) and allow the skillet to cool. The cast iron skillet is now seasoned, but some foods such as eggs may still stick to the bottom without additional oils or grease. The seasoning process needs to be repeated several times before a sufficient layer of charring has built up in the bottom of the pan. Ideally, a cast iron skillet should be wiped out completely after cooking, and then put through the seasoning process again. It may take several years for a cast iron skillet to reach the non-stick level of your Grandmother’s prized frying pan, but the results should be worth the effort.

By: original

original — Mon, 04 May 2009 12:56:20 +0000

You do need to condition them. The directions are on the packaging. Periodically they need to be reconditioned. Eventually, if you use them over and over, they will be non-stick. I have my grandmother’s pans and they are around 90 years old. I’d be lost without them.
Cooking in cast iron actually causes iron to leach into your food. That’s a bonus boost of iron, which is especially good for women as we usually do not get enough iron in our diets.
As for your nephew…when he’s around, use the back burners and don’t leave him alone in the kitchen. The pans conduct heat really well, but hold it well, too.
As for cleaning. I use a wooden (bamboo) scrubber and coarse salt. Then I just rub a very thin coat of vegetable oil all over the pan and put it away again.
They do require some work, but there’s something really special about mastering the art of cooking with cast iron. Also, they can go right into the oven to make cornbread or pineapple upside down cake.

By: wmayers9

wmayers9 — Mon, 04 May 2009 12:56:20 +0000

Cast iron skillets now come pre-seasoned. You do have to care for them properly, however. They come with instructions. Basically, those are to wipe it out immediately after use and then apply a thin coat of cooking oil with a paper towel. Store it on it’s edge if possible.
There is no such thing as a fully stick-proof skillet, no matter what it’s made of. All of them require cleaning and maintenance, but iron is one of the materials that takes more work. Still, for me, the benefits of cast iron outweigh the extra work it demands.
As far as fast cooling – it can’t be done. Cooled too fast, it’s not unusual for them to crack and break. Always set the skillet – or any other hot cooking utensil – back out of reach when the little one is around. Cast iron skillets are no more hazardous than other cookware – he could just as easily grab the handle of an aluminum or steel pan that’s full of boiling liquid and dump that all over himself.

By: Sukotash

Sukotash — Mon, 04 May 2009 12:56:20 +0000

Yes, you need to “season” them, by coating the inside of the pan with oil or shortening, and either placing in a hot (400 degrees) oven for about 30 mins, or using the top of the stove on med. low heat for 30 mins.
I personally prefer to buy them from yard sales and such when they are old and well seasoned, black all over.
Never clean them with soap and water, only wipe clean with a paper towel. Never cook wet things in them, nothing with water or milk, and never tomato based sauces, because these remove the seasoning and will make them too “dry” and they will rust or stick. After the pan is clean and dry, coat the inside with another light layer of oil or grease for next use, and to help keep it from rusting.
Food never sticks in a well seasoned cast iron pan, and the pan itself gives off a tiny bit of iron into foods, making them slightly more nutritious.
To cool it, place it in the sink (no water) or place inside the oven to cool where your toddler cannot reach it.

By: Mr. Grummp

Mr. Grummp — Mon, 04 May 2009 12:56:20 +0000

They are relatively inexpensive. They absorb huge amounts of heat and then release it slowly, cooking your food more evenly as your oven (or burner) cycles on and off. They never warp. They do NOT rust if you follow the manufacturers suggestions for maintenance. Food does not stick to them if they are seasoned properly. They will last a lifetime, literally; I cook with cast iron cookware daily, some of which is over 50 years old, passed down to me from my mother, and they are like brand new. If you are reasonably careful they will just never wear out.
Can you say that about any non-stick cookware? I’ve never used any cast iron utensils, and see no reason to do it.
For cooling, put it in the oven until it is cool.

By: Rambo

Rambo — Mon, 04 May 2009 12:56:20 +0000

Mr . Grummp is wrong… they will warp. I felt I should pass this along due to your question about “quickly cooling them”. If you take a very hot skillet and quench it in water, you may very well warp the skillet. If you are worried about the little one(the toddler), stick it in the oven and let it cool, so he can’t get too it.
One writer mentioned iron leaching to your food, this is true. I did a test in a lab test in college using cast iron cook-wear. The food cooked in an iron skillet had something like 80% more iron than food cooked in stainless or aluminum.
As far as seasoning, it will season as you cook. I do the initial season, then after I wash it , I just put it on a hot burner and wipe it out with oil while hot, then store. It is not a big hassle.

By: Kracker

Kracker — Mon, 04 May 2009 12:56:20 +0000

I use cast iron every day, most of the pans I have came from my grandmother & my wife’s grandmother. Both my kids want to be named in my will to get them. Seasoning isn’t a problem, if you buy new it has to be done, otherwise only after cleaning with soap which removes the oil from the pores of the iron. They don’t warp, retain heat & distribute it evenly for a long time. Downside, yes they are heavy, yes the handles get hot, (I’ve seen a few with wooden handles) Would I trade mine for the “newest” & “best” product on the market. NO Not unless it came with live in Chef.

By: porquemo

porquemo — Mon, 04 May 2009 12:56:20 +0000

Cast iron is my favorite kind of cookware. I have about 140 pieces of it, everything from small frying pans to a huge cast iron pot that will hold about 20 gallons. I’m cooking spaghetti sauce in a cast iron pot now. Most of the people who have already answered and like cast iron have given you great advise. Because of the weight, your nephew is less likely to accidentally spill a cast iron pan. It just takes a bigger hit for him to knock it over. Use stainless steel spatulas and spoons with cast iron, never plastic.
Check out these links for good deals on cast iron. The wok is awesome and many of the other pieces are great! : http://shop.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/c…http://shop.sportsmansguide.com/search/s...

By: Here-2-H

Here-2-H — Mon, 04 May 2009 12:56:20 +0000

They are great to cook with. I don’t know why, but food seems to taste good from it. Maybe it’s because its such a pain in the rear to clean, so you always have some sort of old food burnt onto it to give whatever you are cooking some flavour.
It also makes a handy weapon if ever needed. Just an added bonus.

By: Look Away, I'm Hideous

Look Away, I'm Hideous — Mon, 04 May 2009 12:56:20 +0000

OK, if you can find one at an estate sale or a second hand shop (there is a junk/antique shop near me with dozens of them) get one of those because they are already seasoned. Otherwise only get Lodge brand if you are buying new. I have tried cheaper brands and some took forever to season. I like to season by frying bacon in it on low heat ( you can usually buy ends and pieces from the meat department in a 5 pound box really cheap). After you fry some and get about an inch of grease in the skillet, take it off the heat and just let the grease sit in it til it solidifies, then wipe it out. Crisco is good also, just cook it on the stove top on low heat for 10 or 15 minutes, and let it cool. When the grease is solid, wipe it out, heat your oven to 350, place a large sheet pan on the lower rack and place your skillet upside down on the rack above the sheet pan. The sheet pan will catch any grease that may drip. Bake it for an hour, then turn off the oven and let it sit till it cools off. 2 or 3 hours. Wipe out any leftover grease. It usually takes a few rounds of this to get good and seasoned. As far as safety, you can put the skillet in the oven till it cools off. Oh and NEVER wash it with soap. If something is burned on scrape it off, a metal putty knife works great for this.