Does anyone cook with cast iron pots and pans?
I confess that I love my cast iron for lots of reasons, not the least of which is that some of them are the last remnants of my grandmother (she gave them to me). But there are lots of reasons to get one and keep them. 1. They last forever. If you take the time to season them correctly, a cast iron skillet will last decades. For the price, you cannot beat the longevity. 2. They are versatile. You can use them on a stove top, you can bake with them, you can use them on the grill or griddle. In fact, I wouldn’t dream of baking corn break in a loaf pan. Pouring your corn batter into a preheated skillet and baking it will give you the world’s crispiest crust and tender innards. 3. They are healthy. Iron is actually infused into your food when you use a cast iron skillet. Sounds ominous, but it’s actually good for you. The corollary is that when you use other non-stick style pans, you can actually get remnants of teflon in your food (especially with the older pans). Now THAT is not healthy.
I have three cast iron cast iron skillets. Mine are about 20 years old. I think they are too heavy and difficult to keep seasoned. On my pans, there was build up around the sides, so I put them in fireplace to burn the stuff off. It worked, but a little uneven, and it took forever to season the pans, Once seasoned you are not suppose to wash it. My mother has no problem with hers and hers are older than mine. I keep them because I was told that it was a good way to get iron in foods. I bet the cast iron of today is a whole lot better, it will be interesting.
