Using Cast Iron
I’m interested in hearing your thoughts on what situations are ideal for the cast iron approach.
For most purposes, I have a cheap 6″ skillet and a cheap 8″ skillet and I use my roomie’s really nice 10″ sautee pan for big jobs, all non-stick. But in the back of my mind, I know I’m missing the boat, eg, when I make skillet-based dishes with potatoes. The cast iron would help produce that tasty golden crust… But are there other areas where I’m missing out on having the right tool for the job?
Or in other words, *please* help me justify getting some cast iron cookware
I use my cast iron for almost everything: bacon, potatoes, stews, steaks, pork chops, etc., so I’m fairly biased; About the only thing I don’t use my cast iron for is tomato sauce: the high acidity of tomatoes is bad for the pans: it wears down the seasoning and prompts them to rust. The one big argument that I can make in favor of you trading in your cheapie non-stick for cast iron is that cast iron has most of the benefits of non-stick pans (once it’s been properly seasoned) without having the coating that flakes off and adds weird chemicals to your food.
I have a non-stick pan that I use exclusively for omelettes and try to store it in such a way that nothing comes off the bottom, but if a skillet like that is in everyday use, it’s bound to pick up nicks and scratches. I’m not exactly sure what’s in Teflon, but I know that I don’t want to eat it.
May 14th, 2007 at 12:21 pm
teflon is not good for you. if it overheats, the vapors will kill your birds! there’s lots of pages (for example this one: http://www.mercola.com/2005/feb/2/teflon.htm) from obviously biased sources talking about the hidden dangers of teflon, and of course, you should consider the source. but for me, anything that kills the canary isn’t such hot stuff. the constituents of teflon have also been observed in human blood samples - I’m not sure if it’s bioaccumulative or not.
I am not sure what makes caphelon pans so great, but I’d like to find out. I hope it’s not teflon!
May 14th, 2007 at 2:38 pm
I get great results making omelettes in my cast iron pans - light fluffy golden French-style ones. You just have to be careful with the heat, and let the pans take a long time on a very low flame to come up to temp. Unlike with non-stick, you can stir them with a fork, which I find gives me a lot more control.
May 14th, 2007 at 2:50 pm
I have a ceramic stove top, I know I can use enamle coated cast iron, but I have always been hestitant to buy uncoated due to this fact, is this an unfounded fear?
May 14th, 2007 at 8:07 pm
in the book “small things considered,” by henry petroski, there is a chapter partly devoted to the accidental discovery of teflon and its development leading to its use in cookware. what makes teflon non-stick is that it is a completely inert compound…however, because it is chemically inert, it cannot be bonded to pots and pans by means of glue or any sort of adhesive. thus the substrate of the pan must be either roughened via sandbalsting or composed of a pourous material- ceramic or stainless steel (which has a microscopically rough surface). evenso, teflon is prone to detaching from its substrate over time, heat and use. however, again because it’s inert, any flakes of teflon you ingest will pass right through you harmlessly.
i have heard about the birds though, but i’m not sure what the cause of death is- perhaps cheaper non-sticks do use adhesives and it’s the off-gassing of those chemicals under heat that are harmful to small animals.
calphalon pots are hot sexy and beautiful. and non-stick. i’ve heard it said that they make a line of anodized aluminum products that you can use metal utensils with, but i’m not sure what mine are made of, and i’m not about to risk marring the surfaces, especially when i’ve got perfectly good wooden utensils in the same drawer as metal
May 14th, 2007 at 8:18 pm
i might add, it seems my source states, in many instances, the exact opposite of that teflon link kari offered in the first response. perhaps we both have biased sources, perhaps it’s not black and white, perhaps it’s all propoganda in the form of mass confusion caused by various inconsistently contradicting reports, all put out by the cast iron industry to exaust consumers to the point that we all say ’screw it’ and buy cast iron wares.
May 15th, 2007 at 4:19 am
My understanding is that birds can also die from the fumes from hot oil. ( http://www.forthebirdsdvm.com/birdcare.htm for example, and of course http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teflon has some words to say) So, while I don’t want Teflon flakes in my food because that’s sort of nasty, I would, say, eat a chunk of Teflon on a dare if money were involved.
I only use my non-stick for a handful of things, like pancakes, and the reason is generally that my cast iron pan is to heavy for me to lift with one hand. I like a pan I can fearlessly gouge with a metal spatula.
May 15th, 2007 at 8:11 am
Justification for the use of cast iron would include that quality cast iron will last a lifetime, but non-stick skillets (especially the cheap ones) will wear out over a few years. Look at it as a one-time investment and as long as you care for them properly, you will never need to replace them. This is good fiscal advice as well as environmental, as it saves you money over the long haul, and saves the environment because you don’t have to keep buying new things and throwing the old ones away to the landfill.
May 15th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
I just saw some nice cast iron skillets at a yard sale this weekend. They were $cheap and its not the first time I’ve seen (or uncommon to see) cast iron cookware for sale like that, after all, they last a lifetime at least.
I’m sure they could be scrubbed and seasoned and be fantastic without splurging.
That’s my thought, anyway.
May 15th, 2007 at 8:28 pm
Thank you all for the help / justifications
I’ll be making an investment soon, I hope!
May 15th, 2007 at 10:05 pm
justin - I hadn’t heard any of that stuff at all. my motto in these internets ages is to get all the information I can and then make a decision. I think that your cast iron lobby theory is probably about right on, so I’ll stick to my caphelon (because if it’s wrong, I don’t want to be right) and my cast iron.
May 15th, 2007 at 10:59 pm
Cast iron will also dissolve into acidic liquids (tomatoes, vinegar, wine, etc.) and will impart strange colors and flavors to long-simmered dishes. I like cast iron for frying, searing and broiling, but I use stainless steel for braising and simmering.
May 18th, 2007 at 10:59 am
One advantage not previously mentioned for cast iron pans is that some of the iron flakes off into your food and adds to the iron content of the diet. This is especially useful for those of us who sometimes have anemia. I’ve been told that the source of the iron doesn’t matter and that it is all equally good for us.
My experience is that my old antique (cheap at yard sales) cast iron pans are heavier and work better than the new ones. One great discovery was how well my antique cast iron grill pan works. It is a great mid-winter substitute for grilling outdoors.
A well seasoned cast iron pan is non-stick and as far as I’m concerned is one of the most essential pieces of kitchen equipment. They are definitely worth the investment.
May 31st, 2007 at 10:30 am
Ok, I realize this is a really delayed comment but unfortunately, I don’t read blogs the way they were intended, daily. I sit down and read a months worth in 1 sitting. So to throw my $.02 in the ring re: birds and teflon….
Birds breathe everything twice as long as mammals. Thus they are affected by fumes more. And I’ve burnt non-stick pans to know that it smells like a bunch of chemicals (although I’ve never burnt cast iron to know what that smells like). Birds really do die if exposed to the fumes of burning teflon but they have air sacs that mammals don’t have thus making their respiration completely different.
June 20th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
Lots of talk about “properly seasoned” and “good care”. How would one do those things with cast iron, exactly?
June 17th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
As a vegetarian, cast iron cookware really does it right for me. My wife and I cook a big batch of veggies in a very old and wonderfully seasoned dutch oven. We then use a 10 inch cast iron skillet to make quesadillas with corn tortillas, soy cheese and the veggies. It is one of my favorite dishes. The clean up is my job and it is a snap with cast iron. We have non stick that stuck and is now languishing in the pantry.