Cast Iron Cookware - Skillets, Dutch Ovens, Bakeware & More!
Why Cast Iron?
Looking for a frying pan that will stand the test of time, providing year upon year of faithful service in the kitchen?
Look no further than a cast iron frying pan or cast iron skillet. Prior to the days of non-stick, teflon and other advances in cookware technology, cast iron was the standard in cooking. As more modern cookware started to enter the market in the past few decades, many tossed aside their old cast iron frying pan hoping that it would provide them with something new when it came to meal preparation. Soon enough though, many found that there's just something about cooking in a cast iron frying pan that just cannot be achieved by other types of cookware, no matter how fancy or expensive.
Versatility
While on the outside a cast iron pan may not appear to be anything special, trained chefs know that cast iron frying pans are the best friend of any amateur or professional cook as long as they are cared for properly. Cast iron pans are most often preferred by chefs and professional cooks because of their versatility. Do you ever make a dish that requires pan frying at first followed by some time in the oven? A cast iron pan is the perfect tool for such a dish since it can go from stovetop to oven without skipping a beat. No need to soil yet another pan in the preparation of that perfect dish.
Taste
What cannot be disputed when cooking with cast iron is that it results in a more flavorful dish. Most chefs will agree that the best way to ensure great tasting food when cooking with cast iron is to care for it properly. The term seasoning is the name of the process by which the user prepares and cares for a pan so that it cooks without sticking and provides exceptional flavor every time.
Related Article: How to Season a Cast Iron Pan or Skillet
Heat Distribution
Cast iron is a great conductor of heat which is especially useful when cooking. You need your food to cook evenly no matter where the food is sitting in the piece of cookware and this is exactly what cast iron cookware does.
Non Stick
Contrary to what many people claim, cast iron cookware is actually non-stick. Sure it doesn't have any fancy coating made of chemicals and metals that you cannot pronounce, but a properly seasoned piece of cast iron cookware will not allow food to stick to its surface.
Durability
While a non-stick pan is sometimes handy, they just can't stand up to the kind of wear and tear that a cast iron skillet or dutch oven can. Many people still use cast iron cookware for decades and it still performs well and even better than they day that they bought it. This cannot be said of a non-stick frying pan that over time, loses it non-stick coating. This can be quite dangerous to your health and also expensive since you will be out shopping for new cookware after just a few years of use. What about using metal utensils in a non-stick pan? I'm sure we have all made the mistake of using a metal utensil in a non-stick pan that results in scratches and eventually having the coating were off. With cast iron pan, no such problem occurs as they do not have a surface that can be damaged by metal cooking utensils.
Simple to Care For
Just a quick wash with a mild soap and water, or just warm water will suffice when cleaning cast iron, making them one of the easiest pieces of cookware that you will ever own.
