Cast iron skillets

[Tammy]

My grandpa used to say that people are anemic because of not using cast iron. He thought trace amounts of iron were released into our food. I have no idea if he was right.

[catherine]

My grandpa used to say that people are anemic because of not using cast iron. He thought trace amounts of iron were released into our food. I have no idea if he was right.

Yes, that's what I was referring to--we absorb the iron from the food cooked in cast iron. I don't know if it makes an appreciable difference in our health, but it's a good enough argument for me to use it.

[SteveinMN]

I've had a series of cast-iron frying pans in the pots and pans stable over the years but I don't cook so much that requires a cast-iron frying pan (pots are another matter; I have some Le Creuset I really like for simmering and stews). So a few years ago I went to anodized aluminum frying pans from a restaurant supply house. I love 'em. They heat up quickly and evenly, they're easy to move around, and, if I have to, I can soak them to get off something that burned or scorched on. Save the cast iron (and the weight and maintenance) for the food they're best at cooking.

[dado potato]

I just got up from a dinner made in part in a cast iron skillet. The cast iron skillet carmelized the chopped onions in coconut oil. Then I mixed in a paste of garlic, curry paste, turmeric, cumin, chili powder, fresh ginger, and tomato puree... and mixed that good stuff into a pot of cooked red lentils. With brown basmati rice and sweetened coconut it was quite satisfying.

I like to think my cast iron skillets, muffin tin. and dutch oven will still be good as new after 100 years.

Cent'an!

[razz]

I twice made a special effort to season cast iron frying pans with great care ensuring that they were well seasoned and most things still stuck. I don't like the weight, the storage required so use my stainless steel pans stored in the drawer in my stove with the induction cooktop.

[happystuff]

LOVE my cast iron! Only frying pans we have in the house are cast iron - in a variety of sizes. My pride and joy is the cast iron wok my step-mother gave me years ago.

[Rogar]

Cast iron is the only frying skillet I've owned or wanted. No matter how well mine are seasoned I always put some cooking oil on a paper towel and wipe oil over the cooking surface. Most things don't stick but they are not some sort of no stick magic. I like the way they heat evenly and hold the temperatures, plus they make really good cornbread. I have one with a cast iron lid that was probably my grandmothers and makes for a nice shallow dutch oven.

[kib]

Big fan of stainless steel. The newer "no stick" ceramic-lined aren't bad either. I have one cast iron pan and one ceramic-glazed dutch oven (that weighs about 20 pounds empty, ergh). Both good for slow cooking or transfer from stovetop to oven if you've got the guns to lift them. (And even forgetting my chili in the oven for six hours the DO didn't burn it, it just got to be an intense caramelized paste. actually pretty yummy, in a dusty baby food sort of way.)

Question: I also have a cast iron pan that's got a griddle appearance to it - raised bars across bottom of the pan. I think it's got thrift store donation written all over it. Is there any point to this item other than making grill marks on steak? I can't quite figure out how to make this practical; totally doesn't work for anything that needs stirring and raising things up like this means the part that's not in contact with the pan cooks much more slowly - and a cast iron pan is already a slow prospect.

[Alan]

Question: I also have a cast iron pan that's got a griddle appearance to it - raised bars across bottom of the pan. I think it's got thrift store donation written all over it. Is there any point to this item other than making grill marks on steak? I can't quite figure out how to make this practical; totally doesn't work for anything that needs stirring and raising things up like this means the part that's not in contact with the pan cooks much more slowly - and a cast iron pan is already a slow prospect.

I bought that same griddle during my initial cast iron infatuation stage. Used it once then added it to my donation box (still sitting in the garage), after deciding it was a foolish purchase on my part.

[kib]

I bought that same griddle during my initial cast iron infatuation stage. Used it once then added it to my donation box (still sitting in the garage), after deciding it was a foolish purchase on my part.

Mine's been hanging on the potrack since the last post about cast iron pans.