# Cast iron cookware **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 4, 2019, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-cookware/830543 "2019-03-04T19:49:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2019, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-cookware/830543/41 "2019-03-05T20:03:07Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I’m not understanding the science-y thing about conductivity. Just preheat the thing. It’s not hard. I turn the gas on, put my pan on the burner. Go to the fridge and get eggs. By the time I get the egg and my spatula the pan is heated. in that short amount of time, a cast iron pan is certainly not heated evenly. The parts in contact with the heat source will be hot and other parts of the pan will still be pretty cool. If you pre-heat for a long time, I don’t know, maybe 20 minutes, perhaps you could get a uniform heat, although you have little control over exactly what the temperature is at that point. Or putting it in the oven will do it. But a few minutes on the burner is going to end up with hot and cold spots. that may not matter too much with something like eggs where you’re staring at around and getting the food in contact with different parts of the pan. But for something like browning meat, it’s terrible. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2019, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-cookware/830543/42 "2019-03-05T20:45:24Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > But what’s the advantage of using steel over cast iron? [Fond.](https://food52.com/blog/12331-how-to-make-sauce-out-of-your-pan-s-brown-bits-a-k-a-fond) Assuming you’re asking about _stainless_ steel. _Carbon_ steel seems to be just a lighter, thinner version of cast iron. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2019, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-cookware/830543/43 "2019-03-05T21:03:59Z")
Just because this is a cast-iron pan thread… Today is Mardi Gras… which means basically nothing here in the Pacific Northwest. Nevertheless, I am in the Seattle office today so I made jambalaya for everyone. (Very well received, thankyouverymuch! 😃 ) And I also made cornbread. My pan isn’t _perfectly_ seasoned, but I do try to ‘add a bit of seasoning’ every time I use it. It’s fairly non-stick. Today, as is my habit when making cornbread, I slathered the inside of the pan with Crisco shortening before putting in the batter and popping it into a 400°F oven. When the cornbread was done, I inverted the pan and it popped right out. Gotta love cast-iron for cornbread. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2019, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-cookware/830543/44 "2019-03-05T21:39:01Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > There’s ‘black’ cast iron which isn’t coated and has a bit of a reputation for being difficult to season and clean. There’s also enamelled cast iron which doesn’t need seasoning and can be scrubbed like any other pot. I have some black but can’t say they’re among my frequently used. I use the enamelled stuff all the time, though. Me too. Mine is vintage Prizer Ware, that I’ve slowly been collecting off eBay. Of course, I chose the white with Pennsylvania Dutch flowers in blue pattern (because my first piece was inherited from my mother’s downsizing), and it’s not the most common pattern they made. There’s a bunch of pieces I’d like, but I never see them in anything but solid turquoise. Makes me sad, but I’ve got several fry pans, pots, and casseroles/dutch ovens, along with a little sauce pot and something they call a “divan” that I keep for if the power ever goes out it’ll work with sterno cooking. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2019, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-cookware/830543/45 "2019-03-05T21:46:20Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > ETA, I got one of those copper clad pans, it’s basically worthless. It does make a decent grilled cheese. Hmmm, I was just returning to the thread to recommend those. The one I got is incredibly slippery. Like level the range so the food doesn’t bunch up on one side of the pan slippery. I got mine last spring and probably use it at least a couple times a week and, while I’m careful with it, the surface is still flawless. I’ve only had to wash it a couple times since a quick wipe with a paper napkin usually makes it like new, even after a cheesey eggy tomato mess. There are a lot of knockoffs and lookalikes and they can’t all be equally good. Maybe you got a bad one? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2019, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-cookware/830543/46 "2019-03-05T22:23:30Z")
If you were setting out to make the perfect pan, with money no object, it would be copper-clad. But that doesn’t mean that all copper-clad pans are high quality. A lot of them have just enough copper that they can say “Look, it’s copper-clad, it must be good!”. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2019, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-cookware/830543/47 "2019-03-05T22:41:09Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > Hmmm, I was just returning to the thread to recommend those. The one I got is incredibly slippery. Like level the range so the food doesn’t bunch up on one side of the pan slippery. I got mine last spring and probably use it at least a couple times a week and, while I’m careful with it, the surface is still flawless. I’ve only had to wash it a couple times since a quick wipe with a paper napkin usually makes it like new, even after a cheesey eggy tomato mess. There are a lot of knockoffs and lookalikes and they can’t all be equally good. Maybe you got a bad one? I doubt mine is very good. It’s the ‘as seen on tv’ version. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2019, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-cookware/830543/48 "2019-03-05T23:07:01Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I doubt mine is very good. It’s the ‘as seen on tv’ version. I’ve seen those in the grocery stores, in the “As Seen on TV” section. When I looked at the labels _closely_, I discovered that they were actually copper _colored_, not copper. The “copper colored” part of the label was significantly smaller than the part touting how it was copper cookware of some sort or another. It’s possible some of the as seen on TV stuff is actually coated with copper, but these weren’t. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2019, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-cookware/830543/49 "2019-03-05T23:19:21Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I like over easy eggs, and I do the pan flip to achieve them. The heavy cast iron with steep lip isn’t conducive to this, or at least I have trouble with it. See there’s the difference. I like my eggs over easy as well but use the spatula to flip them as they are on one of [these](https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjg_YK9kezgAhUo2IMKHb_pD-YQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fshop.lodgemfg.com%2Fgriddles-and-grill-pans%2Fdouble-play-reversible-grill-griddle.asp&psig=AOvVaw0RvLYix5h0hwIjA-P04QVu&ust=1551914311963631) and flipping the eggs by using it alone that would be …challenging. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2019, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-cookware/830543/50 "2019-03-05T23:35:19Z")
> [@swampspruce](#): > > See there’s the difference. I like my eggs over easy as well but use the spatula to flip them as they are on one of [these](https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjg_YK9kezgAhUo2IMKHb_pD-YQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fshop.lodgemfg.com%2Fgriddles-and-grill-pans%2Fdouble-play-reversible-grill-griddle.asp&psig=AOvVaw0RvLYix5h0hwIjA-P04QVu&ust=1551914311963631) and flipping the eggs by using it alone that would be …challenging. I also like the non-stick pan for doing stuff like French omelettes (or my approximation of them), where you don’t want to brown them at all and you need a completely slick surface to have any hope of getting it right. Exactly [this style](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWi3NwDrQok). I can’t really do that with cast iron. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2019, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-cookware/830543/51 "2019-03-05T23:47:26Z")
Or here’s what a textbook French omelette looks like, [Jacques Pepin](https://youtu.be/s10etP1p2bU?t=195)’s is beautiful. Also non-stick, from what I see of the pan. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-cookware/830543/52 "2019-03-06T01:39:22Z")
Isn’t he wrecking the coating, with what he’s doing with the fork? ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-cookware/830543/53 "2019-03-06T02:22:09Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Isn’t he wrecking the coating, with what he’s doing with the fork? In one of the comments it says yes he is, and he doesn’t care. ---
**Author:** ![More\_Barn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@More\_Barn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/More_Barn)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-cookware/830543/54 "2019-03-06T02:26:55Z")
Look up “reverse seared” steaks. My brothers and I tried this for the first time the other day, and a cast-iron skillet is perfect for the oven. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-cookware/830543/55 "2019-03-06T02:42:13Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Isn’t he wrecking the coating, with what he’s doing with the fork? I use plastic forks for this sort of stuff on my Teflon pan, but if Jacques wants to use metal forks, he’s earned it! ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-cookware/830543/56 "2019-03-06T11:49:29Z")
> [@More\_Barn](#): > > Look up “reverse seared” steaks. My brothers and I tried this for the first time the other day, and a cast-iron skillet is perfect for the oven. Yes that is one thing that cast iron excels at. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-cookware/830543/57 "2019-03-06T16:26:05Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I also like the non-stick pan for doing stuff like French omelettes (or my approximation of them), where you don’t want to brown them at all and you need a completely slick surface to have any hope of getting it right. Exactly [this style](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWi3NwDrQok). I can’t really do that with cast iron. Totally agree there. When I do lux scrambled eggs (Using butter and cream cheese with a dash of cayenne, salt and white pepper) or omelettes non-stick is the way I go usually. There’s just something really satisfying about cooking fried eggs in bacon fat on the griddle and watching them get all puffy and a little crispy around the edges that is very satisfying. Almost like campfire cooking without the mosquitoes. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-cookware/830543/58 "2019-03-06T19:19:59Z")
I use cast iron pans regularly. I bought em at a thrift store over a decade ago, stripped them down to bare metal with a lye bath and seasoned them as the above link described, and they’re great. I use nonstick for anything delicate with eggs (although you can make scrambled eggs in cast iron no problem) I use a stainless steel wok for stir fry, and I use the cast iron for just about anything else. I’m not going to say they’re better than other options, but they work well for me. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-cookware/830543/59 "2019-03-06T19:59:18Z")
> [@Cardigan](#): > > Does anyone use cast iron cookware on a daily basis? What are its advantages and disadvantages? I understand cast iron cookware should last one an entire lifetime, but is it a pain to use and maintain? Not daily, but we have a cast iron pan that I use most weeks. I just cooked popcorn in it for today’s lunch. I love it. It’s great for searing meat (high specific heat) and it’s the best for corn bread and popcorn. I don’t make fried food at home, but when I did I used the cast iron pan. (Fried food makes a mess and then you have a ton of used oil to dispose of.) So I guess I use it for chops, steaks, popcorn, and anything that will go in the oven. Used this way, it’s easy to clean. Generally, I just wipe it down with a paper towel. If there’s meat juices cooked on, I wash it with hot water and a little soap, and then dry it carefully. If the seasoning gets messed up (recently my daughter cleaned it with a steel scrubbie, for instance) I rub it all over with peanut oil and leave it in a hot oven for a while to repair the seasoning. > [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > But what’s the advantage of using steel over cast iron? I use stainless (copper or aluminum clad) for anything wet or acid. So, if I’m making chicken with garlic & wine, I’ll use the stainless. Or curry. Or anything in a sauce,really. I also usually use stainless for fried eggs, because it heats more evenly. We also have a non-stick pan which I never use, because I don’t really trust it and I don’t like having to baby the finish, but my husband likes it for making pancakes. He flips them in the air. > [@zombywoof](#): > > …(I have modern Lodge pans with a slightly “pebbly” surface, I know older pans have a smoother, machined surface, and can imagine that might make a difference.)… I’ve seen that pebbly-surfaced stuff, and I wonder why they do that. It seems like it would be a PITA to cook with. My cast iron frying pan is smooth and slick. ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-cookware/830543/60 "2019-03-07T00:23:07Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I’ve seen that pebbly-surfaced stuff, and I wonder why they do that. It seems like it would be a PITA to cook with. My cast iron frying pan is smooth and slick. I think it’s a classic “they don’t make them like they used to” cost-cutting move. There are some new, small brands with smooth, machined finishes, but you pay a lot more for them - a Lodge 10.25" skillet is $15, a Stargazer 10.5" (to name one brand) is $80 - more than 5X the price. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-cookware/830543.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cast-iron-cookware/830543.md?page=4)