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Cast Iron question

post #1 of 10
11/10/07 at 7:28am
Thread Starter 
I am a fan of Cast iron. I think it is just the greatest cooking vessels to be used...i have seen people talk about stoneware and copper...

What do you experts think of Cast Iron? Is there an advantage to using it? A disadantage?

What is the best? Please tell me all you can about what we cook with...:chef:
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post #2 of 10
11/10/07 at 7:46am
Cast iron has the advantage of absorbing a lot of heat, when the product is placed in the pan, a cheaper pan will cool down very fast, but not a heavy pan, and cast iron also distributes the heat fairly evenly.

Cast iron doesn't like acidic ingredients, like wine, vinegar, citrus juices, and tomato products. I've also never attempted to make a cream sauce or soup in a cast iron pan or pot.
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post #3 of 10
11/10/07 at 11:41am
Thread Starter 
Thanks Bro- so do you use copper pots for your sauces and other items?

What about aluminum?
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post #4 of 10
11/10/07 at 4:33pm
I usually end up with restaurant quality s/s pots, and carbon steel saute pans. Got a $300 copper and s/s pan for christmas once, a joy to work with, but very heavy and needs a certain amount of TLC.

I hate aluminum, hate it worse than politics, politicians, or Gov't agencies... On larage pots the handles are invariably riveted on, and the rivets work themselves loose very quickly, leaving you with wobbly handles and built in overflow protection device (ie the ^&*-ing thing leaks!).... The bottoms on aluminum pots invariably warp-usually in the first 3 mths, so you get a rock-a-bye-baby, and aluminum oxides, leaving clothing, countertops and shelves black with oxidization. Aluminum pits very easily, and you can't do any cream based sauces in an aluminum pot, when you whisk the liquid it'll turn grey.

Did I say I hated aluminum?
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post #5 of 10
11/10/07 at 7:04pm
Me too. It sucks. Stainless is the way to go....

As far as cast iron though, I have been using it more often lately. I just inherited my grandma's pans. I love making corn bread in the square pan. I also have a big dutch oven that we used for chili, but after reading foodpump's comments about not doing acidic stuff in cast iron, I will have to rethink.

The only thing I don't like is the clean up. No soap. I have forgotten a couple times and I think I messed up a couple of the pans:crazy:!!!
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post #6 of 10
11/10/07 at 8:59pm
its not that your cant use soap you just have to make sure its dry when your done washing it. i have a cast iron grill pan and a skillet and love them both. i know your not supposed to cook acidic things in cast iron but i did the other day and it was fine. You just have to reaseason it when your done.
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post #7 of 10
11/10/07 at 9:07pm
just bought 6 cast iron pans at a couple of Indiana antique shops for $4-5 each!!! Love um. Same reason stated, you can get a really great sear.
Also, they go from the stove to the oven, BIG plus. And of course corn bread is just the best out of a cast iron skillet.
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post #8 of 10
11/10/07 at 11:32pm
Thread Starter 
I'm not sure...:D

Shroomgirl wrote:Agreed...and i am glad you got a nice deal...is it OK to post pics here or link to them?...i have a pic of my cast iron pots in my kitchen...i hang em on a well made rack...
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post #9 of 10
11/10/07 at 11:33pm
Thread Starter 
I have never had a problem with chili in cast iron...
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post #10 of 10
11/11/07 at 3:58pm
Once your cast iron has been well-seasoned a few years, you won't have much of a problem with chili or stew or marinara.
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