pans, dutch ovens etc? I don't currently own any. I did used to have a few pans, but sold them at the flea market and never used them myself.

Sara

We use cast iron skillets when we fry. There is nothing better than old fashioned fried potatoes in a good ol' cast iron skillet. Yummmmmm.

Chicken cooked in a C/I skillet is best - the heat is even and browns well.

I grew up with cast iron and still have several pieces. I own one that is older than me! (yes, I AM as old as the hills! :) ). I don't use them on a daily basis, but they are great for roasts, chili, stews, and fried chicken.

My hubby will only make his jambalaya and dirty rice in his cast iron pan, its like his baby LOL

Yep. We have a big c/i skillet. Dh loves fried eggs in it. I make just about everything with it...well, I did until I got my new T-fal pots and pans. :D

I got dh a set out of a mail order catalog. It was $17.00, and it came with 2 pans, a griddle and a dutch oven with a lid. They are awesome! They are our outdoor cookware. If you're frying something you know will smoke up the house- just pop it on the grill. Yesterday, it was too hot to cook in the house, but I wanted to bake some chicken breasts with stuffing. I just threw everything in the dutch oven and put it on the grill. The chicken cooked in about 1/2 the time that way than it does in the oven.

Laura

We use cast iron skillets, I really like them as good as the non stick skillets I cook everything in them. Will not give them up. If you have them season right, they are good,:paw:

I have several dutch ovens and frying pans, I mostly use them now for my camp-cooking..on rare ocassions i use them inside but not like I used to

I can not seem to get them seasoned right. They get all caked up, my sister says they are subposed to be that way . She says she washes hers in soap & water , but I heard that will rust them...

we also use cast iron. My mother has it all. and i miss it so much. we use dutch oven when we are camping. Chili in a c/i oven nothing better than that.

I use my cast iron all the time. Captclearance, they will only rust if you don't wipe a little oil on the inside after you wash it with soap and water. Just take a paper towel, put a little oil on it and wipe around the inside. It will be just fine and ready for the next recipe.

I empty mine, fill with hot water and use a wire scrubby. I don't like to just wipe it out. No soap except on the bottom to remove any grease.

If you are iron poor or anemic, use iron cookware as much as you can. Especially with acidic foods like spaghetti sauce or chilli. The acid absorbs the iron out of the skillet and you get more iron in your meal. Anyway that is what I have always heard.

I don't use mine daily but I do use it for almost everything that is fried or that is a sauce. I have one favorite and then the set that I use occasionally.

Mine are also older than me. They are about 50 to 60 years old now atleast. I love em.

I did till I melted a plastic spatula on mine when I was cooking a steak. Learned my lesson that cast iron and plastic do not agree! Figure it wouldn't be too safe to use with plastic ingrained into the cast iron.... It is definitely a lot of maintenance although I did love it when I had it for a short bit... I bought the cheap Lodge ones from walmart.

I love my cast iron. In fact, other than a few things that I haven't thrown out yet to please DH, all I have is cast iron. I love the stuff.

I have a huge huge cast iron skillet that I use for making dinners in. It is big enough to make enough for dinner, DH a lunch for the next day, and some leftovers for another meal. I also figure that the weight of them keep me in shape.

I got sick of having to buy new pans/skillets every time I turned around. So, I started buying up cast iron at thrift stores. I also found a handful of Griswold and Wagner ones. I collect them.

i have several pieces. one that was my grandmothers mother's.

i use them for everything but hamburger. i wash mine daily with soap and water, but coat it with shortening right after.

i don't brown hamburger in it. but once the hamburger is browned, like it would be for chili or spaghetti sauce, then i use them.

i make everything in them. have for years.

I have never had cast iron, but my father is a huge Griswold fan. He has many pieces, a lot of which he uses as collectibles vs. cooking with them.

When I was a kid, I hated moving our big CI frying pan around. Man that thing was heavy!

Anyone have newbie recommendations for someone buying their first piece?

I love my cast iron skillet. I want a dutch oven and a bigger skillet, that is next on my list.

I have one large CI skillet that gets used at least once almost everyday. I'm not sure what we would do without that piece of cookware.

I used to collect them and display them on the kitchen walls of our first home. Here they are in the closet because I have no room for them. :glasses:
I do use 2 pieces often, my 5 qt. dutch oven with cast iron top & round 14" griddle pan. The dutch oven is used for soups, chili & pot roast. The griddle pan we use to make pizza. It's similar to this but bigger http://cgi.ebay.com/CAST-IRON-Wagner-Bailed-round-griddle-10-10B-Sydney-O_W0QQitemZ180124633740QQihZ008QQcategoryZ976QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247

I have a little fry pan and a 10" skillet. I don't use them often as I should because although they are seasoned, things like pancakes or fried eggs stick in them. I don't like using a lot of grease, so I more often use a non-stick pan with a little butter or olive oil.

I don't think I could prepare a meal with my cast iron cookware. I use mine ALL the time--for bacon and eggs, fried taters, chicken, pork chops, meatballs. I use by ci dutch oven for soups, stews, beans, roasts and even frying fish in. I wash mine then dry in with a dish cloth and then put in on the burner to make sure it's completely dry-rub with just a little dab of oil and it's ready to go again.

Love my skillet and dutch oven! I have corn stick pans that came over with my grandmother(So many greats I don't know how many) from Ireland to America. I know my family was here for the Revelution and the Civil war. So it's at least that old. Has a tiny pin hole so I can't use it anymore. But I guess when you learn how to cook using cast iron skillets there is no turning back!

Polly

Yes. I really need to get out more of my odd pieces and use it more. I have several corn bread stick pans, but use the skillets and dutch oven most often.

We do a lot of camping. There is a forum on rv.net that has a cooking thread. If you search under dutch oven there are tons of recipes, information and also pics of dishes people have made in their dutch ovens.

Heidi

What kind of oil do you use to season?

Why wouldn't you use c/i to brown hamburg?

Any recommendations about where and what brand to buy?

Any recipie site recommendations for recipies for soups and stews, etc in c/i?

Sorry so many questions :)

I love my cast iron and use it daily. :thumb:

We have two griddles, a small frying pan, a large frying pan, a corn bread pan that is used as a frying pan, corn sticks pan, and a dutch oven. Love them, love them, love them!

There is NOTHING quite like a grilled cheese sandwich hot off the griddle. :lip:

Clean upp is a breeze too. Just a matter of wiping out the crumbs or giving it a quick scrub under the water and then sitting on a hot burner to dry. A few drops of canola oil on a paper towel and then swipe the pan with it (seasoning the pan) and your done.

And yes, it adds a considerable amount of iron to your food... great if your anemic or preggers. :thumb:

I've picked our cast iron stuff up at thrift stores... on the very cheap. :D If you're wanting to start adding cast iron to your kitchen that's what I would reccomend. Most of those pans are older and have been seasoned well.... and in my opinion just better and heavier than the new ones. Plus, it seems like I read the new ones have been "preseasoned" with a nonstick coating or something that doesn't make them as NONstick as a good ol' seasoned cast iron?

I have a cast iron skillet that I use to make cornbread in. I'd like to get a dutch oven and some more cast iron pieces in the future.

I love cast iron. I even roast food in my pans. I preheat the pan in the oven and then put a chicken or chicken pieces in surrounded by chopped potatoes and carrots, maybe some onion that I've coated with a tablespoon of oil. YUM!

Christy

I have a cast iron dutch oven and the only thing I use it for is to bake no- knead bread (so yummy!). I have thought about using it more often or even using my cast iron fry pan, but I never seem too.

You know what is really nummy, bake chicken in the cast iron skillet or dutch oven and then, when it is done cooking, you take out the chicken, throw it on a burner and make gravy out of the drippings.

I have anemia and can't tolerate the iron pills. Doc suggested cast iron and I use it all the time now. We have pots and pans and I can't imagine going back to other pans to cook with.

I used to hate using mine because I couldn't get them to not stick. My aunt said it was because I was washing them in soap and hot water. So, I learned how to clean them on here I think. Cook your fried potatoes or whatever. after dinner fill skillet with hot water. NO SOAP!!! Put it back on the stove, and let it come to a boil. Take skillet to sink and use a scrubber to loosen the last of your food. The scrubber and the boiling water will loosen any food. After everything is loose, pour out the dirty water and rinse. Do not put it down in the dishwater. After you rinse it, put it back on the burner to dry it. As soon as it's dry, the water has evaporated, take it off the stove and put a little bit of oil in it. Take a paper towel and rub the oil all around the inside of the skillet. Put it away. I've not had any potatoes or fried chicken stick at all, since I've been doing this.

I use mine all the time. I have 8 pieces in all, including a dutch oven. I have a tortilla griddle that my MIL gave me that she never used and I just keep it right on the stove all the time...grilled cheese, quesadillas, etc. LOVE CAST IRON!
Why can't you use it to brown hamburg? I cook the boys burgers in there all the time.
BTW: I would look for a 10" pan to use as an all purpose pan. Look at thrift stores, yard sales etc as they would be seasoned already. (but wash and season them again.) Never put cold water in them when they are hot, the can crack. and never, ever let them soak in a sink...(dh did that once...let me stress, once...he will never do it again!)

I have a high sided cast iron frying pan. I use it almost every day. It is always sitting out on the stove. I use it for everything. I can make an entire spaghetti sauce right in the pan. I brown the ground beef in it then throw in the rest of the ingredients and let it all simmer right in the frying pan.

I plan to use mine more for "preparedness" than for daily use -- you know, for camping or for potential use over a fire (we live in the woods so it would be feasible). My question, then, is will my cast iron get "icky" sitting and being unused? Will the seasoning mold? Should I reseason from time to time?

Thanks, experts!

~Mary

I *THINK* that its not likely to mold, but if it sits unused for too long and it gets exposed to any moisture, it could rust.

Hadn't even thought about the rust factor --thanks, Greebo! Guess I'd better factor in regular checkups, huh?

~Mary

Hadn't even thought about the rust factor --thanks, Greebo! Guess I'd better factor in regular checkups, huh?

~Mary
Mary, even if you don't use yours on a reg basis you can still keep it seasoned without the fear of your seasoning going rancid. Just turn on the burner and heat that pan up then just lightly oil it after you turn the burner off. Leave it on the burner to absorb all the heat and oil. The metal will suck up all the oil so you should have no problems with your oil going rancid.

Thanks, Misti! How often should I do this? Or just when I'm getting ready to cook?

Ah, the things I don't know.....


~Mary

I have several sizes and use them several times a day...I have dutch ovens from 8" to 15" across..skillets from 3" to 18" and deep...the dutch oven that is 15" across will hold a 22 # Turkey..we have used them camping and at home so have several..I also have tea kettle, grill that fits 2 burners, corn breadstick pan, muffin pan, and even a round cake pan...not useing all of them right now but still have them...even have one skillet that is square....Won't be getting rid of them any time soon....Several of them was my Grandmothers...

I use it almost every day. I have frying pans in several sizes, a dutch oven and I inherited my Grandma's long griddle. Prior to using cast iron I had a hard time passing the iron test to donate blood. No longer a problem.

We try to go to the dutch oven cook off in Colusa, CA each year. It's amazing what they can whip up and cook over coals.

The cook off sounds like fun! I'd really like to learn how to cook with my dutch oven outdoors. It has the feet, so I really can't use it on my stove.

After reading this post, I'm reconsidering saving my skillets (I only have two) for emergency uses. I have a glass top stove, but have heard from other people that that shouldn't be a problem.

~Mary