Anyone cook with cast iron?

[Michelle]

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?

[DJ1972]

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

[TheRootedNomad]

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.

[Darlene]

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...2em118Q2el1247

[HandyMom]

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.

[DixieJ]

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.

[pollypurebred39]

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

[Pemberleyan]

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.

[Parksfamily5]

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

[Dave'sGirl]

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

[justatxmom]

I love my cast iron and use it daily.

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.

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.

I've picked our cast iron stuff up at thrift stores... on the very cheap. 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?

[Goodwin17]

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.

[checkerkitty]

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

[LucyLou]

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.

[zakity]

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.