Do you use cast iron frying pans ?

Toomuchstuff

Toomuchstuff

Member
Location
Wisconsin
I watch alot of cooking shows & so many of them use the old cast iron skillet for browning. Do you use them ? Do you think it makes a difference ? I wanted to get one , but with my bad arms I think it would be too heavy for me to wrestle with. I also have a glass top stove , and being the royal Klutz Queen I am , I KNOW I'd drop it & break the glass .:mad: IS it something I'm missing out on ??
 
My answer is No! TMS. Ashamed to say that I have maybe 3 or 4, and they sit in the back of the bottom cupboard getting rusty. They make great food, no doubt ... but oh! the trouble to work with them is too much for me. Heavy, yes, and keeping them 'seasoned' is more than I care to deal with anymore.
 
Cast iron skillet .... I have one and it's probably my oldest possession. My Grandmother cooked with it, then my mother and then me and I'm 83. It has always been my 'go to' skillet and it's small, about 8" across, a good size for cooking for one. Also have an even smaller one that is perfect for sunny-side up or baked eggs.

Perfect steak .... I like mine medium rare. First turn on exhaust fan. Next - smokin' hot, well seasoned cast iron skillet, generous sprinkle of coarse salt and steak that has been patted dry. Brown meat, turn with tongs and brown again. Thin steak, plate it immediately. Thick steak, lower heat and cook to your satisfaction. Even with exhaust fan, my smoke alarm usually sounds. Important .... do not turn away from stove for even a minute.

After use, a rinse, a scrub with a plastic scrubby and then quick wipe with a lightly soaped cloth. Then back into a hot oven or on stove burner for a second or two to completely dry.

I also used it when I had a glass top stove but was extremely careful. Guests, even adult children, not allowed to use it then.
 
I have three or four of varying sizes, and I use the constantly, the last time for breakfast this morning.

I have osteoarthritis in mt my arms, wrists and thumbs so I have to be a bit circumspect (glass topped cooker!) but I manage.
 
I have three and love them all. I seasoned them once when they were bought over 40 years ago. Only once I had to re season the larger one, and that was because I forgot it on the stove and burned it. They are heavy but I don't use them everyday except for the smaller one that I use for eggs.
 
Cast Iron like other fry pans or skillets are not a one size fits all. Pan searing steak & finishing it off in the oven only one use. Pineapple upside down cake & other baked goods turn out great in cast iron.

A good cast iron skillet can weigh, if possible if there is a store near you to be able to try lifting before you buy. Something else you may want to think about. You mentioned you have a glass top range. There is a better than even chance of scratching that surface.


If used there is a silicone handle cover that keeps the heat that a cast iron skillet retains from burning your hand.
 
I have four very old cast iron frying pans that I've collected from flea markets and estate sales over the years. The largest is 14 inches and I never use it anymore because I can no longer handle it safely when it's full of food. The 12 inch pan is almost in that same category. I use the 9 inch pan for frying steak, making pancakes, general cooking and baking. The smallest is a 6 inch that I use for frying eggs, a burger, a grilled cheese sandwich, etc...

I enjoy using them when they are properly seasoned. I also like the fact that they can go into the oven. My 9 inch pan is just right for making a pan of corn bread, a pineapple upside down cake or a frittata.

I don't think you need to run out and buy one but if you run across a nice old pan at an attractive price give it a try.
 
I used to use cast iron exclusively, but now that I have arthritis in my hands and wrists, cast iron is too heavy for me to use. I gave my cast iron skillets away a couple years ago. Sad, because nothing makes cornbread like a cast iron skillet.
 
I use my grandmother's cast iron skillet on occasion. I don't fry in the skillet but I do use it to make special corn bread. I put bacon grease in the skillet, heat it very high and pour in the corn bread batter. Then I put the skillet in the oven and bake the corn bread. It makes corn bread with nice crispy sides and bottom. The skillet it harder than heck to move around, though; I have sore wrists.

I do use my grandma's cast iron Dutch oven frequently, though. I do all my beef and pork roasts in it (I can make the cheapest cut of meat tender like filet), and oven BBQ chicken, etc. I have a little one that I use in the RV, too. I can get half a roast or 4-6 pieces of chicken in it and it fits perfectly in my small RV oven.

I love the cast iron, but not for every day use. Too hard on the wrists.
 
Toomuchstuff said:
I watch alot of cooking shows & so many of them use the old cast iron skillet for browning. Do you use them ? Do you think it makes a difference ? I wanted to get one , but with my bad arms I think it would be too heavy for me to wrestle with. I also have a glass top stove , and being the royal Klutz Queen I am , I KNOW I'd drop it & break the glass .:mad: IS it something I'm missing out on ??
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You are not missing out on anything. Cast iron might be good for gas stoves but for electric? They just take too long to heat up. Aluminum fry pans work just as well and the non stick ones are super. Aluminum heats up faster but if you are the type that watches what they are cooking then you have no problem. You can use less oil or butter on the non stick fry pans and the food tastes just as good.

Right now my oven is on the fritz so I went out and bought a toaster oven. One of the best buys I ever made. They are great.

I just cooked a nice burger on lightly oiled parchment paper. It was easy to top it with onions and cheese and barbecue sauce and no bending over and because it has a glass door you can watch it cooking.

I live alone and cook just about every meal from scratch and I hate leftovers, so just make enough for one meal. I like stir fry stuff as well. I never found the cast iron skillet to be good for stir fry.
 
HipGnosis said:
Even if you find a rusty one at a thrift store, they can be reconditioned and reseasoned fairly easy.
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Never ever by anything rusty if you are going to cook food in it. Even after reconditioning, the rust is in microscopic pits. You can't get rid of the rust unless you sand it down to bare metal. It's not worth the time or effort. Get the non stick fry pans. You will never go back.
 
I have two I use, both 10-1/4 inch. I have a lid that is made for them that has tits on the underside that helps self baste whatever you are cooking. One of the pans is smooth inside and the other has built in ridges... so one is like a fry pan and the other is like a grill pan. They work great with steaks, chops, breasts, Spam, etc. Nothing cooks meat like they do with the lid on. Moist and tender. You get frying/grilling action as well as a little basting, smoking, and probably pressure as well with the weight of that lid.

The lid is very heavy too so they are a load. I have an old gas stove so no worry about breakage.

I also have a special tool for cleaning between the ridges on that pan. I keep a couple of cleaning tools on hand just for them, because they are more work cleaning. I have it worked out so it isn't too bad and I don't have to use any soap. After they have cooled a while, I wipe the inside of the lid with paper towels. If the pan needs more than wiping with a paper towel, and it often does, I put a little water in it to cover what might be stuck on and let it set for half an hour. Then I clean it.

The smooth pan usually just needs a nylon brush and/or nylon scrubber with hot water running from the faucet. The ridged pan often needs more than that. There is cleaning tool I bought with it that has several rows of teeth that align with the ridges that help clean out that area. Once I'm done I put the wet pan back on the stove for about 4 minutes to quick dry it so that it doesn't rust. I check it at that point and if needs re-seasoning, that's a good time to do it.

It is more trouble but it does a great job.
 
This brings back sorrowful memories for me. My father worked in an iron foundry and had made a cast iron frying pan which was given to me when I moved out on my own. I had flooding in my kitchen and the pan was in a spot I didn't realize water had gotten to. It got all rusted and back then (I was in my 20's, very busy and stressed), I didn't think to try to restore it, maybe I couldn't have...I don't know. I often wished I still had it. But I couldn't use it now anyway because I'm using the NuWave cook tops that require special induction cookware.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
This brings back sorrowful memories for me. My father worked in an iron foundry and had made a cast iron frying pan which was given to me when I moved out on my own. I had flooding in my kitchen and the pan was in a spot I didn't realize water had gotten to. It got all rusted and back then (I was in my 20's, very busy and stressed), I didn't think to try to restore it, maybe I couldn't have...I don't know. I often wished I still had it. But I couldn't use it now anyway because I'm using the NuWave cook tops that require special induction cookware.
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I believe that cast iron works with induction cookware, however it is so heavy it might not be a good idea because you might break the cooking surface setting it down harder than you intend. It is aluminum cookware that doesn't work.

How do you like cooking with induction?
 
Been using cast iron pans for many years. We have a 12' frying pan that just stays on top of our electric stove, plus we have two other sizes also. I do pretty much the same when washing, put them back on the stove and dry them out. I'll also wipe in a little cooking oil from time to time.
 
Camper6 said:
Never ever by anything rusty if you are going to cook food in it. Even after reconditioning, the rust is in microscopic pits. You can't get rid of the rust unless you sand it down to bare metal. It's not worth the time or effort. Get the non stick fry pans. You will never go back.
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Rust isn't going to hurt you a bit. I have a couple of griswold that I picked up somewhere. They were solid rust. I hit them with a wire wheel put them in a hot fire,burnt them clean,seasoned them and been using them for years.


Cast Iron will impart tiny parts of iron,(which is another good reason to use them) to your food,rust is no different than the iron. Don't go eating a handful of rusty nails, but the residual rust in a cast iron pan will suit you just fine.
 
Robusta said:
Rust isn't going to hurt you a bit. I have a couple of griswold that I picked up somewhere. They were solid rust. I hit them with a wire wheel put them in a hot fire,burnt them clean,seasoned them and been using them for years.


Cast Iron will impart tiny parts of iron,(which is another good reason to use them) to your food,rust is no different than the iron. Don't go eating a handful of rusty nails, but the residual rust in a cast iron pan will suit you just fine.
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There's a big difference between iron and iron oxide (rust). Iron oxide has been identified as being harmful.

You got rid of the rust. Fine. If you cut yourself with something rusty you should get a tetanus shot is what I have been told.

But we are talking food preparation.
 
Robusta said:
Rust isn't going to hurt you a bit. I have a couple of griswold that I picked up somewhere. They were solid rust. I hit them with a wire wheel put them in a hot fire,burnt them clean,seasoned them and been using them for years.


Cast Iron will impart tiny parts of iron,(which is another good reason to use them) to your food,rust is no different than the iron. Don't go eating a handful of rusty nails, but the residual rust in a cast iron pan will suit you just fine.
Click to expand...

There's a big difference between iron and iron oxide (rust). Iron oxide has been identified as being harmful.

You got rid of the rust. Fine. If you cut yourself with something rusty you should get a tetanus shot is what I have been told.

But we are talking food preparation. Just the thought of it turns me off.
 
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