Anyone Using Cast Iron Cookware?

Lee

Lee

Senior Member
Location
Chatham, Ontario
Just bought a cast iron fry pan, this thing is heavy and has almost a pitted surface. I have a ceramic stove top and wonder if it would scratch the stove surface.

Any tips or tricks, would like to fry a steak quick to sear but finish it in the oven.
 

Pre-seasoned Lodge pans are designed to be used straight out of the box. No seasoning required. But after washing, a lot of people will rub a little cooking oil on the surface anyway, just for maintenance purposes. And if you use metal scouring pads on them, that removes any seasoning, so you will need to re-season.
 
I used to use them, as they are great for cooking evenly.

.... and they can take the place of this routine ...

iu
 
Lee said:
This pan is supposed to be pre seasoned, it is a Lodge pan which is supposed to be a good make. But maybe should season first, do you coat with oil and bake the pan, not sure.
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Lee, my lodge flat pan is one of the best 15 dollars I ever spent. Got it at Walmart. I think they reccomend seasoning it with bacon or something. I don't eat meat, so fried potatoes. But really, they are preseasoned. I also got another Lodge with sides on it but don't use it as much.

I'm sorry I don't know about your stove working. Did you try a Google or YouTube search. Wait I just did, looks like there are YouTube videos.

Also this channel has a lot about cast iron.

Cowboy Kent Rollins - YouTube
 
No. I have a flat glass top range. I looked at the price of a replacement top, and gave away all my heavy cast iron pans. My finger joints are very grateful.
 
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I use cast iron all the time, but I also have gas stove. You can also use it on a grill or sometimes we do a small bonfire & will cook off of it to the side. I also use my skillets to bake & roast in the oven also.

The only thing I've heard is not to drop it on the cook top. My brother & SIL wasn't worried about the weight as much as scratching the top, so they stopped using theirs.

I have a smooth skillet from my husband's great aunt & uncle that I really love. I have a few other Lodge skillets, but I'm going to sand the inside so it's smooth too. I like the smooth surface much better. I've watched a few videos explaining how to do this, but you don't have to, it's just my preference.

I like using lard to season my skillet. It's neutral & has staying power to me. It has no salt in it like bacon fat does, but I won't scrub it out when I fry bacon, I just don't use it all the time for seasoning.

Lodge has good info on maintenance: https://www.lodgecastiron.com/discover/cleaning-and-care/cast-iron/how-clean-cast-iron

They have good recipes on line also. We especially love the Butter Swimming Biscuits.
 
Lee said:
Just bought a cast iron fry pan, this thing is heavy and has almost a pitted surface. I have a ceramic stove top and wonder if it would scratch the stove surface.

Any tips or tricks, would like to fry a steak quick to sear but finish it in the oven.
Click to expand...
We use a large cast iron fry pan frequently. The main burner on our smooth top electric stove does have some scratches, but I was thinking it might be from the ceramic pans we also use, which have an uneven surface on the bottom. I never noticed the scratches until we started using ceramic.

I've had a couple of smooth top electric stoves, love them, so easy to clean. I don't care much about the scratches, I've never broken the glass surface with anything, that would be the only thing that would concern me, so far so good, and my husband does a lot of the cooking so we're not particularly gentle with it.
 
Lee said:
I have a ceramic stove top and wonder if it would scratch the stove surface.
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The instructions for my glass stove top said not to use cast iron. They also said to not use pots that are larger than the ring.

I’d like to use something other than nonstick fry pans.
 
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I have both my grandfather’s and my mother’s cast iron frying pans and use them often on a ceramic cooktop. Honestly, probably not the best thing to use on a cooktop but I decided to cook the way I want to.
With the cast iron, once the pan is heated up you will probably need to lower the temp on the burner as the pan really holds heat. I usually am able to turn the burner off a few minutes before ending cooking.

my biggest concern with cast iron is the weight of the pans. I can see it becoming more of an issue as I get older. Hate the thought of giving up my cast iron. I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Actually, if I were building a house today I think I’d go with an induction stovetop.
 
Cast iron pans will scratch a glass top/ceramic stove. Unless it's very carefully done, (no sliding, shaking, etc,) The stove top will eventually look terrible.

But here is a guide-

Before cooking with cast iron, make sure the bottom of the pan is clean and dry. If you need to switch heating elements while cooking, be mindful to lift and gently place the cookware, as opposed to sliding or dropping, which can cause scratches and damage to the surface. Follow these tips to keep your glass-top stove sleek and smooth while cooking with cast iron.

https://www.whirlpool.com/blog/kitchen/can-you-put-cast-iron-on-glass-cooktop.html

I have 2 pieces of enameled cast iron. One is a Dutch oven; the bottom is not enameled but very smooth. The other is a braising pan that is enameled all over. The braiser seems to slide too easily on the cooktop, so I am careful.

I tend to start things on top, then put in the oven. Food always tastes better to me done in the oven.
 
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I use a cast iron "wok" almost every day. Gas stoves and cast iron are perfect mates. Heavy (great for stir fry's and "arm excercise".

It is rinsed with very hot water after each use and dried with a paper towel. Seldom use soap.
 
I wouldn't use a cast iron pan on my ceramic topped cooker for fear of cracking the hob. I use 'Fissler' stainless steel pans that have an encapsulated aluminium base. They heat very quickly and evenly.
 

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