Hi folks,

Thanks for all your comments on my blog. I do read all of your words, and I'd like to take the time here to address something that has come up - how to use the Technique cast iron skillets.

I truly love cooking in cast iron cookware. As I've written about before, all the different Technique fabrications have different properties that make them ideal for different situations. Cast Iron distributes heat evenly, as does hard anodized aluminum. It takes a few more minutes to heat up than hard anodized aluminum, but once it's hot, it retains that heat for longer. That means a couple of things:

1) Pre-heat your pan over medium (not high) heat for about 3 minutes before using it. Continue on medium heat, or reduce to low. There is no need for high heat when you're using cast iron.

2) If you get it too hot, you'll have to wait a while for it to cool down before proceeding. So, don't over-heat your cast iron pans.

3) It will take a little longer for baked goods to cool in this pan (like cornbread). Trying to remove foods before they are cool is more challenging, so be patient.

4) Because it stays hot for longer, cast iron is a GREAT serving vessel, keeping dinner warm.

Another feature of cast iron is that it does not have a non-stick interior. The interior is often black, looking like non-stick, but is in fact a baked-on porcelain enamel. It is the same surface as the outside of the pan, but the interior has a matte finish, rather than the polished finish of the exterior. A few of our pans have a "satin" finish inside, which refers to the semi-gloss look of the pan, not the feel of the surface. A few of you have had trouble drying the pan with a paper towel. I'm not surprised! It is best to dry the pan with a cloth. Paper towel will rub off in the pan. The porcelain enamel interior means that you never have to season the pan (and trying to do so is pointless). It is also easier to maintain, as it will not rust.

Given that the interior is not non-stick, it is still easy to work with. Here are some rules to follow:

1) ALWAYS. ALWAYS. Always pre-heat your pan. Adding food to a cold pan is a recipe for disaster. It does no good to the finished look, taste or texture of your food, and the food is guaranteed to stick. Pre-heating (for 3 minutes or so) is key. KEY!

2) Don't move your foods too soon. You may have heard me mention on the air that if you try to move food in a pan and it is sticking, it is telling you something - "Go away!" If the food is stuck, it is not ready to turn. Our instinct is to dislodge it as quickly as possible, but resist the urge. It needs to sear its surface a little more. Wait a minute and try again. When the food is ready to turn, it will turn easily, as long as you pre-heated your pan before adding your food (have I mentioned the importance of that?). Patience.

3) Cleaning the pan is easy too. After you have finished cooking your meal and removed your food from the pan, turn off the heat and add some water to the pan. It will probably bubble ferociously. Go eat dinner. When you return, the pan will be an easy clean up in the sink. With really stubborn stains (and this usually only happens when you have over-heated the pan), you can use a 5:1 ration of water to bleach and wash the pan with that. Then wash it with dish detergent and it will be as good as new.

Those are some pretty simple rules to follow, and I'm confident that if followed, cast iron cooking is truly a pleasure. There is just something about a meal cooked in cast iron. I can't really explain it, but I'm not alone in thinking it. Many of my foodie friends agree. Cast iron cooking brings some love along with it and adds a little je ne sais quoi to the food. Try it!

ML