topic Re: CAST IRON SKILLET? in Kitchen

CAST IRON SKILLET?

RespectLife — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 15:34:40 GMT

Hi everyone...could use some advice. I do not have a REAL cast iron skillet. I have been wanting to make cornbread (among other things) that actually bake in a REAL cast iron skillet. The 2 recipes I have call for a 10 ".

BB&B has Emeril's in a 10" and a 12". I can only get one due to storage space.

Your suggestions on picking one size would be appreciated! TIA!

Re: CAST IRON SKILLET?

HonnyBrown — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 16:17:44 GMT

I love my cast iron skillet!

My current one is Le Creuset and my originals were a set from Target. I seasoned them by cooking bacon. I could never get them black like my Mom's.

A 10"" would be good. It's universal.

Re: CAST IRON SKILLET?

BichonEmma — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 16:27:53 GMT

Another vote for the 10"" one. I have a 10"" le creuset I love it

Re: CAST IRON SKILLET?

RespectLife — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 16:30:43 GMT

Thanks, HonnyBrown....and also for the suggestion of cooking bacon to season it.

I really don't know much about cast iron. My mom had one for years! When I went to her apt. to snatch it (I do all her cooking now) it was sadly gone!

Any other tips on use and cleaning are greatly appreciated!

I never do pots in the dishwasher. From what I read, just mild soapy water and NO scratchy pads???

Re: CAST IRON SKILLET?

jaxs mom — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 16:35:57 GMT

You want bare cast iron not enameled cast iron for cornbread. Le Creuset skillets have black enamel on the interior. You can't season enameled cast iron. Personally I'd get the Lodge brand which is made in the USA. 12 inch is more useful for general cooking but if you're just going to use it for cornbread then get the 10 inch. I have lots of Le Creuset but I also have a good selection of both vintage and new bare cast iron.

Re: CAST IRON SKILLET?

grams2 — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 16:37:10 GMT

I have a 10 in. that is about 100 years old and a 12 in that I also like but it's heavy. I love to cook in them, just remember not to wash them in soapy water. I use a scraper and get the stuff stuck to the bottom off and them clean it with very hot water. They look great. I went to cast iron fry pans because I have a glass top stove and all the pans I bought warped and would spin on the stove. The girls at Lodge told me not to cook on higher than medium on the glass top. I've never had a problem. You will love cooking with cast iron. I don't have room for mine either so I keep them in the oven.

Re: CAST IRON SKILLET?

HonnyBrown — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 16:38:21 GMT

Oh, no problem! Emeril's may not need to be seasoned.

You are correct, you aren't supposed to use scratchy sponges or even soap. To clean them, you rub them with a gritty salt and wipe clean.

I did that with my set from Target. It works, but it's time consuming. I wash by hand with dish soap and a scratchy sponge then toss it in the dishwasher.

Re: CAST IRON SKILLET?

HonnyBrown — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 16:40:41 GMT

On 11/6/2014 jaxs mom said:
You want bare cast iron not enameled cast iron for cornbread. Le Creuset skillets have black enamel on the interior. You can't season enameled cast iron. Personally I'd get the Lodge brand which is made in the USA. 12 inch is more useful for general cooking but if you're just going to use it for cornbread then get the 10 inch. I have lots of Le Creuset but I also have a good selection of both vintage and new bare cast iron.

That's is the brand I got from Target. Excellent!

Re: CAST IRON SKILLET?

Sooner — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 16:42:08 GMT

I have never had a problem making cornbread in any of my Le Creuset cookware--either the enamel inside or the black. I find them to be great for cornbread. Lots of web information will tell you how to treat old-fashioned non-coated cast iron. And here is what Le Creuset says about the black interiors, and I have several and love them BUT follow these good instructions:

Satin BlackSatin Black enamel can be found on skillets, grills, frying pans, saute pans, woks, tagines and a number of round and oval casserole dishes. Satin Black enamel has a smooth feel but is not as glossy as other light-colored interior enamel finishes. It has been specially designed for higher surface temperature cooking, which is not the same as simply using a piece on a high heat.With cast iron, higher surface temperatures can be achieved by allowing any piece to heat thoroughly on a medium setting. This makes the satin black interior ideal for frying, grilling and searing.Satin Black enamel will keep its good looks and allow a patina to build on its surface with continued use. A patina is the result of the natural oils and fats from foods baking on to the hot surface. The patina should not be cleaned off, as it enhances the cooking performance and the release of foods. It also reduces the need for surface oiling.With the higher surface temperatures achieved during frying, grilling and searing, sugars and some enzymes will cause caramelization. This not only aids in the retention of moisture and flavor, but also produces the sear lines and crusty exterior on grilled meats. - See more at: http://www.lecreuset.com/care#sthash.SSyvfOUN.dpuf

Re: CAST IRON SKILLET?

KJPA — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 16:46:29 GMT

Please don't use soap or put in the dishwasher. The pan may absorb some of the soap and make your food taste soapy. It also defeats the purpose of "seasoning" the pan. Seasoning essentially fills all the microscopic holes in the iron with oils so it makes it naturally non-stick.

Like grams2 said, scrape it and then rinse with HOT water. Wipe out with a paper towel since there may still be some grease on the surface that will come off when you wipe it. My mom always heated the clean pan on the stove to make sure it was completely dry and wouldn't rust. I'm sure that kills any germs too.

Cast iron is great if you can use it on your stove.

Re: CAST IRON SKILLET?

RespectLife — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 17:03:33 GMT

Oh boy! Thank you all...I am SO glad I asked! NO SOAP! I didn't know that!

On Amazon, I did find Lodge Pre-seasoned..a 12" w/ red silicone hot handle holder and a 10" pre-seasoned w/o the red handle. Is pre-seasoned something I should be looking for?

Emeril's do not say 'pre-seasoned' on the BB&B web site.

There is also a Calphalon but one is enamel coated on the outside. Should I avoid those and stick w/ the traditional hard cast iron outside?

Re: CAST IRON SKILLET?

dsky — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 17:09:02 GMT

I love my cast iron skillet. Got it at a William Sonoma outlet store in Long Island. I got the ten inch one, wanted to get another larger one but decided it was way too heavy. I wash it with a little soap and water, and place it upsidedown to dry. I have low iron so cooking in an iron skillet helps to raise your levels, an added bonus. I make eggs in it and cook all my veggies in it also, steak, salmon, you name it, you will love it too.

Re: CAST IRON SKILLET?

jaxs mom — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 17:19:35 GMT

On 11/6/2014 RespectLife said:
Oh boy! Thank you all...I am SO glad I asked! NO SOAP! I didn't know that!

On Amazon, I did find Lodge Pre-seasoned..a 12" w/ red silicone hot handle holder and a 10" pre-seasoned w/o the red handle. Is pre-seasoned something I should be looking for?

Emeril's do not say 'pre-seasoned' on the BB&B web site.

There is also a Calphalon but one is enamel coated on the outside. Should I avoid those and stick w/ the traditional hard cast iron outside?
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I've always used dish detergent to clean my bare cast iron just like my mom did. I have vintage pieces that are over 100 years old and I have newer pieces I've bought over the last 20 years. They all work great, none of them have a soap taste. The seasoning is fine. You do need to dry after cleaning either on the stove top or in the oven. When I'm washing multiple pans I just use the oven to dry them.

Lodge started pre-seasoning about about 10 years ago. I don't even think they sell bare cast iron that isn't pre-seasoned anymore, unless it's old stock.

Personally I wouldn't buy the Calphalon cast iron. It's not any better than Lodge or vintage.

Re: CAST IRON SKILLET?

benzgirl — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 19:40:28 GMT

I am so excited to see this thread. I recently became a convert to cast iron cooking and could probably write a full commentary on CI based on all the research I have done. My first piece was a divided cornbread pan that I picked up at a vintage sale near Nashville last summer. After researching the piece I found that I had purchased a 47 year old pan made by BSR, a company that is now out of business - - a treasured little find that has performed well.

My fascination with CI began about a year ago when DH and I discovered the Lodge Cast Iron outlet in Gatlinburg TN. When we were in the area in September we came home with a five-piece starter set that I have been experimenting with every day since mid-September.

For my money I am not interested in the enamel coated CI, but only in the type that our grandmas used. The conductivity of pure CI is unsurpassed. There is only ONE company in the USA that still manufactures CI, and that is Lodge out of South Pittsburg, TN. Not only do I find pride in being able to buy American, but I know that I am supporting the local workers right here in Tennessee.

If you go to the Lodge website, you will find full inventory of all the pieces that they manufacture, you can view videos, study cooking technique (yes, there is a learning curve) and learn how to properly clean and care for your CI. If you DO decide to purchase bare CI, it is imperative that you season it after each use. I like liquid vegetable oil but have used Crisco and coconut oil too. The important thing is to continue building your 'seasoned base'. If you do that, you will find that your iron will soon be just as smooth and non-stick as that Teflon stuff that's made overseas.

Since I became interested in CI I have found that you can purchase Lodge at a number of places. In my area I found it at Target (limited variety) and Krogers. In fact, last month Kroger had a buy one/get one sale - - which would have been a great deal for anyone just getting started in CI.

If you have any other questions, Respect Life, I would be more than happy to try answering them for you. I just urge you to buy American instead of any that is made in China. I hope that I have been able to help you make a decision and that you are able to benefit from all of my recent 'research'.

Re: CAST IRON SKILLET?

USAnn — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 20:25:28 GMT

Cast iron cookware rocks! Believe it or not, the best place that I've found to get it is the hardware store. Yep - the hardware store! Ace Hardware has a very nice selection of high quality cast iron. You can browse to your heart's content, and most importantly, pick up the pieces and feel their weight firsthand. Cast iron is wonderful, but it is heavy, and obviously will get heavier once it is filled with food. Best to make sure that's something you can deal with before you decide which piece to purchase.

Happy hunting!

Re: CAST IRON SKILLET?

KJPA — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 20:40:51 GMT

A helper handle on the pan is also very .... helpful Those pans are heavy so being able to use two hands when you lift the skillet is very important for some of us!

Also, since we are discussing soap here's a link to Lodge's Web site where they talk about care: http://www.lodgemfg.com/useandcare/seasoned-cast-iron

They say "if no soap is too scary..." which to me means they prefer you don't use soap but if you do follow their directions.

Unglazed stoneware has some of the same rules. Don't wash with soap. Scrape it, rinse and scrub with something that is non-scratch and plain hot water. Then dry. It allows the seasoning to develop and keeps the bakeware/cast iron "stick-resistant." I have friends that insist on washing theirs thoroughly with soapy water each time. They don't develop a patina and they complain that everything sticks My Pampered Chef pizza stone stays in my oven at all times and it's really black from all the heat and seasoning. It's wonderful and almost nothing ever sticks to it. And we never get food poisoning from it

Re: CAST IRON SKILLET?

jaxs mom — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 20:48:09 GMT

My food doesn't stick to my cast iron and I've cooked with it for over 20 years. I cook eggs in mine without adding any butter or other fats when I want to and they don't stick. My use of detergent ( which is not the same as soap) has nothing to do with scary germs. I like a clean pan, no residual flavors between dishes, plus it's nicer to store pans that are clean and I never get that cruddy carbon build up or black flakes that people often complain about, but my pans are completely non stick, shiny and black with a great carbonized seasoning layer. Cast iron and unglazed clay pots ( I have both) aren't the same.

Re: CAST IRON SKILLET?

ChouChou — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 20:49:20 GMT

Wagner also makes its cast iron cookware in the USA. I would not buy a preseasoned pan. They are preseasoned with mineral oil. It won't hurt you but it doesn't season a pan as well as bacon or peanut oil. I prefer peanut oil. Apply a thin coat of peanut oil and leave in a 350 degree oven for an hour. When done let it cool off and then fry some onions in it. Don't eat them as they will taste metallic. The onions take the metallic taste out of the seasoning oil. After that, cook away. You can do the same with bacon grease.

Make sure you wash out the skillet right away. Foods left in the pan will quickly de-season the pan - especially acidic foods like tomatoes. Don't soak it overnight. That will also ruin the seasoning. HTH

BTW, my 12" pan belonged to my great grandmother and she brought it over from Ireland in 1891.

Re: CAST IRON SKILLET?

KJPA — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 20:56:52 GMT

On 11/6/2014 jaxs mom said:
My food doesn't stick to my cast iron and I've cooked with it for over 20 years. I cook eggs in mine without adding any butter or other fats when I want to and they don't stick. My use of detergent ( which is not the same as soap) has nothing to do with scary germs. I like a clean pan, no residual flavors between dishes, plus it's nicer to store pans that are clean and I never get that cruddy carbon build up or black flakes that people often complain about, but my pans are completely non stick, shiny and black with a great carbonized seasoning layer. Cast iron and unglazed clay pots ( I have both) aren't the same.

jaxs mom, I didn't mean to confuse the issue. I agree that cast iron and unglazed clay/stoneware are not the same. But they are both somewhat porous and the instructions I've always had for both of them are the same. No soap, just water. I've never looked into using detergent and you're correct that it isn't the same as soap

I'm glad to hear that you haven't had any trouble. I have never had any trouble or black, flaky stuff on any of my pans/stoneware either. So it sounds like both practices work for us!

Re: CAST IRON SKILLET?

oceantown — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 21:00:17 GMT

I love my Lodge pre-seasoned round griddle pans.

http://www.kitchencollection.com/lodge-10-5-in-seasoned-cast-iron-round-griddle-l90g3

I do not use soap.

I have two of the round pans with the short sides. Great for pancakes, french toast, eggs, etc. I prefer these to having a large two-burner griddle.

This is a photo of my egg-in-a-hole I recently cooked in my Lodge cast iron pan: