CAST IRON COOKING - Page 2

Cats3000 · ‎10-07-2013

We have a Lodge Cast Iron round griddle and two Lodge Cast Iron skillets. We LOVE them. We've made corn bread in one of the skillets and it is "to die for".

The regular Lodge Cast Iron products are still made in the USA. They're worth the price.

sidsmom · ‎11-25-2011

HEAVY!

A 12" cast iron skillet is 8 pounds...empty!

Add food, you're looking at over 10+ of boiling hot food.

Then add non-tempered handles & thick awkward potholder/mitts,

and you're dealing with something highly dangerous.

I'm sure there are many cast-iron skillet cooks with 'battle scars.'

Just not worth it for a piece of cornbread.

Shanus · ‎05-17-2010

@jaxs mom I'd start w/ a 10"-12" skillet....smaller one if you're going to do cobblers, cornbread, etc. You'll need the larger size to roast a whole chicken or fry chicken pieces. Hope that helps. I agree to go with/ LODGE brand (made in USA) & although heavy, that's what you're looking for to retain the heat.

proudlyfromNJ · ‎05-01-2010

I have a few frying pans and a Dutch oven that belonged to my parents. I love them. The food comes out great. No problems handling them.

CelticCrafter · ‎03-09-2010

I have my grandmothers pre 1940's Griswold that was then passed down to my mother. My mom used it at least 4 times a week.

The inside of it is like glass. When I'm done using it I will just wipe it out with a paper towel and wipe it with a bit of oil.

At one point I was going to get rid of it because I felt it had to be babied until I did a little research on it.

Now every time I use it, I think of all the meals it has helped prepare.

winamac1 · ‎12-29-2010

@Shanus wrote:
@winamac1

Do you keep it seasoned and most importantly after you use it, just wipe it out...no soap...and using a paper towel & drop of veg. oil, store it that way. If you find it is no longer "non stick", you can begin as new pan and do the "seasoning" process. I had to do this to one of my older pans.

Thanks for the tips! I think I've cared for it "improperly"!

"friends don't let friends drink white zinfandel"

PamelaSue72 · ‎09-22-2011

@CelticCrafter wrote:
I have my grandmothers pre 1940's Griswold that was then passed down to my mother. My mom used it at least 4 times a week.

The inside of it is like glass. When I'm done using it I will just wipe it out with a paper towel and wipe it with a bit of oil.

At one point I was going to get rid of it because I felt it had to be babied until I did a little research on it.

Now every time I use it, I think of all the meals it has helped prepare.

I have three old Griswold pans, a 12-inch and an 8-inch from my MIL and a 10-inch from my great-grandmother. All three are like glass on the surface, too. While they don't need a lot of pampering, they do need a bit of common sense. I wipe mine out with paper towels and then use a paper towel with a bit of oil to run along the inside. I store mine between sheets of waxed paper.

I also have a set of cast iron pans that say "Made in Korea" that are decades old. I don't use them often because, despite several seasoning procedures, food still sticks at times.

Those old Griswolds, though, man they can cook food. Truly excellent pans. I still think of my great-grandmother frying chicken in her Griswold. Best chicken ever. I don't fry chicken much at all anymore, but when I do, it's always in the Griswold. Omelets are always done in the 8-inch Griswold. Toasted cheese sandwiches. Perfect every time.

I also use them for bacon and eggs on our outdoor grill. Then, because of the flames, sometimes I have to clean the outside carefully. But no big deal.

I am as dopic as they come in the kitchen. Have yet to burn my hands using the Griswolds. Guess I've been lucky. Again, common sense is everything as it is anyway in any kitchen.

They are truly excellent skillets. You can find them at flea markets sometimes. They are worth buying.

depglass · ‎03-10-2010

"I am as dopic as they come in the kitchen." I'm stealing your word, thanks. DH thinks I should use cast iron. Yeah, right. I actually bought a huge enameled dutch oven from HSN. That baby must weight 15 lbs. It is sitting in the basement, never used. I have the excuse of arthritis, but frankly I wouldn't use it if I were totally healthy.

chickenbutt · ‎03-09-2010

sidsmom wrote:
HEAVY!
A 12" cast iron skillet is 8 pounds...empty!
Add food, you're looking at over 10+ of boiling hot food.

Then add non-tempered handles & thick awkward potholder/mitts,
and you're dealing with something highly dangerous.
I'm sure there are many cast-iron skillet cooks with 'battle scars.'

Just not worth it for a piece of cornbread.

Ha! I hear that. Although 'heavy' really is a good quality in a pan, it's the only negative as far as handling goes.

Honestly - I've made cornbread in cast iron and I've made it in an 8" square Pyrex glass baker and there is absolutely zero difference in the quality or taste of the cornbread. Consequently, it's easier for me to just use the Pyrex. It's something that I might make one time in a year's time, so no biggie.

ECBG · ‎01-08-2011

@winamac1 wrote:
I don't find my LODGE cast iron to be nonstick at all. If I cook eggs, I have to put oil in it!

@winamac1Cooking eggs is always the example of "what shouldn't do in cast iron" blogs. Sorry. The non stick means that cornbread comes out with a golden crust. Meat will brown well in oil or a little Crisco and not stick.

The "non stick" with manmade coatings came 100 years later. That's a different type of non stick.