Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Cooking with Cast Iron

Remember this gem I shared years ago and you're still thanking me for? Well, I have unique cooking pans and I thought I'd share why I like them so much.

I started getting really sick of my pots and pans. They weren't the highest quality, the coating was wearing off already, and they weren't durable. I looked into new pans and discovered these cast iron pans. To back track a bit: I had been wanting to learn to cook with a Dutch oven and got one. I learned at a Youth Trek how to use it. And when searching for new pots and pans, wasn't too terrified with the idea of getting a cast iron pan. The one I got, and picture above, is only $30 on Amazon.

The reason I went with cast iron is because they don't warp, are very durable and can last your entire lifetime, they hold an even temperature, you can bake with them, and are great quality for a great price. There are some disadvantages as well. I took mine to Girl's Camp before even using it and when I got home--it was rusted. I googled online what to do. I cleaned it out, let it soak a bit in vinegar water, and then put it in the oven for a few hours--and it came out good as new. Literally.

Now that I've been using them for awhile, I'm a fan. They take some getting used to--but are my go to pans. And they actually are pretty easy to clean. Plus, if something bakes on hard--get out your metal scraper, go to town, and don't worry about a thing!

What I like:
  • It won't warp.
  • To clean: Rinse with water and coat with oil.
  •  Can be used as two separate pans.
  • One pot cooking--mix together over stove, throw into the oven.
  • Decent pricing. 
Disadvantages
  • Have to use a pot holder to touch handles.
  • Cleaning takes adjustment.
  • Can rust

1 comment:

Tia said...

What a fun tutorial! I have looked into getting one of these for a while and now I think I feel a little safer using one!