Cast iron cookware

[Howard]

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor
Hmm...I'd have saved the money and used it towards a nice piece of Le Creuset or Mario Batalli cookware with the enamel coating.

Why?

More versatile.

In what way?

 

[Maximus96]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Maximus96

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Maximus96

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: Maximus96
can i do the same thing to an iron wok? i never new about this no soap business before and after everytime i cook with the wok, i soak it in water and then use soap and scrub the hell out of it. i always thought that its best to scrub off all the black stuff...

i'm not sure if i can do the same to the wok, i'll scrub it clean with a metal wire brush and coat it with lard then bake it...you guys think that'll work?

if it's cast iron it works the same.

Germ freaks can't adapt to this thinking, but cast iron is not really porous...

Also you can't be irresponsible with cast iron either, you can mess it up overheating it.

I can't say cast iron is the best to cook everything on, but my meats do best in it.

how do i make sure if its cast iron or not? i know its iron cus i seen it rust here and there...is cast iron a different type of iron or what? i don't know my cookware very well.

You shouldn't have been using soap to clean your wok. Non-stainless woks should not be cleaned with soap.

yea i didn't know that before...now i know better. its not a stainless steel wok...its black like the cast iron pan.

Each time you use it (without cleaning it with soap) another layer of seasoning bakes on. Enough layers and you have a semi-non-stick surface. If you keep removing it with soap, food will stick easily and your wok might rust.

http://www.kitchenemporium.com/info/castiron.html

yea i'll keep that in mind from now on...food does stick, and it does rust if when i used to scrub it too much...so i can season the wok the same way as the pan? should i use a wire brush bit in a power drill to get everything off first...

 

[SampSon]

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor
Hmm...I'd have saved the money and used it towards a nice piece of Le Creuset or Mario Batalli cookware with the enamel coating.

Why?

More versatile.

Any cook worth his salt has a cast iron pan. They have generally specific uses that other cookwares cannot provide.
I would venture to guess that someone purchasing their first cast iron pan already has a full set of teflon or other similar cookware.

 

[Dunbar]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor
Hmm...I'd have saved the money and used it towards a nice piece of Le Creuset or Mario Batalli cookware with the enamel coating.

Why?

More versatile.

In what way?

Lighter, heats up quicker, doesn't react with acid, easier to clean. Nothing against cast iron but convienence is definitely not one of its strengths.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Dunbar

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor
Hmm...I'd have saved the money and used it towards a nice piece of Le Creuset or Mario Batalli cookware with the enamel coating.

Why?

More versatile.

In what way?

Lighter, heats up quicker, doesn't react with acid, easier to clean. Nothing against cast iron but convienence is definitely not one of its strengths.

I hope you know that Le Creuset's entire line of enamel-coated cookware is made from cast iron. Only the exterior of the cookware is coated with enamel; the inside remains bare cast iron.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Maximus96

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Maximus96

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Maximus96

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: Maximus96
can i do the same thing to an iron wok? i never new about this no soap business before and after everytime i cook with the wok, i soak it in water and then use soap and scrub the hell out of it. i always thought that its best to scrub off all the black stuff...

i'm not sure if i can do the same to the wok, i'll scrub it clean with a metal wire brush and coat it with lard then bake it...you guys think that'll work?

if it's cast iron it works the same.

Germ freaks can't adapt to this thinking, but cast iron is not really porous...

Also you can't be irresponsible with cast iron either, you can mess it up overheating it.

I can't say cast iron is the best to cook everything on, but my meats do best in it.

how do i make sure if its cast iron or not? i know its iron cus i seen it rust here and there...is cast iron a different type of iron or what? i don't know my cookware very well.

You shouldn't have been using soap to clean your wok. Non-stainless woks should not be cleaned with soap.

yea i didn't know that before...now i know better. its not a stainless steel wok...its black like the cast iron pan.

Each time you use it (without cleaning it with soap) another layer of seasoning bakes on. Enough layers and you have a semi-non-stick surface. If you keep removing it with soap, food will stick easily and your wok might rust.

http://www.kitchenemporium.com/info/castiron.html

yea i'll keep that in mind from now on...food does stick, and it does rust if when i used to scrub it too much...so i can season the wok the same way as the pan? should i use a wire brush bit in a power drill to get everything off first...

You don't have to. Just make sure all the rust is removed and the wok is completely dry before starting the seasoning process.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: Maximus96

yea i'll keep that in mind from now on...food does stick, and it does rust if when i used to scrub it too much...so i can season the wok the same way as the pan? should i use a wire brush bit in a power drill to get everything off first...

that's a hard call, if power tools are needed...restarting from scratch may be better 😱

Seasoning is not so simple either. I live in S. Florida and know many 'hicks' that are just unsanitary.

 

[Tom]

"heats up quicker"

pans that heat up quicker also cool off faster, which means when you add ingredients the pan does not maintain a consistent temperature.

Which is why "heavy" cookware cooks better than "light" cookware, no matter what materials the vessel is made from.

Cast iron has this advantage over many other materials, as well as the ability to take a lot of heat.

As far as clean up, a properly seasoned and maintained cast iron skillet is almost as easy to clean as teflon, most of the time.

 

[Maximus96]

Originally posted by: Tom
"heats up quicker"

pans that heat up quicker also cool off faster, which means when you add ingredients the pan does not maintain a consistent temperature.

Which is why "heavy" cookware cooks better than "light" cookware, no matter what materials the vessel is made from.

Cast iron has this advantage over many other materials, as well as the ability to take a lot of heat.

As far as clean up, a properly seasoned and maintained cast iron skillet is almost as easy to clean as teflon, most of the time.

yes the pan is heavy! with the cover on i doubt the wife can pick it up with one hand.

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Dunbar

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor
Hmm...I'd have saved the money and used it towards a nice piece of Le Creuset or Mario Batalli cookware with the enamel coating.

Why?

More versatile.

In what way?

Lighter, heats up quicker, doesn't react with acid, easier to clean. Nothing against cast iron but convienence is definitely not one of its strengths.

I hope you know that Le Creuset's entire line of enamel-coated cookware is made from cast iron. Only the exterior of the cookware is coated with enamel; the inside remains bare cast iron.

Of course it's cast iron....that's why you buy it, but the inside and outside are both enameled in most cases. All their french ovens and soup pots are enameled inside and out. Their skillets are about 50/50. Personally, I passed on the skillets all together and just got a large french oven with the same footprint. They've been on sale on Amazon and can be found at their outlet stores and even Marshalls sometimes.

 

[Maximus96]

anybody know why the pan cover have these pointy, 1/2" or so tall spikes on them??

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Originally posted by: Maximus96
anybody know why the pan cover have these pointy, 1/2" or so tall spikes on them??

Ah. 🙂 Those are "self basting tips". Basically, condensation collects on the lid and rolls down the spikes to fall back on the food.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Dunbar

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor
Hmm...I'd have saved the money and used it towards a nice piece of Le Creuset or Mario Batalli cookware with the enamel coating.

Why?

More versatile.

In what way?

Lighter, heats up quicker, doesn't react with acid, easier to clean. Nothing against cast iron but convienence is definitely not one of its strengths.

I hope you know that Le Creuset's entire line of enamel-coated cookware is made from cast iron. Only the exterior of the cookware is coated with enamel; the inside remains bare cast iron.

Of course it's cast iron....that's why you buy it, but the inside and outside are both enameled in most cases. All their french ovens and soup pots are enameled inside and out. Their skillets are about 50/50. Personally, I passed on the skillets all together and just got a large french oven with the same footprint. They've been on sale on Amazon and can be found at their outlet stores and even Marshalls sometimes.

Ah, my mistake. I only looked at Le Creuset's skillets, which on their site all appear to have bare cast iron interiors.

Regardless, he didn't buy the skillet to use it as a French oven.

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Originally posted by: Howard
Ah, my mistake. I only looked at Le Creuset's skillets, which on their site all appear to have bare cast iron interiors.

Regardless, he didn't buy the skillet to use it as a French oven.

Well, you can use a french oven as a skillet. I prefer it, honestly, because there is less splatter and you get heat from the sides radiating downward.

To get the skillets with the enamel coating now, you have to buy them in a set. But they used to sell most of their skillets with the enamel, so if you can find older versions, they'll have it.

 

[Jzero]

My wife destroyed my Le Creuset grillpan last night. I haven't been keeping tabs, but I have never turned on the wrong burner.

🙁

Luckily, Le Creuset's lifetime guarantee covers complete stupidity. I guess they figure they can rip the enamel off, refinish it and it's good as new. I suppose that's another benefit of springing for Le Creuset.

 

[Maximus96]

well i tried the seasoning process on the skillet last night. heated up oven to 300, cleaned the skillet, smeared some lard on it and rubbed it around with a paper towel. then i put it in the oven for 15 minutes. when i took it out to wipe up the excess lard, my wife complained that it stinks. i put it back in the oven for about 2 more hours. when i took it out it stank some more. will this baked-on pig fat smell ever go away? i plan on repeating this process again tonight.

 

[iroast]

lard is nice and all, but you can just use vegetable oil.

 

[Maximus96]

Originally posted by: iroast
lard is nice and all, but you can just use vegetable oil.

is that right? i read somewhere not to do that...i don't remember where. we have corn and olive oil at home.

 

[Jzero]

Vegetable oil should be fine. Not sure about corn, but I'd stay away from olive oil, as it breaks down at too low of a temperature.

 

[Howard]

Maybe vegetable shortening would have been a better idea. 🙂 Not sure about the vegetable oil, though it might work (AFAIK lard is the best, followed by shortening).

EDIT: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasoning_(cast_iron)#Seasoning

Shortenings typically used for seasoning include lard, hydrogenated cooking oils such as Crisco, and solid palm or coconut oil (in general, oils that are high in saturated fats). Avoid using shortenings that are polyunsaturated - these will get rancid much more quickly.

 

[zanieladie]

This thread implies that you have to cook. That's a 4-letter word. <<GACK>>