If you asked me 7 years ago what I liked to cook in I would say stainless steel. However I fell more in love with it. I have used them off and on for about 10-12 years but nothing consistently. However now that I have really dived in deep with them, I will NEVER go back.
So many people are so intimidated by them. People think everything will stick to them but that isn’t the case at all, quite the opposite.
I cook my eggs, pizza crust, cinnamon rolls, bread, honestly everything and It never sticks. If you have a good seasoned pan it will never let you down.
Here are some reasons I love cooking with cast iron. Some are very old but, if they have been taken care of you will never have to replace them. It heats evenly and retains heat better than other cookware, it can go straight from the cooktop to the oven.
I switched over to them because teflon is unhealthy. These cheap teflon cookware breaks down with the heat and releases polymer fumes with is toxic and can cause cancer. Also, rule of thumb if you have a scratch in your teflon cookware, throw it out. It’s even more toxic.
You can cast iron cookware for decent prices and I listed some below at a super reasonable price.
Enamel cast iron is more on the pricey side because you can get them in fun colors. I
If I couldn’t get my hands on cast iron then I would then purchase 100% stainless steel cookware.
So here are some easy things to remember. When you purchase any cast iron cookware you must always season it even if it says preseason.
To season them, just put the pan on the stovetop and heat it up until it is smoking hot. Rub a little oil (I use avocado oil ) all over until it’s 100% cool to touch.
Remember to clean it after each use. Everyone has their own way but this is how I clean mine.
If there is stickiness, fill the pan up with some water. Then put it on high heat and let it come to a boil and turn it off. Then dump the water out and use this to help scrub off any stickiness left.
If it has some crust left on you can use that scrubber and flake it off. If that doesn’t work. Then heat the pan up on high again. Spray a little water on and use a metal spatula to flake it off. Then dump the water and turn it back on high to dry the water out.
Rule of thumb, keep water on the pans rust happens.
Every now and then depending on how you have cared for your cookware you may need to re-season it.
Just put the pan on the stove top. Turn it up to high and as it is heating up add a teaspoon of oil on it. Rub the oil in all over with a paper towel, keep heating it up until it is smoking hot. Give it one more rub and then turn off the heat and let it cool down.
I personally never cook higher than medium heat. Since it retains heat so well, medium is actually hotter than what you think it is.
Eggs can be intimidating but here is a trick. Place it in the pan while the pan is already warmed up. It will not stick to the pan. A cold pan will never be your friend. Unless it’s raw shrimp and you want to cook it from the inside out with a good sear on it.
So this is why I just prefer simple and time and true cookware that has been around since 220 AD.
Try sear or fry in your pan weekly to keep the seasoning going in your pan.
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