Cast Iron cooking

[SlyFerret]

I too use my cast iron on my cook top. Works great!

I never turn the knob much past medium though or it can get too got. Give the pan time to heat up and you're good to go.

-SF

 

[lukem]

I have a huge cast iron skillet…I think it is 14”. I don’t use it on the stove much (electric coils) because the outside of the pan doesn’t heat up as hot as I’d like, but it is awesome for using in the oven. Pre-heat it in the oven to 425* and toss in some veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, taters, butternut squash, garlic, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, turnips, etc) with some evoo, salt, and pepper…good stuff. I also use it a lot for making pizza when weather sucks and I don’t want to go outside and grill it. Pizza stones are good too, but I’m loving the cast iron skillet pizza lately.

If I’m cooking outside and get enough heat contact with the pan (on the grill or over a fire) it works pretty good for normal pan duty or frying stuff in oil.

 

[ScotO]

The best venison steaks I ever ate were cooked on a cast iron skillet......it was an antique, too. My buddy who retired around two years ago brought his skillet in to work (it was handed down from his grandparents), the damm thing had never been washed. I guess that is a key to the cast iron pans and the seasoning of them. It was always wiped out with a damp rag before and after use, and wasn't cooked on until it was really searing hot. I guess that takes care of the germs or whatever, either way we cut the loin steaks thick (around 1"), rubbed some Montreal Steak Seasoning on them, put a half stick of real butter in the scalding hot pan and browned each side for around 2 minutes or so. That was some of the best steak I have ever eaten......

I have a whole set of cast iron pots and pans that my inlaws got me for Christmas years ago, never even got them out of the wooden crate they came in. They are out in the shed. I should probably at least get the skillet out, season it, and try to cook my deer loin steaks the same way my buddy did that time in at work....

 

[osagebow]

Yes...yes you should, Scotty! I won't cook a steak (inside at least) on anything else. Have some small "fajita" ones for campng, too.

 

[midwestcoast]

BTW there's no harm in washing Cast Iron, just don't use soap and make sure the pan gets dried afterward either with a towel (it will turn black) or just warm it on the stove so water evaporates.

 

[OhioBurner©]

I use cast iron on our electric glass top (or whatever its called) just set it straight down gently and dont move it.

I've wanted one of the cast iron waffle makers for a while. Electric ones keep breaking on me. Coils would burn up or the wife would find a way to break it (the flippy rotating ones). I don't think she could break the cast iron one, but she probably wouldnt use it anyhow. She leaves all cast iron cooking to me. But for about a year now I have tried to improve my diet, and well waffles got bumped off my list, so I havent been too woried about getting another waffle maker.

 

[eclecticcottage]

Scotty, unpack those bad boys! Cast iron rocks...

We tried out the waffle maker (we do 12 days of Christmas so I already gave it to hubby). Worked pretty good-needs a little more seasoning but it's AWESOME.

Pie iron arrived broken We chose to take a refund and not replace for now, we'll probably get a jaffle iron later.

Found an old muffin pan at an antique place today for $4, one of the muffin openings is cracked, but the rest is fine. It needs cleaning and reseasoning-it's hanging out on the Lopi working on the cleaning part right now. It kinda stinks though.

Bread pan is tomorrows gift before he decides to find one himself!

 

[thewoodlands]

This thing weighs or seems to weigh about 20lbs, just need a recipe so I can fill this to cook out over the fireplace.

 

[eclecticcottage]

Corn bread in cast iron

 

[OhioBurner©]

I've been meaning to get the Lodge 14" cast iron pizza pan. I like stones, but messing around experimenting on the grill and I've broken a few of them. I've got some mini cast iron pans that I make those big cookies in, and I have used them for personal sized pizzas too and they have worked pretty well. Would like to get thier cast iron loaf pan for breads too.

 

[Dune]

this thread makes me sad. I have a electric stove (no gas service), its a flat cooktop. I cant use cast iron on it. I really dislike that the coices in cookware is so limited. What I can use is mostly limited to those with the teflon coatings (I have a brother in law who works at dupont testing that stuff.... he says never use it, its a serious risk).

What makes you think you can't use cast iron? I have a flat top stove too.
The one pan I have with a rim just takes a little longer to heat up.

Teflon should be banned for household use.

 

[OhioBurner©]

What makes you think you can't use cast iron?

Usually the manufacturer specifies not to. And if your not really careful you could really scratch it. Mine looks like crap so I don't really even care, personally.

 

[Tuneighty]

Usually the manufacturer specifies not to. And if your not really careful you could really scratch it. Mine looks like crap so I don't really even care, personally.

I use my dutch oven and cast iron pans on my ceramic top. I make sure to maintain smooth bottoms and don't slide it like I do my SS.

 

[Fifelaker]

It takes a diamond to scratch glass. Cast iron is not hard enough to scratch it. The issue is the weight of CI. If you are careless when setting it down you will have spall. Think of it this way the manufacture gives you (or they used to) a razor blade to clean it and the hardness of razor blades is 58+ Rockwell c and this wont scratch the top. The hardness of CI is between 6 and 18 Rockwell c.

 

[OhioBurner©]

You can use a razor blade on your face too and not scratch your skin if your careful, bad comparison. Softer materials can scratch harder ones I have plenty of glass around the house thats scratched, besides my cooktop. The weight thing might be the primary reason, IDK, but regardless of Rockwell hardness rating my cooktop is very scratched. For just a frying pan, CI might add significantly to the weight, but still doesnt compare to the weight of a fully loaded 23 qt pressure canner or large full stockpot - even the aluminum ones. I'm just careful about setting them down easy.

 

[jeffesonm]

I've been meaning to get the Lodge 14" cast iron pizza pan. I like stones, but messing around experimenting on the grill and I've broken a few of them. I've got some mini cast iron pans that I make those big cookies in, and I have used them for personal sized pizzas too and they have worked pretty well. Would like to get thier cast iron loaf pan for breads too.

Head down to Home Depot or wherever and get yourself some unglazed quarry tiles for like $0.50 each for 8" square... I use them for bread baking and they work just as well as a baking stone. If one breaks you can just replace it for $0.50.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

It takes a diamond to scratch glass. Cast iron is not hard enough to scratch it. The issue is the weight of CI. If you are careless when setting it down you will have spall. Think of it this way the manufacture gives you (or they used to) a razor blade to clean it and the hardness of razor blades is 58+ Rockwell c and this wont scratch the top. The hardness of CI is between 6 and 18 Rockwell c.

I use cast iron on a glass cooktop. And its got plenty of scratches on it since i started. Its worth it.

 

[granpajohn]

Head down to Home Depot or wherever and get yourself some unglazed quarry tiles for like $0.50 each for 8" square... I use them for bread baking and they work just as well as a baking stone. If one breaks you can just replace it for $0.50.

Also easier (lighter) to get in and out of the oven, if you have a bad back.
My brother used to use 3 big floor tiles for his baguettes. Worked fine.

 

[Gasifier]

We have two different size cast iron frying pans and a griddle like this. Scotty, you need to bust that cast iron out. It is the best to cook with. It will take a little time to season it and to get use to cooking on it, but it is the best thing to cook on in my opinion. The wife and I like to use the griddle for eggs, pancakes, grilled cheese sandwiches, etc.,etc. Ours are the Lodge brand.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

I use a scrubby pad and water on my skillets- no soap. It's just about like non-stick, except it cooks better and your food isn't in contact with non-stick material (don't get me started). We have 2 main skillets that we use, but my wife wanted a small one to fry an egg in- she insists that the smaller one does better for it, as it doesn't spread out as much. Worked, and the new skillet was like $8 and will outlive me.

Looking at my old ones and the new ones- the difference in the surface is remarkable. They really do get better with age.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

We no longer use teflon for non stick,. Been buying those green pans with the ceramic non stick interiors,so far they work great and you can use higher heat.
Im sure it can take the heat as my woodstove uses ceramic in the reburn chamber.

 

[TMonter]

We no longer use teflon for non stick,. Been buying those green pans with the ceramic non stick interiors,so far they work great and you can use higher heat.
Im sure it can take the heat as my woodstove uses ceramic in the reburn chamber.

We've converted to almost 100% cast Iron and Le Creuset cookeware here. We love the evenness of the Le Creuset cookware when doing sauces and the like and we use a glass cooktop as well. Just have to be careful when setting it down and sliding it around. After we re-do our kitchen in the next few years we are going to convert to gas.

 

[OhioBurner©]

We've converted to almost 100% cast Iron and Le Creuset cookeware here. We love the evenness of the Le Creuset cookware when doing sauces and the like and we use a glass cooktop as well. Just have to be careful when setting it down and sliding it around. After we re-do our kitchen in the next few years we are going to convert to gas.

Ahh the pricey stuff... I'd love to have some of those but a little too rich for me. Lodge had a couple different grades of stuff similar, but get mixed reviews. Some people say works just as good as any Le Creuset other say they cracked or chipped after a year, etc. I think all of their enameled CI is made in china though, so that might be why some are fine and some crack and chip. Bad QC there. Think I'll just stick with the original CI Lodges.

I've also really wanted to switch to gas. I'm trying to not use propane but we do have a propane furnace and 500g tank. I've never really looked into it but I assume one can have propane range indoors (as opposed to natural gas)? But I'm cheap and probably will keep the electric glass top thingy until it doesnt work any more.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Ahh the pricey stuff... I'd love to have some of those but a little too rich for me. Lodge had a couple different grades of stuff similar, but get mixed reviews. Some people say works just as good as any Le Creuset other say they cracked or chipped after a year, etc. I think all of their enameled CI is made in china though, so that might be why some are fine and some crack and chip. Bad QC there. Think I'll just stick with the original CI Lodges.

I've also really wanted to switch to gas. I'm trying to not use propane but we do have a propane furnace and 500g tank. I've never really looked into it but I assume one can have propane range indoors (as opposed to natural gas)? But I'm cheap and probably will keep the electric glass top thingy until it doesnt work any more.

My stove is propane.

My wife's fight name is as well. "Pro-Pain, and propane accessories"

 

[TMonter]

Ahh the pricey stuff... I'd love to have some of those but a little too rich for me. Lodge had a couple different grades of stuff similar, but get mixed reviews. Some people say works just as good as any Le Creuset other say they cracked or chipped after a year, etc. I think all of their enameled CI is made in china though, so that might be why some are fine and some crack and chip. Bad QC there. Think I'll just stick with the original CI Lodges.

I've also really wanted to switch to gas. I'm trying to not use propane but we do have a propane furnace and 500g tank. I've never really looked into it but I assume one can have propane range indoors (as opposed to natural gas)? But I'm cheap and probably will keep the electric glass top thingy until it doesnt work any more.

Pricey, yes but it's also cookware we'll only have to buy once. We have a couple Le Creuset pieces that are about 5 years old and look almost brand new. I have nothing but good things to say about their cookware. I'm not a fan of the modern lodge stuff, I prefer the older cast iron pans.

Yeah you can do propane with most stoves out there that do NG with a small jet conversion and still use it indoors. When I do the gas stove I need to put in a good range hood but of course that will be with a whole new kitchen.