So after watching one in use, I want to try out cast iron for my new method of cooking. Im in the process of doing research on seasoning right now, but I would like to grab a pan hopefully on sale with black friday upon us.
Anyone have any advice on what to look for or what brand to look at/ avoid?
Thanks in advance
literally the only advantage over a normal non stick pan is being able to put it in the oven and to be honest you wont do that enough to justify all the seasoning work. anyone who cant afford to to buy a new non stick pan every few years is a total fag
Cast iron will last forever if you take care of it, season it when you buy one unless it comes ore-seasoned.Easy to clean after use just throw a cup of water in let it get hot and take a wooden spatula and scrape clean then wipe dry with paper towel, and always remember to wipe with cooking oil before storage.
Honestly brand doesn`t matter,Cabella`s has some good sales on cast iron atm good luck. one last thing look into a dutch oven alot of fun to be had with those too.
>honest you wont do that enough to justify all the seasoning work.
I bake a whole chicken in mine every week.
the only reason you would need to season it is if you aren`t storing it properly or if it`s used and rusty and you`re restoring it.If you properly clean and dry a cast iron and put it away lightly oiled you should never have to re-season it.
I honestly can't stand monitoring the pH of my food that goes into a cast iron pan, and I fucking hate the taste of iron. Stainless, teflon, ceramic are all I'll bother with. Fuck cast iron.
>I fucking hate the taste of iron.
Don't eat the pan, fatty.
I guess this is the drunk version of humor. well crafted...
Do you ever just get depressed listening to other people?
Only when I think i'm smarter than them; only to find out i'm not. Rarely happens though.
You only have to watch the PH of your food if your simmering for over an hour.
the only thing you should care about brand-wise is Lodge. If you want to support a company that does all its work in America buy Lodge. If you don't give a shit about that then basically any cast iron manufacturer will do. Just make sure it's got a relatively smooth finish if possible.
>all the seasoning work
I have one and love it. The key to "all the seasoning work" is to ignore all of those sites that have ridiculously labor-intensive methods.
Method 1:
>Buy about 4 lbs of bacon
>cook it up
>wipe pan after
Done
Method 2:
>Use nonstick cooking spray
>Cook your stuff
>After about 6 months, notice that the spray has finally built up enough to be better than that supposed "non-stick" garbage
My cast iron pan is the only one that doesn't get wrecked when I cook a steak and the seasoning ends up staying on the pan in a big glop. Unlike fragile, wimp, teflon pans, this one can handle being properly scraped. So I just scrape all of that out while it's still hot, run it under the hot water, wipe, and done.
They also handle hand-washing way better than most people say. Coarse salt, all that...bah. It's assholes trying to make it into something. Something's stuck? Scrape. If that doesn't work, soak it.
>washing removes seasoning
So cooking spray it.
Thanks for the feedback, i think im going to grab a lodge pan.
I was going to recommend a thrift shop. If the idea of used bothers you, you can put the pain in a fire and start all over on a fresh fire cleaned surface.
Or a garage sale. I've had friends pick up old, well-seasoned cast iron pans at garage and estate sales for pennies.
there is no seasoning work, just cook in it
This. I have found that the more you "care" for the pan the worse the seasoning gets.
When you finally give up and just cook in the bitch you find yourself pleasantly surprised one day.
can coconut oil work for seasoning?
not OP but looking at getting a cast iron pan myself to take camping as cooking over a fire doesn't seem like such a great idea with other types.
and if coconut oil does work, what type as I recently found out it's not all the same stuff just by different brands.
Why the fuck would you buy a used cast iron pan? They are 30 bucks brand new.
The only shit I buy used is Le Crueset and All Clad. Got me a 6 or so quart dutch oven off craigslist last year for a mere $110, feels amazing. Got a large 14 inch d5 all clad pan with lid, brand new, off craiglsist a couple years back for $100.
cask iron>stainless steel>everything else
Waiting for a sale?? Any cheaper and they would be free.
This OP, get a Dutch oven as well. Great for cobblers and bread
Thrift shop shit is GOAT. Fools give cookware that has been in the family for fifty+ years away and then I buy it for a few bucks.
Cast iron, chopping blocks, good wood (don't take that out of context)... you get good shit at the thrift shop.