<p>Anyone know what I should think about when buying cast iron cookware?</p>
<p>Cast iron cookware is terrific…the frying pans and the dutch ovens. BUT don’t bother with the frying pans if you have a flat top electric stove. They won’t work well. They work best on gas stoves…and OK on the electric coil stoves. </p>
<p>I loved my cast iron pans…but sadly can’t use them as the current stove is flat top.</p>
<p>I will say…they are heavy so if you have any strength issues get something else.</p>
<p>I have some skillets that are restaurant grade. Good news: conduct heat wonderfully, last forever. The challenging: very heavy. And cleaning can be challenging. Yes, you must season the skillets before you use them. They will get some rust on them. To remove you use a half of a lemon that you rub in salt, and then season the skillet. Mine are twenty five years old and going strong.</p>
<p>Just that you need to season them initially. Instructions will be right on the packaging. Then, once you own them, pay attention to the cleaning instructions. Some people wipe with a thin film of oil after each use (we don’t bother). But you want to dry them thoroughly <em>immediately</em> after washing, so there will not be rust spots.</p>
<p>Worth what little trouble they take, because they are excellent for so many uses.</p>
<p>BTW, you do not want to cook acid foods in them (tomatoes, tomato sauce, wine sauces…)</p>
<p>I have an electric stovetop & I have 8",10" & 15" skillets, which I use exclusively ( I don’t like non stick- although I do have ceramic coated as well.). If you allow enough time for preheating they work ok on electric burners.
I like cast iron because it not only browns better than anything else , you can use it in the oven & it makes great cornbread.</p>
<p>I don’t use anything but cast iron skillets either. Once they’re seasoned and used regularly, they’re better than any nonstick pan. Cleaning is a cinch too – all I do is scrub it with some water and a brush, then put it on medium heat to dry. If it starts to lose some seasoning, I wipe it with a little oil. Just don’t ever leave it sitting around with water in it. Also, I’ve heard that they’re a source of iron (in your diet). </p>
<p>emk, I use mine to make cornbread too – I like to warm up the pan on the stovetop first, melt some butter until it’s golden-brown, then pour in the cornbread batter. Makes for a gorgeous tasty crust.</p>
<p>I love my cast iron cookware. I have 3 various sized skillets and a griddle. I wish I had my grandmother’s cast iron skillet … it was smooth as a baby’s behind after MANY years of use. I suggest buying your cast iron pre-seasoned. I have seasoned a couple of pieces in the past but those pieces don’t seem seasoned as well as the ones I bought pre-seasoned. We use ours in the oven and on our gas grill. We cook lots of different things in ours. My dad always made pineapple upside down cake in one. When cleaning cast iron, it’s best not to use any detergent … just rinse it well and use one of those nylon scrubbers, if needed. Occasionally, you might have something that really sticks to the pan. In that case, you may have to use steel wool, but then you’ll need to re-season the pan after that. Make sure you dry your cast iron really well or it will rust. Don’t use a good dish towel, though … it will smudge.</p>
<p>Lodge is a good brand. I agree with everything said by the cast-iron skillet lovers above. :)</p>