what ya got for cast iron

chilehunter

chilehunter

ok this is to hear what ya'all have for cast iron (CI) cookware (& steel woks or ?)
I'm curious to hear your opinion about certain brands of CI are there some not worth buying or certain types of CI ? CI is CI IMO or am I wrong ?
& do you have multiple CI skillets of the same size for those times when you need them or do you just get by with what ya have.


I ask this cuz theres some CI on sale for fair price but its martha stewart CI but it looks decent.
who uses fatjita skillets ? they look nice for resturants use but are they worth it for home use cuz you can use other skillets that have deeper sides.

now for what I have is
1 - 12" CI skillet
1 - 10" CI skillet (or was it 8" ? I forget)
1 - square grill marked skillet (10" I think ?)
1 - 6" CI skillet

1 - 14" steel wok
1 - 10" steel wok

but I plan on buying more.
 
I hava very old 12" Griswold "ERIE" griddle, a 9" taiwanese knockoff skillet, and a big Lodge double-sided grill...so far...I need MORE! ;)

Griswold and Wagner are 'prolly the best...nothing beats the high quality of the old CI. But, if it works, 'tis all good IMHO.

I do have a ginourmous genuine Wok that came out of a restaurant, but it's never used because it's just too big to cook for just me.
 
I can't see Fajita skillets being good for much. They aren't really practical to cook in, and who wants to risk burning up the dining room table with a misplaced "skillet" that's disguised as a plate?

As far as quality CI goes, I'm pretty sure that all of the Lodge brand stuff is made in the USA except their enameled CI, wich is made oversees (read Taiwan or China I believe). I own one of the enameled CI Skillets in 12" size however, and am absolutely 100% satisfied with the quality. I cook in it almost every night, and haven't had a problem with the finish or general quality control. My mom has a ton of their regular cast iron and it's all top quality, though nothing can beat the feel and quality of old CI.

As far as the Martha Stewart stuff goes, I'd say if its cheap go for it. Hell, it's a hunk of cast iron, how can you screw it up? I've seen Le Cruset pans show up in the mail broken in 2 pieces before (present for my girlfriend's dad), and they're supposed to be top quality!

Bottom line, CI is hard to screw up. If you're overly concerned about the Martha Stewart stuff and want more, check out Lodge's line though, because it's all rediculously affordable if purchased at the right retailer.
 
I have three, all Lodge. 14in skillet, 12in grill pan, and 6qt dutch oven. I absolutely love them.
 
I have a 10 inch findlay ( a small canadian stove and foundry works) , and 9 inch wagner ware , 8 inch and 10 inch pans from tawain ( personally I think they cook just as well as the others) , a funky size ( metric I think ) 9 ½ inch approx. from Ikea that has a wooden handle, and a small dutch oven with no markings at all.. plus a tiny cast iron table top hibachi .. very cool (I will load up a pic later)...

My wok is just a cheap flat bottom carbon steel pan I bought at Ikea about 10 yrs ago before they started putting telfon coatings on all of them and making them useless IMO.
I like to throw my wok on a nice bed of red hot lump charcoal and stir fry on the bbq when I can .
non-stick would never stand up to that kind of heat.
 
I have 6", 10" and 5 qt. dutch oven, and an 8" comal, all Lodge. In Alaska I left behind 3 15", a 50 year old 6" and 2 12" and 2 dutch ovens that I donated to my guide pals. Those babies are being used everyday this summer cooking up fresh caught salmon at several locations in Bristol Bay.

Cheers, TB.
 
I have everything from a 3" to a 15" CI skillet but don't even think about asking what type they are - mom gave them to me 20-30 years ago and she had used them for 30 years or more.

Mike
 
I've got 2 pieces. I try to really be minimalistic and basic when it comes to cooking implements. I only have a big double sided skillet. It's rectangular, approx. 12x18. Made to cover two burners. That one is the Paula Dean griddle. It's a nice really really heavy piece of CI. The other I have I don't know the name of, but it's enameled and it's heavy as hell. For CI, it's all about how heavy it is, for myself anyhow. Here's a pic.

3710719307_67fab0ca94.jpg
 
I have a 14 inch beauty. A nice deep sided skillet for some monster cornbread or frying chicken.

And what does this black beauty bear on her glorious bottom?.....

CRACKER BARREL

I shit you not.

Martha stewart may be an ex-con yuppie, but my guess is that her flunkies know cast iron and turn out some fine stuff.

I also have 3 6 inch skillets and a 7 inch skillet.

I am blatantly lacking a nice lidded dutch oven, and a large griddle.

I don't know about a little fajita server, but a big 10 inch flat griddle is necessary for turning out great flatbread, corn cakes, and pan cakes.

LOVE my cast iron.
 
cheezydemon said:
I have a 14 inch beauty. A nice deep sided skillet for some monster cornbread or frying chicken.

And what does this black beauty bear on her glorious bottom?.....

CRACKER BARREL

I shit you not.

Martha stewart may be an ex-con yuppie, but my guess is that her flunkies know cast iron and turn out some fine stuff.

I also have 3 6 inch skillets and a 7 inch skillet.

I am blatantly lacking a nice lidded dutch oven, and a large griddle.

I don't know about a little fajita server, but a big 10 inch flat griddle is necessary for turning out great flatbread, corn cakes, and pan cakes.



LOVE my cast iron.
Click to expand...

Right you are about the 10" flat. Pay no attention to those nonbelievers of the comal. i guard mine closely and even mrs. blues asks permission before using it. It's a quesadilla weapon of mass destruction ya'll!

Cheers, TB.
 
I've got lots of both enameled and straight up cast iron. Both have their advantages, and the main one of the enameled version is the easy cleanup (No seasoning to screw up!) and you can in good confidence cook acidic foods without fear. I've cooked up large batches of salsa in my enameled dutch oven, something you wouldn't want to do in plain old CI.

The biggest drawback to the enamel is not being able to use metal utensils. Not such a biggie though, since I usually use wooden spatulas and spoons mostly.
 
I almost forgot .. I also have an old CI waffle iron from a local foundry that shut down years ago. and my camping griddle ... nothing like waffles or pancakes cooked on the morning fire for breakfast.
 
I've got a couple of Pontiac 455 blocks and a Cadillac 500 complete engine. Thats about 1500 pounds of cast iron. Oh, and i've got a small 10inch skillet that i use the heck out of too.
 
FiveStar said:
I can't see Fajita skillets being good for much. They aren't really practical to cook in, and who wants to risk burning up the dining room table with a misplaced "skillet" that's disguised as a plate?.
Click to expand...

thats my thoughts also, I was just wondering if anyone really uses them (except for resturaunts for show) but these fajita skillets come with its own wood serving dish for the skillet.


FiveStar said:
As far as quality CI goes, I'm pretty sure that all of the Lodge brand stuff is made in the USA except their enameled CI,
As far as the Martha Stewart stuff goes, I'd say if its cheap go for it. Hell, it's a hunk of cast iron, how can you screw it up?

Bottom line, CI is hard to screw up. If you're overly concerned about the Martha Stewart stuff and want more, check out Lodge's line though, because it's all rediculously affordable if purchased at the right retailer.
Click to expand...

so far all my CI is lodge brand, & again same thoughts, its CI how could you screw that up ? just some have different features.


Ashen said:
My wok is just a cheap flat bottom carbon steel pan I bought at Ikea about 10 yrs ago before they started putting telfon coatings on all of them and making them useless IMO.
Click to expand...


they still sell steel woks w/o teflon, I bought my 14" wok at walmart & bought a 10" wok at a local store.


cheezydemon said:
Martha stewart may be an ex-con yuppie, but my guess is that her flunkies know cast iron and turn out some fine stuff.
Click to expand...

true, but I just dont like the idea of giving her some money. but it seems fair price & why not have some extra skillets for those just in case meals you need mutliple skillets of a certain size (instead of waiting & using only 1)
or maybe give 1 or 2 as a gift ?)



FiveStar said:
I've got lots of both enameled and straight up cast iron. Both have their advantages, and the main one of the enameled version is the easy cleanup.
Click to expand...

I think regular CI is very easy to clean up, & I've had some very burnt on crust several times, put hot water in let sit for a bit & just use a knife or spoon & scrape - cleans up quick!
I think its easier than normal teflon cookware plus the CI can withstand the abuse of cleaning = lasts longer


FiveStar said:
and you can in good confidence cook acidic foods without fear. I've cooked up large batches of salsa in my enameled dutch oven, something you wouldn't want to do in plain old CI.
Click to expand...

why is that ?
I'm still kinda new to CI cooking (but not wok) I still want to buy a nice dutch oven (I'll have one before winter!!! gotta make some good chilli :hell: )






it also seems like that some good seasoned CI are treated like worthy property, left in wills or people WANT them from deceased relatives. by what some of you have said.
then well seasoned CI should sell for same price as new or more at garage sales (in theory)
 
CH, acidic foods like tomatoes, lime juice, vinegar etc. can cause rapid oxidation (rust) on cast iron. Since it's a bare reactive metal, unless you've got a really good season on your CI, I've always heard not to add terribly acidic ingredients to the pan.
 
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