Advantages of Cast Iron Cookware

I have a cabinet filled with random mismatched castiron skillets and pots that were my grandmother’s.

Until my parents cleaned out their basement and handed me the 300-pound box, I had ever used castiron in my life.

Once I found a loadbearing location and moved the pots to my kitchen, I still didn’t use them consistently.

It wasn’t until my best friend had a scary trip to the emergency room that I made the permanent change to iron.

My bestie made it out of the hospital unscathed, but she had a serious case of anemia.  As part of her recovery, she was instructed to eat lots of iron-rich foods, take an oral supplement and cook with cast iron.

Huh?  Cook with castiron to get more iron in your diet?

This was interesting to me because I have a crazy background in silver.

Colloidal silver was a part of my life many years ago.  No, we didn’t turn blue.  It was great for pinkeye and fascinating.  Silver is a natural antibiotic.  Traditionally speaking, those who ate on silver spoons were known to be healthier.  You’ve heard the phrase, “she grew up with a silver spoon in her mouth.”

Another place that silver recently made an appearance was in the Norwex world.  Norwex sells microfiber cleaning cloths that have silver woven into the thread.  The silver is a natural cleaner that kills 99% of all germs.  When you clean with silver, you don’t need any cleaning products – none.  I watched a weird demonstration where a lady smeared raw chicken all over a countertop and then cleaned it with the silver-enhanced cloth.  She swabbed the surface before and after the cleaning and the silver (with only water) removed all the bacteria.

In our home, we use sterling silver flatware.  Spoons, forks, knives – they are all silver.  Because it’s healthier.  Every time you eat on a silver utensil, you are consuming trace amounts of the metal and it is good.

Cooking with castiron does the same thing.  Many people suffer from iron deficiency, and cooking with cast iron pans can help increase your iron content by as much as 20 times!

7 REASONS FOR CASTIRON

#1 It lasts

I am pretty sure cast iron is indestructible.  Mine is older than I am and will most likely outlive me.  Which undoubtedly adds to the charm.  I love old things. I cannot help it.  If my great-grandparents had one.  I probably want one.

Cast Iron skillets grow more “seasoned” as they are used.  In fact, it is important to season a new Cast Iron skillet before you use it.  “Seasoning” can also bring an old, rusty, neglected Cast Iron pan back to life.

#2 Chemical free

Not only does it increase the amount of iron in your diet;  you also will not have to worry about Teflon Toxicity.  Many non-stick surfaces arguably have some unfortunate side-effects.  You can avoid these by using Cast Iron cookware.

• You won’t have to worry about any toxic chemicals leeching into your food from your pan.  source
• You won’t have to worry about toxic fumes being emitted if the pan is overheated.  source
• Equally nice, is that you don’t have to stress over whether you are using the right spatula, correct spoon or if your child is using the wrong utensil in the wrong pan.

With Cast Iron you can scrape, bang and whisk without being concerned you may be serving up Perflurooctanoic Acid (PFOA) with your meal.

#3  It is naturally non-stick

If you are reading this “non-stick” business and chuckling because everything you have attempted to cook in Cast Iron skillet has stuck like glue – you could be using the wrong Cast Iron.  What?  I know, I’m sorry.  They are not all created equal.  The stuff they are selling in Walmart today and calling “Cast Iron” is not necessarily the same stuff that your grandmother used.

I have found that Cast Iron made by “Weber” seems to be excellent.  Flea Markets and antique stores usually have Weber Iron Ware hidden among their treasures.  Just flip the pan over & look for the name on the bottom.

Not all of my Cast Iron is Weber, but all of it is old.  I can tell pretty quickly if a Cast Iron pan is going to perform well by looking at the cooking surface of the pan.  It should be smooth and shiny.  You can see that mine is loved and far from perfect – but it is smooth and nothing sticks in it.

Another tip for making sure your food doesn’t stick on your Cast Iron skillet is to get it hot before placing the food.  If I drop eggs in a cool skillet they will stick every time.  If the pan is hot, the food should not stick.

#4 Cooks Evenly

I do not know if it’s the fact that it’s made out of iron or if it is the thickness of the pan or both, but my Cast Iron pans cook evenly and beautifully.

#5 Versatile

Really, it is amazing.  I can brown my potatoes on the stovetop & shove the entire pan directly into the oven to finish them off.  I can cook with it on our grill.  I can even set my Cast Iron pans directly in hot embers over an open fire.  They will go with you just about anywhere.  I have even been known to take my favorite Cast Iron skillet with me on vacation.

#6  Easy to clean

Cleaning a Cast Iron skillet is simple.  No matter how messy they get, the process is basically the same.  Depending on the level of messiness, sometimes I just wipe the pan out with a cloth or paper towel while it is still warm (careful – don’t burn yourself).

If the pan is really messy I will add a little coarse salt to the pan (for abrasion), heat it a bit on the stovetop and scrub it out with a paper towel.   If the salt isn’t enough, a stainless steel scrubbing pad should do the trick.  It is rare that I ever have to use the sink to clean my cast iron pans.

If the salt and steel, scrubbing pad aren’t doing the trick – you can dunk the pan in water & use soap.  Just be sure to dry it and oil it immediately or it will rust.  

You always want your Cast Iron cookware to be oiled (to prevent rusting).

Keeping it oiled also prevents any food from sticking as well.

#7 It is virtually indestructible

My poor skillets should be dead.  I cook with them all day long.  They are used and practically abused.  Cast iron can take a beating.

All my Cast Ironware is older than I am.  As long as it is properly cared for, I suspect it will outlive me.

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-Candi