Is my cookware unsafe?

[Fast Learner]

Cool, not trying to change your mind. Just saying that I still think that's a solid buy.

 

[Pbartender]

Amazon actually had a bunch of Lodge cast iron items for $15-$35 range, but I saw a lot of reviews of cracked pans or people saying you have to heat them slowly, not put cold items in a hot pot or hot items in a cold pot, needing to regularly season them, and assorted other things that made Lodge look like more effort than lazy old me's willing to give.

The funny thing is, every guide on how to take care of cast iron cookware explains how to avoid these problems.

For example... When I say "add cold oil and food to a hot pan to avoid sticking", what I mean is, "use room-temperature oil and food". You don't want to put the oil and food in while the pan (any pan) is cold, and then heat it up -- that's a sure-fire way to get the food to stick to the pan, no matter how non-stick it is.

For a cast iron pan, you don't want to take a very hot pan and put it under cold (as in the coldest your tap water can get) water. It'll crack in half, the same way glass cookware will under the same condition. So, don't go throwing a frozen steak in a cast iron pan -- you might break the pan from the sudden heat differential.

Needing to season them often usually happens because people clean them with soap, stripping the non-stick seasoning. Just wipe it out with a cloth a little bit of vegetable oil. If you have stuck on stuff, then boil a little water in the pan until it loosens up, and then wipe it out with that oily cloth.

Cast iron cookware really isn't that difficult to take care of. You just need to take the time to learn how.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

For example... When I say "add cold oil and food to a hot pan to avoid sticking", what I mean is, "use room-temperature oil and food". You don't want to put the oil and food in while the pan (any pan) is cold, and then heat it up -- that's a sure-fire way to get the food to stick to the pan, no matter how non-stick it is.

For a cast iron pan, you don't want to take a very hot pan and put it under cold (as in the coldest your tap water can get) water. It'll crack in half, the same way glass cookware will under the same condition. So, don't go throwing a frozen steak in a cast iron pan -- you might break the pan from the sudden heat differential.

In my general cooking applications, I might say...toss on a piece of frozen meat (or ground meat), probably after running it under the sink or defrosting it a little in the microwave. And once it was cooked thoroughly, adding frozen vegetables, with the meat and pan still hot. And then adding the sauce. That's fairly normal cooking to me, and my parent's cheap set from Christmas Tree Shop handled such extreme changes just fine. You and others make it sound like cast iron can't.

Needing to season them often usually happens because people clean them with soap, stripping the non-stick seasoning. Just wipe it out with a cloth a little bit of vegetable oil. If you have stuck on stuff, then boil a little water in the pan until it loosens up, and then wipe it out with that oily cloth..

I'm...not comfortable cleaning a dish or pan without soap.

Cast iron cookware really isn't that difficult to take care of. You just need to take the time to learn how.

It sounds fairly complicated to me, with all the reseasoning and such. I'll see how it goes with the small pan, which will mainly be used for grilled cheese, eggs, and maybe fish.

 

[Fast Learner]

All that complication of cast iron is why I use stainless steel. (Well, and no aluminum or nonstick due to the other potential poisoning issues.) It must be way better using cast iron in some way that I just don't understand in order to make that kind of care worthwhile.

 

[Pbartender]

I'm...not comfortable cleaning a dish or pan without soap.

That's alright... Not everyone is. It's why most people don't bother with cast iron any more, when there's plenty of equally good alternatives.

It must be way better using cast iron in some way that I just don't understand in order to make that kind of care worthwhile.

Depends on how you look at it... It's not unlike the difference between cooking with a gas grill and cooking with a charcoal grill. For me, I like the way a cast iron griddle cooks, when using certain recipes.

For some reason, my grilled cheese sandwiches and my pancakes, for example, always turn out much, much better when I cook them in the cast iron pan.

 

[Janx]

From what I can tell, Cast Iron is the cookware you don't clean. Kinda like the never-emptied stew pot...

What seasoning really means is cook some stuff in it, wipe it out so nothing's thing or stuck to it, hang it up, and use it again. The pre-existing layer of "grease" is the flavoring.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Well, I received all of my new pots and pans except the 3 qt. pot, annoyingly. That one will likely be the most used.

Only tried the 1 qt. saucepan so far, it works fine. I had to marvel at just how hefty the relatively small 8" cast iron pan was. I know it's solid metal and all, but wow. I do have to wonder how the heck the handle, which is just the same cast iron as the pan and looks to be all one "piece" keeps from getting too hot to touch. Guess cast iron items require oven mitts to use?

I really like the skillet, it looks high quality. Until I find a good (yet inexpensive) lid for it, I won't be able to test it out much, though.

 

[ssampier]

I'm glad you found cookware to fit your needs.

Yes, cast iron is heavy. It's supposed to be that way. The handle does get hot, but the heft works for you. You don't need to move it as much. It does make flipping an omelet or crepe a bit more difficult, however. Also, don't forget the cast iron is perfectly oven safe. I use my cast iron to cook steaks and finish in the oven.

By the way, if you're looking for knives, Victorinox are awesome for the money. I bought the [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Fibrox-3-Piece-Chefs-Knife/dp/B0000CF99O/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1271619054&sr=1-9"]three knife set[/ame] and I have never owned better, affordable knives. I just need a knife block for them, they set in original package now.
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[Jdvn1]

I'm glad you enjoy your new, still-affordable cookware! I tend to prefer buying piece-by-piece anyways.