How to choose a good cast iron cookware and take care of it properly

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Most likely, before that, you did the opposite.

Why buy cast iron cookware at all

When cookware with non-stick Teflon and ceramic coatings appeared, many decided that cast iron was outdated and could not stand up to the competition. And in vain. To be convinced of this, it is enough to look into the kitchen of any restaurant. There is hardly a place for dishes with a Teflon or ceramic coating, but there will definitely be ordinary cast-iron cauldrons and pans.

Let's see why the chefs and ordinary people love cast-iron dishes so much.

• Environmental friendliness … Unlike modern counterparts, good old cast iron is an environmentally friendly material that is completely safe for health. No chemical compounds are used in the manufacture of dishes, and a non-stick coating is created naturally during cooking.
• Durability … Cast iron cookware is almost eternal. It has served for decades, only getting better over time. It cannot be spoiled: it is enough to clean and heat the dishes to make them look like new.
• Thermal conductivity … Due to the porous structure, cast iron heats up slowly, but at the same time retains heat well, evenly distributing it over the entire surface, and provides higher temperatures compared to aluminum and steel.
• Versatility … Cast iron cookware is suitable for both gas and electric stoves, including induction ones. It can be boiled, fried, stewed and baked in the oven.
• Taste of food … Thanks to the uniform heating, the food does not burn, it is cooked from all sides without remaining soggy, and has a special taste.

The disadvantages of cast iron cookware include only a lot of weight, fragility and certain nuances in care. Due to the large wall thickness, an average pan weighs about two kilograms. For the same reason, if you drop the pan on the floor, a crack may form in it, or even a piece will break off altogether. In addition, cast iron cookware needs to be looked after: properly cleaned and stored.

How to choose a good cast iron cookware

On the market there are cast-iron pans, pancakes, saucepans, braziers, casseroles, goose pans, cauldrons of various manufacturers. To choose high-quality cookware, in which it will be pleasant to cook for many years, when buying, proceed according to the following algorithm.

1. Decide on the purpose

First of all, decide what the cast iron cookware will be used for. In the same pan, you can fry eggs, stew meat and bake pancakes. But it is better when for each purpose there will be its own, ideally suitable kitchen utensils. This not only eliminates the need for thorough cleaning, but also allows you to achieve the necessary cooking conditions.

For example, for pancakes you need a thin frying pan, for stewing - a deep one, for frying meat - with a grooved bottom, for baking in the oven - with cast handles. Try to find the optimal volume and remember that large dishes are not only heavier, but also require a more powerful stove.

For cauldrons, the shape of the bottom is also very important. Flat is more stable, but gives off heat to the walls worse. Round is better in this regard, but may require an additional stand for installation on the stove. So it's best to use it over an open fire.

2. Select body material

Cast iron

Cast iron cookware can be coated or uncoated. The traditional one is simply cast from cast iron and then sanded to remove casting imperfections. After purchase, it must be calcined over a fire and treated with oil to create a natural non-stick coating.

You cannot leave food in such dishes for a long time: cast iron oxidizes and rusts. Pans, cauldrons and everything else must be well dried after each use and periodically lubricated with oil.

Enamelled cast iron

Such dishes are distinguished by a protective enamel coating on the inside and outside. It is believed that enameled cast iron is better than regular cast iron, but in reality it has both advantages and disadvantages.

Thanks to the enamel coating, the dishes look more attractive, they have many colors. In addition, it does not rust, you can leave food in it for a long time. It is easier to clean and allows almost no detergents to be used.

At the same time, due to the properties of enamel, such utensils require careful handling. To prevent the coating from cracking, the dishes should not be sharply heated and cooled, knock on the side with a slotted spoon and scrape off burnt food debris with solid objects or abrasive detergents.

Which material to choose is up to you. With ordinary cast iron a little more fuss, but it is almost indestructible. Enamelled is more beautiful and more practical in places, but it needs very careful handling.

3. Check for flaws

Despite the simplicity of making cast-iron cookware, sometimes there are casting defects, which not only do not decorate, but can also spoil the product over time. Usually, manufacturers of the budget segment sin with marriage, although flaws are also found in more expensive dishes.

Before buying, turn the cauldron or pan in your hands and carefully examine it from all sides. On the surface, in no case should there be cracks or attempts to melt them. The dishes should be smooth and well-sanded, without sagging and cavities (depressions).

Enamelled cast iron should have a perfectly even coating without scratches, abrasions, blisters and other imperfections that can eventually turn into pockets of damage and destroy the coating, making the dishes unusable.

4. Select the material of the handles

They can be cast, wooden and polymer, as well as removable and non-removable. Of course, each type has its own advantages and disadvantages.

• Cast good because they are not afraid of high temperatures and allow you to use the dishes in the oven. During cooking, they get very hot, so you can only grab them with an oven mitt.
• Wooden do not heat up, are environmentally friendly, but less durable. Cookware with such handles should not be used in the oven unless they are removable.
• Polymer the handles do not heat up, allow using the dishes in the oven, but they can break off if handled carelessly.

5. Select the cover

Cauldrons, pots, and goose pans are usually sold with lids. Frying pans and braziers most often go without them, but this is not necessarily a bad thing: this way you do not overpay for the lid and you can pick up a suitable one from other dishes that are in the kitchen.

Cast iron lids seem like the best option at first glance, but this is not always the case. Their disadvantage is that they are very massive and take away heat, affecting the preparation of a dish, such as pilaf. Glass lids are more profitable in this regard, since they have less thermal conductivity and allow you to monitor the cooking process.

How to prepare dishes for use

The difference between exclusively cast-iron cookware from the rest is that before cooking, you need to thoroughly heat it and make a non-stick coating.

Enamelled cast iron does not need any preparation. Moreover, strong heating can ruin the enamel!

At first glance, calcination seems to be a complicated procedure and frightens off many buyers. However, you should not be afraid. In order for the dishes to serve for many years, you will have to work only once.

Plus, if something goes wrong, the frying pan or cauldron won't go bad. It will be enough to clean the surface and repeat the procedure. To get it right the first time, do the following.

If the dishes are not smooth enough, then it is advisable to grind them first. It is best to use a metal brush head for a screwdriver or angle grinder, and then work with a medium to fine sandpaper. After processing, the surface will become gray, smooth and shiny.

Put the cookware on high heat (if the stove is electric, select the maximum temperature) and be sure to turn on the hood or open a window.

After a few minutes, the remaining oil, with which the cast iron was processed in production, will begin to burn out and smoke will go out. This is fine.

Continue to heat the cookware for 20-30 minutes, until it stops smoking and the metal turns gray. The cauldron and other tall dishes additionally need to be turned in order to warm the walls well.

Allow the cast iron to cool slightly, shake out the scale and carefully wipe the surface with a paper towel soaked in vegetable oil. Change towels until all soot is removed, then wipe dry again.

Apply a layer of vegetable oil to the cleaned surface and rub well with a brush. It is better to take refined, but the usual will do. Treat the top edges and outer surface with a little oil too.

Place the oiled dish over medium heat. This time, you don't need to heat too much. As soon as smoke comes out of the dishes, reduce the temperature and spread the oil with a brush so that the baking film lies in an even layer over the entire surface.

Continue heating the cast iron for about 20 minutes to stop the oil from sticking. Turn off the stove and let the dishes cool completely, and then again lubricate the inner surface with a little oil using a brush or paper towel.

Now you can start cooking.

To create a non-stick coating, you can heat oiled dishes not on the stove, but in the oven. In this case, the process will take much longer, but there will be less smoke. The heating method does not affect the quality of the coating: both the stove and the oven will give the same result.

If desired, the procedure for creating the oil film can be repeated three to five times - so the natural non-stick coating will become stronger and more effective. However, it will improve with every cooking.

How to properly care for cast iron cookware

All the hardest things have been left behind. Now with a cast-iron pan or cauldron, you can handle almost any ordinary cookware. However, there are still some nuances of cleaning and storage.

Common cast iron

Uncoated cast iron cookware oxidizes and rusts from contact with moisture, so it should not be left with food for a long time. You can wash the pan after dinner or after an hour or two, but you can't throw it on the stove with leftover food overnight. The dishes will not be lost from this, but they will have to be cleaned and re-calcined.

In order not to spoil the non-stick layer, it is better to use wooden or plastic instead of metal slotted spoons and spatulas.

Also, cast iron is afraid of temperature extremes, so you should not put a hot pan under a stream of cold water. If you are in a hurry, use hot water, but rather let the dishes cool down. She may endure a couple of such contrasting showers, and on the third, most likely, it will crack.

It is not recommended to use metal sponges and aggressive detergents for cleaning. They negatively affect the coating, oxidize the metal. In addition, chemistry can be absorbed into cast iron due to its porous structure. For the same reason, it is not recommended to use a dishwasher.

Most contaminants can be easily washed off with hot water. Sometimes it is enough to rinse the dishes with boiling water, and when they cool down, wipe them dry with a paper towel. If the food is burnt, just fill the dishes with water for a while: everything will go away.

After washing, the pan or cauldron must be dried by wiping it well with a paper towel or simply placing it on the stove for a few seconds. If this is not done, it can rust. Also, from time to time, the dishes need to be greased with a small amount of oil.

Enamelled cast iron

Cast-iron cookware with an enamel coating is even more capricious to some extent. Enamel is very sensitive to sudden changes in temperature, so you must not put an empty pan on high heat or heat it for a long time. Also, do not immediately put dishes from the refrigerator on the stove or put cold food on a hot frying pan. From this, the enamel will crack and the coating will collapse.

Like other enameled dishes, cast iron does not tolerate sloppy handling. Metal skimmers, hard brushes, careless blows - all this easily damages the enamel. It cracks, and sometimes even falls off in pieces. Cast iron cookware is heavier than usual, so you need to be doubly careful with it.

The rest of the maintenance of enameled cast iron is simple. It can be cleaned with mild detergents without the use of abrasives and metal sponges. It is better to soak and scrape burnt food with a wooden spatula.

You can wash the utensils in the dishwasher, but no additional drying is required.