cast iron cookware

All my cast iron is old - Griswold or Wagner Ware. It is better than the stuff today. Do yourself a favor and get a nice old cast iron pan at an antique store or estate sale (or from me). They are more money but they work much better. You haven't had homefries until you've had them in cast iron. For storing, I store mine in flannel pillow cases in the bottom of my cupboards. Same for my dutch oven I use with the charcoal briquettes. If you find an old fry pan, an 8 or a 9 and it looks like you wouldn't feed the dog in in, buy it. Put it in your selfcleaning oven for 2 hours. Scrub with stainless steel pad, rinse. Then season it immediately by coating it lightly with coconut oil. Bake at 300 for one hour, let cool. Repeat the coating and baking three times. Then cook a nice pound of bacon in the pan. Never use soap on it. If something sticks, boil some hot water in the pan and use coarse salt to scrub with. Lots of information on youtube for cast iron, care and cooking.

Go with Lodge. Only cast iron cookware made in USA.
Made here in TN.

This winter, my son and I built a small crate for our cast iron cookware. Holds a 10" & 12" dutch oven, 10 deep skillet with shallow skillet as a lit, an 8" cast iron trivet, lid lifter and a Webber chimney stater. I lined it with burlap to keep everything in place. Rope handles and a lit finished everything off. This think must weigh in at 60 lb! Fits nicely in my passthrough, though I need to add some quarter round to keep from damaging the lip.

I have Lodge. We keep them in flannel bags made from dish cloths. The skillet bags have a separation in them so the lid goes in one side and the skillet on the other. No clanking when going down the road and the bags keep the oiled iron from collecting dust bunnies.

rvten wrote:
Go with Lodge. Only cast iron cookware made in USA.
Made here in TN.

X2 We only buy Lodge cookware

A person should do some research before using old Cast Iron. The lead content is a concern.

I have a 10" Lodge Dutch Oven that I keep under the oven in a cupboard. I just stuff it in along with the fry pans and a cookie sheet. It's not a precious camera lens..it is cooking ware.

Now then...it IS a wonderful cooking pot..roasts, soups, slow cooked everything and desserts. Oh..and I have roasted coffee beans in it, too.



Gary Haupt

I second the vintage method, our old Wagner skillet is great for steaks and cornbread. Lodge is the only answer if you want new stuff, stay away from imported. Lots of information on the cast iron collectors sites-buy vintage, clean it, and it will last several lifetimes and increase in value.

garyhaupt wrote:
A person should do some research before using old Cast Iron. The lead content is a concern.

I have a 10" Lodge Dutch Oven that I keep under the oven in a cupboard. I just stuff it in along with the fry pans and a cookie sheet. It's not a precious camera lens..it is cooking ware.

Now then...it IS a wonderful cooking pot..roasts, soups, slow cooked everything and desserts. Oh..and I have roasted coffee beans in it, too.



Gary Haupt

Gary,

You need to re-read your source information. Old cast iron is "virgin" iron. This means simply that it has never been used for any purpose before. Pure iron, no lead. After the late 1950's with the introduction of import-ware, there were little restrictions on iron ware, and frankly could have been made from old jeeps, or Buicks, or discarded bathtubs. That is more likely a source for contamination.

Today the iron used in cookware is not as fine or uniform in particulate size as earlier iron. Thus, an older piece made in the USA is a grade above all current iron, and more often than not better finished.

For me I would go with the old, and crusty made in USA iron from a yard sale, flea market, or antique dealers. If you would like more information, just ask, I have sold quality iron for over thirty years, and may have forgotten more about it than most people know:D.

Woodgeezer..I am sure you are correct. However, as in many things, it can`t hurt to do some research on the product being considered.

Remember how cigarettes were touted as a great thing. And asbestos. And on and on. Things change. We become more aware of what we put into our bodies.



Gary Haupt

Do these 'old' pans have a date stamp?