Cast Iron Skillets

[PoorGirl]

That would be nice. just take it home and cook. No more seasoning. yeah

[Twinmama]

I just have to say, because of this thread, I have been using the cast-iron skillet a lot more lately and love it. I am beginning to think I might just toss the non-stick stuff in the garbage!

[Raquelita]

I just saw a blurb in a magazine for a cast iron grill pan and i think that sounds like a fabulous way to enjoy grilled meat in winter when it's too cold for the outdoor grill!

[BagCSC]

Well Twinmama...I sure am glad to hear that your cast iron is getting more use. In fact, just today my wife tried to make a grilled cheese in a stainless pan and it stuck miserably....trashed the sandwich. I gave her a little bit of a hard time and said...you should know better....she grabbed the cast iron skillet and made it the right way. It turned out perfect. I have noticed that for some reason, sandwiches/bread grills better in the cast iron when you dont use butter or oil. Just grill it with the slight amount of oil that is left over after you clean and season it.

[muslgrl]

I have a ton of them but don't use them anymore I like the non stick cookware myself

[expatgirl]

I love my deep cast iron skillet that I paid $40 at a antique/junk shop---I know that sounds high but I haven't found anything like it---it's the only thing that I use to make my gumbo roux in---it's fantastic and I only wished that it didn't weigh so much so that I could pack it in my suitcase to Kazahstan. Roux and cast iron skillets go together.

[oldbay]

Originally Posted by Twinmama

I just have to say, because of this thread, I have been using the cast-iron skillet a lot more lately and love it. I am beginning to think I might just toss the non-stick stuff in the garbage!

When I was in the Navy we cooked on steel cooktops, and the food didn't stick. I wasn't a cook, but one of the grunts that helped cook. But they didn't have any fancy cookware, and made a lot of food for us. I think it has to do with how they seasoned the grills much like we do with cast iron cookware.

Have you tried to cook eggs in the cast iron cookware? I'm thinking of something like an omelet, sunny side up or over easy that would normally stick to pans without non-stick coatings or a lot of oil. That would be a good test of your seasoning skills.

[oldbay]

Originally Posted by expatgirl

I only wished that it didn't weigh so much so that I could pack it in my suitcase to Kazahstan.

Pack the cast iron skillet in a box twice the size of the skillet and it won't feel so heavy. Really. Try it.

[expatgirl]

Originally Posted by oldbay

Pack the cast iron skillet in a box twice the size of the skillet and it won't feel so heavy. Really. Try it.

Old Bay,

I will certainly give that a try as we have tons of boxes around here--I sure did miss old Ironsides overseas----made a batch of cornbread in her the other evening. Heavenly, and I leave this Saturday to go back.

[oldbay]

Hope your travel goes well, and take the cast iron with you. Keep in touch with us here.

I guarantee you that if you put that 12" skillet in a 16" x 16" x 12" box packed with cornstarch peanuts that the box won't feel as heavy as the skillet alone does. Can't really explain why as it does weigh more, but feels like less. I think Isaac Newton would say it has something to do with density of matter.