Cast iron is my #1 favorite cookware. I inherited some (including a 1920's Dutch oven), was given some as gifts, and bought some. My inherited pieces include two popover pans. My newest piece is a Lodge griddle, pre-seasoned, that I was given for Christmas.

My mother-in-law bought me a whole set of Le Creuset back in the 80's. I don't think of it as cast iron because it's coated with enamel, but it is. The rest of my cast iron is black and provides some iron when I cook with it--which is every day.

Okay, now I'm hungry.

I love cooking with cast iron. And cooper is right, fried chicken is so good cooked in cast iron. I have my mother's, my own, Tobey's and Tobey's mother pans. I was skeptical of using them on my glass top stove, but several years later, and no problems at all.

My 5qt Dutch Oven, 15" skillet and 13.5" skillet get the most use. The 11" skillet and various griddle pieces a lot less. No-knead bread, pork chops, chicken--cast iron is excellent for many tasks. I always reseason any newly-purchased pre-seasoned pieces prior to using them. I hate having to get the 15" skillet out of the cupboard though--it is on the bottom, under two heavy-duty "regular" oversized skillets, plus the two smaller cast iron pieces. That makes for a heavy lift!

So many things are best cooked in cast iron. I so miss the home fried potatoes, chicken thighs and drums the most. First, I have a glass top range, and since I can no longer lift a 10 inch cast iron skillet, I can't cook in the one I have tucked away in the bottom of a stack of wimpy non stick skillets. I had 4 cast iron frying pans from day one of married life that were originally my grandmothers. Gave to my daughter all but that big one hoping that once in a while at least I could use it. haven't used it in at least 10 years.

On thing about cast iron cookware, it will weather a house fire well, emerging from the flames in better condition than before the fire. Happened to my Mother-in-law years ago. All that burnt on crustyiness around the outside of the pans was burnt off. All that was needed was reseasoning. The house was a total loss, but the pans were fine.

Cast iron was my favorite. Haven't used it in years since getting a glass cook top.

Alisande, I too have a pair of popover pans that were my mother's. She got them from her grandmother. Popovers are absolutely a part of all holiday breakfasts with my family. I have a #8 Griswold griddle that is in constant use. Received a lodge rectangular griddle for Christmas and it is just okay, so far. The finish seems so course compared to my old pieces. Have you had the same experience?

pinky, I had completely forgotten about the pineapple upside down cakes that mother used to make. One of the biggest treats ever, in our household.

summer, don't forget about the many things you can make in the oven with your cast iron, from desserts to breads to main dish meals.

Idstarr, I hadn't thought about the finish on my Lodge griddle until you mentioned it, but yes, it's coarse in comparison to the smooth finishes of my old pieces. (My griddle is round, like the one my parents had.) But it releases pancakes instantly, and I'm very pleased with it.

In addition to family popovers, when I was a kid we would occasionally go to Patricia Murphy's restaurant on Long Island, where servers brought baskets of popovers--all you could eat--to every table.

Hubby wanted a large cast-iron skillet for Christmas. I do all the cooking, and we both wanted a large one. Our local hardware store had a 12" Lodge on sale for $40. We absolutely love it. Nothing sticks at all, right from the get-go. It's the first time we bought Lodge, and I'd sure get it again. I have a couple of smaller skillets as well, 9 and 6". I keep them in the drawer under the stove stacked with a bunch of paper towels between.

No, I do not use cast iron. I have had some for years but never really cared for them. They are too heavy to deal with.

Sue

I have two of my great-great-grandmother's skillets, two "estate-sale" skillets, two "estate sale" dutch ovens, and a new Lodge-brand oblong griddle that spans two burners on my stove. We also have a couple of stainless skillets that rarely get used. Nothing in our house is "teflon coated" - yet, my cast iron is just as non-stick. :)

Yes and love them. I have 2 large dutch ovens, a griddle and an old 10 inch fryer. I use mine mostly for low and slow cooking, pot roast, fried chicken, roasting chickens and no knead breads. Corn breads are great in them. I've been watching the goodwill auctions lately, a pan and brand came up that I wasn't familiar with - Finex. It was an oddly shaped - almost octagonal pan. The auction closed lately and it went for $156.00. Must be a good pan.

No, never have.

I have 4 skillets in various sizes and a Dutch Oven. I have used cast iron all my life (as did my mother before me). Some of my skillets are probably older than I am (and I'm as old as dirt).

I also have a cast iron washtub that belonged to my husband's great-great-grandmother. It is huge and weighs a ton, and will likely stay with the house when we are gone.

Yes, but only occasionally now days. I have a large one and a small one. The small one I use mostly to fry hamburgers. Not sure why but I like hamburgers on the cast iron. The larger one I use, as pinky, to make p/a upside down cake. In earlier years I used them for everyday cooking but I guess I got lazy over the years and discovered how easy the non-stick are to clean. I wouldn't give them up though.

Also I just brought three home from Mom's - two large ones and a small one to which her grandfather attached a very long handle by welding or some such many,many years ago. I remember the fried potatoes, fried mush, and other good things cooked in those skillets. They seemed to always stay seasoned.

A cast iron wash tub! Oh wow. Never saw that. Altho I do remember when I was little the neighbors had what I now assume was a cast iron kettle they made apple butter in.

I dont cook much anymore, but, when I do, I always use my cast iron over my other cookware. Mine has also been through a house fire, and survived.

I don't even want to say how much cast iron I have. My mother was always picking it up when she found it at thrifts, plus had inherited a lot from her great aunt, mother in law, and wherever. Then my sister left a "ton" of it in my barn when she moved back from North Carolina. Never a very good house keeper (to say the least), some of it still had vestiges of food on it when she left it. I got all of that...including all my mother had, and I have added to it over the years....except I don't collect it any more unless I find it for free....then I will take it, clean it up and re-season it. I also have a lot of Le Creuset that I got at thrifts when I used to go all the time. I am obsessive compulsive when it comes to cook ware. I also have many pieces of Magna Lite, which is heavy duty aluminum, but have never used it. And lots of other pots and pans. While working on the house, and even prior to that, I always liked a good electric skillet and I confess that I love cast iron, but when I fry chicken, I prefer to use an electric skillet. I just bought another Farberware electric skillet that I got a good deal on at a thrift shop.

Yes--I have a small Wagner, perfect for morning eggs or a grilled cheese, and a large Griswold. I've had them at least 35 years and they were bought used. I also now have a stove with a center cast iron griddle that I use all the time.

I"m fickle where pans are concerned. I never buy a "set" - I want different pans for different things. I do have a few VERY old cast iron skillets and even a cast iron corn stick pan (which I've ever been able to get to now stick, nor could my mother!). I always make cornbread in a cast iron skillet, and if I still fried chicken and pork chops, I would use it as well. But I love my Le Creuset for stews and soups, non-stick pans for many things, Calphalon for other things. It depends....

Before I moved out of my parents house, I asked for a set of cast iron pans with wooden handles(on sale 5 pieces for $19.99 @ Target). I'll never forget my room mate making spaghetti sauce and leaving it in the pan until it cooled. It smelled like iron. Seems the acid in the tomatoes had a reaction to the pan.

Cast iron was my favorite. Haven't used it in years since getting a glass cook top.

Summer, I replaced my old 4 coil burner stove with a glass top several yeas go, and use cast iron on it every day. The stove looks as good as the day I purchased it. I am wondering why you don't use yours on your glass cook top.

How about the pineapple upside down cake recipe for those of us who don't have it but have the iron pan? Thank you.

I use one Jiffy yellow cake mix mixed as directed. I mix about a half cup white sugar with molasses for a nice fresh brown sugar, then mix in about 3 or 4 T of melted butter, (not margarine). Line the pan with pineapple slices, and place maraschino cherries in the holes and gaps, then pour the brown sugar mix over the pineapple, then the prepared cake mix, Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. I like to use the pineapple juice in mixing the cake mix.

Speaking of Lodge, their factory/foundry isn't that far from us. They have a really interesting website that you might enjoy exploring, and some great recipes!

Lodge Cast Iron (click here)

I have some. Haven't gotten the hang of using it much on the stovetop for anything other than steaks or chops, but my very favorite way to cook with them is in my fireplace. I have a big fireplace that goes through a wall. On the living room side is our fire... on the dining room side is my cooking space. I pull over coals from the hot fire and put the pans directly on the coals. Get it hot. Makes the best steaks in the middle of winter! Like camping. The smell, the flavor! yum... I also have a dutch oven with legs on it. I use this also in the winter and make the best stews in it! The only down side is how HOT "I" get making it. Being so close to fire and stirring and such.... worth it, yes. But have to wear shorts and tank while cooking! hahaha. I have NO idea how the pioneer women cooked with the long skirts and hot fires and long sleeves. Even in the summer time. UGH.... But it is fun to do. Never have to worry about eating well if we have a power outage.

In my area, cast iron does not show up in thrift stores often, and when it does, apparently gets snatched up quickly. I find Lodge to be much less expensive from Home Goods, and my stores carry it fairly regularly. The huge 18" skillet was only $30 from HG; the small skillet less than half that.

Yeah, tomatoes and other acidic foods are not a great long term mix with uncoated cast iron.

I have an enamel-covered cast iron pot that I use for soups. It's not Le Creuset, but seems to work just fine. I don't use my cast iron skillet because it's so much easier to grab my SS braising pan which is lighter and can be left to soak, if needed.

Roseberry,

Thanks for
sharing your experience.

At the
time, there were conflicting opinions regarding damage to the glass. Rather than take the risk, I opted to err on
the side of caution to avoid a costly mistake.

Unfortunately,
I gave my cast iron away. At some
point, I might get a small, smooth-bottomed skillet to try.

I too used my cast iron skillets on a glass cooktop. The only reason they caution use, is in case they're dropped or dragged across the surface in which case they might scratch the glass. Other than that, if you're careful, they're certainly safe to use.

I once had a white Corning cooktop that had to be replaced. my mom had put an aluminum pan on to boil some water, and forgot it. The pot ended up melting and ruining the cooktop. There are los of ways to ruin a glass cooktop, but I love mine. It is so easy to keep clean and shining. No more oils, and pans to get messy and nasty.

I'm not a big fan of cast iron. I WANT to be, but I just don't think it's going to happen. My mother didn't have any cast iron, so no experience with it in my formative years. In my twenties (a gazillion years ago) I expressed a desire to have a cast iron pan and my MIL bought me a set for Christmas. Oh, yuck! They weren't smooth on the inside bottom, full of ridges. And I didn't know about seasoning and I got ugly gray scrambled eggs. That kind of turned me off for a LONG time. Last year I bought a cast iron round griddle. The only thing I use it for is to get a screaming hot sear on an extremely rare steak, and for that it is awesome!

i also have a glass top stove and use my cast iron pans all the time. Mine are old and well seasoned and would not use anything else.

I have 3 cast iron frying pans. One very large one with a wooden handle, a medium size one that I use the most and a small one that fries 2 eggs sunny side up perfectly. I've been using them about 30 years or more now.

Its not recommended to cook acidic foods in cast iron as it can strip the seasoning from it...in an older well seasoned CI it would be ok occasionally but food should be removed right away. remember the more you cook in CI the better it gets, so...get some bacon frying LOL...frying bacon is the best way to season cast iron...here's a pic of my grandmas old griswold..my favorate CI piece

My brand new glass flat stove manual doesn't say anything about cast iron except that both cast iron and stainless steel are not good heat conductors, Aluminum is better???!!! If there was a danger or precaution to take when using cast iron, I would think the manual would say that. I've been using cast iron on it now for a couple of months with no issues.

I have not had any issues with routine use of cast iron pans on a glass cooktop. I don't think there is a problem with scratching, although much older glass cooktops may have been more vulnerable to this. There is a *potential* issue with breaking the cooktop if you drop the pan on the cooktop, just because of the weight.

I have a question for those who have had Lodge-type cast iron pans for many years - that is, pans that had the rougher "sand-cast" finish when bought new, unlike the vintage Griswolds - does the rough surface ever get smoother just from years of ordinary use and cleaning?

As I posted in the other cast iron topic, I've seen videos of people sanding down their new Lodge pans to get that vintage-style surface, but I wonder if the roughness ever gets smoothed down naturally just from use & scrubbing over time. If it ever does, it would take many years, I'm sure, as I can't really tell if mine has gotten smoother and I think I've had it about 15 years, give or take.

I did for years and still have a lot of it plus several enamel cast iron pots and roasters but my hands and arms are no longer capable of handling the weight of them. If my husband is around to move them I will use them.

Recipe I use:

Topping:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 (20oz.) can pineapple slices

Maraschino cherries

Cake:

1 pkg. moist yellow cake mix

1 (3.4oz.) pkg. vanilla pudding and pie filling

4 large eggs

1/2 cup oil

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2.For topping,melt butter over low heat in a 12in. cast-iron skillet. Remove from heat. Stir in brown sugar. Spread to cover bottom of skillet. Arrange p/a slices, put a maraschino cherry in each hole of p/a slice. (I also add a pecan half in between the p/a slices near the top. ) Set aside.

3. For cake, combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water and oil in large mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed with electric mixer for 2 min. Pour batter evenly over fruit in skillet.

4. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Invert onto serving plate.

Cake may rise as it bakes and rise above the skillet sides slightly, depends upon how deep your skillet is.

Theparsley...yes the rough bottoms on Lodge will fill in the more you cook in it. Providing you arnt cooking acidic foods and as long as you wash it gently. Soap is supposed to be a no-no with cast iron but I do use a gentle liquid detergent, not Dawn and wash it it warm water with a soft rag. Also never use scratch sponges or metal utensils in it at least not until its well seasoned. Actually if you do much frying just wipe it out with paper towels afterwards..oils are what season it and fill the holes.

Here are some very useful instructions from Lodge Cast Iron.

As I said, I've been using my cast iron skillet regularly for 15 years. I was interested in hearing from some of the people who have been using a Lodge cast iron pan regularly for much longer than that (or who inherited one), as to whether the finish ever comes closer to resembling the Griswold pans, or the newer Stargazer pans, just from use and cleaning without having sanded down the surface. I'm referring to a more noticeable alteration in the surface, not seasoning.

Thats a good question. I don't know, but the 10 inch skillet that was Mom's is super smooth. Others I have have that textured feel.

parsley, I have three Lodge pieces and two are over eight years old and much used. I have not noticed any difference in their pebbly texture, but it is also a non-issue when it comes to food preparation.

I also have several inherited pieces of unknown origin, but certainly from three or more generations ago. Their surfaces are very smooth, of course, but I see no discernable difference in performance whatsoever.

I hope that helps answer your question.

I prefer the older, smooth ones (brand unknown), but my mother left them all to my sister...who doesn't like to cook and most likely threw them away. IMO the smooth ones are a bit easier to clean with a wipe. It may be because I use the pans for browning meats with coatings; for items such as breads, it makes no difference. The rougher ones still do the job, though. I have not sanded them.

I was just asking out of curiosity - I have no commitment to either type of surface being better. The smoother-surfaced ones have a prettier color, not that that matters in the kind of kitchen I run. :-)

Cast iron is brittle (it can crack or shatter) but I don't know how it stands up to abrasion. Maybe the surface of the seasoning, constantly renewed as it is, actually helps prevent the underlying metal from wearing away in daily use - whereas power sanding would take off the seasoning layer right away and grind down the metal beneath. (Of course if you do that, you re-season after you're done.)

The manufacturers of the new Stargazer brand pans do claim that the smoother surface "sticks less and is easier to clean" than the pebbly Lodge-style surface.

http://www.stargazercastiron.com/products/

We have an eclectic assortment (Wagner, Griswold and SK as well as some unmarked pieces) and one had a rough inner surface. My husband ground and sanded the inside surfaces smooth before seasoning. We still have some that are not as 'non stick' as others. Ironically it's the Griswold that needs more work, we almost never use it.

Got reunited with CI several years ago when I found 3 skillets for $1 a piece.... a Lodge, A Griswold, and a Wagner. Could barely read the names on bottoms for the crud but knew they weren't cheap junk from China. I went the quick & dirty route for cleaning them up... and I d mean Q&D. Cheapo spray oven cleaner... SEVERAL application. Once clean some serious seasoning with bacon fat. I was hooked. My collection has grown with all yard sale, flea market and thrift store finds.

NOW I have a problem! Most of it has just gotten TOO heavy for me to feel confident cooking with. Also I'm planning on moving in the next 6 months or so... extreme down-sizing. Have at least 3 nicely seasoned skillets. Found a Le Creuset square grill pan, in perfect condition, for $5. One of those Abelskiver (please excuse the spelling) pans and a few "corn" cornbread pans.

There are a few pieces I absolutely will take with me. A LARGE round griddle (Wagner or Griswold... would have to go look to be sure... almost a slick as non-stick, perfect for grilled cheese, and makes a good pizza pan for a smallish pie. A muffin/pop-over pan that makes 8. A cute little diamond shaped skillet specifically marked on bottom for an egg. Would love to have someone get them who would LOVE them rather than just donate to a thrift store. Don't have patience/energy/time to deal with trying to sell online. If I could find someone in my area whi might be interested, that's the way I'd prefer to go.

Klseiverd, I have an aebelskiver pan too! (I Iooked up the spelling.) I hardly ever see those pans mentioned. Today is my daughter-in-law's birthday, and maybe I'll make some ebelskivers to go with the bottle of sparkling red wine I bought for the occasion.

You have my sympathy on needing to downsize your collection. I wonder if you can find a CI lover by word of mouth. If you offer them on Craigslist, etc., there's always the possibility someone will take them and then sell them. Perhaps if you put a decent price on them, it will discourage resellers and attract true CI lovers willing to pay for them. It's kind of a tough call.