That looks very nice, Persnickety. Where is the iron in relation to the glass? I assume it is on the outside. Does it provide a security aspect, or is it strictly ornamental? BTW, just in case that mahogany isn't well sealed on the outside, please be aware it can turn black if exposed directly to the weather. At least some varieties can.

The thing about cast iron is that it holds heat so there might be different heat ratios from bottom to top if you're using a cast iron pan uncovered.. If you're not used to using cast iron, and/or not used to using convection, you might have a learning curve. I would have thought that convection would even out uncovered cast iron, but I might be wrong. There is absolutely no reason not to use cast iron for any kind of cooking--just be aware that you'll have to figure out the right heat settings and timing. I don't know what "needs direct heat" means--if that's supposed to be needs to be on the stove, that's hooey--but I agree that preheating it for baking might be necessary or the top will be done before the pan gets hot. Re pots sticking, I had a cast iron pot in the oven, which I moved to my induction to finish. I knew it had bubbled over a lot in the oven, but didn't realize how much juice had gotten on the bottom. It was good and stuck after half an hour at a slow boil. I was scared that tugging too hard would damage the glass, so I just scooped out all the food, once it was done, and let everything cool. When it was cold, I just tugged (carefully) and it released. The remaining glop dissolved with a wet paper towel, and the cooked on bits came off with a plant fiber scrubby, no worse for the wear.

I just installed two showers and after extensive research including reading numerous threads on this forum, I opted for Showerguard rather than a coating. It is a different process than the coating systems and the warranty shows that. Like you I am not committing to a squeegee every time I shower and I wanted to make sure that I minimized maintenance. FWIW, I have read that liquid soap should be used as bar soap is a culprit in terms of creating soap scum. I will say that I take my hand shower attachment before I turn off the water and hose down any spritzes of shampoo or liquid soap and that works without leaving a residue. And anything remaining gets cleaned off when the bathroom is cleaned normally if necessary - but I haven't seen annoying residue as long as I just hose it down. I can't imagine how people clean a shower without a hand held attachment though.

I also have a Kohler cast iron Whitehaven - which I love. I have the grills too, and after 3 years it still requires very little to keep it looking good. Like others have mentioned, I occasionally use Comet and gently rub when needed. I do not let food, especially fruit or fruit peels sit in the sink - every thing gets thrown in the trash or rinsed down the drain in a timely manor, reducing any staining. I have the "short apron" style and so standard doors and standard sink base cabinet. The short apron is the same inside as the tall apron. Previously I had a cast iron over mount sink for about 20 years. It was in such good shape that I moved it to the basement kitchen. It did stain easier - being much older, but a spritz of Clorox Clean up usually brought it back to shiny white. Also, I never had grills with that sink making it more susceptible to micro-abrasions - which make staining easier.