Why the Old Tried and True Cookware Stands above the Rest
Take a look in any kitchen store or online, and you’ll find endless “space age technology” types of cookware, all promising to do virtually everything except cook the food for you. But there’s an old technology, one that’s been around for centuries, that stands head and shoulders above them all. It’s cast iron, a type of cookware that was first used nearly three thousand years ago.
What Is Cast Iron?
Cast iron is exactly what the name suggests—it’s made by taking iron ore, reducing it in a blast furnace, combining it with certain alloying elements and pouring it into molds. Archaeologists in China have found pieces of cast iron dating back to the 6th century BCE. Cast iron was first produced in Europe in the 1300s and the first cast iron production in the United States is believed to have been in Virginia in the early days of the 17th century.
What Are the Benefits of Cast Iron?
Cast iron cookware has many advantages over other types of pots, pans and cooking surfaces:
- It’s virtually indestructible—Unlike most “non-stick” pans, cast iron has no coating that can break down. It’s also nearly impossible to bend, break or even dent a cast iron pot or pan.
- Once seasoned, cast iron is naturally a “non-stick” surface—By seasoning a cast iron cooking utensil—treating it with oil and baking the oil into the cast iron—most cast-iron pots and pans will repel virtually any food cooked in them. Furthermore, the more you use and season them, the better their non-stick properties.
- Cast iron doesn’t have any undesirable chemical properties—Many of the high-tech “non-stick” surfaces have chemicals that can release fumes, which can be unhealthy. Cast iron can actually be beneficial to your health, as you can get trace amounts of iron from the foods you cook there.
- Cast iron cooks more evenly and retains heat longer—Cast iron skillets, griddles, Dutch ovens and other pots and pans typically take longer to heat up, but the heat is evenly spread across the iron and takes longer to dissipate. It’s ideal for rapidly searing or frying foods but can also do a great job of keeping food warm.
- Once seasoned, they’re generally easy to clean—Though you can use a small amount of soap when cleaning cast iron, it’s not necessary. As a general rule, it’s actually better not to use soap. In most instances, you’ll be able to get your cast iron clean with nothing more than coarse sale, a little oil, a potato and some elbow grease
- They are oven safe—You can bake anything in them and even put them in your charcoal grill or smoker. This makes them extremely versatile, allowing you to cook just about anything, from a breakfast frittata to pizza to dessert.
