The Cast Iron Skillet Has Expanded Into A Fully Functional Line Of Ironware To Meet The Needs Of The Modern Kitchen.

An indispensable tool, the cast iron skillet is the most common indoor and outdoor cooking utensil. Quality cast iron skillets conduct heat evenly and consistently, with absolutely no hot spots. With proper care it will last beyond a lifetime, and it’s inexpensive too, making it a great value. The benefits of a cast iron skillet cannot be beat. Its non-stick, seasoned surface lets food glide right out of the pan like no Teflon can, it won’t warp, and it can be used anywhere -- stove, oven, grill or campfire.

If you have not yet added cast iron pans to your kitchen armada, its well worth the time and money to invest in some. Cast iron skillets are cast in all kinds of shapes and sizes for the many uses in today's kitchen. You can even try a cast iron wok for great stir fry cooking.

Skillets

There are many reasons why people praise their cast iron skillets. Professional chefs consider cast-iron cookware to be precision cooking utensils, as these trustworthy wonders facilitate exact control of cooking temperatures, which you will appreciate if switching from stainless steel or aluminum. It is also an old-world way to cook fat free. When well seasoned, a cast-iron skillet will be stick resistant and require no additional oil. Certainly our grandparents cooked with cast iron skillets, and our ancestors heavily relied on them.

For indoor cooking, cast-iron skillets can be used on top of the stove or to bake in the oven. For outdoors, you can use a gas or charcoal grill, or a campfire. Whatever heating source you use, remember that cast iron gets very hot, including the handles, so be sure to have pot handle holders at the ready. Lids and covers are available to fit any size skillet, and need the same seasoning and care as any cast iron would.

Seasoning allows oil to fill into the tiny pores of the iron. As it builds on itself from cooking, it makes the surface smooth, non-stick and rustproof. Seasoning always improves with time and use. The more you use your cast iron skillet, the better the seasoning gets. After your initial seasoning, your skillet will start with a brownish color, which is very normal. With continued use, it will attain the preferred black patina which makes a fantastic non-stick cooking surface.

If you are hesitant to season yourself, or just need to save time, Lodge has the answer in a successful new line of pre-seasoned cast iron. Called the Lodge Logic and Lodge Pro Logic, this series of pre-seasoned cookware is totaling over three quarters of Lodge cast iron sales. This inventive series uses an electrostatic oil spray process combined with high temperatures. It's resulting "patina" leaves a handsome look and superior performance to self seasoning, and it is ready to use immediately, saving you time to do what matters most; flavor-full cooking.

A cast iron skillet works best when pre-heated. To test for readiness, sprinkle water droplets on the heated surface. Ideally, the droplets should sizzle, then roll and hop around the pan. If the water evaporates immediately after being dropped, the pan is too hot. If water only bubbles in the pan, it is generally not hot enough.

Note: If using a campfire, be especially attentive of the coals as to avoid hot or cool spots. This can be best achieved by building up 2-3 inches of coals, which can then be spread out as needed for the recipe used. Even better, is to toss some charcoal briquettes into the fire, then draw them aside after ignited and use for cooking.

Coming in a variety of widths and depths, simply choose a cast iron skillet that fits your needs. A good size to start with is a 10 inch, and 12 inch skillet. Lodge and Camp Chef have catalogs of original and pre-seasoned cast iron cookware. And though they vary in selection, the chart below represents most standard sizes available. Don't forget to purchase lids, as many recipes require covering.

Item Size (diameter) Depth

Skillet	6 ½	1 ¼
Skillet	8,9	1 ¾
Skillet, 2 handles	10 ¼, 12, 13 ¼	2
Skillet, 2 handles	15 ¼	2 ¼
Skillet, 2 handles	17	2 ½
Skillet, 2 handles	15 ¼	3
Cover/Lid	8, 10 ¼
Cover, Basting	9,12, 13 ¼
Square Skillet	5, 10 ½	1 ¾

A Bit of Loving Maintenance will Yield a Cast Iron Skillet that's a Quality, Highly Functional, Non-Stick Cooking Companion.

Cast iron skillets will cook most any food, and some simple tips will help you keep that cookware in an optimal non-stick state. When using acidic ingredients like tomato products or wine, the seasoning can degrade. While of no harm to the piece itself, a worst case scenario may be cause for re-seasoning. More likely, all that's required is a light coating of vegetable oil and a few minutes of warming, which is helpful maintenance anyway. Just wash out the skillet in hot water and put it over low heat. As the water begins to evaporate, wipe it dry and spread a little oil over its surface with a paper towel. Heat the skillet a few more minutes and wipe it out again.

Food that gets a metallic taste, or turns black, is a symptom of two possible things. Either your utensil has not been sufficiently seasoned, or you are leaving the cast iron exposed to water or leftover food for too long. Never leave food in a cast iron skillet as the acid in the food will breakdown the seasoning and take on a metallic flavor. And never leave cast iron soaking in water, nor should you pour large amounts of cold liquid into your hot skillet. This can cause the cast iron to break.

There's a great deal of debate on the use of soap and the cleaning-seasoning process in general. Suffice it to say, there's more than one way to skin a cat, or in this case, care for cast iron. But not to worry as we've studied the many, many processes and have condensed it into a useful page of facts. See our Seasoning and Cleaning page for more information.

Pans & Fryers

A single cast-iron pan will handle just about any cooking task, but since cast-iron cooking is lot of fun and makes the food you cook taste great, you'll probably want more than one pan. A cast iron pan and skillet are essentially the same, and are separated more by function than shape.

Cast iron sauce pans and fryers are generally deeper than skillets. They are heavier than their skillet counterparts too, with thicker walls, making a great tool for sauces. Most of these types of saucepans are used to begin a recipe on the stovetop, and then move it to the oven to finish. Examples would be entrees that needed browning, like seared filets, roasted chicken, seasoned potatoes, etc.

Fryers are used to keep frying oil at a consistent temperature, which cast iron excels at. This kind of control enables you to cover the range of deep frying temperatures for such things as batter fried chicken or fish. You can even add a convenient wire basket for crispy fries or glazed ho-made donuts. A close relative to the dutch oven, fryers can also used for baking, such as cakes, or fresh bread and rolls.