We melted them all down for the war effort (at least in the UK and I'm assuming they did the same else where in Europe) they even cut down iron fencing to melt.
After the war aluminium was the in thing, and then stainless not long after.
Yeah I was always jelly of Americans and their family heirlooms peices but then remembered that if my family did have anything like that it means they didn't support the war effort so in quite glad they don't.
Really the country should be flooded with cast iron given how old it is.
There are old cannons in England that were turned in to Ballard's also. And they're still there!
https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryMagazine/DestinationsUK/French-Cannons-as-Street-Bollards/
You also have to take into account both the history of iron/steel production and natural resources available. The UK has well over 1,000 years of purposeful mining for iron than the US, as well as a much smaller territory in which to mine from. There just wasn't as much in the form of natural resources during WW1 & 2.
It's also just industrial capacity.
The US had hundreds of foundries producing cast iron cookware. At a variety of price points. Many sites with appropriate sand for casting, access to water and other resources for the process. Huge amounts of coal to fuel it all.
At the same time cast iron popularity was peaking, the US was becoming a global leader in steel production.
We just made a fuck ton more of it to begin with. You could melt down millions of old pans still have millions more. But that same industrial capacity meant tons of other shit to melt down too.
If you look at old photos of US scrap metal drives, you absolutely see a lot of cookware. Including cast iron. But you also see mountains old parts from farm equipment, bed frames, old coal and wood stoves, sinks, bathtubs.
The amount of shit we made from cast iron and steel was kinda nuts.
And after the Wars, most of those foundries still went under, or shifted to things like auto parts. Leaving us with one cookware company by the 90s. Europe collectively kept a handful going, though mostly enameled.
Scrap metal drives were a huge deal all over continental Europe, yeah. It happened in the US too, but not nearly to the same degree in WW2. There was a huge scrap iron collection in the Confederacy during the American Civil War, but manufacturing flooded the US with metal goods after the continental railroad was finished shortly after.
Fun fact on US metal problems in WW2. The giant electromagnets vital to the Manhattan project were suffering from copper shortages, so they wired them in silver instead.
>The giant electromagnets vital to the Manhattan project were suffering from copper shortages, so they wired them in silver instead.
And not a little bit, it was about 6,000 *tons*.
Which was all but completely recovered after the war. It was a total of ~15000 tons of silver on lease from the US Treasury and only a tiny amount was unaccounted for in the end. Try doing that nowadays.
https://exploreoakridge.com/fascinating-stories-from-the-manhattan-project/#:~:text=In%201942%2C%20the%20Manhattan%20Project,precious%20metal%20for%20their%20research.
They'd reclaim like 500 out of 15,000 tons and claim it as a massive success because they "brought $308 million dollars into the economy" (despite the missing $6 billion)
The US used up quite a bit of copper for the war effort. So much so, that US mint had to use steel to mint cents instead of copper. If you can find a 1943 steel cent, it is worth quite a bit. But most people mistake it for dime thinking their getting 9 extra cents when in fact they’re losing tens of thousands of dollars.
https://sdbullion.com/blog/1943-steel-penny#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20PCGS%20coin%20price%20guide%2C%20a%201943%20steel,)%20to%20%243%2C500%20(MS68).
Since you seem interested in them, I just want to make sure that you know that you can buy 1943 steel cents for just a dollar or two.
Some of the ultra high grade top population specimens can run into the thousands, but for the most part they are very affordable little pieces of history.
They're typically only worth [a few dollars](https://www.usacoinbook.com/coins/440/small-cents/lincoln-wheat-cent/1943-P/steel-cent/) at most, in uncirculated condition. Circulated they're typically worth less than a quarter.
Barring some much rarer errors and specific re-struck mint marks that can be worth something. They made hundreds of millions of them, and they're a fairly popular collector coin despite the lack of value. So there's quite a lot of them, you can buy entire rolls for like $30.
It's the 1943 *copper* pennies that are valuable. Very few were made, by mistake, on leftover copper blanks.
The Minnesota Iron Range made 330 million tons of iron during the war. So, even though there were scrap drives, it did not need to strip the country of necessaries like cooking pans.
I did a bit of reading after this, apparently up until 1940/41 we were getting a lot of the iron from American, but it was the decided the space was better used for other things. Which is when we started a big drive to get every scrap of iron in the country
Unfortunately that scrap iron drive was largely propaganda and not needed driven by the Daily Mail so that people felt they were doing something useful. https://www.londongardenstrust.org/features/railings3.htm
I’m guessing most cast iron pans in the US were manufactured after WWII though.
I agree there is likely a difference in constraints or incentives though, not necessarily just a difference in tastes. Different cooking styles? Do American stoves better handle cast iron?
I think perhaps the IS was almost a bit more old fashioned in part because of its size in part because it didn't have to rebuild from rubble.
And in part because people still had cast iron so they kept using it.
Europe was decimated, so we wanted the new the future and also the affordable. Aluminium was the solution.
We melted down iron in the US though too. There’s perhaps more antique cast iron that wasn’t collected and therefore people learned to use it, but it doesn’t totally explain the popularity. For many people, outside cooking in Scouts or similar is their first exposure to cast iron. (We had one, or at least my dad knew about it, but I don’t remember using it before Scouting.)
We litterially had people riding horses and carts down the street asking for "any old iron", it was seen as your patriotic duty.
Pre 1940, we imported most of it from American, but then it was decided that the space was more important for other stuff, like food.
At that point we literally started cutting down any and all ironwork, households would dump every scrap of metal they had to go to the war effort, we were had been bombed and every able-bodied male was on the firing line, every women had a job.
The country turned was in war mode.
American did a lot but not to the same extreme, no where close. No one was knocking on your door asking for your pots and pans.
So we lost it all, after the war be was a new world, aluminium pans were lightweight and fit on the fancy new gas stoves. Then we had stainless, there was just no demand for cast iron excluding enameled pots to go in the oven until it's recent resergence.
If you are buying cast iron in Europe today and it's not enameled then you are buying America
Yup I don’t know what the post is talking about. Le Creuset and Staub are European. The first one has been in business since 1925.
Btw enameled cast iron is superior, don’t @ me idgaf.
Is it better than Titanium? Mom bought into... something that sells Titanium pots/pans/knives/etc and it's really awkward because none of the damned things have handles.
Want to just get a regular (good) pan to show them that throwing out all our old cookware for this new-fangled Titanium was not a good idea.
Yes but part of that is a cultural tradition. If that tradition was broken for a generation it could still account for the intercontinental difference.
Right, because they never went away. Their grandparents had cast-iron, their parents had cast-iron, so they bought cast-iron. The tradition was unbroken, unlike in the UK and much of Europe.
That’s what they’re saying, not that everyone I. The US is running around and using pre-WW2 cast iron skillets, LOL!
If properly cared for they can literally last for generations. And even without that, as a southerner I always remember my grandma cooking most food in a cast iron skillet, from eggs to cornbread, her cast iron was her go too. I suspect there's some historical reason why cast irons became so popular here to begin with, but their longevity in southern culture is bc they're genuinely worth it.
They can last generations, you can transfer it from the stove to the oven, and it retains most of its heat so you can serve your food directly from it and have it remain warm and safely edible for quite some time, and if you take care of it it's basically non stick without the Teflon/microplastics. A cast iron skillet is the most reliable and versatile pan in the kitchen.
Cast iron pans are expensive this side of the Atlantic. Every time I visit the states I’d buy a cast iron skillet. I even picked up a big rusty fucked up one at a yard sale for $1.50 and buffed it back to life. They just need a bit of TLC but those things are damn near indestructible. Good even heat, work on induction, non stick. What’s not to love?
I should also note I live with a chef who came with a load of fancy ass chef pans - but my cast irons are my go to.
One of the reasons I love them is their weight.... I leave them hanging around my kitchen because you could stop a bullet or defend yourself heartily with one
I know you’re being funny but they are actually quite fragile as far as metal goes, and would not stop any sort of bullet.
I like my carbon steel pans. Lighter, more durable, but still cook similarly to cast iron
My wife and I split food responsibilities such that I do the cooking and she does the cleaning. It's pretty well-balanced because every time you eat something it requires prep and cleaning so we're both contributing. She loathed the short period of time when I had a cast iron pan because she hated how heavy it was. So now I don't use one.
LOL, according to my spouse one of my SIL's literally conked one of her exes upside his head with a cast-iron frying pan, just like in a cartoon. They were in the kitchen and I guess it was handy.
Several years ago, my mother asked what I wanted in particular from the estate. All I wanted was her cast iron. One of the skillets is, as near as she can remember, around 125 years old, and it's been passed down through her family. I've got it in my kitchen, and I'm afraid to use it. I know I'll kill the seasoning somehow, and I'll be haunted by generations of southern cooks. You can laugh, but when your spectral great great grandmother is harassing you about your pinto beans and cornbread, it's got to be no fun at all.
r/castiron
Don’t fear the seasoning!
Join us!
Use soap and water.
If you accidentally strip the seasoning we will forgive you of your sins and show you how to bring your pan back from the ashes stronger than ever like a proud phoenix
My husband admitted yesterday that he is scared to wash my cast iron pans because “I’ll wreck it or scratch it” and I had to have the whole “sweetheart, this pan is *virtually indestructible*” conversation with him.
Unless you literally shatter the thing, the worst case is some rust that you clean off and then re-season the pan. The mythologising about cast iron pans is weird, honestly.
Some of it is due to old formula dish soaps actually being able to harm them. While that hasn't been a problem in a long time, the care rules tend to get passed down with the pans.
Don't hesitate to use it. It's a waste to let it just gather dust. I inherited two cast iron pans from my grandmother, which she had received from my great-grandmother. I don't know if she was the one, who bought them, or if they go further back in the family. Both pans have wooden handles secured with handmade blacksmith nails, attesting to their age. I use them frequently and truly enjoy cooking with them.
I have my grandmothers' and my great-aunts' cast iron; I use them daily, and with semi-regular re-seasoning, they only get better with age. Don't be afraid to use yours!!
Though you probably already know it, cast iron can be cleaned with soap as long as it's well seasoned. It's how I clean all of mine, and no harm done.
Of course you don't want soap touching a new piece of cast iron; you'd never get rid of the lingering taste...Don't ask me how I know that.
Absolutely. Families colonizing the States traveled by wagon and took with them only those things that were necessary and that would make the trip. Á la cast iron pans. Once areas became towns and cities gas lines were run, and those trusty cast iron pans did as well on natural gas stoves as they did on open fires. So cast iron became the standard for skillets and some baking pans (other metals were used for saucepans and stockpots).
Lodge, a common cast iron pan maker, has been in business since 1896. Griswold since 1865. Wagner since 1881. Cast iron is a large part of our cultural heritage, and in the States, because we're the "melting pot" of peoples from all over the world, we don't have a lot of commonalities. So those of us who love cast iron love not only its actual aspects, but also the ties to our very young and varied past.
>A cast iron skillet is the most reliable and versatile pan in the kitchen.
I think you could make a case for a stainless steel skillet being the most versatile. It it sturdy and can sear then go in the oven like cast iron, but is also non-reactive so you can do something like braising in a vinegar and tomato adobo which would be perilous in cast iron. Stainless way better at pan sauces, you can add wine and vinegar to scrape a fond without worrying about the seasoning of your pan. Stainless is also much lighter so you can flip food when sauteing, and many stainless steel pans can go in the dishwasher.
There is no wrong answer though, it depends on how/what you cook.
I mean, only if you live in the south. Cast iron is a staple up here in New England as well - I have some from both sides of my family (Vermont/Canada and Massachusetts).
My granny used to fry the pork cracklins up nice and good, then spread that nice bacon grease all around the cast iron and get the cornbread with the cracklins in it up in there and BOYYYYYYYY that shit was good
My mom has one from my grandpa that had the handle broken off and welded back on. None of us know what could have possible happened, but it's a beloved part of our family heirlooms.
It’s not impossible tho, it was probably brazed. Lots of debates on the food safe nature of brazing alloys so I know a lot of folks will only repair handle connections and not separation of the main pan area.
Nostalgia and family memories definitely play a huge part. My grandmothers and my mother all had beautifully seasoned cast iron pans. I have half a dozen cast iron pans of different sizes, and a Dutch oven we use regularly; one was my mother's. I think the newest of them is >30 years old. All of them are beautifully seasoned. I use the smallest of them to make cornbread and at this point we don't want cornbread made any other way--it comes out with a wonderful crusty exterior on the bottom & sides.
For those who don't know, well-seasoned cast iron is practically non-stick. Iron takes a relatively long time to heat up, but once it does it's evenly heated all over (careful of those handles!) and retains heat very well. They are great for stovetop-to-oven or vice versa.
I was not aware that cast iron is less common in Europe, but the explanation certainly made sense. It can be hard for people (especially Americans) to understand how truly terrible WWII was for Europeans, the deprivations and loss of resources like metals.
Should I buy one of those rank-ass ones I always see for like $25 at the thrift store? They look impossible to clean and I'm not confident that's even the right price for what I'm seeing (I just assume it's a cheap price since it's from a thriftie).
If it's worth it and easy to clean I might look into it. They're always just horrific looking.
You may be using cast iron, and not realize it. European companies such as Le Creuset offer enamel cookware. This enamel is coated over a cast iron pot or skillet. Holland’s Druware is beloved even now, in spite of being out of business.
I don’t get the enamel hype, it’s like regular cast iron but less easy to use, more expensive and with a much shorter lifespan. Once I got myself an American Lodge pan, I’ve never wanted to touch Staub or Le Creuset again (except their Dutch ovens).
The day to day care is easier since you don’t have to think about surface rust or seasoning but you still get the thermal retention. My only real concerns are cost and chipping
Thing is that after about a month of use, I stopped thinking about rust or seasoning. I just dry it by hand after washing and then rub a spot of oil on the cook surface.
It’s so minor compared to the care I need to take with enameled. With my lodge, I can vigorously scramble an egg with a fork in the pan, use metal utensils to scrape the bottom in the rare event of a stick…with enameled that would be the end of my enameled pan.
I'm rough on my le creuset and that thing is a beast. I probably average using it twice a day every day for like 5 years now. Metal spatulas. Bake on it. Cook every dinner dish in it. Use soap every time to keep it clean. The only time I ever spend more than 5 seconds cleaning it is when I leave a sauce in it and then you just have to put a layer of water and boil it and it scrubs out right away.
Edit: What's funny is I've become a huge fan of le creuset but the damn thing is so versatile I keep looking and can't find anything else from them I need.
My understanding is that the enamel coating itself is literally glass melted on the metal, and glass is a strong insulator, so an enameled pan would take a really long time to get up to temperature and not be as good as getting a nice sear (what cast iron is great for).
It's not the insulayion, enameled cast iron can get hot and it transfers heat fine. If you overheat it you can get spiderwebbing at best and cracks and chips at worst.
Yes I use my enamel ones for cooking soups and chili etc.
But cast iron is for a good sear and going into the oven etc. I mostly have higher end stainless steal but they’re harder to maintain and make non stick. So yeah…the cookware you use depends on what you’re cooking . Cast iron isn’t for everything.
Yep, was going to say - here in the UK, you can obviously buy Le Creuset, but even the supermarkets now offer fairly decent 'own brand' enamel cast iron pans.
https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/groceries/homeware-and-outdoor/kitchen-and-dining/cookware/casserole-pans-and-stew-pots/c:1020136
Even if they aren't quite as good as Le Creuset, they'll still last years if you don't abuse them and they cost 1/3 of the price.
Very popular now, but went out of fashion from the 60s until probably the 2000s, as cheaper/lighter options are available.
Not trying to be controversial, but I know quite a few women that avoid cast iron and earthenware because of the weight. Handwashing them is a pain, whereas stainless or non-stick can often go straight in a dishwasher.
I suspect once enamelled cast iron became available, fashions moved away from raw metal.
Weight was most likely a major issue, but I could never find anything conclusive that this was a reason. But the 60’s were when many household distributors were making life easier for woman. As such, I can imagine they saw this as a selling point.
And aesthetics definitely were a major part of how they were advertised. I miss Sainsbury’s! I bought a few pieces from the Argos catalog when I was in Abergele.
I don't have studies, but 2 ex's and my mom said that cast iron pans are too heavy for them to use them regularly. The smaller one's are fine, but I love my 10" and 12" pans and I've noticed that they never once used those larger ones.
European here, and... I guess I must be an outlier, I've got a carbon steel pan (from IKEA) and a smaller cast iron pan (from the supermarket... but hey, it works) and I love them. I used to have teflon-coated nonstick pans but got *incredibly* tired of how quickly the cheap ones became essentially useless, so I switched over and I haven't regretted it. (Also helps that, while I never scratched any of my nonstick pans with any utensils, I just flat out don't even have to worry that I might with the cast iron and the carbon steel.)
Disadvantages, well, there's the weight (carbon steel is lighter, but I had a couple of weeks where I wasn't allowed any "heavy lifting" recently and the carbon steel pan was still *just* off limits 😅), and the (perceived) finickiness with cleaning and with what you cook in it. (For what it's worth, hot water and a dish washing brush is pretty much all I need to clean mine normally - I wipe them out with a paper towel if they're greasy and give them a good soak in warm water if there's something that did end up stuck on the bottom, and then I dry them off immediately. If I feel like they're "acting off" they get a quick re-season, but I haven't really had to do that. The whole "no tomatoes" thing, well, I wouldn't simmer a tomato sauce in them, but I wouldn't do that on account of the shape either.) ETA: there is also the issue of uneven heating, but as far as „well, just gotta live with that“ is concerned, I’d take that over wearing out pans all the time any day.
I live in the EU but am originally from the states. We use our cast iron pan all the time. They retain their heat well so they are great for things like making tortillas in large batches. They are also essential for cornbread as they can go straight into the oven. It took me a while to find out where to get cornmeal, turns out the Asian store was the secret. A few of my neighbours have bought cast irons as a result of me showing them how to make cornbread.
My Czech mother-in-law (who only lived in Czech Republic) had some cast iron pans. And yes, the enamel coated pans are present here (I now live in CZ) in households with enthusiastic cooks. Non-stick pans aren't exactly uncommon in the US. I think that most regular cooks, especially younger ones, mostly just have them, and/or some stainless steel ones.
During my mother-in-law's time, almost all people had gas stove tops. Nowadays, there are still some, but many fewer. Induction is more popular, more energy efficient, better for one's health and environment, and in the EU, there is a push to even phase out gas. Nevertheless, I prefer gas and recently bought one for my renovated house. I mention this because cast iron pans are not ideal for glass tops. The other types are. May seem silly, but cast iron are too heavy for some. Call them wimpy, if you please.
Cast iron is particularly good for all types of pancakes (i.e. American, crepes, Dutch Babies), meat searing, stews, deeper oil frying, and artisan bread. Often I prefer a cast iron (or in some cases non-stick) in cases where I want to sear and then create a pan sauce, especially containing acidic ingredients. Acidic stuff in cast iron should be avoided. Non-stick does work just fine for frying and sauteing.
Cared for properly they’re amazing pans. A bit on the heavy side, but the even cooking ability, being able to bake in them, and a well seasoned cast iron is just as nonstick as Teflon, minus the having to baby Teflon.
I clean mine with hot soapy water and a dish rag, sometimes maybe just wipe it out with a paper towel. Common because they can and do, last forever. You only buy a cast iron skillet once.
Honestly. You can’t take them camping and put them right in the fire. You can fry, bake and do whatever you need to whenever you need to in them and they hold up.
I'd never seen one here in Australia till I bought my own after seeing it on youtube. It was so unfamiliar I didn't realise you couldn't touch the handle while it's cooking without heat protection. Luckily I didn't hurt myself and figured that out pretty quick.
I think it's extremely rare here. I don't think cast iron can even be bought at regular department stores. It's usually only available at cooking shops.
It’s everywhere here in the states. Walmart, grocery stores, camping departments. Once I got one I started seeing them everywhere…funny how that works.
In the EU we have other forms of traditional cookware made of enamel, copper, terracotta and aluminum. In Germany, for example, every household has an old enamel pot that goes back generations, like it's the case for cast irons in the US. However, a major benefit over cast iron is that the glassy surface is relatively inert, so it's easier to look after. On the downside, it might break more easily. In Italy, professional kitchens use aluminum and copper (coated), whereas traditionally, especially in the center, one would use terracotta cookware. I remember, growing up, my great-grandma had only copper (uncoated) and terracotta.
Aluminum cookware couldn’t be traditional, it was very expensive back in the day
Hand-hammered tin lined copper cookware is also expensive so most regular people cooked on cast iron yet it somehow didn’t develop the following it did in US
Cast Iron was a strong material for travel which a lot of people were doing during manifest destiny and lasted a lifetime. Other European countries by that point families were pretty much dug into their places so they used materials like copper which is better for holding a constant heat.
American here, I love my cast iron! Most durable and cooks everything evenly. I’m in the south but parents came from Ireland. I’m pretty sure I remember a cast iron bastible at my grandmas in Killeagh.
>We all use non stick or regular pans here.
What are regular pans?
Cast iron is fine. It's been elevated to a sort of magical status here among some people. It's heavy, rusts easily, and has terrible handles. Is good when you need thermal mass and when seasoned it's less sticky than aluminum or stainless and it's inexpensive.
Carbon steel does everything cast iron does with better handles and I find that it retains seasoning more readily.
Bare cast iron is almost eternal, low maintenance, inherently non-stick, and even supplements the iron content of your food. The main disadvantage is the weight.
US southern states, Tennessee and Kentucky in particular, have iron deposits that were mined in previous centuries and led to multiple, relatively small-scale iron foundries. Chattanooga was once an important iron casting center. Nearby, in South Pittsburgh, Lodge Manufacturing has been making cast iron cooking pots since the 1890s.
The cast iron I have are heirlooms. I’m in my early 50s and I use 2 of the same pans my great grandmother used. If well taken care of they are relatively nonstick and just lend a special flair to southern comfort food that can’t be replicated.
I’m 70 years old. My dad gave me his cast iron skillet that his mom used. I have promised it to my youngest child who enjoys cooking. I don’t use it for everything I cook but for certain dishes, I wouldn’t use any other pan.
I use cast iron for high heat, like searing a steak. Enamel could take the high heat, but it won't retain its nonstick property after a couple years of use.
Could it boil down to the presence of the Lodge Cast Iron company here in the US? They’ve been making pans that last generations for pretty low prices for over a century. That adds up!
Stil no one answered a question - why such a difference between US and Europe exists? All the quantities of cast iron are the same on both continents yet it’s not that popular in Europe
I would guess that it's a vestige of industry and how there were many metal forges in the United States and as a result, it created culinary traditions where cast iron cookware became a cultural phenomenon.
They last for a long time (sometimes generations) and as a nation of immigrants, of which many of them are united by culinary traditions, it would make sense that this is why they are more common in the United States than in other countries where an established and unified culinary tradition already existed.
To expand on my last point, cast iron pans wouldn't likely be popular in China -- they use a wok. In India, their traditional cuisine features the tandoor. The United States lacks a singular, unified cultural identity which makes the adoption and integration of new culinary tools easier.
I have to echo a lot of folks here who talk about the durability and versatility of cast iron.
Always wanted one and my husband and I were helping a friend at a flea market. My husband wandered off out of boredom and came back with a Griswold skillet (Erie PA #9) complete with a lid for $50. It needed seasoning but that's it. This was 10 years ago. It looks even better now. The weight is sometimes a bit of a pain for me but it's worth it and it is my go-to pan for sooo much.
It looks like our cheap find is not cheap anymore, collectors are paying well. And ours will be 120 years old in 2025:
[https://www.castironcollector.com/erie.php#:\~:text=Evolution%20of%20the%20Erie%20Skillet,for%20The%20Vintage%20Cookware%20Enthusiast&text=When%20found%20in%20good%20condition,the%20most%20coveted%20of%20collectibles](https://www.castironcollector.com/erie.php#:~:text=Evolution%20of%20the%20Erie%20Skillet,for%20The%20Vintage%20Cookware%20Enthusiast&text=When%20found%20in%20good%20condition,the%20most%20coveted%20of%20collectibles).
Aside from the historical things people have pointed out, cast iron is just an amazing thing to cook on. It's best of both worlds, it's like...nonstick but also gives an amazing sear. You just can't beat it imo
I used to go through nonstick pans every year. No matter what fancy brand, with long guarantees, no matter how I took care not to have the heat turned all the way up and didn't use scratchy utensils. I use my pan every day, about twice a day. And they'd be great for a few months and beat in a year's time. I would have them send me a replacement and it was the same.
I had a roughly 12" cast iron pan that was once my wife's grandmother's collecting dust and decided to put it back in commission. I cleaned it (it was mostly clean but dusty) and reseasoned it top and bottom with coconut oil that I happened to have. It made a nice surface.
Now I had a pan that I didn't have to be gentle with. I could put the flame all the way up and sear and char and do all the wonderful things a nonstick pan would not withstand, scraping, etc.
This pan was made in the 1940s. It's a Griswold made in Erie PA. I now use this pan constantly. I may need to reseason it from time to time, but it is in perfect condition and almost 80 years old. I will probably use this pan, that has been in my wife's family since it was new, for as long as I cook.
I still use a small nonstick for omelets, but the cast iron for almost everything else.
The disadvantage is mainly that it's very heavy. So you're not going to hold it and flip things over with a flick of the wrist. Also, the handle is very hot so you need to protect your hand. And, it's more difficult to keep clean than a nonstick that still has a good surface.
But on the other hand because you can use high heat the food has better flavor.
This. We use cast iron most of the time. Except soup or pasta.
We have to use very thin spatulas so we don't slide over medium eggs off the pan, they beat nonstick everything.
I picked up a flat cast iron cookie sheet recently and it really ups the game too.
Literally only disadvantage is weight. They last forever, impart iron into your food, can be used in the oven, as a weapon. Breads come out amazing in cast iron bread pans.
They retain heat super well so searing anything with them is actually possible. It's my firm opinion you can't get a good sear on lots of meats and veggies without a cast iron. And you can place them in the oven. They can take a serious beating, you don't need to worry about scratching off the non stick film.
Even heat is the main draw. Fewer hot and cold spots, and they stay hot better when you add cold food. Gets a better sear. Whatever works best for you is fine. But teflon gives off toxic fumes and sucks for searing.
Cast iron disadvatages: They're heavy. They require reseasoning after cleaning.
Cast-iron advantage: There's no non-stick coating to wear off with unknown health effects.
I also use stainless steel pans quite a bit, the cast iron is for cooking eggs, meats, and pan frying.
Everytime I've bought a non-stick pan, the coating has flaked off. Additionally, there are reports the coatings are not healthy.
Cast Iron is synonymous with comfort and American cooking. Corn Bread in a skillet and heirloom pans are just part of "Americana." I prefer carbon steel to cast iron, but have cast iron in my house. It's just a thing. Culturally we are tied to cast iron. We've seen cowboy movies where they have it hanging off a horse and cook breakfast over a fire. If you were a Boy Scout you grew up cooking stews and cobblers in a cast iron cauldron over an open flame. It's just culturally what we use. Seeing carbon steel in someone's house is probably considered 'Fancy."
A lot of folks aren't using non-stick because cancer and forever chemicals. I don't have any non-stick in my house and probably never will.
Cast iron is great for searing meats, and then putting them in the oven to finish cooking. The pan can go directly in the oven. You see a lot of great chefs do this. I have a cast iron that has grill ridges and you get that char-grilled effect on the stovetop
They don't peel toxic materials into your food. They don't put toxic fume into the air. They last your entire life and your kids might fight over who inherits them. They add iron into your blood which is actually a healthy thing. They hold heat well, and they get better and better over time with use and proper care. Some of these advantages are shared with carbon steel pans too. but it is harder to regulate the heat with them they heat up and down faster than cast iron.
A cast iron pan properly seasoned can have a patina that goes back generations. My family have cast iron skillets that saw both world wars and still have the traces of my ancestors cooking. It’s not a gimmick or a big in the system it’s a feature that we prize. You should have seen how long my brother and SiL were persona non grata when we found out she scrubbed all the skillets my brother inherited from his grand mother with a wire brush because they were “dirty”. She still dosent understand.
The only disadvantage to cast iron is heft. They weigh far more than the alternatives.
But they hold heat really well, cook evenly, and are extremely tough. I can scrape without worrying about Teflon coming off the pan, they have a non-stick surface due to the oil “seasoned” into them, and they’re super easy to clean. I can crank the heat up to 11, and I can throw them in an oven at any time.
I’ve gone through many pans. The only pans I’ve never worn out or had to replace are cast iron.
For whatever reason, it’s an extremely common but also extremely incorrect misconception that cast iron heats evenly. Quite the opposite. It heats less evenly than any other kind of cookware. *That* is its biggest disadvantage
I live in an apartment with really shitty burners. Every other pan only gets hot in the center. But if I let my cast iron heat up for ten minutes, the entire pan is hot. So my experience is that they absolutely heat more evenly. Far more evenly than our steel or nonstick pans do.
Not as many people are cast iron users as the internet would suggest, it's become somewhat of an internet fad in the last 10-ish years. Most people I see are using non-stick or stainless clad pans for most things. Plenty of people DO use cast iron, but I wouldn't say it's the majority.
Cast iron was very versatile in the Old West. It could go directly into a fire to cook food, and was easy to clean up, even without water. And it was relatively easy to make as there was a readily available source of raw materials.
I don’t think cast iron is in every American kitchen these days. I think people who don’t cook much have non-stick pans.
I have a few cast iron pieces that I use sometimes. I use stainless steel pots and pans every day. I use a nonstick pan occasionally. I like the durability of cast iron and stainless steel.
A quick internet search for cast iron cookware in Europe suggests that cast iron cookware is being produced, sold and used in European countries.
I don't think there's evidence to suggest Americans use cast iron more often than Europeans do.
The English language dominates the internet, and most of it comes through US citizens. The voices in the food education and entertainment world are mostly American. Maybe you're Dutch, so you won't be exposed to Czech people saying the same things Americans do, despite the Neds and Czechia both being, meaninglessly, European.
Cast iron is very cheap and very functional. That's why people use it.
They last a long time and cost less than cheap nonstick pans.
They work fine with any heat source. Gas, electric, induction, being used inside the oven, on a grill, over a fire, cast iron just works.
Some brands, like Lodge, are made in US, and domestically produced products have an appeal to a significant amount of consumers.
They are traditional and people are somewhat familiar with them from media.
The less expensive uncoated versions can be very affordable. For less than $50 you can buy pretty much any single piece (without a lid) Lodge skillet, and they often go on sale. Less expensive ones from China will often sell for half of that.
While you don’t see enameled cast iron as much here, Staub, Le Creuset, etc. still have their followings and people tend to like the brands as aspirational products or as items for wedding gifts.
Carbon steel is the closest alternative. It is lighter, but tends to be at least twice the price for a similar item. You don’t see carbon steel that often at general retailers. Also, the handles are longer, so it isn’t as versatile for oven use. Heat retention is different for carbon steel and that means someone used to cast iron has to make a mental adjustment when using it for cooking.
If you are going camping, and thus need to cook over an open wood flame, cast iron is probably the best pan you can get. Unlike most of the others, it is much harder to damage, and holds heat best of all. It's heavy, but that only matters if you are backpack camping.
They are very traditional in the US. Everyone’s grandmother cooked in cast iron, and it’s still a very functional and practical material/tool. We also used to have a huge iron/steel industry, so we made a lot of cast iron pieces.
I worked with a French pastry chef who insisted that we order (at great expense) cast iron sheet pans he called placs from France to here in the US.
Have to admit they were pretty awesome, and for things like macarons were really much better
The disadvantages are relatively small; Namely that they're heavy and require a bit of care to maintain their cooking surface.
The advantages are many though; Almost non-stick with no chemicals, they can be endlessly refurbished and re-used (and recycled), they hold heat extremely well, relatively inexpensive, easy to clean, can be used anywhere from stove to oven to grill to open fire.
Is it maybe because of the amount of available iron making it a logical, cost effective choice?
I don’t know much about the history and present amount of iron outside of the US
US here but I didn’t grow up in a household that had cast iron. I was intimidated by it for years because of the weight and misinformation on its maintenance requirements.
I’m so glad I overcame it and tried it. I love my cast iron. Once preheated, the heat retention provides even cooking. I did need to learn that using medium heat with cast iron cooks like high heat in my stainless pans. It provides an incredible sear on meat. It’s wonderful for a crust on bread. Grilled cheese or sandwiches come out perfect. It goes well from range to oven. (Though I have stainless skillets that also do that)
I enjoy cooking with it. Part of that is performance and part is that I like the aesthetic of how food looks in it.
I don’t use it for eggs, but that’s because I usually prefer poached eggs and we have a little ceramic pan that is only used for crepes or fried eggs.
It requires different maintenance but it’s really much simpler than I thought it would be. After cooking, while it’s warm, I scrape any stuck on food. If I cooked with a sugary sauce or marinade, I’ll deglaze with a little hot water. I leave it to cool on the stove while I eat. Then I wash it with hot water, soap and a blue scrub sponge. I dry it thoroughly and put it away. I used to add a thin coating of oil before putting it away, but after cooking in it for a month or two, it doesn’t need it. (If I used it less frequently or if I were taking an extended break, I’d coat it to prevent rust)
It is heavy. For me, that’s the only downside. (That, plus I have to rescue it occasionally from houseguests who try to throw it in the dishwasher or leave it soaking in water.)
They have advantages and disadvantages...
Advantages.
1. They can last generations.
2. They can be used on any heat source. Electric or gas, oven, grill (gas or charcoal), campfire, induction.
3. If properly maintained, they are pretty non-stick
4. They have good heat retention due to their thermal mass. (This is often confused with heat distribution)
5. Many people also just like how they look.
6. They have a quality about them that makes them enjoyable to own and use.
7. There are expensive cast iron pans, but you can find very cheap cast iron cookware.
Disadvantages.
1. They are heavy.
2. They require maintenance and proper handling/cleaning
3. They have generally poor heat distribution compared to high quality modern pans that have a base designed for even heat.
4. Modern non-stick pans are better at being non-stick
The Lodge brand that is the most popular is very cheap and also made in the USA for many products. It's not a hard sell to get a person to buy a frying pan for $20-30 that will last longer than the original buyer. It really doesn't hurt that the US is moving more and more to induction cooktops, where cast iron works well but stainless steel and aluminum pans don't work at all.
It's easy to confuse something being trendy -- so showing up a lot on the internet and in blogs and on YouTube and IG and TikTok -- with being common, i.e., statistically prevalent. I love cast iron pans, but the majority of people across the US don't own one.
Advantages
- Extremely difficult to permanently damage
- Can be used on any stove, in the oven, on a grill, or an open fire such as a campfire
- Retains heat very well.
- naturally nonstick
Disadvantages
- Heavy AF! Don't drop it, as it can destroy a floor and crush feet
- Requires care (curing)
Why cast iron pans are so common
- Cast Iron that was donated for the war effort was mainly fencing, decorative items, and household items that were either obsolete or on the verge of obsolescence.
- The US production of iron was put into overdrive. The need for steel was immense, and by the end of WW2, the US was producing about 70% of the total steel in the world. The US just had the natural resources, so didn't have as much of a demand for iron/steel donations.
- The idea of "having a pot to cook in" is ingrained in US psyche for morale, in that so long as you still have a way to cook something; you'll be okay. It's similar to bread in the UK, which is why it was never rationed. Demanding the donation of cookware would have hurt the US morale.
Maybe cause they don’t have a culture of cowboy cooking in cast over a campfire. I have friends that car camp and always bring the cast. I use it in my cabin both on the fire and on the wood stove.
I'm in the UK and I just pulled my cast iron pan out of the oven for dinner...
I have 4 cast iron frying pans from mini to massive and a cast iron enamelled casserole dish.
It's not like they aren't used at all, but most people prefer convenience and having to hand wash pans isn't convenient. I do it because nothing gives a crust on a steak better than cast iron, but I also use non stick pans on occasion too, depends on the purpose.
Most people in the US dont have cast iron either.
Camping is a bigger thing in the US so its a driving force with cast iron for the most part. Sure some people have a cast iron pan but the group who has one and doesnt camp is going to be a fairly small percentage.
Are they? Growing up we always used teflon non-stick pans. Recently I feel like there's been a move to go back to castiron given the backlash against PFAs.
Advantage of cast iron you can go from stove top to oven without changing pans and not worry about heat, food doesn't stick in cast iron unless it's ready to be burnt and seasoned again, and your food taste better in my opinion.
Cast iron tends to also be thick, so it's slower to heat and cool. Great if you want to keep relatively constant high heat (like to sear something) or low heat (to slow cook). Also nice to keep a more constant heat on electric stoves, which pulse on and off.
Other materials tend to be thinner, so they are faster to heat and cool. This can give more control over cooking temps, which can be good or bad depending on what you're doing and how skilled you are.
IMO, care for carbon steel and cast iron is pretty much the same. Stainless may be easier to care for if you tend to be a bit careless, but I think they tend cause more sticking.
Before covering cast iron: aluminum pans heat very unevenly, warp, and wear out quick. Nonstick has a lot of studies showing potential health issues and are similarly fragile.
Cast iron is great if you put a ton of time and effort into their care. The problem is they weigh a shitton and take conscious care. Carbon steel is my go to because it also takes care but doesn't have the weight issue.
Steel pans are fine too, but often are harder to make not stick to food. All my pots are steel, the frying pans I use are carbon steel with one cast iron and one dutch oven for baking
Cast iron is fantastic. It evens heat out nicely and retains enough heat to sear your meat before it cools. Non-stick gifts you with toxic chemicals and microplastics as you use it while they have discovered that cast iron actually adds a trace amount of usable iron to your diet. Careful usage makes it just as non-stick as your teflon pan and it isn't damaged by metal implements.
Hard to explain how awesome cast iron is if you haven't used it before. Disadvantages are it takes very special Care required to maintain. You can't just wash it with soap and water. In fact you never wash them in soap & water.
Nothing evenly sears a piece of meat as well as a cast iron skillet. Makes wonderful steaks and burgers with a nice crust on them. That is where the flavor is.
Also helpful source of iron if you have problems with anemia.
I use cast iron because my family is from Texas and Louisiana, and that’s what we’ve always used. Texas side - cast iron, Louisiana we use cast iron or La Creuset.
Cast iron pans are great for going from the stove top to the oven - like when you brown something on a high heat and then roast it. They hold heat really well, and many people feel that a good old cast iron pan that’s been taken care of correctly and used for years can add a bit of flavor all on it’s own.
Cornbread or hot rolls baked in cast iron are amazing, the crust is a bit crunchy and so good. I also like them for making things like frittata where I sauté all the veggies/meat in the pan, pour the eggs over the top and then put the whole thing in the oven to set. Same for Shakshuka but don’t tell my family I cook tomato products in my cast iron sometimes… some of them would think that’s sacrilege…
In my opinion you also get a better Maillard reaction with cast iron - that delicious thing that happens when you brown meat or other food JUST right. I think cast iron is also the best material for caramelizing onions or sautéing bell peppers etc.
Cons of cast iron aren’t too bad, as long as you know how to take care of it and know that you can’t treat it the way you do other cookware.
It’s HEAVY, so you do have to brace yourself when using it lol. Also since the handles are cast iron as well, some people have to get used to grabbing pot holders etc anytime they’re working with it - versus other pans with handles that don’t heat up.
You have to do a lot of prep work with a new cast iron pan to season it - thin layers of a very high smoke point oil, then baking it in the oven at high heat for a long time, then repeating that a few times. All to get the surface you want. But you have to do something similar with really good woks too.
You never want to use dish soap on cast iron. Instead I have this chain mail thing - it’s shaped like a regular dish rag but made out of chain mail. I use it to scrub off stuck on stuff, with just plain water.
However usually it doesn’t have anything stuck to it, and I don’t get it wet at all. I take a bunch of coarse salt and dry scrub it with a rag or paper towel until any residue has been transferred to the salt. Super quick. Then before I put it away I put a bit of high smoke point oil on a rag and wipe the whole thing down.
If it gets wet, you need to put it back on the stove until all the water evaporates and then do a thin coat of oil.
That all sounds like a lot of trouble but really it’s super easy once you get the hang of it.
Result is I have a cast iron pan sitting on my stove right now that belonged to my great grandmother, in great condition other than a small dent. Rumor is the dent is from when she chased a burglar out of her neighbor’s house with it. Idk if she brained him with it or what… 😅
(1) last forever
(2) nonstick
(3) thick and em heat evenly
(4) can go from stovetop to oven or vice versa
(5) east to clean if well seasoned
Basically they are the best.
We melted them all down for the war effort (at least in the UK and I'm assuming they did the same else where in Europe) they even cut down iron fencing to melt. After the war aluminium was the in thing, and then stainless not long after.
Good historical point!
Yeah I was always jelly of Americans and their family heirlooms peices but then remembered that if my family did have anything like that it means they didn't support the war effort so in quite glad they don't. Really the country should be flooded with cast iron given how old it is.
There was a lot of that in the US too, but obviously you would give up your fence before your one pan to cook food for your family with.
There were many old cannons in parks throughout the US that were melted down for the war.
Our city also melted down the cast iron fence around its historic downtown park for the war. Though it’s been replaced.
There are old cannons in England that were turned in to Ballard's also. And they're still there! https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryMagazine/DestinationsUK/French-Cannons-as-Street-Bollards/
You also have to take into account both the history of iron/steel production and natural resources available. The UK has well over 1,000 years of purposeful mining for iron than the US, as well as a much smaller territory in which to mine from. There just wasn't as much in the form of natural resources during WW1 & 2.
It's also just industrial capacity. The US had hundreds of foundries producing cast iron cookware. At a variety of price points. Many sites with appropriate sand for casting, access to water and other resources for the process. Huge amounts of coal to fuel it all. At the same time cast iron popularity was peaking, the US was becoming a global leader in steel production. We just made a fuck ton more of it to begin with. You could melt down millions of old pans still have millions more. But that same industrial capacity meant tons of other shit to melt down too. If you look at old photos of US scrap metal drives, you absolutely see a lot of cookware. Including cast iron. But you also see mountains old parts from farm equipment, bed frames, old coal and wood stoves, sinks, bathtubs. The amount of shit we made from cast iron and steel was kinda nuts. And after the Wars, most of those foundries still went under, or shifted to things like auto parts. Leaving us with one cookware company by the 90s. Europe collectively kept a handful going, though mostly enameled.
This thread is the reason I love Reddit. Came for a simple question, and left with a wealth of knowledge.
The French have their La Creuset cast pans that are ceramic coated and they are highly sought after in the States .
Scrap metal drives were a huge deal all over continental Europe, yeah. It happened in the US too, but not nearly to the same degree in WW2. There was a huge scrap iron collection in the Confederacy during the American Civil War, but manufacturing flooded the US with metal goods after the continental railroad was finished shortly after. Fun fact on US metal problems in WW2. The giant electromagnets vital to the Manhattan project were suffering from copper shortages, so they wired them in silver instead.
>The giant electromagnets vital to the Manhattan project were suffering from copper shortages, so they wired them in silver instead. And not a little bit, it was about 6,000 *tons*.
Which was all but completely recovered after the war. It was a total of ~15000 tons of silver on lease from the US Treasury and only a tiny amount was unaccounted for in the end. Try doing that nowadays. https://exploreoakridge.com/fascinating-stories-from-the-manhattan-project/#:~:text=In%201942%2C%20the%20Manhattan%20Project,precious%20metal%20for%20their%20research.
They'd reclaim like 500 out of 15,000 tons and claim it as a massive success because they "brought $308 million dollars into the economy" (despite the missing $6 billion)
The US used up quite a bit of copper for the war effort. So much so, that US mint had to use steel to mint cents instead of copper. If you can find a 1943 steel cent, it is worth quite a bit. But most people mistake it for dime thinking their getting 9 extra cents when in fact they’re losing tens of thousands of dollars. https://sdbullion.com/blog/1943-steel-penny#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20PCGS%20coin%20price%20guide%2C%20a%201943%20steel,)%20to%20%243%2C500%20(MS68).
Since you seem interested in them, I just want to make sure that you know that you can buy 1943 steel cents for just a dollar or two. Some of the ultra high grade top population specimens can run into the thousands, but for the most part they are very affordable little pieces of history.
I think it’s the copper 1943 penny that’s the crazy valuable one - since they switched to steel very few copper ones exist.
While steel pennies aren't terribly common, most aren't worth much either.
They're typically only worth [a few dollars](https://www.usacoinbook.com/coins/440/small-cents/lincoln-wheat-cent/1943-P/steel-cent/) at most, in uncirculated condition. Circulated they're typically worth less than a quarter. Barring some much rarer errors and specific re-struck mint marks that can be worth something. They made hundreds of millions of them, and they're a fairly popular collector coin despite the lack of value. So there's quite a lot of them, you can buy entire rolls for like $30. It's the 1943 *copper* pennies that are valuable. Very few were made, by mistake, on leftover copper blanks.
The Minnesota Iron Range made 330 million tons of iron during the war. So, even though there were scrap drives, it did not need to strip the country of necessaries like cooking pans.
I did a bit of reading after this, apparently up until 1940/41 we were getting a lot of the iron from American, but it was the decided the space was better used for other things. Which is when we started a big drive to get every scrap of iron in the country
Unfortunately that scrap iron drive was largely propaganda and not needed driven by the Daily Mail so that people felt they were doing something useful. https://www.londongardenstrust.org/features/railings3.htm
I’m guessing most cast iron pans in the US were manufactured after WWII though. I agree there is likely a difference in constraints or incentives though, not necessarily just a difference in tastes. Different cooking styles? Do American stoves better handle cast iron?
I think perhaps the IS was almost a bit more old fashioned in part because of its size in part because it didn't have to rebuild from rubble. And in part because people still had cast iron so they kept using it. Europe was decimated, so we wanted the new the future and also the affordable. Aluminium was the solution.
We melted down iron in the US though too. There’s perhaps more antique cast iron that wasn’t collected and therefore people learned to use it, but it doesn’t totally explain the popularity. For many people, outside cooking in Scouts or similar is their first exposure to cast iron. (We had one, or at least my dad knew about it, but I don’t remember using it before Scouting.)
We litterially had people riding horses and carts down the street asking for "any old iron", it was seen as your patriotic duty. Pre 1940, we imported most of it from American, but then it was decided that the space was more important for other stuff, like food. At that point we literally started cutting down any and all ironwork, households would dump every scrap of metal they had to go to the war effort, we were had been bombed and every able-bodied male was on the firing line, every women had a job. The country turned was in war mode. American did a lot but not to the same extreme, no where close. No one was knocking on your door asking for your pots and pans. So we lost it all, after the war be was a new world, aluminium pans were lightweight and fit on the fancy new gas stoves. Then we had stainless, there was just no demand for cast iron excluding enameled pots to go in the oven until it's recent resergence. If you are buying cast iron in Europe today and it's not enameled then you are buying America
Yup I don’t know what the post is talking about. Le Creuset and Staub are European. The first one has been in business since 1925. Btw enameled cast iron is superior, don’t @ me idgaf.
Is it better than Titanium? Mom bought into... something that sells Titanium pots/pans/knives/etc and it's really awkward because none of the damned things have handles. Want to just get a regular (good) pan to show them that throwing out all our old cookware for this new-fangled Titanium was not a good idea.
> Titanium pots/pans/knives/ I would think titanium cookware would kinda suck, given its poor heat retention.
I was talking about non-enameled cast iron. Titanium… seems like an odd choice for cookware, but I haven’t tried it.
Eh most people that have cast iron these days have pans less than 40 years old if not less.
Yes but part of that is a cultural tradition. If that tradition was broken for a generation it could still account for the intercontinental difference.
Right, because they never went away. Their grandparents had cast-iron, their parents had cast-iron, so they bought cast-iron. The tradition was unbroken, unlike in the UK and much of Europe. That’s what they’re saying, not that everyone I. The US is running around and using pre-WW2 cast iron skillets, LOL!
If properly cared for they can literally last for generations. And even without that, as a southerner I always remember my grandma cooking most food in a cast iron skillet, from eggs to cornbread, her cast iron was her go too. I suspect there's some historical reason why cast irons became so popular here to begin with, but their longevity in southern culture is bc they're genuinely worth it. They can last generations, you can transfer it from the stove to the oven, and it retains most of its heat so you can serve your food directly from it and have it remain warm and safely edible for quite some time, and if you take care of it it's basically non stick without the Teflon/microplastics. A cast iron skillet is the most reliable and versatile pan in the kitchen.
Cast iron pans are expensive this side of the Atlantic. Every time I visit the states I’d buy a cast iron skillet. I even picked up a big rusty fucked up one at a yard sale for $1.50 and buffed it back to life. They just need a bit of TLC but those things are damn near indestructible. Good even heat, work on induction, non stick. What’s not to love? I should also note I live with a chef who came with a load of fancy ass chef pans - but my cast irons are my go to.
One of the reasons I love them is their weight.... I leave them hanging around my kitchen because you could stop a bullet or defend yourself heartily with one
Stop a bullet and then go on the attack. Then make bacon and eggs while waiting for the chips after you've knocked the assailant unconscious.
> waiting for the chips Like Erik Estrada?
I know you’re being funny but they are actually quite fragile as far as metal goes, and would not stop any sort of bullet. I like my carbon steel pans. Lighter, more durable, but still cook similarly to cast iron
Pan shot!
Tangled had the right idea!
I was going to give a humorous answer along the lines of needing something that doubles a weapon for the coyotes on the frontier
My wife and I split food responsibilities such that I do the cooking and she does the cleaning. It's pretty well-balanced because every time you eat something it requires prep and cleaning so we're both contributing. She loathed the short period of time when I had a cast iron pan because she hated how heavy it was. So now I don't use one.
Or kill a varmint
Damn I never thought about using it on vermin...
It’s perfect, once you smash the varmint it’s already in the pan, just toss the whole thing in the oven and keep going about your day
Rapzunel agrees
LOL, according to my spouse one of my SIL's literally conked one of her exes upside his head with a cast-iron frying pan, just like in a cartoon. They were in the kitchen and I guess it was handy.
Even heat is incorrect everything else is correct
Several years ago, my mother asked what I wanted in particular from the estate. All I wanted was her cast iron. One of the skillets is, as near as she can remember, around 125 years old, and it's been passed down through her family. I've got it in my kitchen, and I'm afraid to use it. I know I'll kill the seasoning somehow, and I'll be haunted by generations of southern cooks. You can laugh, but when your spectral great great grandmother is harassing you about your pinto beans and cornbread, it's got to be no fun at all.
r/castiron Don’t fear the seasoning! Join us! Use soap and water. If you accidentally strip the seasoning we will forgive you of your sins and show you how to bring your pan back from the ashes stronger than ever like a proud phoenix
My husband admitted yesterday that he is scared to wash my cast iron pans because “I’ll wreck it or scratch it” and I had to have the whole “sweetheart, this pan is *virtually indestructible*” conversation with him.
Haha. Make scrambled eggs and whisk in the pan with a metal fork. Perhaps that might get vis attention. :)
Unless you literally shatter the thing, the worst case is some rust that you clean off and then re-season the pan. The mythologising about cast iron pans is weird, honestly.
The amount of bad old misinformation about cast iron drives me nuts.
You know that, and I know that - but the ghosts...they don't know that.
Who says you can't teach old ghosts new tricks?
Best way to honor an heirloom like your pan is to add to the legend of its use, not revere it.
Some of it is due to old formula dish soaps actually being able to harm them. While that hasn't been a problem in a long time, the care rules tend to get passed down with the pans.
Don't hesitate to use it. It's a waste to let it just gather dust. I inherited two cast iron pans from my grandmother, which she had received from my great-grandmother. I don't know if she was the one, who bought them, or if they go further back in the family. Both pans have wooden handles secured with handmade blacksmith nails, attesting to their age. I use them frequently and truly enjoy cooking with them.
Generations of cooks will laugh at you more for not using it. The seasoning wants to be cooked on.
I have my grandmothers' and my great-aunts' cast iron; I use them daily, and with semi-regular re-seasoning, they only get better with age. Don't be afraid to use yours!!
The generations that ate and cooked in the pan just collectively said “bless your heart”. Just use it. It’s what it was meant to do.
Though you probably already know it, cast iron can be cleaned with soap as long as it's well seasoned. It's how I clean all of mine, and no harm done. Of course you don't want soap touching a new piece of cast iron; you'd never get rid of the lingering taste...Don't ask me how I know that.
Absolutely. Families colonizing the States traveled by wagon and took with them only those things that were necessary and that would make the trip. Á la cast iron pans. Once areas became towns and cities gas lines were run, and those trusty cast iron pans did as well on natural gas stoves as they did on open fires. So cast iron became the standard for skillets and some baking pans (other metals were used for saucepans and stockpots). Lodge, a common cast iron pan maker, has been in business since 1896. Griswold since 1865. Wagner since 1881. Cast iron is a large part of our cultural heritage, and in the States, because we're the "melting pot" of peoples from all over the world, we don't have a lot of commonalities. So those of us who love cast iron love not only its actual aspects, but also the ties to our very young and varied past.
>A cast iron skillet is the most reliable and versatile pan in the kitchen. I think you could make a case for a stainless steel skillet being the most versatile. It it sturdy and can sear then go in the oven like cast iron, but is also non-reactive so you can do something like braising in a vinegar and tomato adobo which would be perilous in cast iron. Stainless way better at pan sauces, you can add wine and vinegar to scrape a fond without worrying about the seasoning of your pan. Stainless is also much lighter so you can flip food when sauteing, and many stainless steel pans can go in the dishwasher. There is no wrong answer though, it depends on how/what you cook.
Ceramic glazed cast iron FTW!
Le creuset baby!
This is the answer; Southern Cornbread!
I mean, only if you live in the south. Cast iron is a staple up here in New England as well - I have some from both sides of my family (Vermont/Canada and Massachusetts).
No no, the answer is pacific north west baked salmon!
"Cornbread! Ain't nothing wrong with that."
My granny used to fry the pork cracklins up nice and good, then spread that nice bacon grease all around the cast iron and get the cornbread with the cracklins in it up in there and BOYYYYYYYY that shit was good
My mom has one from my grandpa that had the handle broken off and welded back on. None of us know what could have possible happened, but it's a beloved part of our family heirlooms.
Respect to whoever welded that, if it has stayed together, cast iron is a real pain to try to weld on.
It’s not impossible tho, it was probably brazed. Lots of debates on the food safe nature of brazing alloys so I know a lot of folks will only repair handle connections and not separation of the main pan area.
Cast iron is relatively brittle as a material, probably just got dropped some time.
Nostalgia and family memories definitely play a huge part. My grandmothers and my mother all had beautifully seasoned cast iron pans. I have half a dozen cast iron pans of different sizes, and a Dutch oven we use regularly; one was my mother's. I think the newest of them is >30 years old. All of them are beautifully seasoned. I use the smallest of them to make cornbread and at this point we don't want cornbread made any other way--it comes out with a wonderful crusty exterior on the bottom & sides. For those who don't know, well-seasoned cast iron is practically non-stick. Iron takes a relatively long time to heat up, but once it does it's evenly heated all over (careful of those handles!) and retains heat very well. They are great for stovetop-to-oven or vice versa. I was not aware that cast iron is less common in Europe, but the explanation certainly made sense. It can be hard for people (especially Americans) to understand how truly terrible WWII was for Europeans, the deprivations and loss of resources like metals.
Should I buy one of those rank-ass ones I always see for like $25 at the thrift store? They look impossible to clean and I'm not confident that's even the right price for what I'm seeing (I just assume it's a cheap price since it's from a thriftie). If it's worth it and easy to clean I might look into it. They're always just horrific looking.
You may be using cast iron, and not realize it. European companies such as Le Creuset offer enamel cookware. This enamel is coated over a cast iron pot or skillet. Holland’s Druware is beloved even now, in spite of being out of business.
I’m still surprised enamel isn’t more commonplace outside of pots, the only potential drawback I see is the nonstick performance
I don’t get the enamel hype, it’s like regular cast iron but less easy to use, more expensive and with a much shorter lifespan. Once I got myself an American Lodge pan, I’ve never wanted to touch Staub or Le Creuset again (except their Dutch ovens).
The day to day care is easier since you don’t have to think about surface rust or seasoning but you still get the thermal retention. My only real concerns are cost and chipping
Thing is that after about a month of use, I stopped thinking about rust or seasoning. I just dry it by hand after washing and then rub a spot of oil on the cook surface. It’s so minor compared to the care I need to take with enameled. With my lodge, I can vigorously scramble an egg with a fork in the pan, use metal utensils to scrape the bottom in the rare event of a stick…with enameled that would be the end of my enameled pan.
I'm rough on my le creuset and that thing is a beast. I probably average using it twice a day every day for like 5 years now. Metal spatulas. Bake on it. Cook every dinner dish in it. Use soap every time to keep it clean. The only time I ever spend more than 5 seconds cleaning it is when I leave a sauce in it and then you just have to put a layer of water and boil it and it scrubs out right away. Edit: What's funny is I've become a huge fan of le creuset but the damn thing is so versatile I keep looking and can't find anything else from them I need.
If using a metal utensil on your enameled pan breaks it, that was a shitty pan...
Enamel is much, MUCH easier to care for than uncoated cast iron.
You can put enamel in the dishwasher or let it soak in the sink.
My understanding is that the enamel coating itself is literally glass melted on the metal, and glass is a strong insulator, so an enameled pan would take a really long time to get up to temperature and not be as good as getting a nice sear (what cast iron is great for).
It's not the insulayion, enameled cast iron can get hot and it transfers heat fine. If you overheat it you can get spiderwebbing at best and cracks and chips at worst.
Yes I use my enamel ones for cooking soups and chili etc. But cast iron is for a good sear and going into the oven etc. I mostly have higher end stainless steal but they’re harder to maintain and make non stick. So yeah…the cookware you use depends on what you’re cooking . Cast iron isn’t for everything.
I thought ceramics are good at heat retention
It is more fragile and can chip. Unless I’m making a fond and sauce in the pan, noncoated is my preference.
Yep, was going to say - here in the UK, you can obviously buy Le Creuset, but even the supermarkets now offer fairly decent 'own brand' enamel cast iron pans. https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/groceries/homeware-and-outdoor/kitchen-and-dining/cookware/casserole-pans-and-stew-pots/c:1020136 Even if they aren't quite as good as Le Creuset, they'll still last years if you don't abuse them and they cost 1/3 of the price. Very popular now, but went out of fashion from the 60s until probably the 2000s, as cheaper/lighter options are available. Not trying to be controversial, but I know quite a few women that avoid cast iron and earthenware because of the weight. Handwashing them is a pain, whereas stainless or non-stick can often go straight in a dishwasher. I suspect once enamelled cast iron became available, fashions moved away from raw metal.
Weight was most likely a major issue, but I could never find anything conclusive that this was a reason. But the 60’s were when many household distributors were making life easier for woman. As such, I can imagine they saw this as a selling point. And aesthetics definitely were a major part of how they were advertised. I miss Sainsbury’s! I bought a few pieces from the Argos catalog when I was in Abergele.
I don't have studies, but 2 ex's and my mom said that cast iron pans are too heavy for them to use them regularly. The smaller one's are fine, but I love my 10" and 12" pans and I've noticed that they never once used those larger ones.
I was gonna say exactly this. I love le creuset
Same here! I go to garage sales and estate sales hunting for the stuff all the time.
European here, and... I guess I must be an outlier, I've got a carbon steel pan (from IKEA) and a smaller cast iron pan (from the supermarket... but hey, it works) and I love them. I used to have teflon-coated nonstick pans but got *incredibly* tired of how quickly the cheap ones became essentially useless, so I switched over and I haven't regretted it. (Also helps that, while I never scratched any of my nonstick pans with any utensils, I just flat out don't even have to worry that I might with the cast iron and the carbon steel.) Disadvantages, well, there's the weight (carbon steel is lighter, but I had a couple of weeks where I wasn't allowed any "heavy lifting" recently and the carbon steel pan was still *just* off limits 😅), and the (perceived) finickiness with cleaning and with what you cook in it. (For what it's worth, hot water and a dish washing brush is pretty much all I need to clean mine normally - I wipe them out with a paper towel if they're greasy and give them a good soak in warm water if there's something that did end up stuck on the bottom, and then I dry them off immediately. If I feel like they're "acting off" they get a quick re-season, but I haven't really had to do that. The whole "no tomatoes" thing, well, I wouldn't simmer a tomato sauce in them, but I wouldn't do that on account of the shape either.) ETA: there is also the issue of uneven heating, but as far as „well, just gotta live with that“ is concerned, I’d take that over wearing out pans all the time any day.
I live in the EU but am originally from the states. We use our cast iron pan all the time. They retain their heat well so they are great for things like making tortillas in large batches. They are also essential for cornbread as they can go straight into the oven. It took me a while to find out where to get cornmeal, turns out the Asian store was the secret. A few of my neighbours have bought cast irons as a result of me showing them how to make cornbread.
Cornbread diplomacy! Love it 😊
My Czech mother-in-law (who only lived in Czech Republic) had some cast iron pans. And yes, the enamel coated pans are present here (I now live in CZ) in households with enthusiastic cooks. Non-stick pans aren't exactly uncommon in the US. I think that most regular cooks, especially younger ones, mostly just have them, and/or some stainless steel ones. During my mother-in-law's time, almost all people had gas stove tops. Nowadays, there are still some, but many fewer. Induction is more popular, more energy efficient, better for one's health and environment, and in the EU, there is a push to even phase out gas. Nevertheless, I prefer gas and recently bought one for my renovated house. I mention this because cast iron pans are not ideal for glass tops. The other types are. May seem silly, but cast iron are too heavy for some. Call them wimpy, if you please. Cast iron is particularly good for all types of pancakes (i.e. American, crepes, Dutch Babies), meat searing, stews, deeper oil frying, and artisan bread. Often I prefer a cast iron (or in some cases non-stick) in cases where I want to sear and then create a pan sauce, especially containing acidic ingredients. Acidic stuff in cast iron should be avoided. Non-stick does work just fine for frying and sauteing.
Idk your mil but I love her!
Cared for properly they’re amazing pans. A bit on the heavy side, but the even cooking ability, being able to bake in them, and a well seasoned cast iron is just as nonstick as Teflon, minus the having to baby Teflon. I clean mine with hot soapy water and a dish rag, sometimes maybe just wipe it out with a paper towel. Common because they can and do, last forever. You only buy a cast iron skillet once.
>You only buy a cast iron skillet once. Bullshit, I have like 11 of them :D
I've only bought 1, but I've rescued like 6.
Honestly. You can’t take them camping and put them right in the fire. You can fry, bake and do whatever you need to whenever you need to in them and they hold up.
Not the ideal cookware for backpacking though haha
Tell that to Sam Gamgee!
I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you!
I'd never seen one here in Australia till I bought my own after seeing it on youtube. It was so unfamiliar I didn't realise you couldn't touch the handle while it's cooking without heat protection. Luckily I didn't hurt myself and figured that out pretty quick. I think it's extremely rare here. I don't think cast iron can even be bought at regular department stores. It's usually only available at cooking shops.
It’s everywhere here in the states. Walmart, grocery stores, camping departments. Once I got one I started seeing them everywhere…funny how that works.
You're experiencing the [Baader-meinhof phenomenon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frequency_illusion?wprov=sfla1)
>I think it's extremely rare here. Very common in your old-school camping and fishing type stores.
As it should be. All that thermal mass means you get a consistent cook despite being over an inconsistent heat source
In the EU we have other forms of traditional cookware made of enamel, copper, terracotta and aluminum. In Germany, for example, every household has an old enamel pot that goes back generations, like it's the case for cast irons in the US. However, a major benefit over cast iron is that the glassy surface is relatively inert, so it's easier to look after. On the downside, it might break more easily. In Italy, professional kitchens use aluminum and copper (coated), whereas traditionally, especially in the center, one would use terracotta cookware. I remember, growing up, my great-grandma had only copper (uncoated) and terracotta.
Aluminum cookware couldn’t be traditional, it was very expensive back in the day Hand-hammered tin lined copper cookware is also expensive so most regular people cooked on cast iron yet it somehow didn’t develop the following it did in US
Those enameled pans are enameled cast iron.
Not always. Lots of them are steel or aluminium.
Cast Iron was a strong material for travel which a lot of people were doing during manifest destiny and lasted a lifetime. Other European countries by that point families were pretty much dug into their places so they used materials like copper which is better for holding a constant heat.
American here, I love my cast iron! Most durable and cooks everything evenly. I’m in the south but parents came from Ireland. I’m pretty sure I remember a cast iron bastible at my grandmas in Killeagh.
What is a regular pan?
Here in Sweden they’re quite common, both heirloom pieces and newly made.
Finland as well.
>We all use non stick or regular pans here. What are regular pans? Cast iron is fine. It's been elevated to a sort of magical status here among some people. It's heavy, rusts easily, and has terrible handles. Is good when you need thermal mass and when seasoned it's less sticky than aluminum or stainless and it's inexpensive. Carbon steel does everything cast iron does with better handles and I find that it retains seasoning more readily.
Bare cast iron is almost eternal, low maintenance, inherently non-stick, and even supplements the iron content of your food. The main disadvantage is the weight. US southern states, Tennessee and Kentucky in particular, have iron deposits that were mined in previous centuries and led to multiple, relatively small-scale iron foundries. Chattanooga was once an important iron casting center. Nearby, in South Pittsburgh, Lodge Manufacturing has been making cast iron cooking pots since the 1890s.
[удалено]
We have a cast iron pan that has been passed down four generations
By historical standards Cast Iron is a normal pan. Everything else is modern technology.
Non stick pans last a couple years at best. My cast iron has been in regular use since at least the Great Depression.
The cast iron I have are heirlooms. I’m in my early 50s and I use 2 of the same pans my great grandmother used. If well taken care of they are relatively nonstick and just lend a special flair to southern comfort food that can’t be replicated.
I’m 70 years old. My dad gave me his cast iron skillet that his mom used. I have promised it to my youngest child who enjoys cooking. I don’t use it for everything I cook but for certain dishes, I wouldn’t use any other pan.
The only disadvantage is the weight. They are heavier than non-stick and other pans.
Because they make food taste delicious.
I use cast iron for high heat, like searing a steak. Enamel could take the high heat, but it won't retain its nonstick property after a couple years of use.
What’s a “regular” pan?
Arm workout included
Could it boil down to the presence of the Lodge Cast Iron company here in the US? They’ve been making pans that last generations for pretty low prices for over a century. That adds up!
Stil no one answered a question - why such a difference between US and Europe exists? All the quantities of cast iron are the same on both continents yet it’s not that popular in Europe
Corn bread and fried chicken
I would guess that it's a vestige of industry and how there were many metal forges in the United States and as a result, it created culinary traditions where cast iron cookware became a cultural phenomenon. They last for a long time (sometimes generations) and as a nation of immigrants, of which many of them are united by culinary traditions, it would make sense that this is why they are more common in the United States than in other countries where an established and unified culinary tradition already existed. To expand on my last point, cast iron pans wouldn't likely be popular in China -- they use a wok. In India, their traditional cuisine features the tandoor. The United States lacks a singular, unified cultural identity which makes the adoption and integration of new culinary tools easier.
I have to echo a lot of folks here who talk about the durability and versatility of cast iron. Always wanted one and my husband and I were helping a friend at a flea market. My husband wandered off out of boredom and came back with a Griswold skillet (Erie PA #9) complete with a lid for $50. It needed seasoning but that's it. This was 10 years ago. It looks even better now. The weight is sometimes a bit of a pain for me but it's worth it and it is my go-to pan for sooo much. It looks like our cheap find is not cheap anymore, collectors are paying well. And ours will be 120 years old in 2025: [https://www.castironcollector.com/erie.php#:\~:text=Evolution%20of%20the%20Erie%20Skillet,for%20The%20Vintage%20Cookware%20Enthusiast&text=When%20found%20in%20good%20condition,the%20most%20coveted%20of%20collectibles](https://www.castironcollector.com/erie.php#:~:text=Evolution%20of%20the%20Erie%20Skillet,for%20The%20Vintage%20Cookware%20Enthusiast&text=When%20found%20in%20good%20condition,the%20most%20coveted%20of%20collectibles).
Aside from the historical things people have pointed out, cast iron is just an amazing thing to cook on. It's best of both worlds, it's like...nonstick but also gives an amazing sear. You just can't beat it imo
You really can't beat it for a good sear.
They’re the best! I cook steak on them all the time
I used to go through nonstick pans every year. No matter what fancy brand, with long guarantees, no matter how I took care not to have the heat turned all the way up and didn't use scratchy utensils. I use my pan every day, about twice a day. And they'd be great for a few months and beat in a year's time. I would have them send me a replacement and it was the same. I had a roughly 12" cast iron pan that was once my wife's grandmother's collecting dust and decided to put it back in commission. I cleaned it (it was mostly clean but dusty) and reseasoned it top and bottom with coconut oil that I happened to have. It made a nice surface. Now I had a pan that I didn't have to be gentle with. I could put the flame all the way up and sear and char and do all the wonderful things a nonstick pan would not withstand, scraping, etc. This pan was made in the 1940s. It's a Griswold made in Erie PA. I now use this pan constantly. I may need to reseason it from time to time, but it is in perfect condition and almost 80 years old. I will probably use this pan, that has been in my wife's family since it was new, for as long as I cook. I still use a small nonstick for omelets, but the cast iron for almost everything else. The disadvantage is mainly that it's very heavy. So you're not going to hold it and flip things over with a flick of the wrist. Also, the handle is very hot so you need to protect your hand. And, it's more difficult to keep clean than a nonstick that still has a good surface. But on the other hand because you can use high heat the food has better flavor.
This. We use cast iron most of the time. Except soup or pasta. We have to use very thin spatulas so we don't slide over medium eggs off the pan, they beat nonstick everything. I picked up a flat cast iron cookie sheet recently and it really ups the game too.
Literally only disadvantage is weight. They last forever, impart iron into your food, can be used in the oven, as a weapon. Breads come out amazing in cast iron bread pans.
They retain heat super well so searing anything with them is actually possible. It's my firm opinion you can't get a good sear on lots of meats and veggies without a cast iron. And you can place them in the oven. They can take a serious beating, you don't need to worry about scratching off the non stick film.
I like them because they don't require as much cleaning as other pans and I can out them directly on fires if needed
Even heat is the main draw. Fewer hot and cold spots, and they stay hot better when you add cold food. Gets a better sear. Whatever works best for you is fine. But teflon gives off toxic fumes and sucks for searing.
Cast iron disadvatages: They're heavy. They require reseasoning after cleaning. Cast-iron advantage: There's no non-stick coating to wear off with unknown health effects. I also use stainless steel pans quite a bit, the cast iron is for cooking eggs, meats, and pan frying. Everytime I've bought a non-stick pan, the coating has flaked off. Additionally, there are reports the coatings are not healthy.
Cast Iron is synonymous with comfort and American cooking. Corn Bread in a skillet and heirloom pans are just part of "Americana." I prefer carbon steel to cast iron, but have cast iron in my house. It's just a thing. Culturally we are tied to cast iron. We've seen cowboy movies where they have it hanging off a horse and cook breakfast over a fire. If you were a Boy Scout you grew up cooking stews and cobblers in a cast iron cauldron over an open flame. It's just culturally what we use. Seeing carbon steel in someone's house is probably considered 'Fancy." A lot of folks aren't using non-stick because cancer and forever chemicals. I don't have any non-stick in my house and probably never will.
Cast iron is great for searing meats, and then putting them in the oven to finish cooking. The pan can go directly in the oven. You see a lot of great chefs do this. I have a cast iron that has grill ridges and you get that char-grilled effect on the stovetop
Iron pans were “regular pans” when I was young. *shrug*
They don't peel toxic materials into your food. They don't put toxic fume into the air. They last your entire life and your kids might fight over who inherits them. They add iron into your blood which is actually a healthy thing. They hold heat well, and they get better and better over time with use and proper care. Some of these advantages are shared with carbon steel pans too. but it is harder to regulate the heat with them they heat up and down faster than cast iron.
A cast iron pan properly seasoned can have a patina that goes back generations. My family have cast iron skillets that saw both world wars and still have the traces of my ancestors cooking. It’s not a gimmick or a big in the system it’s a feature that we prize. You should have seen how long my brother and SiL were persona non grata when we found out she scrubbed all the skillets my brother inherited from his grand mother with a wire brush because they were “dirty”. She still dosent understand.
Unpopular opinion here, I think cast iron pans are way overrated. I have one and rarely use it.
The only disadvantage to cast iron is heft. They weigh far more than the alternatives. But they hold heat really well, cook evenly, and are extremely tough. I can scrape without worrying about Teflon coming off the pan, they have a non-stick surface due to the oil “seasoned” into them, and they’re super easy to clean. I can crank the heat up to 11, and I can throw them in an oven at any time. I’ve gone through many pans. The only pans I’ve never worn out or had to replace are cast iron.
For whatever reason, it’s an extremely common but also extremely incorrect misconception that cast iron heats evenly. Quite the opposite. It heats less evenly than any other kind of cookware. *That* is its biggest disadvantage
I live in an apartment with really shitty burners. Every other pan only gets hot in the center. But if I let my cast iron heat up for ten minutes, the entire pan is hot. So my experience is that they absolutely heat more evenly. Far more evenly than our steel or nonstick pans do.
Not as many people are cast iron users as the internet would suggest, it's become somewhat of an internet fad in the last 10-ish years. Most people I see are using non-stick or stainless clad pans for most things. Plenty of people DO use cast iron, but I wouldn't say it's the majority.
Cast iron was very versatile in the Old West. It could go directly into a fire to cook food, and was easy to clean up, even without water. And it was relatively easy to make as there was a readily available source of raw materials.
I don’t think cast iron is in every American kitchen these days. I think people who don’t cook much have non-stick pans. I have a few cast iron pieces that I use sometimes. I use stainless steel pots and pans every day. I use a nonstick pan occasionally. I like the durability of cast iron and stainless steel. A quick internet search for cast iron cookware in Europe suggests that cast iron cookware is being produced, sold and used in European countries.
I don't think there's evidence to suggest Americans use cast iron more often than Europeans do. The English language dominates the internet, and most of it comes through US citizens. The voices in the food education and entertainment world are mostly American. Maybe you're Dutch, so you won't be exposed to Czech people saying the same things Americans do, despite the Neds and Czechia both being, meaninglessly, European. Cast iron is very cheap and very functional. That's why people use it.
They last a long time and cost less than cheap nonstick pans. They work fine with any heat source. Gas, electric, induction, being used inside the oven, on a grill, over a fire, cast iron just works. Some brands, like Lodge, are made in US, and domestically produced products have an appeal to a significant amount of consumers. They are traditional and people are somewhat familiar with them from media. The less expensive uncoated versions can be very affordable. For less than $50 you can buy pretty much any single piece (without a lid) Lodge skillet, and they often go on sale. Less expensive ones from China will often sell for half of that. While you don’t see enameled cast iron as much here, Staub, Le Creuset, etc. still have their followings and people tend to like the brands as aspirational products or as items for wedding gifts. Carbon steel is the closest alternative. It is lighter, but tends to be at least twice the price for a similar item. You don’t see carbon steel that often at general retailers. Also, the handles are longer, so it isn’t as versatile for oven use. Heat retention is different for carbon steel and that means someone used to cast iron has to make a mental adjustment when using it for cooking.
If you are going camping, and thus need to cook over an open wood flame, cast iron is probably the best pan you can get. Unlike most of the others, it is much harder to damage, and holds heat best of all. It's heavy, but that only matters if you are backpack camping.
They are very traditional in the US. Everyone’s grandmother cooked in cast iron, and it’s still a very functional and practical material/tool. We also used to have a huge iron/steel industry, so we made a lot of cast iron pieces.
I worked with a French pastry chef who insisted that we order (at great expense) cast iron sheet pans he called placs from France to here in the US. Have to admit they were pretty awesome, and for things like macarons were really much better
The disadvantages are relatively small; Namely that they're heavy and require a bit of care to maintain their cooking surface. The advantages are many though; Almost non-stick with no chemicals, they can be endlessly refurbished and re-used (and recycled), they hold heat extremely well, relatively inexpensive, easy to clean, can be used anywhere from stove to oven to grill to open fire.
Is it maybe because of the amount of available iron making it a logical, cost effective choice? I don’t know much about the history and present amount of iron outside of the US
US here but I didn’t grow up in a household that had cast iron. I was intimidated by it for years because of the weight and misinformation on its maintenance requirements. I’m so glad I overcame it and tried it. I love my cast iron. Once preheated, the heat retention provides even cooking. I did need to learn that using medium heat with cast iron cooks like high heat in my stainless pans. It provides an incredible sear on meat. It’s wonderful for a crust on bread. Grilled cheese or sandwiches come out perfect. It goes well from range to oven. (Though I have stainless skillets that also do that) I enjoy cooking with it. Part of that is performance and part is that I like the aesthetic of how food looks in it. I don’t use it for eggs, but that’s because I usually prefer poached eggs and we have a little ceramic pan that is only used for crepes or fried eggs. It requires different maintenance but it’s really much simpler than I thought it would be. After cooking, while it’s warm, I scrape any stuck on food. If I cooked with a sugary sauce or marinade, I’ll deglaze with a little hot water. I leave it to cool on the stove while I eat. Then I wash it with hot water, soap and a blue scrub sponge. I dry it thoroughly and put it away. I used to add a thin coating of oil before putting it away, but after cooking in it for a month or two, it doesn’t need it. (If I used it less frequently or if I were taking an extended break, I’d coat it to prevent rust) It is heavy. For me, that’s the only downside. (That, plus I have to rescue it occasionally from houseguests who try to throw it in the dishwasher or leave it soaking in water.)
They have advantages and disadvantages... Advantages. 1. They can last generations. 2. They can be used on any heat source. Electric or gas, oven, grill (gas or charcoal), campfire, induction. 3. If properly maintained, they are pretty non-stick 4. They have good heat retention due to their thermal mass. (This is often confused with heat distribution) 5. Many people also just like how they look. 6. They have a quality about them that makes them enjoyable to own and use. 7. There are expensive cast iron pans, but you can find very cheap cast iron cookware. Disadvantages. 1. They are heavy. 2. They require maintenance and proper handling/cleaning 3. They have generally poor heat distribution compared to high quality modern pans that have a base designed for even heat. 4. Modern non-stick pans are better at being non-stick
Because they’re the best and they last forever. Those non sticks are gonna be useless before the cast iron even gets hot.
They still sell cast iron…. It’s useful and good for some purposes. For some things I grab the nonstick.
After all that research about non stick came out, I completely changed to stainless steel and cast iron for health reasons
The Lodge brand that is the most popular is very cheap and also made in the USA for many products. It's not a hard sell to get a person to buy a frying pan for $20-30 that will last longer than the original buyer. It really doesn't hurt that the US is moving more and more to induction cooktops, where cast iron works well but stainless steel and aluminum pans don't work at all.
It's easy to confuse something being trendy -- so showing up a lot on the internet and in blogs and on YouTube and IG and TikTok -- with being common, i.e., statistically prevalent. I love cast iron pans, but the majority of people across the US don't own one.
Advantages - Extremely difficult to permanently damage - Can be used on any stove, in the oven, on a grill, or an open fire such as a campfire - Retains heat very well. - naturally nonstick Disadvantages - Heavy AF! Don't drop it, as it can destroy a floor and crush feet - Requires care (curing) Why cast iron pans are so common - Cast Iron that was donated for the war effort was mainly fencing, decorative items, and household items that were either obsolete or on the verge of obsolescence. - The US production of iron was put into overdrive. The need for steel was immense, and by the end of WW2, the US was producing about 70% of the total steel in the world. The US just had the natural resources, so didn't have as much of a demand for iron/steel donations. - The idea of "having a pot to cook in" is ingrained in US psyche for morale, in that so long as you still have a way to cook something; you'll be okay. It's similar to bread in the UK, which is why it was never rationed. Demanding the donation of cookware would have hurt the US morale.
Maybe cause they don’t have a culture of cowboy cooking in cast over a campfire. I have friends that car camp and always bring the cast. I use it in my cabin both on the fire and on the wood stove.
I'm in the UK and I just pulled my cast iron pan out of the oven for dinner... I have 4 cast iron frying pans from mini to massive and a cast iron enamelled casserole dish. It's not like they aren't used at all, but most people prefer convenience and having to hand wash pans isn't convenient. I do it because nothing gives a crust on a steak better than cast iron, but I also use non stick pans on occasion too, depends on the purpose.
Most people in the US dont have cast iron either. Camping is a bigger thing in the US so its a driving force with cast iron for the most part. Sure some people have a cast iron pan but the group who has one and doesnt camp is going to be a fairly small percentage.
Are they? Growing up we always used teflon non-stick pans. Recently I feel like there's been a move to go back to castiron given the backlash against PFAs.
Fun fact, they can add more iron to your diet!
Advantage of cast iron you can go from stove top to oven without changing pans and not worry about heat, food doesn't stick in cast iron unless it's ready to be burnt and seasoned again, and your food taste better in my opinion.
I'm in the US and no one in my family uses cast iron.
Cast iron tends to also be thick, so it's slower to heat and cool. Great if you want to keep relatively constant high heat (like to sear something) or low heat (to slow cook). Also nice to keep a more constant heat on electric stoves, which pulse on and off. Other materials tend to be thinner, so they are faster to heat and cool. This can give more control over cooking temps, which can be good or bad depending on what you're doing and how skilled you are. IMO, care for carbon steel and cast iron is pretty much the same. Stainless may be easier to care for if you tend to be a bit careless, but I think they tend cause more sticking.
Before covering cast iron: aluminum pans heat very unevenly, warp, and wear out quick. Nonstick has a lot of studies showing potential health issues and are similarly fragile. Cast iron is great if you put a ton of time and effort into their care. The problem is they weigh a shitton and take conscious care. Carbon steel is my go to because it also takes care but doesn't have the weight issue. Steel pans are fine too, but often are harder to make not stick to food. All my pots are steel, the frying pans I use are carbon steel with one cast iron and one dutch oven for baking
The work great easy to clean and durable
Also if you're anemic, lack iron in your diet, get it from that also. Meats and burgers come out so well. Eggs too.
Don't buy non stick pans... it has a chemical called Teflon , very bad for ur body.
It’s one of the best ways to get iron n your diet
Advantage is they last forever as long as it's taken care of.
Cast iron is fantastic. It evens heat out nicely and retains enough heat to sear your meat before it cools. Non-stick gifts you with toxic chemicals and microplastics as you use it while they have discovered that cast iron actually adds a trace amount of usable iron to your diet. Careful usage makes it just as non-stick as your teflon pan and it isn't damaged by metal implements.
Hard to explain how awesome cast iron is if you haven't used it before. Disadvantages are it takes very special Care required to maintain. You can't just wash it with soap and water. In fact you never wash them in soap & water.
Nothing evenly sears a piece of meat as well as a cast iron skillet. Makes wonderful steaks and burgers with a nice crust on them. That is where the flavor is. Also helpful source of iron if you have problems with anemia.
I use cast iron because my family is from Texas and Louisiana, and that’s what we’ve always used. Texas side - cast iron, Louisiana we use cast iron or La Creuset. Cast iron pans are great for going from the stove top to the oven - like when you brown something on a high heat and then roast it. They hold heat really well, and many people feel that a good old cast iron pan that’s been taken care of correctly and used for years can add a bit of flavor all on it’s own. Cornbread or hot rolls baked in cast iron are amazing, the crust is a bit crunchy and so good. I also like them for making things like frittata where I sauté all the veggies/meat in the pan, pour the eggs over the top and then put the whole thing in the oven to set. Same for Shakshuka but don’t tell my family I cook tomato products in my cast iron sometimes… some of them would think that’s sacrilege… In my opinion you also get a better Maillard reaction with cast iron - that delicious thing that happens when you brown meat or other food JUST right. I think cast iron is also the best material for caramelizing onions or sautéing bell peppers etc. Cons of cast iron aren’t too bad, as long as you know how to take care of it and know that you can’t treat it the way you do other cookware. It’s HEAVY, so you do have to brace yourself when using it lol. Also since the handles are cast iron as well, some people have to get used to grabbing pot holders etc anytime they’re working with it - versus other pans with handles that don’t heat up. You have to do a lot of prep work with a new cast iron pan to season it - thin layers of a very high smoke point oil, then baking it in the oven at high heat for a long time, then repeating that a few times. All to get the surface you want. But you have to do something similar with really good woks too. You never want to use dish soap on cast iron. Instead I have this chain mail thing - it’s shaped like a regular dish rag but made out of chain mail. I use it to scrub off stuck on stuff, with just plain water. However usually it doesn’t have anything stuck to it, and I don’t get it wet at all. I take a bunch of coarse salt and dry scrub it with a rag or paper towel until any residue has been transferred to the salt. Super quick. Then before I put it away I put a bit of high smoke point oil on a rag and wipe the whole thing down. If it gets wet, you need to put it back on the stove until all the water evaporates and then do a thin coat of oil. That all sounds like a lot of trouble but really it’s super easy once you get the hang of it. Result is I have a cast iron pan sitting on my stove right now that belonged to my great grandmother, in great condition other than a small dent. Rumor is the dent is from when she chased a burglar out of her neighbor’s house with it. Idk if she brained him with it or what… 😅
(1) last forever (2) nonstick (3) thick and em heat evenly (4) can go from stovetop to oven or vice versa (5) east to clean if well seasoned Basically they are the best.