Cast iron’s get a bad reputation. Whenever I talk about mine, people will always say that they don’t have one because of the upkeep of it and that it isn’t worth it. Well, I’m here to prove them wrong!
1. Cast irons are easy to take care of! They are a bit delicate because of the seasoning on them, so it does require a bit of special care. For mine, I use a clean sponge with no soap and just rinse, that simple! For the more difficult pieces of food that get stuck, just use the back of a sponge and scrub. If that doesn’t work just let it soak in some hot water and scrub with coarse salt! This will almost ALWAYS work. After you clean it just dry it and rub a small amount canola oil all over the skillet and you’re done! When cleaning your cast iron, make sure NOT to use soap!! This will take off the seasoning and will cause you to have to reseason it! Reseasoning is difficult and time consuming so make sure you know how to care for your cast iron!
2. They will last you way longer than that non-stick that you have in your pantry! When cared for properly, cast irons can last decades. DECADES. Which is pretty awesome, at least in my eyes. You can even hand them down to your kids, and their kids. It can be ~generational~. Is that a word? If not I just made it up, but you get the jist.
3. They sear meat like no other. Non sticks are meh. They make your chicken cook but it doesn’t get that beautiful brown color you’re looking for. The pans are known to cling on to meats but that is perfectly okay, they won’t let go of the meat until it has a nice crust on it. And that’s where a ton of flavor and texture come in. Steaks cook best in these also, really anything that you can think of will cook better in a cast iron if you’re using it correctly.
4. You can make ANYTHING in it! Desserts! Entrees! Dips! Apps! Whatever you want!
5. They make everything way more flavorful and delicious. The more you use it, the better it gets!
6. They can go in the oven! My favorite meals that I have made have been finished in the oven with the skillet. They’re PERFECT for things like huge skillet cookies and dishes like baked mac and cheese and chicken and biscuits. Just having the ease of being able to throw it in the oven to finish up cooking or to put it under the broiler to get a nice brown on top is amazing.
7. They don’t have to be expensive! I have a decent sized skillet that only cost $25 at bed bath and beyond! That’s really amazing! As long as you care for it, it doesn’t matter how much you spend originally on it.
Cast irons are definitely the way to go when stocking up for you first kitchen, or even if you want to step up your cooking game.