My new favorite cast iron pan(s)

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RR

RR

....glutton for punishment.....
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I was raised by my grandparents. I grew up in a household where the pans were cast iron. They just were.....

Naturally as I got married, moved away, and they passed on I merged my household with my wife's and we started doing things that were a blend of me and a blend of her. We got sucked in to the "non stick" pans thing. Hell I think we got a set from a relative for our wedding even.... Alas the cast iron got mothballed...

Then the PFOA stuff blew up in the news and we trashed all the non stick and switched to stainless.

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We have a number of stainless steel pans from various makers. It's a hodge podge bought at different times. Not a "set" or anything. They work and don't poison you, but they leave a lot to be desired in being non stick....

Then over the last 6 months to a year I've gravitated back to my roots. I dusted off Granny's cast iron and add some more to the arsenal. Granny's big pan is significantly warped and won't sit flat on an induction stove so it has been relegated to camp use. Last fall I went on a weekend trip to Uwharrie with two friends from high school and it was the star of the culinary show that weekend. Cooked excellent steaks in cast iron using a swedish candle as the heat source and cooking surface. But I digress.....

The pieces I've been acquiring haven't been expensive and are not vintage. They're all modern versions from Lodge and Cuisonel. Some I got in the Lodge factory store, but the Cuisonel pieces came from Amazon.

And this is my new favorite:

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It's a 13.5 inch "baking and pizza" pan that is perfect for a round breakfast griddle as well. With a family of six and a large extended family that sometimes dines with you (pre-corona) you need room to move the food through....

It dwarfs my 10" round griddle.

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I got it on Woot for 20 bucks but it sold out pretty quickly. I know because I went back to buy another and poof. Amazon still has them for 24.99 though and I ordered a second.
 
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I’ve been doing everything in cast iron as well recently. It just works better.

but, I need to train the old lady to stop leaving them sit dirty or using the harsh scrubbies...
 
I grabbed the huge version of this one, https://www.cabelas.com/product/hom...s-cast-iron-deep-skillets/727442.uts?slotId=7, at Cabela’s in Garner a few years ago. Pretty cheap, crappy cast iron. Took it home and sanded it down to a smooth, bare metal. Seasoned in 7 times in the oven. Took it to the cabin a used it for bacon and burgers only for a year or two. The pan is huge and deep. Great for chicken or anything messy. The lid turns into a huge flat top pan with a small edge. Only downside is the whole set up is heavy as hell.

It’s a little work, but on the cheap pans the sanding and re-seasoning makes a huge difference. I start with a 200 grit sandpaper or so and work down to something fine or very fine to get it as smooth as possible at the end.
 
I have a similar Dutch oven to that one made by Cuisonel but it doesn't have a long handle, just the short ones on the sides. I've honestly never cooked in the deep Dutch oven side yet but I've used the lid for cooking quite a bit.
 
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I'm a fan of cast iron myself. I use them indoors a lot but I really like to use them on the grill.


I have a 9 inch square that gets used more than any of them.

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A 10 inch round for stuffed peppers.

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A 12 inch round for cheesy taters.

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And, the Dutch Oven for stew.

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Apple pie in progress..m
 
The stainless hangs from the pot rack, the cast iron hangs on the walls. There is not a square inch of wall space in the kitchen left. Tell ya' somthin'?
 
Miss Lily said:
The stainless hangs from the pot rack, the cast iron hangs on the walls. There is not a square inch of wall space in the kitchen left. Tell ya' somthin'?
Click to expand...

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I use this pan rack for my daily use cast iron. Other stuff is packed with my camp kitchen gear or in cabinets.
 
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