Based on the comments I got on our Facebook page recently, I have discovered that a lot of my readers love classic cast iron cookware as much as I do! I just can’t get enough of the stuff, and I am constantly on the search when I visit thrift stores for the next piece to add to my collection. I have a mixture of old and new pieces, and each one is a great addition to my kitchen! I thought I would compile a list of things I love about it!
Top 10 Things to Love about Classic Cast Iron Cookware!
1. It lasts forever. It is one of the few kitchen items that you can inherit from your great-grandmother that is in better condition (assuming it was properly cared for) than when she bought it!
2. Properly seasoned cast iron is naturally non-stick! I searched for a decent omelette pan for years before discovering that I could actually use a well seasoned cast iron skillet for cooking Eric’s breakfast eggs!
3. Cooking in cast iron adds extra iron to your diet! Iron is an essential mineral that helps fight fatigue. Here is an interesting chart showing the amount of iron added to foods when cooked in cast iron.
4. Use it anywhere! It works great on the stove, in the oven, and it is especially good over the campfire.
5. Great value on investment. I have spent plenty of money on pots and pans over the years, but most of those have come and gone. The cast iron skillet that I bought at a yard sale while I was in college, however, was used to cook my dinner last night, and who knows how long it had been in service when I bought it!
6. So many options! There is something for everyone when it comes to cast iron cookware! You can find every shape and size imaginable. I even saw a cast iron wok *affiliate link* recently! (Yes, I covet the wok.)
7. Cast iron is easy to care for, despite what you may have heard! It just wants a little coat of grease and a little time in the oven after you use it. Is that too much to ask? I’ll be sure to make a post very soon on how to care for it!
8. It doubles as a serving dish. A quick flip through almost any food magazine will reveal to you that it is, in fact, cool to both cook and serve in your cast iron cookware! (Pictured below is my recipe for honey whole wheat cornbread)
9. All the cool people are doing it! Seriously, people are rediscovering cast iron and everything from what you raid from your grandma’s kitchen to a new pan fresh from the store is earning some serious cool-points!
10. It’s just plain great cookware! It heats evenly and holds heat wonderfully. What more could you want in a pan?
***This post contains affiliate links. A small percentage of the purchase price of items bought here will go toward keeping this farm and this blog up and running, so thanks!***
Travis and I have a good collection of cast iron and love it. He got a huge kettle for Christmas from his parents also…we have not even begun the seasoning process on it yet. We love baking in them at camp and cooking in them at home. : )
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