advantages of a cast-iron skillet?

Question

I'm in the market for a flat frying, pan -- a "griddle."

Recently I've been seeing these "cast-iron skillets" for sale. They're as heavy as a bowling ball, and slate gray.

I'm wondering what the advantages of cooking on one of these is. Why are they so expensive?

Are they just fashion statements? Do they heat up quicker? Retain heat longer? Does food come off easier, etc.

Why would I NOT buy your normal stick-free Teflon? Appearance's sake only?

Answer 1

A good cast iron skillet is hard to beat when it comes to cooking....It holds the heat bettter and cooks more evenly so you don't have to cook at high temp....also makes the food taste better........If you decide to buy one make sure you season it well so food won't stick to it.

Answer 2

Durable and improves with age
Claims have been made repeatedly that food is more flavorful
Good heat conductor, heats evenly and quickly
Can place pots and pans directly on glowing coals (camping)
Inexpensive
Last a lifetime with minimal or no damage

Disadvantages

Weight - cast iron is quite heavy
Having to maintain the seasoning- you have to wash and rinse these pans very well and then rub cooking oil on the inside and set them in a hot oven to season. I don't recommend using dish soap at all. just scrub with super hot water.
Not dishwasher safe

the biggest advantage to cast iron pans is that they actually release iron into your food. I guess that really depends on how much iron your already eating. More or less.

Answer 3

Cast iron skillets, such as our grandma's used, took many years of cooking in it to become "Seasoned". Where it became sort of non-stick-ish. Don't buy the 'silvery' looking ones, they make seasoned-ish cast iron cookware and you can find it at walmart or any speciality store. Can't remember the name, but I believe it's a yellow label, and you'll see all variety's of cast iron cooking items with that label. You'll know what I am talking about if you see them. Makes the best oven baked cornbred using one. If you read the directions on how to care for one, all you will have to do is rinse it with hot water and towel dry!

Answer 4

Cast iron heats more evenly, and stays hot longer. Teflon is fine for some things, but cast iron is preferable for most.

Answer 5

Cast Iron adds iron to your diet while teflon has been traced to Alzheimer's Disease.The upkeep on a cast iron skillet is a little lengthy but it outlasts teflon by about 100 years.

Answer 6

get the thinner french-made cast iron pans if you can find one. not the "lodge" brand.

cast iron is good because it does heat up faster, retain heat longer, and food (if pan is properly seasoned) comes off it easier.

teflon coated pans are llimited in use, you can't use them at high heat without worry of burning the pan, and releasing toxic gases.

Answer 7

iron pots and pans take longer to heat up but they do heat evenly and retain heat longer. taste wise, some people can tell the difference. one of my daughters prefer eggs cooked in iron. plus it adds iron to your diet. that's a real good reason to use them. but if you don't take the time to "season" them and dry them off right away, they will rust. ( Granny scrubbed, hand dried, re-greased, heated up, wiped down, re-greased, and reheated her pans for years til i was 13.)teflon cleans faster. with iron you don't have to worry about SCRATCHING the teflon off. and you build muscles. But so does your wife, if you have one. ( old cartoons, joke, haha.) for looks? that's up to the person. iron has up and downs. so does teflon.buy both if you can.

Answer 8

Cast iron heats more evenly than other materials. Many cooks prefer it for that reason.

Answer 9

my husband swears by cast iron - he says it tastes better. i know they distribute the heat more evenly - but get serious, you can't use soap on them, yuck!

i love my t-fal, i do the cooking so i got to choose. the only thing you have to be careful of with t-fal or other nonstick is not to use the scrubby side of the sponge - it will ruin the nonstick stuff on it.

Answer 10

i like 2 points