I see no need to own a cast iron pan

[Darkwind]

Food tastes much better in a cast iron pan. If you wash it, you really destroy it. I had a cast iron pan for years. Water never touched it.

I've actually found that the food tastes better when you remove it from the cast iron, but hey, that's just Me.

 

[Tunafish]

I've actually found that the food tastes better when you remove it from the cast iron, but hey, that's just Me.

yeah I agree. But I know that carbon steel is better because I have used cast iron and I know the ins and outs of each.

 

[Muhammed]

It seems cast iron has had a resurgence in popularity and some folks are borderline cult-like over it, but I've yet to have anyone give me a good reason to own one instead of stainless steel. They are heavy (I like to flip food), take longer to heat up, aren't responsive, react with acidic ingredients, and you can't just soak the pan to clean later since it will rust out. I don't get the appeal.

^You can buy a 10 inch cast iron skillet for $5.99

You can buy a Teflon "non-stick" skillet for $59.99

Price matters.

 

[AveMarica]

^You can buy a 10 inch cast iron skillet for $5.99

You can buy a Teflon "non-stick" skillet for $59.99

Price matters.

$59.99 what?

 

[surada]

It's just as easy to maintain the integrity of the pan and don't rust it out.

Just scrub it, dry it and oil it. I love them, but they are heavy and I'm not as strong as I used to be.

 

[Rambunctious]

Just scrub it, dry it and oil it. I love them, but they are heavy and I'm not as strong as I used to be.

I don't do much pan frying anymore but when I get in the mood for a good steak I break out the cast iron.... get it super hot toss in some oil and butter and sear the steak and place in a hot oven to bring it to med rare....
For cleaning I boil water in it dump the water out wipe out the skillet and place it back on the stove to dry over med heat for 5 min... all clean and ready to use again...

 

[WinterBorn]

Cast iron is a gift to cooks!

We have several cast iron skillets, 2 cast iron dutch ovens and some smaller pots.

When I cook a steak, I simply season it with salt & pepper and put in the oven at 270 degrees for 30 mins. Then I let it sit 15 mins, followed by a sear in the cast iron. The sear involves a small amount of lard (yes, actual lard) and a high temp.

I get a perfect medium-rare with a solid sear on the outside. It is perfect.