Do you still use iron skillets?

[math teacher]

I have quite a few pieces from cleaning out mil's house, but I find I am using cast iron cookware less and less. I have a few things I cook in them, but not that much. Has this been your experience as well?

[Pawz4me]

I have several pieces, some of which belonged to my grandmother. But I almost never use them and was contemplating just this morning if I should get rid of them. I have RA and OA, and the weight is a lot of wear and tear on my finger and wrist joints that I don't need. And I could use the extra cabinet space.

Edited May 29 by Pawz4me

[mmasc]

I have one that I rarely use and almost got rid of it just this week. I basically use it for cornbread—the 4ish times a year I cook it. 🙄 I think I’ve just talked myself into getting rid of it lol. 

[wintermom]

Yep, I use my cast iron pans regularly. My good friends do, too, in fast they use them in baking pizza as well as stove-top. Cast iron is wonderful to cook with.

[catz]

We use our main cast iron skillet so much we just leave it on the stove.  

[prairiewindmomma]

Yep. I cook only is cast iron, on stone, or on non-coated stainless steel. I use my skillet several times a week, and just leave it clean out on my stovetop. 
 

[TechWife]

We use our cast iron skillet mainly to make pan pizza. 

[Lady Florida.]

I hardly use them anymore because of their weight. I can see a time in the future when they will just be too heavy for me to handle. Still, I can't bring myself to get rid of them yet. And I do still use them occasionally.

[busymama7]

19 minutes ago, catz said:

We use our main cast iron skillet so much we just leave it on the stove.  

Us too 

[Katy]

I don’t like mine, but DH is getting some from his grandma that I’m really excited about. I guess old cast iron was sand cast, then polished to make it as smooth as glass. So it was much more nonstick than most modern cast iron, which is rough unless you buy a really pricey one. 

[dirty ethel rackham]

24 minutes ago, catz said:

We use our main cast iron skillet so much we just leave it on the stove.  

Us, too.  I have pans of varying sizes and use them for most stove top cooking and quite often for things in the oven.  The bigger pan is getting heavy for me to lift (mostly because it doesn't have a small handle on the other end for my other hand - unlike my 10 inch pan.)  

[Clarita]

I have 2 perpetually sitting on my stove, so yes I still use my cast-iron skillets.

[frogger]

We only have cast iron but I do hope to move to regular and small sized ones for the sake of my wrist and thumbs. Ours are extra large for a big family.

Because a thumb injury my DH bought a thinner stainless steel pan that is seasoned similarily but is much lighter. I try to use it more but old habits are hard to break. 

[Spryte]

Yes and no. Yes, I like to use cast iron. But only if DH is available and willing to clean it. It’s too much for my hands — way too painful. 

We call cast iron “Grandma Tech.”
 

Random true story: my aunt has a cast iron skillet that came over to this country in the  early 1600s with an ancestor. I think that is the coolest thing!

Edited May 29 by Spryte

[EKS]

I grew up in a family that used cast iron all the time, and so carried on the tradition until I got a Le Creuset dutch oven about 15 years ago that I now use for for practically everything.  I finally got rid of the cast iron pieces maybe 5 years ago.

[TexasProud]

Yes, we use our cast iron at the house several times a week.  We also use a cast iron skillet in the RV as well as our cast iron dutch oven.  It is our most used cookware. 

[gardenmom5]

For some things.

I have a cast iron griddle that goes across two burners I really like for things like pancakes - other people prefer a different pan.

[HomeAgain]

Our cast iron is larger, so when it's just dh and I none of the pieces tend to get used.  When I'm cooking for everyone, yes, absolutely I use the cast iron.  We have a large griddle for breakfasts, and two dutch ovens that are heavily used in the wintertime for slow cooking. 

I can see us not using as much in a few years when we don't have the time or energy to do longer cooking.

[City Mouse]

I use them all the time now. I one skillet and a small griddle that we use to heat tortillas that sit out on the stove all the time. The others are used less often but still occasionally. The cast iron skillets were one of the few things I wanted from my MIL when she moved to assisted living.

Over the years,I thought I wanted “fancy” pots and pans, but after going through several sets in the last 20 years, I am back to Revereware (the old stuff) and cast iron. 

[Faith-manor]

I have several cast iron pieces. I cook with them regularly and always use them when camping.

[marbel]

My husband uses one every day for his breakfast egg. It just stays on the stovetop. We have a larger one that is used pretty frequently. Recently I bought a grill pan which I regret. It's really no more useful than a regular skillet, and harder to clean.

I mostly prefer my all-clad skillets. Lighter and so easy to clean.

Oh I almost forgot - my Le Crueset Dutch oven is enameled cast iron. I love that so much. Also my in-laws gave us a very large enameled cast iron non-stick skillet that I despise. It's too heavy and hard to clean. If my husband uses it he is in charge of washing and putting away. I know that if he dies before me, that will be one of the first things in the donate pile. 

[lewelma]

We only use cast iron pans. We don't own any other kind.

[Annie G]

I use mine for johnnycakes, which I make regularly when we have soup or chili. And also to bake biscuits in. 
Once or twice a summer I’ll splurge and make fried green tomatoes or fried yellow squash and use cast iron for that. 

[Jaybee]

Yes, we use our regularly, especially the small 6" one (individuals use it mostly to cook eggs). I recently bought a non-coated stainless still "everything" pan that I am using a lot--it was just what I was hoping it would be--but it also holds a little more and is shaped "wok-ish," so I can use it for things that I need more stirring room to make.

[Kalmia]

I have a Wagner from my mother and and old Lodge (smooth one) from my aunt that I use several times a week. I bought myself some large le creuset skillets which I like a lot, supposedly they can go in the dishwasher, but they are so expensive I am reluctant to try. And I just added in two Field Co. that are light weight but still need more seasoning before I can accurately judge how they cook. I also just got a lodge portable grill and will be trying that out this week. I love the history of the women in my family using the same pans and passing them down. I like how durable they are. I like how they cook. The big old Lodge is heavy, which is why I ended up with it, but I will have the lighter weight modern Field of the same size for when I'm older. 

Edited May 29 by Kalmia

[athena1277]

I have cast iron pans.  I want to use them.  But I never do because I just can’t get the care for them figured out.  How to clean them well and season them and not end up with sticky handles has been source of frustration.  The fact that there are several different opinions on how to do these things doesn’t help.  

[KungFuPanda]

ALL the time and why don’t I have a bigger cast iron pan?

[Anne]

I use mine all the time - in fact, I’m contemplating getting a smaller one since we’re mostly cooking for two these days.

Anne

[wathe]

3 hours ago, Katy said:

I don’t like mine, but DH is getting some from his grandma that I’m really excited about. I guess old cast iron was sand cast, then polished to make it as smooth as glass. So it was much more nonstick than most modern cast iron, which is rough unless you buy a really pricey one. 

Interesting.  We have a very, very smooth small one that we use every day for eggs (scrambled or fried).  It was inherited from grandparents.  Our other cast iron pans are indeed rougher (and much newer), and not good for eggs like the smooth one is.

[wathe]

We use cast iron pans almost every day.  

One pan is designated as the "egg pan"; it's very smooth and never gets washed with soap - just an occasional scrub with hot water and a brush or nylon scraper, when it seems to need it.

The others are large and used for pretty much everything you'd use a skillet or oven pan for: roast meat, gyoza, meatballs, stirfry, grilled cheese, fried rice, pan-fired veggies, etc.

[Indigo Blue]

Yes! For eggs, bacon, pancakes, fried potatoes. For Dh and sons. 
 

You can take a large skillet, cut up veggies and toss with olive oil. Stir well. Cover with foil and roast in the oven til done. Cornbread and much more. 
 

It is not good to cook acidic foods in them or foods with high water content. It strips off the seasoning. 
 

It is heavy. I guess when I can no longer handle them, I will try to hang on to my smaller one and use it as long as I am able. 
 

Once you get one seasoned properly, it becomes nonstick. Just as good as the cheap Teflon ones. But the cast iron will last forever ….long as you keep soap off it and know how to clean and oil it properly. 
 

It’s the best!

 

I have a large, flat rectangle cast iron piece with two little side handles which is only used for cooking over a fire. Sauté all kinds of veggies on it!

[Clarita]

1 hour ago, athena1277 said:

But I never do because I just can’t get the care for them figured out.  How to clean them well and season them and not end up with sticky handles has been source of frustration.

I don't clean them like I do my stainless steel. Basically there is suppose to be an oil film on them. 

[Forget-Me-Not]

I have a cast iron griddle that covers two burners that stays on my stove all the time. And I have an enameled Dutch oven that I use frequently for soup. But I rarely pull my skillets or non-enamel Dutch oven out. 

[regentrude]

I use my enameled cast iron Dutch oven every week for baking break and soup. I use my smaller non-enameled cast iron pan for frittatas - which is why I bought it in the first place since I needed something that can go stovetop to oven with no plastic handles.

[MEmama]

3 hours ago, athena1277 said:

I have cast iron pans.  I want to use them.  But I never do because I just can’t get the care for them figured out.  How to clean them well and season them and not end up with sticky handles has been source of frustration.  The fact that there are several different opinions on how to do these things doesn’t help.  

I'm sure I'll get scolded, lol, but I just wash them like regular pans with soap (if needed) and hot water. I soak them for a few minutes (or much longer when I forget what I'm doing and get distracted, which is usually) and nearly everything comes right off easily.

They are pans. I'm not spending extra attention on cleaning them and so far they haven't suffered. 🤷‍♀️

[Innisfree]

We have an inherited Griswold popover pan that gets used occasionally. It belonged to dh’s mom, and since I had never used cast iron before inheriting it, I followed dh’s instructions on cleaning it. Basically it just gets greased every time we make popovers, and then wiped out with a paper towel after use. It works beautifully. We hunted for a second similar one in order to make larger batches of popovers. 😋

I later inherited an old Wagner skillet, which I’ve come to love. I have no clue who it belonged to. My mother never used cast iron, but this ended up in her house from some family household. It needed some cleaning up, but has superb seasoning. This I do wash, since I can’t quite wrap my head around cooking meat and then not washing the pan, but I’m gentle with it. I’m trying to avoid using soap on occasions when it really isn’t needed. I do always oil it after washing, generally after putting it in a slightly warm oven to make sure it’s really dry. Probably I use more oil than needed, but I try to wipe off the excess. I’m not really sure yet that I’m doing everything right, but it seems to be avoiding rust and maintaining its seasoning, so I guess my method is working. I do also avoid cooking acidic foods in this skillet. For those, I prefer my enameled cast iron or stainless steel.

I don’t use the cast iron as often as I use plain stainless steel, both because the care feels a bit finicky and because it’s heavy. I do like it for certain things, like eggs and pan pizza. If I felt more comfortable with the care, I’d probably use it more often. I tend to forget about it. I wish I had grown up being familiar with how to handle it.

Edited May 30 by Innisfree

[barnwife]

7 hours ago, catz said:

We use our main cast iron skillet so much we just leave it on the stove.  

This exactly. Our main cast iron skillet is 12 inches and has a cover. It's way too big and heavy to put putting away and taking out every time I need a skillet. So its home is the stove. 

[Faith-manor]

Also, I have an enameled cast iron cloche for artisan bread. It came from Aldi and I love it.

[catz]

I have one Le Creuset Dutch oven that I use for bread.  Though I do use a baking steel at times for open baking.  I guess all my favorite kitchen items weigh an absolute ton.  We will call that my arm workout lol!  

[math teacher]

So, all these replies begs the question(s):

1. How do you season it properly. Full disclosure: I took the seasoning off because I ran them through the dishwasher. MIL's house had been empty awhile and had mice. I literally would not be able to use them unless they took a turn in the dishwasher.

2. How do you clean them when they are seasoned and used?

[barnwife]

@math teacher

1. I have never done anything special other than use them.
2. I use it. Then I use rinse (soak if needed) with water, scrub with a scubbie, and put back on a warm burner for a minute to dry it. I even use a drop of dish soap when scrubbing sometimes. 

[fairfarmhand]

9 hours ago, Katy said:

I don’t like mine, but DH is getting some from his grandma that I’m really excited about. I guess old cast iron was sand cast, then polished to make it as smooth as glass. So it was much more nonstick than most modern cast iron, which is rough unless you buy a really pricey one. 

I use cast iron every day but my favorite is the 9 inch skillet that belonged to my great grandmother. It’s like glass.

[busymama7]

1 hour ago, math teacher said:

So, all these replies begs the question(s):

1. How do you season it properly. Full disclosure: I took the seasoning off because I ran them through the dishwasher. MIL's house had been empty awhile and had mice. I literally would not be able to use them unless they took a turn in the dishwasher.

2. How do you clean them when they are seasoned and used?

All I do is scrub with a steel wool (no soap in it) or chain mail designed for cast iron.  That is my favorite.  Then I put it on medium heat until it's dry.   Rub it with a bit of refined coconut oil as it's what we use for everything.   Leave it on the heat for 2-3 mins longer.  Done.  Quick and easy  and the more you use it the better it gets. Mine is so slick. 

[KSera]

4 hours ago, MEmama said:

I'm sure I'll get scolded, lol, but I just wash them like regular pans with soap (if needed) and hot water. I soak them for a few minutes (or much longer when I forget what I'm doing and get distracted, which is usually) and nearly everything comes right off easily.

You haven’t gotten any rust? I was always led to believe that soaking cast iron could cause rust, which makes sense. 

19 minutes ago, busymama7 said:

All I do is scrub with a steel wool (no soap in it) or chain mail designed for cast iron.  That is my favorite.  Then I put it on medium heat until it's dry.   Rub it with a bit of refined coconut oil as it's what we use for everything.   Leave it on the heat for 2-3 mins longer.  Done.  Quick and easy  and the more you use it the better it gets. Mine is so slick. 

This is what we do, though the oil we use varies. 

[busymama7]

9 minutes ago, KSera said:

You haven’t gotten any rust? I was always led to believe that soaking cast iron could cause rust, which makes sense. 

This is what we do, though the oil we use varies. 

Soaking for a long time could I suppose especially if it's not well seasoned. But if stuff is kinda stuck or dried on that hot water for a few minutes to loosen it hasn't caused any issues. I heat and oil it every wash.   Leaving it would also cause it to rust, or could. 

[Tap]

Almost daily. Getting ready to buy a new Finex brand one. My adult kids cook primarily on cast iron too.

 

Some are raw and some are enameled but I cook predominantly on cast iron.

[TravelingChris]

My dh uses ours.  BUt used All -clad more often.

[Melissa in Australia]

The cast iron frypan daily. But I am also using a cast iron slow combustion stove to cook on 

[marbel]

I was afraid to use the cast iron skillets for a long time because they were my husband's and I was afraid to wreck them when I tried to clean them, even though he demonstrated his preferred washing technique every time he used them. Anyway, we use soap and have a hard rubber scraper thing that we use if a sponge is not enough. I like this article which tracks with what we do anyway, but I've also always found this site to be reliable with cooking advice.

https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-clean-maintain-cast-iron-pan-skillet-cookware

[stephanier.1765]

When we got our glass top stove, I became worried I'd scratch it with my cast iron. So even though I love that pan, I do find I'm using it less and less. I probably won't get rid of it though. I store it in the oven so it isn't really taking up space any where.