Re: cant belive more people dont like cast iron sk
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KevinL said:
I've only used the aluminium/teflon stuff so far, but if cast iron offers that compelling an advantage, I might be interested.
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Actually, the big advantage of cast iron is in searing because it can retain heat very well (see the links I provided earlier in the thread for details). It does become fairly non-stick, but for stuff like cooking bacon or whatever, it isn't clear you are going to see an advantage over Teflon based cookware.
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KevinL said:
Hmm.. who's up to giving me a brief tutorial on how to use one of these things? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
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Dealing with cast iron is pretty easy. When you get a new cast iron cookware item, I like to wash it out with soap and water, then dry it off. Then, coat it with a thin coat of Crisco. Then, put it in a 300F oven for about an hour. Yes, it will smoke at first, that is normal. Then, remove it and let it cool. Now you are ready to cook. This is known as seasoning.
After cooking, wash it out by hand (no dishwasher) and don't scour it if possible (and if you do, re-season). Dry and store. Personally, I tend to put a very small amount of Crisco on it each time prior to storage, but then again, I wash (and season) more agressively than most cast iron users.
Every once in a while, re-coat and re-bake (re-season).
-john