Any cast iron cookware users/collectors?

[austinado16]

I'm probably the last one to the party, and I know nothing about C.I., but I thought it might be fun to have some cast iron cookware. I could stumble across some on the cheap, on CL or at yard sales, the swapmeet, etc. I've never cooked on it, but keep hearing how nice it is to use, so figured we'd wind up liking it too.

My first piece is a vintage Wagner Ware griddle that's about 8"x21". Paid $2 for it at the swapmeet a few weeks ago. It was very rusty, but cleaned up like new with minimal effort, and cooks great. I use it all the time now.

The next 2 finds were Wagner Ware of the same vintage (pre-WWII), an 8" and a 3" skillet. $3 ea if I remember right. The 8 came with two 70/80's era Wagner skillets, which I cleaned and seasoned and gave to my brother over the weekend.

I figured since my first piece was the Wagner Ware, I'd stick to collecting that. Found a WW dutch oven this morning, but the guy wanted $35 for it. Probably an okay price, but I didn't take it.

Anyone else got the love for Cast Iron?

 

[lordkenmore]

I don't collect cast iron, but I do have one skillet (Lodge) that has served me quite well. I'd like to get more, but haven't seen good prices. (I guess if I get more, it will be a collection in the sense 2 or more is a collection!)

I really like cooking with iron. I don't use for everything--I'm concerned with the possibility of acid leaching iron out. (Less health worries, more taste issues.) I've heard, though, some say that it's not a big issue if the acid foods are mixed with other stuff.

Where the iron is great is the stick resistance of seasoned iron. As some say, it's nature's non-stick. I really appreciate this, since I have ZERO non-stick in use. (I'm concerned about the chemicals long term effects.)

I also like enameled cast iron (Le Creuset most common brand). I don't have much--plus most are brands no one has heard of. I don't use the enamel iron much--I'm worried about hurting enamel. But if making something special, that requires long simmering, this my preference.

 

[58limited]

I love cooking on cast iron. When it is seasoned properly, it is a joy to use. I have an old Griswald griddle that was my mom's, and her old skillet. Plus I have several other skillets, two dutch ovens and a sauce pan.

 

[sudsmaster]

I've got an old Wagner Ware Sydney -O- twelve inch skillet which must be very old. It was old when I got it in the early 70's. It got a little rusted inside in storage; I recently retrieved it and am considering putting it back into service for things like stir fry. It's a bit concave (was that way in the 70's as well) which is bad for pancakes but pretty good for concentrating oil and juices for stir fry.

Also have a set of Magnalite Professional from the mid-80's. I got it on clearance at Whole Earth Access Company in Berkeley (anybody remember them?). It's very nice stuff, the saucepans are almost like pressure cookers. But the non-stick coating they put inside all the pieces was basically a mistake. As I recall they touted the fact that the aluminum alloy base material was given a coat of textured stainless steel, and then the non-stick coating was applied to that, so it would last longer. Well, what it does is pit rather easily. The stock pot, saucepan, and skillet all got pitted. The skilled gets scrubbed so the pitting isn't as bad, just shiny aluminum (or maybe the alleged stainless plating). I've half a mind to take a rough fiber wheels to it and remove all the nonstick coating, since it doesn't seem to do much good anyway. The only pieces that aren't pitted are those I've never used: the six inch skillet and the 1 qt saucepan. Had I been able to do it all again, I would have chosen the all-anodized version of Magnalite when I had the chance. Now they are back, but very very pricey. Called Mag Master or something like that. $160 for a 3 qt saucepan!.

 

[rp2813]

I wanted at least one cast iron pan and a couple of years ago my sister gave me a pre-seasoned Lodge Logic 10" skillet. I've only used it a couple of times. It worked well and wasn't much of a job to clean. It's not stored with the every day stuff so I forget I have it.

We have a lot of pieces of 80's vintage Magnalite that we bought new, plus a few from estate sales and thrift stores. None of our Magnalite has pitted, and I don't recall anything in the literature about a non-stick layer. Rich, it could be a different type than you've described above. Once in a while if one of the more regularly used skillets becomes too discolored, I use something like Bon Ami to clean it up and it doesn't hurt the finish. I don't put Magnalite in the dishwasher. I wish I could.

 

[mayguy]

I have an old pan that was my grandmother, I have no ideal what brand it was, but I'm very pleased with it for my raw fries, also use it for deep frying as well. Thinking of getting a dutch oven, but not sure if I'd use it or not??

 

[norgeway]

Get some old....

Griswold or Wagner,the new stuff is rough and unfinished inside,I use my grandmothers Griswold which is all she ever had,one skillet is chromed,she got it in 1926 when she got married,I also have some Wagner and some MiamiPiqua Ware,I also have a covered Griswold chicken pan which does wonders for a roast or country style steak.

 

[gansky1]

Chromed cast-iron? Never have seen that before - or knew what it was.

I have a 12" & 8" Lodge skillets and love them. I don't fry much but they do a fantastic job and the pre-seasoning seems to be pretty good. A wet paper towel and a swipe and most everything is gone.

 

[58limited]

Hans, I have one of those covered chicken pans too (new one) and I love it. I also have a very heavy cast iron wok that I bought at Academy. It takes a little while to heat up, but really cooks good once preheated. The base is really thick and retains heat - you can continue cooking for several minutes after turning off the stove.

 

[austinado16]

There was a Wagner Ware chicken pan at the swapmeet today. It was pre-war and very nice. The guy wanted $15, I think. I passed on it. The price wasn't too bad, but I didn't think I'd really use a "deep skillet" for anything.

 

[alr2903]

Cast iron is amazing, after the pressure cooker it is one of the fastest cooking things on the planet. I have skillets and a 2 dutch ovens, great for cooking anything that has some oil or fat in it such as a pot roast. Does C.I. really add Fe to food? arthur

 

[austinado16]

I've always heard that it does, in very small amounts, and therefore, is actually good for you.

 

[lordkenmore]

Does C.I. really add Fe to food?

I've always heard it does, too. I'm under the impression the amount will vary--seasoning level of pan, amount of acid in food, etc will dictate final amount. I suppose for some this could be a problem for one reason or another, but for me I'm a lot less worried about iron leaching (as long as taste isn't hurt) than I am about other cookware chemicals leaching into my food. (As I said above, I avoid non-stick because of concerns with what the chemicals used might do in the long haul.)

 

[lordkenmore]

This blog post on iron cookware might be of interest:

Heavy Metal: the Science of Cast Iron Cooking – Cooking Issues

www.cookingissues.com

 

[cmlrobison]

Cast Iron Cookware is Great!

We have a deep cast iron 4 in 1 skillet with lid and a dutch oven with lid - all cheap garage sale finds here in upstate NY. We love them for the same reasons mentioned above. My husband has an outstanding French recipe (simple) for chicken and I bake our bread in one. I use a combination bread machine/Jim Lahey method. I use the bread machine through the first rise, then the dutch oven for the second rise and bake. Resulting loaf has excellent crumb, crisp crust. If anyone is interested I can share recipes.

 

[tlee618]

Christian it would be great if you shared the recipes. I too use a bread machine for part of the bread making process. Never thought of baking in cast iron!!

 

[sudsmaster]

Non-stick Magnaware

Apparently for a while Wagner did offer their Magnaware with a nonstick coating. I took a look at my "Magnaware Professional"set and all the pieces have a GHC (General Housewares Corporation) logo engraved in the bottom. A couple of them also have "Chicago Cutlery" also engraved on the bottom, which I think makes them one of the last true Magnaware pieces made. The exteriors are all hard anodized.

From my web searching it's apparent that the current "Mag-Ware" comes in a variety of flavors: non-anodized, like the original Magnaware of the 30's. Then, Mag-Master, which is very pricey but hard anodized inside and out like the good stuff of the post-war years. Then there's "Mag-Pro", which is hard anodized on the outside and non-stick on the inside, like the set I got in the 80's.

If I had to do it again, I would have eschewed the non-stick stuff and gone for the all-anodized version. I think it was on sale also at the same time. At the time I didn't think the non-stick would be a problem, and the literature that came with the cookware gave the impression that it was very durable - which it isn't. For example, the teflon coating on the stock pot is not scratched at all, but it's still pitted through the coating. Go figure ;-).

Still, the pieces are otherwise very well made and they do act like low pressure cookers with the heavy tight fitting (machined) lids. Once I had guests over for a dinner. As usual I had to give estate tours and someone in the kitchen got alarmed over the rattling of the cover on the saucepan, and turned off the burner completely. When I came back I explained that it was supposed to do that, but whatever. The veggies came out fine anyway. The cookware is very energy efficient.

 

[austinado16]

I'm afraid of baked bread and bread machines...

I love baked bread.....can't imagine what those turn out like after being done in a DO.

I would be the size of a house if my wife or I started baking bread!!

 

[cmlrobison]

Baking Bread in Cast Iron Skillet or Dutch Oven

I understand your trepidation austinado16, but life is short - let's eat homemade bread!

OK, this is the French bread recipe from an old Chefmate Baker Oven recipe book.

For a 2 lb. Loaf French Bread
1-3/8 c. water
4 c. bread flour (I sometimes use part regular wheat flour)
(note: King Arthur Flour has an unbleached white whole wheat flour which is very light, not bitter.)
1-1/2 T. sugar
2 tsp. salt (I use less)
1-1/2 T. butter (I'm using olive oil with great success)
2-1/2 tsp. yeast

Remember to add the yeast last and keep it away from any liquid. Set your bread machine to dough. When finished, shape into a round loaf. (I don't even need to flour my hands to do this.) Place in your dutch oven or deep skillet - it will rise quite a bit. Bake at 450 for ~ 30 minutes or until crust is nicely browned. YUM!

Today I am trying the heated skillet method whereby the dough rises a second time on a floured bread board or tea towel, the dutch oven is heated during the last 30 minutes of the second rise and the bread is flopped carefully inside. The lid is then closed, dutch oven placed back into the oven and bread is baked for 30 minutes. (Jim Laey author of "My Bread" uses a tea towel but my dough sticks....)

Have fun!