These days, cast iron cookware comes in all shapes and sizes, from skillets or skillets to casseroles, saucepans, and a whole variety of dishes and pots for just about any culinary use imaginable.
The old “frontier” image that used to be attached to these cooking workhorses is long gone and today’s modern cast iron skillets are a beautiful and useful addition to any kitchen.
Is easy to see why. Although they are ideal for use with all Aga-style ovens or cooktops, their properties also lend themselves to a much wider variety of cooking styles and equipment.
Here is my list of the top seven benefits of cast iron cookware:
1) Excellent heat retention. The nature of iron means that heat is retained within the material for longer. This makes your pan extremely energy efficient, as once it’s hot, only a low to medium setting is required to maintain peak performance. You can remove the cookware from the heat and let the food cook in its own retained heat, or you can bring the pot to the table where the cookware’s heat retention will keep the food warm longer.
two) ideal heat induction. In addition to heat retention, cast iron provides ideal heat induction. This ensures that your food is heated evenly and consistently, with no hot spots. You get perfect, predictable results every time.
3) Versatility. You can safely use this cookware with a wide variety of heat sources, such as: gas, electric (solid or radiant), induction, under grill, on the cooktop, or in the oven. And, of course, it’s especially suitable for Aga-style cooktops: most cast-iron cooktops can withstand temperatures of up to 190 degrees Celsius (374 degrees Fahrenheit).
Plus, you can easily use a single skillet or skillet for just about any kitchen task: bake a cake, roast or fry a chicken, fry potatoes, sear a steak, sauté vegetables, etc.
4) sustainability: These durable cookware is designed to last generation after generation. In fact, I inherited several saucepans from my mother and intend to pass them on to my children! Maintained sensibly, they will never crack or peel and their properties will remain constant throughout their life. They are so solid and reliable. In fact, I’d say good quality cast iron cookware actually gets better with time.
My advice to anyone buying cast iron cookware today is to go for an enameled piece (like most of them, especially from the better manufacturers). The process of glazing the interior surface of a pan typically involves fusing powdered glass with a substrate by firing at extremely high temperatures, resulting in a permanent vitreous/porcelain enamel glaze. But enough of the technicalities – what that means to you is that your enamel cookware has these added benefits:
5) non-stick surface. With an enameled piece, there is no need to season (or re-season) cookware before use.
6) they are hygienic. The enamel surface is impervious to odors and tastes, making the cookware ideal for storing marinated foods or for storing raw or cooked foods in the fridge or freezer.
7) easy to maintain. The pans are very easy to clean, either by hand or in a dishwasher.
Oh, and there’s an added benefit: they look fantastic! Okay, I’m biased. But for me, the sheer aesthetic beauty of modern cast iron cookware, especially from the leading specialty French manufacturers, can’t help but lend a touch of class to any kitchen.