Tell me about your cast iron!

[framing fowl]

What kind of cast iron do you have? What's your favorite?

I currently have a large chicken fryer with a lid that fits, a large pot with tripod feet with a lid that is too small that nestles down about an inch, and another smaller tripod pot with lid. I love these for doing pot roast with veggies. I enjoy using them more than my crock pot. One trick I learned to using the ones with the tripod feet in my oven is to set them on a cookie tray for stability.

Then I have several skillets in different sizes. The only one with a name is a wagner 8" skillet with the smoke ring on the bottom. It is by far my favorite!

 

[TanksHill]

I have a couple modern pieces of Lodge. My 12 inch dutch oven on legs, 12 inch skillet, they share a lid. Which they say you can flip and use as a griddle. I haver never managed that. I also have a huge 15 inch lodge skillet.

All the rest are used pieces I picked up at goodwill and tag sales. I do have one 8 inch Wagner I use all the time. Other than that I have several 8s, a small pot no lid, a big oval, a 2 quart bean pot and some corn muffin molds.

I still need to find a deep chicken dryer.

G

 

[kcsunshine]

I have 2 deep skillets (chicken fryers?) that my mom can't use anymore. I have 2 regular skillets and 1 flat-bottomed dutch oven. All these use the same size lid. We also have 1 14" dutch oven on legs, and 1 12 " on legs that my hubby uses to cook outdoors. The smaller one stands on the lid of the bigger one and he uses charcoal under and on top. I also have a smaller one (8" perhaps) for cornbread and we have a wok. Now that thing's so heavy, I can't use it. Somewhere here I also have a griddle that fits over 2 stove eyes. And I have a cornbread stick pan.

The problem with all this is stupid me bought a glass top stove. We're still using the cast iron, but I'm waiting to hear a pop one of these days. Hubby's kinda heavy handed and he thinks he's Emeril - that, and cast iron and glass top just don't go together.

 

[framing fowl]

KC -what does your hubby cook outdoors? I got a book from the library awhile back about making bread and desserts in cast iron and how you could make tinfoil dividers to cook two items in one pot. I've always thought that would be fun but haven't done that with mine. I've just used them in the oven and on the stovetop.

 

[i_am2bz]

I have 2 pieces bought new, but a few weeks ago found 3 skillets of different sizes at a flea market for 10 bucks. They look in reasonably good shape, but I haven't used them b/c I can't get past the "ick" factor of using some stranger's cookware. (And I'm not usually a germaphobe, honest!) What do ya'll recommend - just give it a good old scrubbing, re-season, & get over it?

 

[FarmerChick]

ick factor

 

[TanksHill]

I have 2 pieces bought new, but a few weeks ago found 3 skillets of different sizes at a flea market for 10 bucks. They look in reasonably good shape, but I haven't used them b/c I can't get past the "ick" factor of using some stranger's cookware. (And I'm not usually a germaphobe, honest!) What do ya'll recommend - just give it a good old scrubbing, re-season, & get over it?

They say you can start over with a cast iron pan if you throw it in a camp fire. I saw it on youtube once. They just threw it in and it got beet red. Then imagine it needs to be really well re-seasoned. I have one I want to do this with but I always forget. I bought it used and it gave off a weird smell when I seasoned it.

I cook outdoors with a tri pod and over coals all the time when camping. I do all kinds of one pot breakfast and dinners. My friends think I'm nuts because I like to hang out and cook, read and have a cocktail for the hours it takes. Last New Years I did stew. OMG it turned out wonderful. Only thing is I need a bigger dutch oven. Then I could double stack. I have also done the cobblers and pineapple upside down cake.

There are all kinds of Boy Scout videos on YouTube of cooking with one of those steel tables and using multiple ovens. Stacking and all sorts of cool stuff.

Oh yeah, I have the two burner griddle as well as 2 round ones.

Funny I forgot about those. I think I should do an inventory.

g

 

[Britesea]

I have one dutch oven and the lid fits the 10" skillet. I also have a couple of smaller (5" and 7") skillets that I hardly ever use, and a 15" one that is super for stir fries. I have an antique cast iron waffle iron and a cast iron griddle that covers two burners. I also have an enameled cast iron roasting pan with cover and matching sauce pot ( Le Creuset). I used to have a set of 3 cast iron sauce pots, but they never did take a proper seasoning, maybe because I used them primarily for cooking veggies in water and such, so I finally got rid of them.

 

[i_am2bz]

I have 2 pieces bought new, but a few weeks ago found 3 skillets of different sizes at a flea market for 10 bucks. They look in reasonably good shape, but I haven't used them b/c I can't get past the "ick" factor of using some stranger's cookware. (And I'm not usually a germaphobe, honest!) What do ya'll recommend - just give it a good old scrubbing, re-season, & get over it?

They say you can start over with a cast iron pan if you throw it in a camp fire. I saw it on youtube once. They just threw it in and it got beet red. Then imagine it needs to be really well re-seasoned. I have one I want to do this with but I always forget. I bought it used and it gave off a weird smell when I seasoned it.

Thanks gina, I think I may as well try this...it's getting cold enough out for a bonfire.

 

[TanksHill]

Ugggg!!!! I just found this in regards to using a hot fire.

http://whatscookingamerica.net/Information/HotFire.htm

Maybe not a good idea after all.

g