What You Haven't Been Told About Cast Iron Skillets

Cast iron skillets and cookware have served us for 1500 years. But should we still be using it?

Here's everything you need to know about cast iron skillets before your first use.

💰 AFFILIATE 🔗

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Before you dive into the world of cast iron, there are a few things you need to know. Let me share my irrational love for cast iron, the quirks that make it special, and the hidden dangers to watch out for. Whether you have/want a Lodge, Griswold, Wagner, or otherwise, you need to see this!

🔑 Key Points:
00:00 I love cast iron
00:49 Iron's popularity
01:25 Why iron slaps
03:28 How to cook with iron
04:09 How to clean iron
04:46 Care creates love
05:45 Cast iron's biggest hazard
06:55 Iron vs stainless and carbon steel
08:09 Rough vs smooth
09:36 Buy recommendations
11:28 Pan pizza outro

💬 Do you have and love some cast iron? Tell me about it in the comments.

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WHAT I USE TO MAKE VIDEOS (💰affiliate 🔗)

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[noah-the-optimist]

Actual dangers I've learned about in the comments that I didn't talk about:

1. Some people have used cast iron to melt lead in. You never want to use these pans for culinary purposes again.
2. This is rare, but if you have high iron levels in your body, the iron leeching into your food from CI may be harmful (though for most people it's a positive nutritional feature).
3. If you cool it down too fast, like by pouring cold water in a hot skillet, the iron can crack and it can be explosive.
4. You could drop it on your foot and break a toe.

[juliasharp]

Cowboy Kent Rollins said, "ain't nobody gonna be fighting over the teflon in the will".

[minkwelder]

I bought an old camper about ten years ago and under the sink, catching drips from a leaky drain was a #8 Wagner from Sidney. I stripped it with oven cleaner and sanded off the rust. It’s beautifully seasoned now and has made me a CI fanatic.

[Bitwise]

When I was a younger man, I heard about this nice lady in the neighborhood who sent her husband to the ICU using one of those. They're just so damned versatile! 😃

[petejuhlke]

I restored a big old cast iron pan and baked it with oil, have used it 10 years now and only had to recoat once since . I use it every day almost . Just hot water to clean and dries right away because of the retained heat . I know the feeling of the love of a cast pan, as it feeds my face and keeps me alive . thx for sharing . happy new year all !

[Zappy]

I use a set of cast iron pans left to me by my grandmother. She got them when my grandfather and her bought a small town restaurant in the 1950's and they came with it. No telling how old they are, but they are all Griswold smooth pans/skillets/griddle with the thin heat ring and pretty large writing on them. and lids and I love cooking with them all. Upkeep after use is a real thing with cast iron but worth it. I have the matching set of 12 different size pans/skillets/griddle hanging on a rack over our kitchen island. There is a bit of pride that goes along with nice cast iron pans for sure.

[tenaoconnor]

I have my grandfather’s cast iron griddle. It has two pancake rings on it that have built up over the years. I have scraped some of the buildup off but they are still there 🤭 love that griddle. I made my hubby turn around and go back to the campground to retrieve it when it accidentally got left on the picnic table seat. Thankfully it was still there. The next space over saw it and saved it for me. She said she knew we would be back 😊 wonderful people ❤

[Ambimom]

FYI, I had a 10 inch cast iron skillet for 35 years with perfect seasoning: eggs slid off that thing. One day my hand slipped and it fell to the ground, empty thank goodness, and it split in two. I was heartsick and replaced it with a Lodge. Alas, I won't be alive in 35 years so the replacement will never be as seasoned. Also, I've cooked and braised many a tomato sauce or citrus based recipe in my various cast iron cookware, after at least one year of it being seasoned, with no issues. Same goes for using soap to wash the plans. The secret to cast iron is to use the cast iron.

[donaldvincent]

I cleaned an old rusty skillet with a wire wheel (Wiz Wheel) and a drill. It took me about 15 minutes. I wiped it with corn oil & heated it in the oven for 30 minutes. It has been great ever since.

[whiteeaglestudios]

Great presentation! I am 80 years old and my mother gave me, many years back, two Wagner Ware cast iron pans that she inherited from my grandmother. I was told that both were wedding gifts to my grandmother circa 1900. Both are smoot as silk. I love them and would argue that the flavor of everything cooked is better in cast iron than anything else. I have a couple of rough cast iron pans from a famous current maker but rarely use them.

[monteheitzman]

I have my grandmother’s cast iron skillet and I use it daily! My mother is 90 years old. So, this skillet is well over a century old! I love it!

[JustinThought-ik]

I wish I had run across this video a couple of months ago. At that time, I had one made in Mexico by a company called Pagoel. It weighs about 80 tons, straight-side, and has a fitting top. I've loved it for years, though I did have to do a little cleanup on it recently.

Then, I had a friend I was trying to convince to get rid of her Teflon ware. I found a pan in deplorable condition, paid about $7.50 for it, and cleaned it up as a gift for her. Started using it to season it a little more...and then decided to keep it. The fact that it was a 70-80 maybe even 90 year old Wagner Sidney made it a dream to cook on.

Now I have 3 CI pans, and I had a fourth that I finally gifted to my friend. And I'm eyeing more every time I go to the flea market...

By the way, point a camera at a cat, and they'll run away. Don't point it at them, and they'll perch right in front of it. The catness of cats.

[FourthDimensionalHillBilly]

I’ve been picking up cast iron from thrift stores for the last 20 years. I have every size, shape, and brand. Most of them just adorn the walls of my home but I too have my favorite one. Great video.

[emmmeocacatoo]

I never thought I'd actually laugh out loud watching a video on cast iron pans while at work. (My coworkers already think I'm strange, so no harm done!) I LOVE my cast iron and use it more than any other cookware. 💚💚💚💚💚💚 BTW your cat KNOWS he's a star.

[rhythmaddict]

I loved this so much! I am 74yrs old and I have some 'older' pans! I learned alot from this, thank you for sharing! Aloha from Maui!

[PaydayGabeBCNV]

I purchased a Griswold pan off Marketplace for $50.
When it arrives from the seller it was a small 6" skillet 😮.
Thought it would be larger.
I use it quite often. Holds 2 eggs perfectly 😋.

[kjb]

If you use your pan often, the rough pan will become smooth over time. My Lodge became smooth in about 5 years. I've had it for 20.

[peterreece]

My wife's two most used phrases. "What, another knife?" and "What, another (cast iron) frying pan ?". Two of my weaknesses, sharp kitchen knives and cast iron pans. Both are additive.

[gretacook]

Love my iron skillet! That last small skillet was my favorite and came from my mom.
I’m single and now i cook everyday in it!

[richardsmith]

Noah Cast iron pans are a thing of beauty and I agree with you as I love all mine ! Three were passed down from my mother who got them from her mother. Being in the south, you make southern style cornbread ONLY in a cast iron pan, otherwise your cornbread isn't the same. Cast iron cooks many things well and it's worth the extra few minutes it takes to clean and oil after each use. I wouldn't take any amount of money for mine as three are near 100 years old and still going strong. Thanks for a great video !!