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There's something amusing about cast iron lore that scares so many people away. So many folks - myself included before I actually started using it - think that

There's something amusing about cast iron lore that scares so many people away. So many folks - myself included before I actually started using it - think that you must properly season it or it'll rust up, and you'll never get it back. And that it takes so much effort to do just right. Honestly, it seems pretty hard to get wrong. My ~$20 Lodge skillet from Target has lasted eight years in the kitchen and camping, taking tons of abuse without any apparent wear. I have a friend who literally didn't even scrape food off his pan when we was done cooking - just let it cool and put it away. When he took it out weeks later, it was green and fuzzy, and he just cranked up the heat until it smoked, and then scraped it clean. That's more than a bit extreme for me, but perhaps an example of how rugged it is. I also really like my De Buyer high carbon steel skillet, but if I leave it out for 15 minutes without thoroughly drying it, it starts turning orange from rust. It's a bit finicky for me now that I've come to love my cast iron.

war1025 6y ago
> if I leave it out for 15 minutes without thoroughly drying it, it starts turning orange from rust The thing cast iron has going for it is that it's black, and black hides a multitude of sins. I'd guess the orange isn't a huge deal, maybe it is though.
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giardini 6y ago
says >There's something amusing about cast iron lore that scares so many people away.< No, it is simply a major PITA in the kitchen and no match whatsoever for teflon. It is such a PITA that the cast-iron venders are marketing "enameled cast-iron" which, of course, has a coating of enamel atop the cast-iron. And get this: there are beaucoup WWW posts on "seasoning" the enamel!
- KozmoNau7 6y ago
  Following the instructions from the manufacturer (fry a batch of potato peels very oily, salty and dark) years ago and then just using the pan ever since, doesn't really seem like a "major PITA" to me. Incidentally, it's really good for flatbread :-)

war1025 6y ago

> if I leave it out for 15 minutes without thoroughly drying it, it starts turning orange from rust The thing cast iron has going for it is that it's black, and black hides a multitude of sins. I'd guess the orange isn't a huge deal, maybe it is though.

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giardini 6y ago

says >There's something amusing about cast iron lore that scares so many people away.< No, it is simply a major PITA in the kitchen and no match whatsoever for teflon. It is such a PITA that the cast-iron venders are marketing "enameled cast-iron" which, of course, has a coating of enamel atop the cast-iron. And get this: there are beaucoup WWW posts on "seasoning" the enamel!

KozmoNau7 6y ago
Following the instructions from the manufacturer (fry a batch of potato peels very oily, salty and dark) years ago and then just using the pan ever since, doesn't really seem like a "major PITA" to me. Incidentally, it's really good for flatbread :-)