Selecting the first pieces in your cast iron collection

You made it through our first post and apparently, we haven’t upset you too much. So welcome back. 🙂

Like most things in the world and especially on the Internet, there is a wealth of often contradictory information available about any topic. In the world of cast iron this is especially true. What brand of pan do I purchase? What size? Should it be pre-seasoned or not? Should I buy a brand new pan or should I rescue a pan from a yard sale or thrift store? (we will cover more on that in a future post)

While these questions can seem overwhelming, the goal is to find the correct pan (or set of pans) for you.

Many of my friends and family have asked me ‘I want to add cast iron cookware to my kitchen, what pieces would you recommend’? I noticed that I was coming back to the same recommendations over and over again. As such, I figured that I would share those recommendations. Additionally, I wanted to share some items that you should look at when purchasing cast iron so that you can make informed decisions based upon your budget & cooking style.

Let’s cover what I consider some of the basic pieces to add, along with why I think they should be staples in your kitchen. When selecting a basic set of cast iron, my goal is to try to cover as many of the possible kitchen uses with as few pieces as possible. Thus, items that are multitaskers are preferred to single use items.

Pan Selection

10″ Skillet – A.K.A. the one-pot wonder

The 10″ Skillet is the go to pan when one needs to put together a meal. The 10″ skillet earns top-billing on this list because it is the most versatile pan that you will have. It has the capacity to make one-pot meals, it is the right size to bake in, and is one of the most cost effective. You can frequently find them in the $10-$15 range at your average retailer.

12″ Skillet – A.K.A. the everything else pan

The 12″ Skillet builds upon what the 10″ gives you, but adds a bit more capacity without too much increase in cost. I generally will go to a 12 inch pan when I am doing a lot of high-heat cooking (like searing a steak), because the extra space allows a bigger steak whilst not crowding the pan too much.

The reversible griddle – A.K.A. The ‘How to impersonate a short order cook’ device

The reversible griddle (Example here) is one of my favorite cast iron pieces. It combines what effectively is a large rectangular skillet and a large rectangular grill pan in one. Feel like making breakfast for a bunch of people? This is your friend. Additionally, with the dual burner versions, you can adjust the heat on either side of the pan independently.

The Dutch Oven

The cast iron Dutch Oven is the last essential component of your basic kit. The Dutch Oven provides that larger capacity useful for making soups, stews, or anything that requires a proper braising. Plus, the Dutch Oven is the piece most likely to go camping with you.

Now that you have an idea on the basics, you can always augment this basic collection with other items more appropriate to your cooking style. You can add wider skillets, deeper skillets (such as the chicken fryer – which is like a weird cross between a skillet and a Dutch Oven), or cast iron bakeware (such a muffin pans).

Brands A.K.A. Contentious Topic #1

When it comes to which maker of cast iron to purchase, I generally have few brand preferences. While I do believe that premium lines of cast iron (such as Butter Pat Industries, Finex, and Smithey Ironware) are qualitatively better, I also know that a $15 Lodge Logic is a damn fine pan that will serve you for years.

With cast-iron, unlike furniture or houses, you can get quality items for very low cost. You don’t need to purchase expensive cast-iron. Instead of focusing on brand, focus on functional items, such as:

• Size – Does this pan have the capacity for the items I wish to cook or bake?
• Handles – The versatility of the cast iron means that it can go from oven (or grill) to table. But did you think about how you are going to carry it? Larger/heavier pans generally have two sets of handles to make carrying them easier.
• Weight – You might want a 17″ pan, but if it is too heavy to carry, it might not be a good fit. 🙂
• Thickness – Thickness is related to weight, but is something else you should think about. Thicker pans are less likely to have hot spots, but require a ton more energy to get to a desired temperature.
• Pour spouts – These are crazily useful when needing to do things like pouring sauces or gravy. Or emptying cooking oil after frying chicken.
• Lid – Does it have a lid? Depending on what you are making, having a lid for your pan might be a useful first accessory.

Preseasoned or not?

Unless you have your own method for seasoning (we’ll cover seasoning in a future article) that you like, purchase preseasoned pans. Someone else has already done the work of giving the pan an initial, albeit basic, seasoning. If anything, add a few more layers of seasoning to your new pan. Or better yet just start cooking bacon. This will help season the pan and allow you to finish with a tasty treat.

Classic versus modern cast iron? AKA Contentious Topic #2

Cast iron aficionados will tell you the classic line of “they don’t build them like they used to,” and while it is true, the impact of it isn’t as big a deal as it is portrayed.

Back in the day, cast iron was made differently. Of the many differences, the biggest was the smoothness of the cooking surface. Older cast-iron pans, like vintage Griswold or Wagners, have an almost glassy smooth surface. This is in contrast to many newer pans which have more of a rougher surface, more akin to the feel of fine stucco. How much of a difference this makes in actual cooking is debatable. The newer, more expensive lines (such as the aforementioned Butter Pat Industries, Finex, and Smithey Ironware lines) are created and machined very similarly to classic cast iron.

Chinese versus American

I understand people wanting to be conscious about where their cookware and dishes come from, but if cast-iron is the place you wish to make your stand against Chinese made goods, I feel like the effort is misplaced. While the Chinese made pans might not maintain the resale value of an older Lodge, Wagner, or Griswold, some of us just want to cook 🙂 I am totally not one to challenge anyone’s preferences, as I know I surely have many of my own. There is this recurring mantra of ‘Chinese made cast iron is crap’ which reeks of elitism. If someone did a test of a few pans sourced from China and noticed they were contaminated with lead or other contaminants, I would agree that you have a point (and arguably a duty) to inform people not to buy. Short of that, buy whatever you like. Additionally, the Chinese basically invented cast iron, so that has to count for something, right? Note: Lead is a real concern when purchasing second hand pans, and we’ll cover how to deal with this in a future article.

Where to buy?

Cast iron can be found basically anywhere you buy your other cookware, such as your big box & online retailers. However, there are a lot of seemingly unlikely places where you can source quality cast iron. Places like your neighborhood Agricultural Supply or where you get your camping supplies are good examples. Also, you’d find a lot of vendors offering both newer and vintage cast iron on websites like Etsy. This last option is great if you do want to get an older pan, but you may not want to go through the process of restoring an older pan yourself.

Conclusion

Hopefully, armed with some of the content above, shopping for some new cookware might not be as daunting. Feel free to drop comments if you found this useful.