Do not know what they are missing. Wife threw away all non stick skillets and we are all cast iron now inclusive the cast iron tortilla warmer and the cast iron caserole dish.

Sockeye salmon tonight in skillet with olive oil is going down the gullet well

I just recently got an old Griswold cast iron waffle maker off eBay. Makes great waffles!!

I like my cast iron. I like my all-clad stainless more.

My dad has been going to antique stores, estate sales, etc and buying old, rusted out cast iron skillets and Dutch ovens and reconditioning them. Ive been cooking almost everything in a cast iron skillet since he gave me one a few months ago. And it is awesome.

Cast iron is good for many things, but there are some is it not good at. It doesn't heat evenly, so it s more prone to hot spots or hot rings. That weight that makes it good for searing is a drawback when it comes to saut.

Carbon steel pans are where it's at

Debbie Downer here: cast iron for every meal could add too much iron to your diet for a male (females lose iron through menstruation). Too much iron is bad for your cardiovascular system.

Buying used cast iron and cooking in it is risky - you have no idea what's been in it before you got it. I have several cast iron corn bread molds that my dad used to make lead ingots for bullet casting. Want to eat corn bread baked in one of them?

Well this thread certainly took a detour through glumsville.

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Debbie Downer here: cast iron for every meal could add too much iron to your diet for a male (females lose iron through menstruation). Too much iron is bad for your cardiovascular system.

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With a good seasoning, you get very little actual contact with the metal surface. This is largely an overrated statement about cast iron.

You only get significant leaching of iron into the food with acidic liquids stewing for a long time.

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Buying used cast iron and cooking in it is risky - you have no idea what's been in it before you got it. I have several cast iron corn bread molds that my dad used to make lead ingots for bullet casting. Want to eat corn bread baked in one of them?

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Haha I have a cast iron pan in the garage that I soak old bearings in gasoline in. Prob wouldn't be a good one to fry some backstrap in either although I do have several antiques my dad gave me from my great aunt. Who knows what have been in them over the years, but I have cooked in them for years

I gave away my cast iron years ago out of concern for excess iron. I figure that as long as one is not anemic, one doesn't need any extra iron.

There are a great number of very well established health issues that can result from excess iron in the body, but most of them would generally require a condition known as iron overloading. With iron overloading, some of the problems would include things like promoting the growth of some cancers, promotes the growth of some diseases, higher risks of conduction disturbances of the heart, and other issues.

There is some thought that at levels of iron less than that of iron overloading, there may be some serous issues. There are reasons to believe that even small levels of iron stores in the body contributes to the development of atherosclerosis.

There are also links to the development of diabetes. My refusal to use iron cookware may be one factor that I'm not diabetic even though it runs quite strongly in my family - my parents and my brothers were/are all diabetic.

I have thought about buying some enamel coated cast iron cookware since the enamel protects the food from the iron.

I don't think there is much harm in using cast iron. I just wouldn't use it for every meal.

My mom gave me her Wagner Chicken Skillet that she cooked everything for my dad in for 50 years. They don't have iron overdose (she is always anemic) and are 94 years young. The finish is slicker than owl ****. I don't think any iron could leach out.

Al this worry about iron overloading. Back in the 80's, there was a spike in anemia attributed to non-stick cookware.


Of you folks fretting over the iron, how many take a multivitamin?

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Al this worry about iron overloading. Back in the 80's, there was a spike in anemia attributed to non-stick cookware.

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Cites?

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Of you folks fretting over the iron, how many take a multivitamin?

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People take multivitamins? I thought those were for kids.

The only thing I take is Vitamin D.

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The only thing I take is Vitamin D.

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The only thing I take is Vitamin D.

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http://imageshack.us/a/img912/4421/ZBnFPy.jpg

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I don't get it. Are you saying that taking Vitamin D is gay?

Years ago, there was a scare that eating food cooked in aluminum pots would give you Alzheimer's.

I forget if that was before coffee was bad or after it was good. Or maybe I'm thinking about all carb diets being the best, then no carb.

Can't keep up with all the scares / fads / misinformation.

I thought it was Teflon coated cookware that ate your brain?

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Years ago, there was a scare that eating food cooked in aluminum pots would give you Alzheimer's.

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It was hype from Sixty Minutes and was quickly shown to be nonsense. In spite of that there are many people around who still believe the stupid show.

I'm always amused by the number of people who refuse to use aluminum cookware because of the dangers they still believe it presents but who use iron cookware without a second thought.

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I thought it was Teflon coated cookware that ate your brain?

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Just don't get hit over the head with a Teflon pan.

Seriously, just don't overheat it. If you do overheat the pan, throw it away.

Several years ago, I walked into the kitchen area in our office and saw some twerp cooking eggs in a Teflon pan I had at the office. The twerp had the heat on high. (I hate to imagine how bad eggs would be cooked at such high heat.) I took one look at it, turned the stove off, took the plate out of his hand, and dumped the eggs and pan into the trash.

I've got a #5 Griswold that is the best damn egg skillet ever, and rumor has it my mom got me a Birmingham Stove and Range Dutch oven for Christmas that I asked for and am pretty damn excited about.

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I gave away my cast iron years ago out of concern for excess iron. I figure that as long as one is not anemic, one doesn't need any extra iron.

There are a great number of very well established health issues that can result from excess iron in the body, but most of them would generally require a condition known as iron overloading. With iron overloading, some of the problems would include things like promoting the growth of some cancers, promotes the growth of some diseases, higher risks of conduction disturbances of the heart, and other issues.

There is some thought that at levels of iron less than that of iron overloading, there may be some serous issues. There are reasons to believe that even small levels of iron stores in the body contributes to the development of atherosclerosis.

There are also links to the development of diabetes. My refusal to use iron cookware may be one factor that I'm not diabetic even though it runs quite strongly in my family - my parents and my brothers were/are all diabetic.

I have thought about buying some enamel coated cast iron cookware since the enamel protects the food from the iron.

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You have no idea what you're talking about here.

I have 1 cast iron skillet and use it for pretty much everything from frying fish to cooking cornbread to sausage and eggs in the morning. Wouldn't trade it.

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I thought it was Teflon coated cookware that ate your brain?

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Just don't get hit over the head with a Teflon pan.

Seriously, just don't overheat it. If you do overheat the pan, throw it away.

Several years ago, I walked into the kitchen area in our office and saw some twerp cooking eggs in a Teflon pan I had at the office. The twerp had the heat on high. (I hate to imagine how bad eggs would be cooked at such high heat.) I took one look at it, turned the stove off, took the plate out of his hand, and dumped the eggs and pan into the trash.

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Did he punch you square in the face?

Also, who put out the fire you started by throwing a hot pan with hot oil into a trash can??

Anything can kill you

So if I use it 3 to 4 times a week to cook meals I will die or get sick??

Watch out for that excessive salt fellas.

what do you do if your iron starts to rust? have a cast flat cooktop I can throw on the gas grill and use but has some rust

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what do you do if your iron starts to rust? have a cast flat cooktop I can throw on the gas grill and use but has some rust

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Take a wire brush an brush off the rust. The re-season with some flax seed oil and a hot oven. Easy peasy.

Then don't let it rust again. Easy peasy.

thanks schmell

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Buying used cast iron and cooking in it is risky - you have no idea what's been in it before you got it. I have several cast iron corn bread molds that my dad used to make lead ingots for bullet casting. Want to eat corn bread baked in one of them?

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Haha I have a cast iron pan in the garage that I soak old bearings in gasoline in. Prob wouldn't be a good one to fry some backstrap in either although I do have several antiques my dad gave me from my great aunt. Who knows what have been in them over the years, but I have cooked in them for years.

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I'm talking about buying used from flea markets, garage sales, pawn shops, etc where you have no idea how it's been used. Chances are pretty good that your great aunt cooked food in them and didn't use them for lead. There's nothing in the world wrong with good, old cast iron that's been in the family kitchens for years. I've got a Lodge skillet that's in it's 4th generation of use.

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The only thing I take is Vitamin D.

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I don't get it. Are you saying that taking Vitamin D is gay?

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Eric, "vitamin D" has been used in the past
as a crude euphemism for, ahem, laying the wood. Hence my supremely immature (though it still makes me chuckle) reply.

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People take multivitamins? I thought those were for kids.

The only thing I take is Vitamin D.

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I take a multivitamin. I am not a kid.