Cast Iron – FoodWatcher

Everyone Needs a Good Cast Iron Skillet—Here Are Our Faves

While I have a kitchen full of gadgets and gizmos aplenty, there’s one item I reach for day after day: my cast iron skillet. It’s a workhorse in the kitchen. It’s versatile, durable, and distributes heat evenly making it the perfect vehicle for getting the perfect crispy edge on a fried egg, making a juicy roast chicken, baking an ooey-gooey cookie skillet, or getting a nice sear on a T-bone steak. Plus, leave it on your stovetop and it quickly brings in a rustic touch.

And while a cast iron skillet can be used for just about anything, any time of day, many home cooks are afraid of taking theirs for a spin. I was one of them. These things need a bit of extra TLC to clean, but with proper care your cast iron pan will last a lifetime (and then some). When it comes to durability, nothing really compares to the cast iron skillet. That’s why it’s worth doing some due diligence before choosing a cast iron for your own kitchen. Price, size, aesthetics, and seasoning are just some of the factors to consider. Luckily, we’ve done the grunt work and rounded up 10 of our favorite cast iron skillets. Find out more about why you’ll love them below.

How to Scrub Away Rust From Cast Iron

I love cooking with cast-iron. It makes the skin of my salmon or potatoes crispy as heck and is so easy to clean—aka it basically requires no cleaning at all. A rinse of the pan with warm water and a splash of soap, a thorough wipe-down with a paper towel or dish towel and a bit of oil, you’re good to go. It’s the ultimate lazy person’s cookware. But said laziness can come with some unfortunate side effects, such as a rusty cast iron skillet.

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It’s happened to me time and time again. A little splotch on the underside of the skillet, a small mark around the perimeter, but nothing to worry about, right? Brush it aside (mentally, that is) and continue to sear, sauté, and bake away. But it can’t be good to let the rust fester, right? Let’s see what my good friends at the USDA have to say: “Rust is not a food safe material so it should not be ingested. If you see rust on the surface of a utensil such as a cast-iron skillet or knife, remove all the rust before using it.” Fair enough.

You Can Score Vintage Cast Iron for Just $5—Here’s How

Confession: I have a cast-iron problem. Once I found them intimidating (why are they so heavy?), but now I can’t get enough of them. Whether searing salmon or baking cookies, cast-iron pans and skillets are a kitchen necessity—one that’s been making a …

Confession: I have a cast-iron problem. Once I found them intimidating (why are they so heavy?), but now I can't get enough of them. Whether searing salmon or baking cookies, cast-iron pans and skillets are a kitchen necessity—one that's been making a comeback with many chefs in recent years.

"When I pull out the cast iron, the kids know we're having something a little extra special for dinner," says coppersmith and author of Copper, Iron, and Clay; A Smith's Journey, Sara Dahmen. "I can make stew for lunch or make an apple pie in a Dutch oven over the open campfire."

On Grief, Seasoning Skillets, & the Comfort of a BLT

Summer 2019. I have a new cast-iron skillet, and it needs seasoning. “Bacon,” my friends said. “Cook lots and lots of bacon.”

At first, I resisted. I’m not a bacon kind of girl, I reasoned. We didn’t cook it at all when I was growing up—even in a tho…

Summer 2019. I have a new cast-iron skillet, and it needs seasoning. “Bacon,” my friends said. “Cook lots and lots of bacon.”

At first, I resisted. I’m not a bacon kind of girl, I reasoned. We didn’t cook it at all when I was growing up—even in a thoroughly assimilated Jewish household, pork was a bit foreign. Plus, bacon was too fatty for my parents’ liking, even before they stopped eating meat altogether. I ate a whole strip of bacon once as a child, and later that day had a stomachache; I fancied the two connected, and for years I insisted that bacon wasn’t for me. Even now, in my 30s, my tastes largely mirror what I grew up eating: I prefer olive oil to butter, and low-fat milk to whole.

A Love Letter to Scallops, the World’s Most Perfect Food

Over the years, I have decided that scallops are a favorite special occasion food that doesn’t, as it turns out, require too much work to make delectable. Before this realization I was kind of lukewarm when it came to these bivalves. The truth is—and I say this to everyone, so forgive me if you’ve heard it before—that anything we really don’t like is probably a food scar. Someone prepared the thing poorly, often under- or over cooking it, and it is up to us to come to terms with that reality and charge forward: brave and hopeful that there can be a fantastic experience to be had, just around the corner. This approach has served me well over time and scallops have been firmly in my “passionate about” department ever since.

Scallops swim using an adductor muscle, which clicks their two iconic shells together, propelling them through the water at the ocean floor. It is this meaty muscle that when shucked, appears in dining rooms and frying pans around the world to great delight. Male scallops are only white, but female scallops’ adductor muscles turn a rosy hue when spawning, and are sought after by chefs and savvy home cooks for their sweeter, richer flavor.

Extra-Cozy Fall Desserts to Add to Your Baking Wish List

In partnership with Lodge Cast Iron, we’re celebrating the holiday season with our favorite fall desserts. Whether you’re baking up a tender apple cake or chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, Lodge Cast Iron’s bakeware line—starring essentials like pi…

In partnership with Lodge Cast Iron, we're celebrating the holiday season with our favorite fall desserts. Whether you’re baking up a tender apple cake or chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, Lodge Cast Iron’s bakeware line—starring essentials like pie pans, casserole dishes, loaf pans, skillets, and more—will help make sure your sweet treats (savory recipes, too!) come out juuuust right.

As the weather gets cooler and the leaves begin to turn red and golden-yellow, we’re gearing up for the endless amounts of baking that the holidays (and your hungry family and friends) demand.

Wait—Have We Been Grilling Burgers All Wrong?

There is perhaps no dish more quintessentially American than the hamburger. Like most other foods, its creator and origin are up for debate, yet the hamburger is, without a doubt, solidly stitched into the fabric of everything that is Americana.

Sure,…

Sure, there are bad burgers out there. And dare I say, they are still satisfying. Great burgers, though? They can be prophetic.

Staub Cast Iron Daily Pan with Lid $279.99–$299.99 $179.99–$199.99

Cast Iron Comal & Pizza Pan $20–$30

Danish Double Soap Dispenser $75