Find the perfect cast iron cookware and start cooking with Cast Iron today!

cast iron kettles by cwwycoff1 on flickr.com

Cast iron teapots have been around for a very long time. Originally, Japanese tetsubins were used for boiling water, often left over the fire to keep the water hot so a cup of tea could be made at any time. Between the 17th and 18th centuries, around the time Sencha Green Tea was introduced, the use of tetsubin teapots became common in Japan. Soon after, drinking loose leaf teas became popular and the Japanese cast iron teapot became a household necessity. Since cast ironware is known to heat evenly and retain heat well, it became the metal for choice for these teapots, and still is to this day. Cast iron teapots are often praised worldwide for their beauty, strength, and superb quality. Using cast iron teapots is arguably the best way to brew tea, since the cast iron distributes the heat evenly inside the pot to better extract the flavors and benefits of the tea. It also will keep your tea hot for close to an hour. Traditional tetsubins often come with intricate designs and patterns and are rather beautiful. The cast iron teapot designs hold specific means. For example, chrysanthemums symbolize the autumn harvest, and can also mean filled with hope, cherry blossoms are a symbol for beauty, coin designs mean prosperity, and a dragon means power, strength and good fortune. There are many different patterns and styles to choose from, and every pattern has a specific meaning.

One good option if you are in the market for a great cast iron teapot is the Old Dutch 38-Ounce Cast-Iron Nobility Teapot,which has a 38-ounce capacity. It is made of cast iron but has a black enamel coating over it to prevent it from rusting. It is heavy and durable and will last for years. It holds enough tea for approximately 4 servings and keeps it warm for a long time. The design on it is bamboo and pine, and it comes in a variety of different colors.

Another great purchase would be the BonJour Cast Iron TeapotIt is made of cast iron and comes with a removable stainless steel infuser. It comes in a light green color with a climbing ivory design which is quite beautiful. This is a delicate looking teapot, but is quite sturdy and durable. It is a great purchase and well worth the money.

The Iwachu Japanese Iron Teapotis another fantastic choice. It comes from Japan and is made of cast iron. It also comes with a removable stainless steel infuser. There is an enamel coating over it in order to prevent rust from forming. The delicate design is quite beautiful and the goldfish depicted symbolize good fortune. The teapot itself is heavy duty and quite durable. The other version of this pot, Iwachu Japanese Iron Teapot,replaces the gold with silver, but is essentially the same pot. Either choice is a great purchase.

My personal favorite is the Iwachu Japanese Iron Teapot with the silver goldfish. It is exceptionally beautiful and holds enough tea for you and a friend, or for you if you wish to have several cups. It keeps the tea warm and even with the final cup, the tea is as good as the first. This is an excellent purchase and I’m sure you will love it as much as I do.

Many people are weary of buying cast iron cookware, griddles are no exception. They are heavy and not dishwasher safe. Lots of people turn to non-stick alternatives for the grilling needs. However, these alternatives are, frankly, no match for a good cast iron griddle. Often times, the non-stick surfaces are inferior and food often sticks, and occasionally some of the nonstick surface comes off after being put through a dishwasher, despite claims of it being safe. For my money, the better choice is to go cast iron. You will get better, tastier results than you could ever get from any of the nonstick alternatives.

One choice for a cast iron griddle is one from Lodge. This cast iron griddleis reversible and is made entirely of cast iron for fast, even heating. The shape is designed with a slight slope that helps direct grease into a large grease gutter. There are convenient side-handles that make it easy to grip and move around safely. This griddle comes pre-seasoned and is ready to use right out of the box. It also comes with a limited lifetime warranty.

Another great choice is a cast iron griddle from Weber. It is a two-sided griddle useful for cooking a wide variety of foods. This griddle is heavy duty, durable, and holds heat like professional griddles.

A third option one from Le Creuset. This griddle is also two sided, one side designed to cook meats and fish, the other flat and perfect for cooking things like eggs and pancakes. The enameled cast iron construction is extremely good at holding the heat and distributing it evenly throughout the surface. This griddle comes with a limited lifetime warranty.

If you have the budget for it, I recommend the griddle from Le Creuset. It is a fantastic choice and extremely versatile. You will not regret spending your money on it. However, if it is out of your price range, the Lodge griddle would be my second choice. Lodge makes excellent cast iron cookware and it is well worth the money. Also, since it comes already seasoned, you are ready to cook with it immediately.

I love lodge cast iron cookware. Though I occasionally do buy other brands, I find myself most often turning toward Lodge. Their cookware gives me consistent results, makes cooking easy, and their prices are reasonable. I find my lodge cookware quite durable as long as it is cared for properly. Here are some details on pieces I already have, as well as some that are on my “to buy” list.

Lodge’s Cast Iron Griddleis a great buy. This griddle is reversible and is made entirely of cast iron for fast, even heating. The shape is designed with a slight slope that helps direct grease into a large grease gutter. There are convenient side-handles that make it easy to grip and move around safely. This griddle comes pre-seasoned and is ready to use right out of the box. It also comes with a limited lifetime warranty.

A great skillet that I use all the time is this one,also from Lodge. Like almost all Lodge cookware, this skillet comes pre-seasoned and is ready to use straight out of the box. It is made of solid, heavy duty cast iron. It offers superior heat retention and the cooking is quite even all over the surface, and is great for everyday use. The two handles, both the long and short are extremely useful, especially if the dish you are creating is heavy. The pan itself is very heavy so it’s often best to grasp both handles if you are moving it any distance (easier on your arm and wrist, trust me). Though I do not camp often, this is a must have for those occasional trips and an open fire does not damage it in the slightest.

The next item is a little whimsical but I could not resist the bright blue color when looking for a Dutch oven.It’s a full 6 quarts and is made of cast iron with a bright blue chip resistant porcelain-enamel finish. It comes equipped with two cast iron loop handles which come in very handy when moving it from place to place. Its cover is self-basting and comes with a small but sufficient handle, and helps to trap the heat, moisture and nutrients inside, creating better dishes. The surface, though chip resistant, is still delicate and it is best to use only wood or silicone utensils on it. I like this piece because it adds a splash of color to my otherwise dull looking cookware.

After beginning to cook with cast iron and loving it, I quickly abandoned my other wok in favor of a cast iron one. A great purchase for you money is a cast iron wokfrom Lodge. It’s 14 inches and is made of durable cast iron. Like other Lodge cast iron cookware pieces, this one came pre-seasoned and was ready for instant use. The surface is good at distributing the heat throughout the wok and it heats slowly and evenly so that your dish does not burn.

This wok comes with a nonstick finish that is rustproof. It is quite easy to clean and comes with a lifetime warranty. I have always loved woks; they have been a staple in my cupboards for years. This particular wok from Lodge is one of the best I have ever used and I love it.

The next one on my list is a little melting pot from Lodge. I love this pot. It is fantastic for heating soups as well as for rewarming many leftovers. Although I have not actually tried melting anything in it, I am pretty sure it will excel at it. It holds the heat very well, and came pre-seasoned. It is very durable and you can pretty much use it anywhere; oven, stove, or even over a camp fire. It is a great purchase.

cooking steak with cast iron by naotakem on flickr.com

Cooking with cast iron is an interesting alternative to using non-stick cooking surfaces.  Cast iron cookware is heavy duty and quite durable.  You can be pre-heated to temperature that will easily brown meat, and can be used for basically any dish you can think of.  It is also versatile, as it can easily move from stove top, to the barbeque or campfire, or into the oven. Cast iron will withstand oven temperatures well above what is considered safe for non-stick pans. An important trick to maintaining cast iron cookware is called “seasoning” your cast iron. It is also often called “curing”. Seasoning or curing cast iron cookware means filling the pores and voids in the metal with grease of some sort, which provides a smooth, non-stick surface. If you do this properly, your food will never stick and your cast iron will never rust.

One of the reasons cast iron is so highly valued is for its cooking properties.  With cast iron, heat is evenly distributed and held, making it ideal for deep frying, searing, and even baking. It can replace most of your traditional dishes, even your favorite casserole dish. You can easily bake cakes, pies, biscuits, and anything else you can think of in your cast iron cookware.

It is important that you should always preheat your cast iron pans before you fry in them. This will prevent your food from sticking, and will give you much better results.  In order to test whether or not your cast iron is heated to the right temperature, you can drizzle a few drops of water into it. The water should sizzle, then roll and hop around the pan when it is hot enough. However, if the water disappears immediately after being dropped, your pan is too hot, and if it simply bubbles, it is not quite hot enough. You do not need large amounts of water for this. A few small drops will suffice.

Cast iron should also never be used to store food.  The iron can and will leach out into the food.  Acidic foods often come out darker due to iron leaching. This is not harmful though, and many people do this on purpose to help with iron deficiencies.   Though you can use your cast iron to boil water, it is generally not recommended.  Often it will cause small bits of oil to break away from the surface and can be found floating around. Also, the water will break down the seasoning you have put onto your cast iron and that would be unfortunate.  Finally, boiling water in cast iron can cause it to rust.

Since cast iron cookware is not dishwasher safe, you need to wash your pieces by hand.  Many people disagree over whether or not to use detergent on your cast iron. Personally, I do use dishwashing soap. However, never soak it or let any soapy water sit for any length of time. Mostly, you just want to wash out the pan and then rinse thoroughly.  Once you have done this, you can put back some of the oil you may have washed away. Put the cast iron on the stove and head it for a minute or so, to make sure it is dry, then give it a light coat of cooking oil.   Put the pan back onto the stove and keep it there for several minutes. When you are done, simply wipe out any access with a paper towel.

If you take care of your cast iron cookware it will last for many, many years. It is one of the most durable forms of cookware available. It is also very enjoyable to use and give food a unique flavor that you will quickly become addicted to. In my opinion, using cast iron cookware is one of the greatest ways to cook food.

cast iron pan by Rachel Tayse on flickr.com

Cooking with cast iron.

Home fries are one of my favorite dishes. They are simple, delicious and bring back memories of childhood. The versatility of this dish is amazing and can easily be at home as part of a filling breakfast or a fabulous dinner. You can also go as simple as you want or as complicated as you want with this dish, sticking to simple potatoes or adding in as many vegetables as you want.

I like to keep this dish simple, though on occasion, I will add in a few extra vegetables, depending on what else I’m serving with it. I tend to keep the vegetables sliced large just in case I have picky eaters dining with me: easier to remove. Remember that the extra ingredients are not necessary. You can also add other vegetables to this dish if you want, or different ones. Cooking is about enjoying food, so find the flavors you like and go with it.

Ingredients:

-roughly 2 pounds of potatoes, whatever type you prefer

-1 large onion or two medium onions.

-2 to 3 tablespoons of butter

-vegetable oil

-salt and pepper to taste

Extra ingredients if you are feeling daring:

-3 jalapeno chilies or you can use bottled jalapenos

- Half of a red, yellow, and green bell pepper sliced

Directions:

You want to cook the potatoes until they are tender, and then half them. Once this is done, take the potato halves and brush them with oil, as well as any of the vegetables you have included. You can season with salt and pepper now. Personally, I wait until the end. It’s just a personal choice.  You’ll want to grill all of the potatoes and other vegetables until they are quite cooked. If the heat is high, it doesn’t take long, usually 3 minutes or so per side. Charring is fine as long as it is only slight, just make sure they are cooked through. Once you remove everything from the heat, you’ll want to chop up the potatoes.  Depending on how large you want the pieces, you can half the halves again, or cut them into smaller pieces. Generally, I like to cut them a little smaller than quarters. If the potatoes will cooperate, I try to cut them into 8ths.  Again, this part is completely up to you. I find the potatoes get crispier and taste better for us if I cut them smaller (and this is how my mom always did it).  Now it’s time to get out your skillet. You’ll want to toss your butter into your pan and melt it before adding the rest of your ingredients. Once it’s heated and the butter has been melted, toss all of the ingredients together. Cook them until they become crispy and are browned. Remove and enjoy with eggs and bacon, or with a steak, chicken, or whatever else you want to eat it with.  These home fries are tasty no matter what time of day you eat them at. Enjoy!

Waffles by jonathan mcintosh on flickr.com

Waffle makers are not something that everyone has, but those who enjoy making their own swear by these. There are many different types available on the market, but for my money, the best are always those made of cast iron.  They are very versatile and can be used either over an open fire if you are looking to make a nice breakfast while camping or simply on top of your stove at home.  The waffle maker itself has a long history and has been quite popular since before modern day appliances existed. In the past, the basic shape was a circular design, and you can still find these now, though the more popular shape, of course, is square. Whichever you choose, the results will be the same and fantastic.  Cast iron waffle makers generally consist of two iron plates that are connected by a metal hinge that allows it to open freely. This helps to make it much easier to clean and care for.

Waffle makers of newer design have both their supporters and their critics. Most modern types made of materials other than cast iron are generally heavily coated with non-stick surfaces. Though these are deemed safe by officials, many people are very skeptical about the chemicals that are used to make up  the non-stick coating.  These people often prefer to choose cast iron to avoid that.  No one wants their waffles to stick to their waffle maker but how you choose to get those results is definitely a personal one.  Cast iron waffle makers also have their critics. Many people believe that there is no way to prevent food from sticking to them. This, of course, if wrong. As with any piece of cast iron cookware, you need to season it properly. As long as you do so, you will have beautiful results and absolutely glorious waffles every time.

Whether you prefer your waffles to be square or round, you can easily find a cast iron waffle maker to suit your needs.  There are tons of varieties out there from numerous companies so you are certain to find one to suit your needs. Using your cast iron waffle maker is extra simple.   Basically all you need to do is pour some of the batter for your waffles into one side, close up the lid, and then flip after a few minutes to give the opposite side access to the direct heat.  I like to add pieces of fruit into my batter once it’s placed into the waffle maker. You can choose whatever fruit you like, they all taste great. My favorites are the typical ones: Strawberries and Blueberries. There is nothing quite like the taste of fresh, homemade strawberry waffles.  For a treat for your kids, you can also add in chocolate chips.   Keep in mind that the first waffles may not be absolutely perfect (though still delicious) as the pan heats to perfection.  You can add vegetable oil or butter to the waffle iron after each round to help you get waffles that will be crisp on the outside and fluffy and delicious on the inside.  No matter how or where you make them, waffles are a delicious treat that, in my opinion are made better by choosing a cast iron waffle maker over a more modern non-stick version.