strike while the (cast) iron is hot

As a personal chef, I have had the opportunity to step into a wide variety of home kitchens and sample an eclectic mix of kitchen wares. From knives, pans, baking sheets, and gadgets, I feel as though I’ve tried it all, and have been able to separate the essentials from those items that are just wasting space – and your hard earned dollars!

And surprisingly enough, most of my favorites are versatile, easy to use, and cheap! If you have $30 to invest in your kitchen, and want the most bang for your buck, it doesn’t get any better than a cast iron skillet. I will warn you that it takes a little bit of TLC to condition your skillet to perfection, but trust me, its worth it. A well seasoned cast iron skillet performs just as effectively as any non-stick pan – and you don’t have to worry about creepy chemical treatments leeching into your food! Most non-stick pans have a pretty short shelf life considering once there is even the slightest hint of a scratch, it really is not safe to cook with. But cast iron will last a lifetime!

If you have wondered why the steak you cook at home never has that same gorgeous color and crust that you find at a restaurant, switch to cast iron, and your family and friends will swear you had dinner catered. You can also easily transfer the pan from the stove top to the oven to make delicious pan-roasted chicken, fish, and heck – even tofu! Really, anything you cook in a nonstick skillet can be successfully prepared in cast iron: eggs, pancakes, french toast, vegetables…

Besides the off-putting heavy weight of the skillets, the trickiest part of cast iron is the seasoning process. Below is an excerpt from the New York Times written by Mark Bittman on how to season a pan.

“To season a new pan wash it well and dry it. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees while you warm the pan gently over low heat on top of the stove. Using a brush or a paper towel, spread a tablespoon or so of a fresh neutral oil like corn or grape seed in the pan; the surface should be evenly covered, with no excess. Put the pan in the oven, bake it for about an hour and let it cool in the oven. That’s it.”

You may have to repeat this step a few times before you have a great nonstick surface, but know that your skillet will keep getting better with wear and use.

I always recommend Lodge cast iron. I know I have seen it at Target, but you could also purchase online at Amazon.