Benefits of Cast Iron Cookware

Cast iron cookware has been around for centuries, and still remains one of the most popular types of material to use for cooking. 

In this quick guide to the benefits of cooking on cast-iron, we are going to find out why.

Photo by Sebastian Coman Photography from Pexels

They Last a Long Time 

Cast-iron cookware costs a little more to buy than some other cookware, but they last so much longer and are definitely worth the extra investment. 

Their durability is one of cast iron cookware’s greatest attributes. They are well-made pots and pans that can handle the demands of any kitchen, which is why so many professional chefs use them in their restaurants.

Cast Iron Cookware is Naturally Non-Stick

If you follow the instructions that come with your cast iron pots and pans, they will gain a natural non-stick property from ‘seasoning’.

This isn’t to do with salt and pepper but is about the oils and fats you use to cook with, and how you clean them afterwards. 

Over time, the cast iron will gain a non-stick coating that will lead you to use less oil and spend less time cleaning the pans. It also helps the pots and pans last longer by preventing rust.

Cast Iron Cookware is Chemical Free

Many less expensive pans on the market use chemical coatings to give them colour or non-stick properties and this can taint your food.

Cast iron is simply that; iron. There are no chemicals or possible food contaminants used in the production process, so all that comes out of the pan is what you have put in. 

Some non-stick pans use perfluorocarbons that have been linked to liver damage and cancer when they are consumed. Cast iron is a safer non-stick alternative to these chemical treatments.

They can be used on a Stovetop and in an Oven

Cast iron cookware is suitable for use both on a stovetop or in an oven, making them incredibly versatile when compared to other types of pots and pans.

This creates a lot of cooking opportunities that stainless steel or ceramic cookware, for instance, does not. A cast-iron skillet is a great pan to use on the stovetop or in the oven, which is why a cast-iron skillet is a must-have pan in any kitchen. 

They can help you cook foods like steak easily and like a professional chef, letting you sear and seal the meat on the stove, and heat them through in the oven from the same pan.

Cast Iron is Indestructible (nearly)

Cast-iron is incredibly tough. It used to be used for the hulls of ships that would travel in the arctic circle and need to break ice floes as they navigated the frozen waters it is so tough. 

You can feel this in the weight of the pans and pots, as they are often much heavier than their ceramic and stainless-steel counterparts. 

You would have to try very hard to break, dent, or bend a cast iron pan. They are nearly indestructible.

In fact, if you wanted to break some cast iron cookware you would need to use some heavy-duty equipment to stress it to destruction. There isn’t anything you can do in the average kitchen to break a cast iron pan.

Cast Iron Cookware Fortifies your Food with Iron

Many people suffer from iron deficiencies in their bodies that can cause health problems.

Cooking food in cast iron cookware actually increases the iron content in your food for an added health benefit to cooking with cast iron.

This works best with acidic foods that leech some iron from the pans as they cook, and for foods that spend a long time cooking on a cast-iron surface, but even some eggs that are cooked for just a few minutes on cast-iron can increase their iron content from cooking on cast-iron.

With so many benefits to cooking on cast-iron, including its long life and durability, it is easy to see why it is so popular with professional and amateur chefs!