Either cast iron cookware (and other objects) has been gaining renewed popularity, or it never really lost popularity. I've been using cast iron skillets my entire life and, in fact, mostly the same cast iron skillets my entire life. Two of them were my mother's and she had them before I was born. I learned to cook in them and when I moved away, my mother gave them to me, since she had inherited her mother's cast iron and had more than she needed.
I had a one-egg size skillet, but I never used it and my daughter Summer asked if she could have it. This is how it works with cast iron. It gets passed down through generations. You can also buy or find it.
My middle-size , 10 1/2 inch skillet was a find. I moved into a garage apartment in Eugene, Oregon and found it half-buried in the backyard where it had been for several years. I dug it out, cleaned it up, seasoned it and started using it. I've had it now for 35 years and I use it even more than the others.
My skillets are so easy to clean, I can usually just wipe them out and use them again. When Kathy makes turkey dressing, she bakes cornbread in the 12 1/2 inch skillet, washes it out with water and a nylon brush and moves on to saute the onions, celery and green peppers in it.
The large skillet is too large for most things, so the medium skillet fries the bacon and eggs. The small skillet is what I use when I want fried jalapenos and onions.
Possibly the best thing about cast iron skillets is I can use them outdoors on the grill, in the smoker or over the campfire. I wouldn't even try that with non-stick cookware.
Bargains on old pots and pans can still be found at flea markets, estate sales and junk shops. Thrift stores rarely have cast iron because collectors keep them staked out. I saw about a dozen skillets over the past year in just a few visits to junk stores. They all needed to be restored, but that is easily doable with a little guidance (check out "cleaning and reseasoning cast iron kettle" at www.homesteadingtoday.com). When I speak of collectible, I'm mostly talking about skillets over 70 years old. There's nothing wrong with newer cast iron. Some people a just skillet snobs. My favorite skillet says "Made In Taiwan" on the bottom.
New cast iron fits the wide price range of other cookware--from $100 to $2500 a set, with individual pieces starting around $10. The higher end sets are heirloom quality enameled cookware, likely to be fought over by generations to come. The lower end of the price scale includes brands such as Lodge, Old Mountain and Camp Chef. These are all quality products, also likely to last many generations, but there are differences. The high end cookware and the older cast iron are machined smooth inside. Lodge and other new cast iron pans are left with a slightly pebbled surface inside in order to make pre-seasoning possible. I still have not found that to be a drawback. Non-stick is non-stick.
In the kitchen, I only use cast iron for skillets. I have a set of antique Revere Ware pots from 3/4 quart up to 12 quart for stove use and a large set of Corning Ware casserole dishes for the oven. I'm happy with them and they can last generations as well.
I have one large, 12 inch cast iron Dutch oven and two 10 inch. Only one 10 inch is shown. I could have gone with flat bottomed kettles, but Dutch ovens are more versatile. The long legs on Dutch ovens allow them to sit over a bed of coals and the handles allow them to be hung from the chain of a tripod.
The lid on a kettle is domed, while the Dutch oven lid is fairly flat and has a rim around the edge. When used as a Dutch oven, the pot can sit over coals and coals can be piled on top of the lid so the pot is surrounded by heat and acts like an oven (hence the name).
A lid lifter is an important safety tool. In combination with grilling gloves, it keeps my hands and arms away from the heat and steam.
Another handy gadget to have is a lid stand.
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The inside of the Dutch oven lid is flat, so it can be used as a griddle. The lid stand doubles as support for the griddle on a grill or in the coals..
Kathy bought me this 20 gallon cauldron at a flea market for $30. It's worn, but it isn't cracked and it will work fine for soap making and such. Many people pay several hundred for one of these in better shape and then use it as a planter. Way too many people. Nobody does their laundry over a campfire anymore. I hate seeing these rust away in flowerbeds, but at least they are still being made, but in limited quantities.
No camp kitchen would be complete without a tea kettle for boiling water. It comes in handy for making tea or washing dishes. Our camp coffee pot isn't cast iron, so I'm leaving it out.
At the beginning of this post I mentioned other objects. Kathy bought me three of these cast iron coat racks at a junk shop a couple of years ago. They are of recent manufacture, but still perfect for our homestead home. The junk shop had dozens each of dozens of other cast iron decor items, indicating to me that there are plenty of these novelties around.
Cast iron skillets and pots can be found in the housewares departments of most Targets, Walmarts and other such stores, and Dutch ovens, skillets and camp griddles can be found in the camping area of sporting goods departments and sporting good stores.
Having something last for many lifetimes is only a good thing if it's a pleasure to use. I do enjoy my cast iron cookware.
Stephen
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