Cheap Cast Iron Pots and Pans

I picked up an 22cm wide enameled cast iron casserole pot from the local supermarket today for £7.50 or about $11.20 and a Griddle pan for about £10 or $15. The quality appears to be very good (Tesco's finest own brand).

http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.203-9034.aspx



Any advice for cooking with these types of pans, apart from not dropping them on your foot.

They also have a matching large griddle plate which would fit the double burner home emergency/barbecue butane stove that I have quite nicely for about $25. It measure 47cm by 26cm by 2cm thick.

http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.200-7485.aspx

Would this be worthwhile getting as well. Any recommendations for cheap cast iron products. I'm currently re-equipping the kitchen and looking for durable i.e. kitchen products that will at least last around 10 years use for the Decade of Austerity.

Good cast iron cookware is a frugal investment. It can last more than a lifetime and only gets better with age, provided it is cared for. It is at it's best when used regularly.

That said, there's a lot of knock-off cast iron out there. That this is an in-house version most likely means it was made by a non-standard foundry, probably somewhere in Asia, and imported in under the Tesco name. That doesn't mean it is no good, but that it is suspicious. There have been some serious quality contol issues with cast iron cookware coming from China and third world countries. Not all of it is bad, but I've seen some real junk, unhealthy junk, imported here that was essentially unusable.

Cast iron cookware should be of uniform thickness and fairly pure. Some of it coming from China was poorly cast, and they've been known to use lead to fill in casting flaws, which will infiltrate the food you cook in it.

If you know what to look for, you can find some pretty good deals. I've opened a dozen or more cartons of cast iron pots and pans at Costco in order to find one set that meets my standards. For those who aren't as experienced as me, I suggest the basic caveat, "You (usually) get what you pay for." Sometimes even the big expensive guys like Lodge will have a screw up. Fortunately, they stand behind their product, and they've always done right by me.

Sorry to say, I am unfamiliar with Tesco's version. IMHO, investing in good quality cast iron cookware is a smart thing, and if you can find a good deal on some that is even better. Hope it works for you, if you decide to get it.

+1 on Benjammin's comments.

I'm partial to Lodge brand -- not the cheapest, far from the most expensive. Made in the USA (except for the enamel line). Check out the "Lodge Logic" pre-seasoned line.

Especially the "camp dutch ovens" which have great utility for preparedness.

Highly recommend buying a few quality pieces, knowing they'll last you for the rest of your life.

Love cast iron -- once I started cooking with it I tossed all the non-stick.

Take care of it and someone may still be cooking on it in the 22nd century.

For the cheapest, best cast iron I'd recommend checking out second-hand shops and garage sales and snagging "Griswold" or "Wagner" cast iron pieces.

They are highly sought for their quality. Griswold (later purchased by Wagner) is particularly sought. Lodge is over 100 years old. You can find some great old pieces at great prices.

Much more satisfying and reliable than cheap China stuff.

I'm also a devotee (but not a collector) of the Lodge brand - the local Fred Meyer seems to have between a 10-20% discount on the entire Lodge line every month or so, and I have been picking up cast iron pieces when they do. My latest is a flat griddle, on which I've been having fun making corn and flour tortillas. I have also bought Made in the USA, because of suspicions of quality control on cast iron from China.

I was at a Cabela's a few months back looking for a dutch oven, and they didn't stock any Lodge - I asked why, and the sales associate said there were some issues with quality from Lodge, so they stopped carrying them. Can anyone confirm recent quality issues with Lodge? 100% of their dutch ovens are made by their US foundry. I prefer to think it was Cabela's possibly going more down-market with their own store-brand offering (which was not made in the USA and looked kinda punk).

Also fwiw my mom still cooks on an old Wagner cast iron, its at least as old as she is, and probably came from an aunt or cousin.

Then again, Tesco is one of the worlds largest retailers/grocers and their purchasing power allows them to negotiate any price they wish with a manufacturer. So in this case, the price of the cookware may not be indicative of quality. FWIW, people swear by the quality of products at Fresh & Easy markets here, which are owned by Tesco.

Even Lodge is pretty cheaply made, although it's not inexpensive to buy. Unfortunately there aren't as many manufacturers of quality CI cookware as there used to be.

I have ridiculously expensive Le Creuset enamel cast iron as well as Lodge and cannot tell the difference in quality. The only discernible difference after years of use is subtle styling details.

Non-enamel Lodge cast iron is not very expensive. I've purchased almost all of mine at Amazon -- with free shipping. Here's a 12-inch pre-seasoned skillet for $19 (free shipping):

http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Logic-12-Inc...9223&sr=1-1

Have gotten some terrific deals at Amazon on enamel Lodge as well as their pre-seasoned line. Some good deals right now on their enamel 3 and 6-quart Dutch Ovens (and with free shipping).

http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Kitchen-Hous...;pf_rd_i=289814

I do a lot of cooking with a Lodge combo cooker, and a Griswold dutch oven. The double cooker is essentially a large pot with a handle and a frying pan for a cover. Each piece can be used separately. It is beautifully seasoned, and it serves a decorative function in the kitchen as well. I also picked up a vintage European made cast iron Swedish pancake pan at a yard sale for a buck last week.

Cast iron cookware does add some dietary iron to food. This can be a good thing or a less than good thing depending on your age, and the quality of the piece. For this reason, I keep my cookware well seasoned, and don't use it to make stew or anything that is acidic or requires a very long cooking time. Others under 50 may not have this concern.

Lodge published a book in 1996 named "Black Magic, 100 Years of Cast Iron Cooking" by Chef John Folse. ISBN #0-9625152-5-6. It is about 100 ringbound pages and covers a little history, care, and some recipes for cast iron cookware. I got one online for $1.00.

Le Creuset is pretty overpriced for what you get. I guess I wasn't clear- most of the CI you get nowadays isn't as good as was pretty common 60 years ago. If you can find it, Griswold Cast Iron is the gold standard, IMOHO.

I've been thinking of getting one of the Lodge combos. I think Fleet Farm has them on sale once in a while.

Lono, I dunno why your Cabelas store would not have Lodge in stock. Cabelas has been carrying the Lodge product line non-stop for years. If the local store had any problems with quality, they could ship every one of the Lodge pots back to them and they would replace it if need be. I had a 16" lodge camp oven that had a cracked lid. It took almost 4 months of use before the crack was found, but it had been there since I first bought it. I told Lodge, shipped them the lid, and they replaced it for free (I only payed the cost to ship it to them, they paid the return shipping costs).

Lodge cast iron isn't cheaply made, but they have streamlined the production process to reduce the costs as much as possible. I believe the correct term is efficiently made. Here's a video of how they do it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgTKTh1UfiU

You will still pay for quality, so don't expect to find new Lodge cast iron cookware for sale at a huge discount.

There's other really good product out there at competitive prices and I own a fair share of it. Camp Chef, Maca, and a few others make pretty good pots and pans at pretty reasonable prices. There's also a fair amount of junk out there, and you gotta check for yourself with that for lid fit, warp, uneven thickness, pits, and cracks. Some of my best pots are from 2nd rate mfrs. I just happen to know what to look for and pick what I know will work.

I just bought a nib Lodge Do from my sister never opened since she got it 18 yrs ago 20 bux. Imo lodge rules.

Lee

Cabelas is selling more Lodge cast iron then ever -- enamel and "Lodge Logic" (pre-seasoned):

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templa...rentId=cat20075

This thread has cost me -- ordered the Lodge 17" skillet (from Amazon because of the free shipping).

Will be fantastic at camp.

It has cost me as well, I've ordered some of the smaller Lodge Logic pieces as well, including a couple of Mini, 12.7 cm Lodge Wonder Square Skillets (looks perfect to prepare individual Toad in the holes), a 26.5cm Lodge Round Skillet with Handle and a 10 1/2 Inch Diameter Lodge Logic Round Griddle (perfect to prepare drop scones, Girdle bread and pancakes etc on the stove). I might also get a couple of the smaller skillets as well for some individual yorkshire puddings.

LOL - the American cast iron industry is getting a boost!

One of my favorite Lodge acquisitions has been their wok. I've been an avid stir fryer since growing up with a mom who got her first wok (steel) 40 years ago.

Love the way Lodge's cast iron wok works on chicken.

I also have all Lodge's small serving items and tiny skillets. They can be very useful, especially when cooking for one or two.

Think I may have sausage and eggs for dinner -- which will further season my 12" skillet.

Well-used cast iron is like a well-used, well-oiled baseball glove. But will last a lot longer.

Just looking at an old well-seasoned cast iron frying pan conjurs up the aromas of bacon, onions and spuds, or shore lunch walleye. Each fall, my dad cooked chili over an open fire in a big cast iron kettle suspended from a chain, while we picked the ripe apples from the trees on the hillside. These things I remember. I have no fond memories of teflon and aluminum pans though.

Just received the Lodge Logic 26.5cm round skillet and the the 10 1/2 inch Diameter Round Griddle. They look to be excellent quality. I also got another of the cheap Tesco casserole pots for about $12 as well as another large 27cm enameled cast iron casserole pot from a brand called Linea (House of Frasers own brand).

The cast iron collection should do quite nicely for emergency home cooking on my cast iron double burner stove. (looks very retro along with a Simplex No4 Chrome Copper Kettle. )


Foker Cast Iron double burner with FFD

The only downside to the cast iron pots and pans is their weight and the difficulty of handling such weighty cooking pots and pans.

Hard anodised aluminium pans looks to be a more practical solution though for everyday use such as this range of pans.

Plus, they do need to be taken care of. They shouldn't be cleaned in a dish washer, or some say with soap at all. After using, while they're warm, rinse them under very hot water and dry them thoroughly. Then a light rubdown with fat or oil will keep them rust-free. The best way to care for them is to use them - a lot. I've used them on the stove top, in the over and on the grill & smoker.
They are one of the best cooking tools because of their versatility. Get the pan hot on the stove top, sear your steaks (30-40 seconds a side), then pick up the pan and put it in the oven to finish (3-4 minutes a side). If you do burn something in one the pans, put the pan in the oven and set it to a very high temperature for about an hour (self-cleaning ovens work great for this). When it cools, all that's left will be fine ash. Dump it out and clean the pan, and you're back to new again.
I've read that they're healthy, especially for women, because they add iron to your diet. I've also read that the non-stick type of pans are not, because if you heat them too high, the non-stick coating starts to break down and adds things to your food that you don't want - e.g.: carcinogens.
If you take care of them, they'll take care of you!

(Agree with the Simplex - I have a #4 that boils water for my "porridge" every morning.)

Just came across this yesterday when searching for a way to stop eggs from sticking to my Lodge pan.

Chemistry of Cast Iron Seasoning: A Science-Based How-to

Mine looks like the one on the left. It's a lengthy process but it's claimed that it can be made to look like the one on the right.

Does anyone use their cast iron pots and pans with an induction hob? Apparently they are extremely efficient (30-40% more efficient than standard electric hotplate) and just as quick and controllable as as gas hob. Can anyone recommend a portable dual plate induction hob as a backup to the main built in kitchen hob.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induction_cooker