cast iron skillet
Welcome to the Cast Iron Chef, your source for cast iron cooking equipment– skillets and Dutch Ovens to make your camping trips sizzle, or to warm your heart as you settle down to a piping hot bowl of stew on a brisk fall evening.

Cast-iron cookware and comfort food simply belong together.
 
Is there any other way, for example, to make cornbread, than in a cast-iron skillet? 
 
Despite the ready availability of specialized and high-tech cookware today, the classic cast-iron skillet is still king in many kitchens.
 
This should come as a surprise to no one because cast-iron, more than any other class of cookware, lends itself to versatility, dependability, and best of all, economy.
 
No kitchen ought to be considered complete without at least one piece from the cast iron line of cooking utensils.

Why cook with cast iron?
 
1. Weight - Cast iron cookware is very dense and heavy.  These characteristics allow the cookware to slowly absorb heat, to retain and withstand high heat, to maintain even temperature during cooking, and to cool down slowly.
2. Durability - When you follow a few simple rules in the care and upkeep of your cast iron cookware you can use them in virtually any situation for food preparation, including outdoor cooking.
3. Non-stick cooking - Yes, that’s right.  Cast-iron is the original non-stick cookware.  Properly seasoned, nothing sticks to cast-iron cookware, and the non-stick surface does not wear off, peel or scratch like the modern non-sticks can.
4. Health Benefits - Cooking in cast-iron according to the American Dietetic Association, significantly increases the iron content of food.  This could be a simple means of adding iron to your diet.
5. Inexpensive - The most economical cookware you can find.
 
One question looms large in the mind of anyone who considers embarking on the joys of cooking with cast-iron.  How do I season my cast-iron cookware?  We answer this question for you, and we also provide you with a guide to cleaning and caring for your cast iron cookware.