Tried cast iron after years of avoiding it, now I get the hype

I spent a decade scared of cast iron because my mom burned everything in hers and it always smelled like old oil. She told me it was too heavy, too fussy, needed special soap, all that. Then my buddy at work brought in a skillet he'd re-seasoned from a flea market find and cooked a steak right on the office grill, no sticking at all. He walked me through the simple part: just heat it slow, use a metal spatula, and don't baby it. I bought a used 12-inch Lodge for $18 at a yard sale in Portland and stripped it with oven cleaner. First attempt I still burnt the onions pretty bad, but the pan cleaned up with just salt and a scrubber, no drama. Second try, I did a batch of cornbread that came out perfect, and the crust was better than anything I got from my nonstick. What finally sold me was seeing that same pan go from crusty disaster to smooth cooking surface in literally one weekend with zero fancy tools. Has anyone else flipped from being anti-cast-iron to using it daily after one good experience?

2 comments

2 Comments

skylerrobinson23d ago

You catch that video where the guy strips a rusty pan with a cheap 12v battery and electrolysis? Made me realize half the "rules" people preach about cast iron are just gatekeeping nonsense.

lucasw8222d ago

Wait, @skylerrobinson and I both burn water trying to boil eggs, yet we're out here acting like cast iron experts?