The Best Cast Iron Cookware that You Can Find
Cast Iron Skillets
Skillets that are cast iron will range in size and shape, some times you can find square ones. If you are looking for a set you can find them with a small, medium and large size skillet. Small skillets are good for making side dishes. Medium size skillets are perfect for cakes, breads, biscuit as well as main courses. Large skillets work great for when you are making a dish to feed lots of people. In general cast iron skillets are great to use for stir-frying, baking, pan-frying, broiling, roasting and simmering.
Cast Iron Fry Pans
Similar to skillets, fry pans have deeper sides making them ideal for other cooking methods, plus what you can do with a cast iron skillet. Deep-frying and slow cooking foods both in th oven and on the stove top are methods of cooking ideal for a cast iron fry pan.
Cast Iron Griddles
Very similar to a cookie sheet a griddle will range in size and shape as well as have very shallow sides. For this reason they are excellent for making pancakes, bacon and eggs. They work well for pizza as well. Some of them are long enough that they will fit over two burners.
Cast Iron Grill Pans
Like a skillet at first glance a grill pan has one distinct difference, a ribbed bottom. Clearly with a ribbed bottom a grill pan is used for grilling and only grilling.
Cast Iron Dutch Ovens
You may have heard of a cast iron Dutch oven. A Dutch oven is a deep sided pot with a lid and will vary in size. This cast iron cookware can be used in the oven or on the stove top, and are similar to a slow cooker. However they are not limited to just slow cooking, they can still be used for such cooking methods as baking, deep-frying, simmering and pan-frying. There are two main types of cast iron Dutch ovens, an indoor one and an outdoor one. An indoor Dutch oven will have a domed lid and a flat bottom while an outdoor Dutch oven, often called a camping oven, will have a flatter lid with a lip and the bottom will have three very short legs. Indoor Dutch ovens can be used for outdoor cooking but they have limitations and so an outdoor Dutch oven is always ideal for cooking outside.
Cast Iron Bakeware
Despite the versatility of cast iron skillets, pots and griddles there are a number of different cast iron bakeware that you can find. Loaf pans, a variety of cake pans, muffin pans, wedge pans and a variety of pans with designs for cooking things like cornbread are some of the examples of cast iron bakeware that you can find.
Other Cast Iron Pieces
A Fry kit is another type of cast iron cookware, it is a deep sided pot with a wire basket and is used for deep-frying. Fry kits tend to come with a thermometer, as well as the wire basket. There are cast iron casserole dishes, cast iron serving platters and cast iron roasters as well, just to name a few. You can also find cast iron tea kettles.
Knowing what kind of pieces are out there can help you find exactly what it is that you want to start to your cast iron collection or what you want to add to your cast iron collection.
