For our second edition of “Must Have Monday” I am picking a standard piece of kitchen equipment that has been around for well over 100 years.
If you aren’t familiar with “Must Have Monday” (and why would you be since this is only the second edition?) the concept it pretty simple. These are items that every meat lover, meat cooker, or even anyone who loves cooking should have in their cooking arsenal.
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In my opinion every kitchen should have at least one cast iron skilled in it for 5 reasons:
- Durability – A cast iron skillet is basically a big hunk of iron. They are nearly impossible to permanently ruin and with some simple care they will easily last 100 years.
- Versatility – A well seasoned cast iron skillet can be used for everything from searing some steaks, cooking some bacon and eggs, making pasta dishes, roasting chickens, and even baking cakes.
- Longevity – Like I mentioned, a good cast iron skillet will last pretty much forever. In many cases a 100 year old pan will be much better than a new one as well. You won’t need to replace this pan every couple years like you do with a cheap non-stick skillet.
- Ease of cleaning – With proper seasoning (it really isn’t difficult) and regular use your cast iron pan will be as easy or easier to clean than a non-stick skillet. I use a stiff nylon brush and that’s it. It takes about 5 seconds to clean all but the toughest food from it.
- Price – Most decent cookware will run you at least $50 and probably closer to $100 but you can get a very good cast iron skillet for under $20.
My current favorite brand of of cast iron skillet is Lodge. They have been around for a long time and have a lot of options to choose from. I currently have about 10 different pieces of Lodge cast iron including 3 inch, 8 inch, 10.25 inch, and 12 inch skillets, a grill pan, a 10 inch griddle, a 14 inch griddle, a dutch oven and a few others.
The Lodge 10.25 inch cast iron skillet is probably the one I reach for the most. It is big enough to cook 3 or 4 eggs, roast a chicken, sear a couple steaks, and most everything else I need it to do. And the best part? You can get one for about $15.
If you can get your hands on your grandmas cast iron skillet do that. The finish on the old skillets are smoother than the newer ones and they are a bit lighter as well. My mom has an old Wagner skillet (Griswold is another good brand to look for) that is black as midnight and slick as ice.
But recently there have been a number of companies that have popped up that are making skillets that rival those of old. The Field Company skillet is one I have had my eyes on.
These skillets are quite a bit thinner than the Lodge skillets, especially in the walls of the pan so they will be a lot lighter and easier to work with. Field Company uses a different casting process that produces a much smoother finish as well. The downside? They run $160 which isn’t crazy when you compare it to a nice stainless steel pan or other high end cookware. I am hoping I will be able to get one of these sometime soon to test out.
Again, every kitchen should have at least one cast iron skillet and because of that it is definitely worthy of Must Have Monday.
