Posts Tagged ‘skillets’
Le Creuset Skillet
Julia Child used a Le Creuset Skillet…but is it worth the price? Cheap cookware? No..but quality is never cheap. Everyone knows Le Creuset is the king of fine cookware. Combining a time tested process of making durable cast iron cookware with a state of the art enamel coating provides an easy-to-clean surface on a pan that heats evenly.
Cook on top of the stove, cook outdoors on a grill or even pop the Le Creuset Skillet in to oven and it will perform peerlessly no matter what situation
Available in a variety of colors, including Kiwi, Cherry and Cobalt, and several sizes, you can be sure to find a skillet to fit your decor and your kitchen needs.
Even lovers of high tech stainless steel can find a pan that satisfies.
Features:
- Even heat distribution and superior heat retention
- Colorful, long-lasting exterior enamel resists chipping and cracking
- A strong iron handle provides a steady grip
Suitable for the new cook and the preferred pan of the experience cook, the Le Creuset Skillet is the pan of choice. Makes a great gift!
Cast Iron Skillets — Cooking Advantages With Traditional Cookware
Cast Iron Skillets — Cooking Advantages With Traditional Cookware
Not all good things come with a hefty price tag! Whichis very apt when we talk about the cast iron skillets. Often quality skillets can be found discarded at a swap meet or garage sale. And you can find new products at good retailers both on line and at the local mall. However, these new products can have a hefty price associated with them.
You can buy expensive modern cookware made of lighter metals and alloys, but the advantages of cast iron are uniques compared to other cookware. Be it durability, versitility, heat distribution or heat retention, cast iron cookware is definitely the best choice for some applications.
Although it sounds old fashioned, cast iron skillets and Dutch ovens are important kitchen tools. Some of the advantages of using cast iron are as follows:
? Even Distribution of Heat
One of the advantages of using a cast iron is that, while it may take a bit longer to get up to temperature, when it reached the desired temperature the heat is evenly distributed throughout the entire utensil. Also, once heated, it retains heat for some time unlike aluminum and other cookware metals. Cooking in a cast iron skillet or pans would great choices for braising or browning, would provide constant temperature for soups, stews or thick sauces and would be superb for recipes that mix vegetables with roasts for slower cooking. The results would also be tastier meals.
? Durable and long lasting
The durability of cast iron skillets and cookware is yet another advantage. Cast iron cookware has been known to be passed down from generation to generation. With proper care, it will continue to perform well for many more decades. Newer versions include enamel coated cast iron which has the same durability but adds fashion colors along with different shapes and sizes.
? Easy maintenance.
In contrast to general belief, cast iron skillet is fairly easy to maintain. Reconditioning can be done in your oven. After heating to a high temperature for several hours followed by cleaning with baking powder or other biodegradable scrubbing powder, rinse thoroughly and then apply a coating of fat or oil on the surface and allow the oil to fill in the porous surface of the pan. After each use, apply a thin coat of oil to the clean surface. This will create a barrier for protecting the surface.
? Non-stick properties
While aged and conditioned cast iron is not truly non-stick, traditional cast iron does obtain a sheen and finish that has characteristics similar to non-stick.
? Wide variety
Cast iron skillets are available in many types. You can find different sizes of frying pan, griddles, Dutch ovens and roasting pans. The enamel alternatives add an array of colors as well. The versatility of this cookware is unmatched by any other style. Roasting, stewing, grilling and baking are just some of the options possible. Since cast iron can go from stove to oven to table to refrigerator with no special handling needed, you are limited only by imagination
? Health Benefits.
Cooking in cast iron adds marginal amounts of iron into the food. For most people this is a positive result. When compared to some other alternatives, according to many reports, cast iron is a safer alternative.
? Cheap and affordable price.
While it may be possible to find traditional cast iron cookware that is pretty inexpensive, newer versions are no longer really cheap option. Enamel cookware can be expensive as demonstrated by Le Creseut and Lodge. There are other quality brands that are not quite as expensive such as <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link']);” href=”http://www.yoursmartkitchen.com/store-categories-Cast-Iron_3242608.html”Chasseur</a> a French manufacture or Color Cast a US producer.
Even though there are multiple benefits of using cast iron skillets, there is one common myth, which needs to be resolved. The myth that says do not use soap to clean your cast iron cookware at it can damage or corrode it, but this is not the case. A mild antibacterial soap and baking soda can be used to clean your cast iron cookware easily.
The effectiveness of cast iron cookware is surely going to continue far into the future. New metals and engineering will continue evolve and cookware will change but cast iron will remain a mainstay in kitchens well into the future no matter what new alternatives are developed.
Chasseur and Color Cast are available at Your Smart Kitchen, the place for quality cookware, cutlery, appliances and related. All at reasonable prices. Specializing in Paderno, Mauviel, Fissler, Clay Bakers, and other quality manufacturers. Customer satisfaction guaranteed. Terry Retter
Cast-iron provides one of the best cooking surfaces for any cooking. Learn how to season it to perfection. Good Housekeeping Videos: www.goodhousekeeping.com Good Housekeeping Magazine: www.goodhousekeeping.com Subscribe to Good Housekeeping: subscribe.hearstmags.com -
Cast Iron Skillets…. Their Back in Style! and Very Collectible
Cast Iron Skillets…. Their Back in Style! and Very Collectible
With all the latest gadgets on the market today, it is amazing that the cast iron skillet has survived the test of time. Nothing seems to last as long in the kitchen as that old iron skillet.
Cast Iron cookware is a heat conductor, which means it heats evenly and consistently, it is affordable and will last a lifetime or two! It is the old fashioned way to cook “fat free”
A cast iron skillet can go from stove to oven, and you don’t need any special utensils to cook with it (unlike teflon style pans) they don’t warp, and they clean up well.
All our grandmothers had cast iron skillets and stove top griddles. They were quite often passed down to the next generation. You simply cleaned them with soap and water, or a stiff brush and then “seasoned” them to prevent rusting etc, .
How to season:
Seasoning is when you add a protective layer to your cast iron skillet, or cookware, to prevent rusting and to provide a non stick surface for cooking. Once seasons properly, a cast iron skillet will last for generations.
Seasoning is a three step process, you need to clean the skillet or pan and then apply a layer of animal fat or vegetable oil, and then heat the cookware to bond the fat to the metal.
If you have an older pan, then it has naturally become seasoned over time from years of cooking, and you simple have to clean with soap and water.
You could buy a new one, but why not check the local flea markets, second hand stores and the internet?.. These are great places to start, and cast iron skillets have become collectables, as they are a part of history and have stood the test of time.
Some people are actually making a business of buying and selling old cookware, such as the trusty cast iron skillets and griddles, and therefore are a good investment. You can’t break them or wear them out, they are heavy and have been known to make a good weapon in a pinch!
find your cast iron skillets online now
find your cast iron skillets online now Article and website by Diane Palmer
www.richsoil.com First, fry a single egg on a cast iron griddle, and then a six egg scramble on a cast iron skillet. Using a bit of bacon grease. Salt and pepper on the skillet. Focus on proper heat and on cleanup. Proper spatula examined. Powered by the article “cooking with cast iron ain’t so hard!” I advocate that any use of a skillet should be a cast iron skillet.