**The Joy of Cast Iron: A Pan's Tale**

As I sit here with my trusty cast iron pan, I am reminded of the countless meals it has helped me create over the years. From the first time I used it to cook up a storm on a camping trip, to the numerous breakfasts and dinners it has served in my own kitchen, this pan has become an extension of myself. In fact, I've grown so fond of it that I've decided to share its story with you.

One of the things I love about cast iron pans is their ability to be seasoned. You see, when a pan first comes out of the box, it's rough and unrefined, like a blank canvas waiting for art. But as you use it, and scrape away at it with a brush or a paper towel, you start to develop a non-stick surface that's just begging to be cooked on. And once it's set, well, it's not easy to remove - the sand gets ground down into tiny particles, leaving behind a smooth, slick surface that's perfect for cooking up a storm.

Now, I know what you're thinking: "Isn't cast iron pan maintenance a pain?" Well, let me tell you, it's not all bad. In fact, I find it quite therapeutic. You see, when the metal has set, and the sand is just removed, you'll notice that the surface of the pan is no longer smooth - it's got a rough, pitted texture to it. But don't worry, this isn't a bad thing! A well-used vintage pan will develop all sorts of character over time, and that rough surface is just part of its charm.

Of course, there are downsides to using cast iron pans. One of the biggest cons is that they can be heavy - and I mean, HEAVY. But this isn't necessarily a bad thing! After all, cast iron pans are made from solid metal, so it's only natural that they'd feel substantial in your hands. Plus, once you get used to its weight, you'll find that it's actually quite comfortable to hold.

Another common con people mention is that cast iron pans can react with acidic foods like tomato sauce or citrus. But don't worry - this isn't the end of the world! If you're concerned about this, there are plenty of options available, including cast iron enamel or painted cast iron pans. These pans still get to enjoy the benefits of heat retention and durability that come with cast iron, but without the risk of reacting with acidic foods.

Now, I know some people might be thinking: "But what's so great about cast iron pans?" Well, let me tell you - they're durable! Like, seriously durable. Cast iron pans can last for generations, and even when they're worn out, they can be passed down to family members or sold to someone who'll appreciate their beauty and history.

In fact, one of the things I love most about cast iron pans is that they're incredibly versatile. They work beautifully on a stovetop, in an oven, on a camping stove - you name it! And because they contain iron, they're actually induction-friendly, which means they can be used with modern induction cooktops.

Of course, there are some cons to using cast iron pans. One of the biggest ones is that they do require a bit of maintenance - especially when it comes to seasoning. But trust me, it's worth it! Once you get the hang of seasoning your pan, it becomes second nature, and you'll be cooking like a pro in no time.

So what else can I say about cast iron pans? Well, for starters, they're great for building strength and muscle in your arms and forearms. There's something satisfying about scraping away at a hot pan, feeling the metal come alive under your hands. And let me tell you, it's a workout!

But beyond all of these benefits, I think what I love most about cast iron pans is the sense of history and tradition that comes with using them. From chuckwagon cooking to family dinners, these pans have been a part of so many meals over the years. And when you sit down to cook with one, you can't help but feel like you're carrying on a legacy.

So if you haven't already, I highly recommend giving cast iron pans a try. They might not be for everyone, but trust me - they're worth it. With proper care and maintenance, these pans will become your best friend in the kitchen, and you'll be cooking up delicious meals for years to come.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: engreetings my beautiful lovelies hello it's emmy welcome back today i'm going to talk a little bit about cast iron skillets well it's not just skillets but just cast iron cookware because i use a lot of cast iron in my cooking videos many of you have asked what i do to take care of them the way cast iron works is that you create a finish on your pan they also call it a patina they also call it seasoning basically you apply a fat to the surface of the cast iron and bring it up to temperature and it creates a kind of seal or coating on the surface of the metal that's important for a couple reasons number one iron rust so if you put water and iron together and it dries out it will rest so need a layer or sealant to keep it from rusting also number two is seasoning the pan creates a non-stick surface sometimes even with seasoning food does stick but it won't stick as violently if it wasn't properly seasoned now let me talk a little bit about how i take care of my pans now say i'm cooking and now i want to clean my pan what do i do i do not use soap soap will remove any of your seasoning i use water and a scrub brush so say i'm making breakfast and i have some scrambled eggs and there's a particularly stubborn bit of scrambled egg on there what i do is while my pan is hot i use my scrub brush and i get that wet and i scrub it on the inside of my pan resist the urge of putting cold water into your very hot pan because you risk cracking the cast iron or damaging your pan so just use the minimal amount of water just dampen your scrub brush and scrub at it but i find it's easier to get the food bits off when your pan is hot once you get all the bits off then we're going to take a clean rag or paper towel wipe the inside out place it back onto a burner on medium heat raise up the temperature use a little bit of oil i like using safflower oil or peanut oil something that has a pretty high smoking point and i like using a cotton rag just a little rag and just wipe the inside after i've apply the oil i just turn off the heat and just allow the pan to cool so i do this every time i'm finished cooking so this is my large american made 10 inch cast iron pan skillet actually and this is a replacement it replaced my antique wagner which was passed down to me which i loved had the most beautiful smooth glassy finish on the inside because it was nice and old but it was lost on a camping trip i hope it's found a good home and is cooking some good pancakes for people because i love that pan at any rate this is my replacement and i found this in a junk shop and i restored it so let me walk you through the steps of restoring it there it is it's not too bad a little bit of spot rusting here but as you can see the surface is not very smooth because it's not very old i saw this on another youtube video i'll put their link in the description and it's an avanti pro quick strip disc very rough and use a drill and polish this down and then i'm going to re-season it and the whole reason being if you have a nice smooth surface it's more likely to be nice and nonstick so if you're going to do this make sure you're wearing ear protection and a mask because it's going to kick up a lot of dust all right here we go looks like so as you can see a lot smoother than it was a little bit of pitting but nothing i'm too concerned about so now i'm gonna give this a wash and season it so here's the pan after one seasoning i place it in an oven at 350 degrees and let it sit in there for 10 minutes or so until it's nice and hot even longer is better and you can see it's developing it's seasoning right there see that little bit of brownness i'll season this a few times so now that it's hot again some olive oil and take a paper towel and wipe out the excess make sure you get the sides and the outside as well and then i'll put back in the oven cook it in there for i don't know half an hour the reason why cast iron is called cast iron is because it's casted and it's casted in sand so in a bed of sand that's been compacted a mold is pressed into there and then another mold is pressed on top and then the liquid iron is poured in between the layers of sand and then once the metal has set the sand is just removed and you're left with the pan if you look at the bottom of the pan or on the sides you'll see that has kind of a rough or pitted surface and that is created by the fine texture of the sand and that's fine but a really well used vintage pan will have a really gorgeous smooth surface because of all the scraping and cooking that's been done on it so that smooth surface when it's properly seasoned has more of a non-stick slick finish i ground mine down for quite a while and it's much much smoother than it was certainly but what that grinding did was brought the surface down to the metal which was kind of shiny so i needed to reseason it so i washed it many many times because there's lots of iron filings everywhere and then i began the process of seasoning it now it took many many many times for it to get this gorgeous black color again so i have this size this is the standard 10 inch and this is a great big one this is my 12 inch one then i have this one which you've all seen this is my handy dandy griddle i love this i use this one a lot when i'm filming because it doesn't have any sides so you guys can see what i'm doing and it's very easy to flip because the sides don't get in the way because there are no sides and finally i have this and this is my beloved dutch oven i love braising in it it's just wonderful it retains heat and creates a really nice caramelized roast and this is a 5 quart dutch oven i love cooking with cast iron for many reasons number one it is very very durable these pans will last you a lifetime in fact they're often passed down they are so strong it is inexpensive a pen like this will cost you less than twenty dollars and like i said it will last generations another reason why i like cast iron is that it retains its heat very very well so once you get it up to temperature when you put a cold steak or even cold food into a pan it still remains really searingly hot and you get nice browning and searing on your food but there are things that i don't like about cast iron number one it is quite heavy it is iron after all but it is induction friendly so if you have an induction burner this will work because of course it contains iron it also works really well if you are camping so it's very versatile in that fact you can just put it right on your camp stove or actually on the coals that's how they did it back in the chuck wagon days so very strong as well that was going back to the pros back to cons any other common things that i don't like about another con is sometimes when you're cooking acidic food say like a tomato sauce or something like that it will remove some of the seasoning if your seasoning is particularly thin and it can react a little bit with the metal and create a little bit of metallic taste but if you have a very well seasoned pan i haven't had any trouble with that so i do cook tomato sauces meatballs in my cast iron as well but if you're at all concerned about that you can use cast iron enamel something like this and this is enamel or painted cast iron and you still get the benefits of the heat retention of the cast iron but you don't have the exposure of the metal to the acidic environments and you don't have to season it because it's painted so for me the pros definitely outweigh the cons when it comes to cast iron so that's it when it comes to cast iron there's not a whole lot to it you just got to make sure you season it properly and take care of it and once you get a really good season on it you really only have to season it every other time or every few times because the seasoning is really imparted into the metal at that point so if you're at all interested in cast iron i encourage you to try it out the investment is relatively small and in terms of care it's not that much work it's just a matter of making it part of your daily ritual when it comes to using your cast iron yeah what else to say about cast iron it's really good for your arms and forearms too you get some strength and muscles and you can pretend you're like on your chuck wagon dies you just need you know your flower sack towels all right enough of that all right thank you guys so much for watching hope you guys enjoyed that one i hope you guys learned something and i shall see in my next video oh be sure to share this video subscribe so you can get more of this great content and follow me on social media so you know we can stay in touch and be friendly and stuff all right toodaloo take care bye ahgreetings my beautiful lovelies hello it's emmy welcome back today i'm going to talk a little bit about cast iron skillets well it's not just skillets but just cast iron cookware because i use a lot of cast iron in my cooking videos many of you have asked what i do to take care of them the way cast iron works is that you create a finish on your pan they also call it a patina they also call it seasoning basically you apply a fat to the surface of the cast iron and bring it up to temperature and it creates a kind of seal or coating on the surface of the metal that's important for a couple reasons number one iron rust so if you put water and iron together and it dries out it will rest so need a layer or sealant to keep it from rusting also number two is seasoning the pan creates a non-stick surface sometimes even with seasoning food does stick but it won't stick as violently if it wasn't properly seasoned now let me talk a little bit about how i take care of my pans now say i'm cooking and now i want to clean my pan what do i do i do not use soap soap will remove any of your seasoning i use water and a scrub brush so say i'm making breakfast and i have some scrambled eggs and there's a particularly stubborn bit of scrambled egg on there what i do is while my pan is hot i use my scrub brush and i get that wet and i scrub it on the inside of my pan resist the urge of putting cold water into your very hot pan because you risk cracking the cast iron or damaging your pan so just use the minimal amount of water just dampen your scrub brush and scrub at it but i find it's easier to get the food bits off when your pan is hot once you get all the bits off then we're going to take a clean rag or paper towel wipe the inside out place it back onto a burner on medium heat raise up the temperature use a little bit of oil i like using safflower oil or peanut oil something that has a pretty high smoking point and i like using a cotton rag just a little rag and just wipe the inside after i've apply the oil i just turn off the heat and just allow the pan to cool so i do this every time i'm finished cooking so this is my large american made 10 inch cast iron pan skillet actually and this is a replacement it replaced my antique wagner which was passed down to me which i loved had the most beautiful smooth glassy finish on the inside because it was nice and old but it was lost on a camping trip i hope it's found a good home and is cooking some good pancakes for people because i love that pan at any rate this is my replacement and i found this in a junk shop and i restored it so let me walk you through the steps of restoring it there it is it's not too bad a little bit of spot rusting here but as you can see the surface is not very smooth because it's not very old i saw this on another youtube video i'll put their link in the description and it's an avanti pro quick strip disc very rough and use a drill and polish this down and then i'm going to re-season it and the whole reason being if you have a nice smooth surface it's more likely to be nice and nonstick so if you're going to do this make sure you're wearing ear protection and a mask because it's going to kick up a lot of dust all right here we go looks like so as you can see a lot smoother than it was a little bit of pitting but nothing i'm too concerned about so now i'm gonna give this a wash and season it so here's the pan after one seasoning i place it in an oven at 350 degrees and let it sit in there for 10 minutes or so until it's nice and hot even longer is better and you can see it's developing it's seasoning right there see that little bit of brownness i'll season this a few times so now that it's hot again some olive oil and take a paper towel and wipe out the excess make sure you get the sides and the outside as well and then i'll put back in the oven cook it in there for i don't know half an hour the reason why cast iron is called cast iron is because it's casted and it's casted in sand so in a bed of sand that's been compacted a mold is pressed into there and then another mold is pressed on top and then the liquid iron is poured in between the layers of sand and then once the metal has set the sand is just removed and you're left with the pan if you look at the bottom of the pan or on the sides you'll see that has kind of a rough or pitted surface and that is created by the fine texture of the sand and that's fine but a really well used vintage pan will have a really gorgeous smooth surface because of all the scraping and cooking that's been done on it so that smooth surface when it's properly seasoned has more of a non-stick slick finish i ground mine down for quite a while and it's much much smoother than it was certainly but what that grinding did was brought the surface down to the metal which was kind of shiny so i needed to reseason it so i washed it many many times because there's lots of iron filings everywhere and then i began the process of seasoning it now it took many many many times for it to get this gorgeous black color again so i have this size this is the standard 10 inch and this is a great big one this is my 12 inch one then i have this one which you've all seen this is my handy dandy griddle i love this i use this one a lot when i'm filming because it doesn't have any sides so you guys can see what i'm doing and it's very easy to flip because the sides don't get in the way because there are no sides and finally i have this and this is my beloved dutch oven i love braising in it it's just wonderful it retains heat and creates a really nice caramelized roast and this is a 5 quart dutch oven i love cooking with cast iron for many reasons number one it is very very durable these pans will last you a lifetime in fact they're often passed down they are so strong it is inexpensive a pen like this will cost you less than twenty dollars and like i said it will last generations another reason why i like cast iron is that it retains its heat very very well so once you get it up to temperature when you put a cold steak or even cold food into a pan it still remains really searingly hot and you get nice browning and searing on your food but there are things that i don't like about cast iron number one it is quite heavy it is iron after all but it is induction friendly so if you have an induction burner this will work because of course it contains iron it also works really well if you are camping so it's very versatile in that fact you can just put it right on your camp stove or actually on the coals that's how they did it back in the chuck wagon days so very strong as well that was going back to the pros back to cons any other common things that i don't like about another con is sometimes when you're cooking acidic food say like a tomato sauce or something like that it will remove some of the seasoning if your seasoning is particularly thin and it can react a little bit with the metal and create a little bit of metallic taste but if you have a very well seasoned pan i haven't had any trouble with that so i do cook tomato sauces meatballs in my cast iron as well but if you're at all concerned about that you can use cast iron enamel something like this and this is enamel or painted cast iron and you still get the benefits of the heat retention of the cast iron but you don't have the exposure of the metal to the acidic environments and you don't have to season it because it's painted so for me the pros definitely outweigh the cons when it comes to cast iron so that's it when it comes to cast iron there's not a whole lot to it you just got to make sure you season it properly and take care of it and once you get a really good season on it you really only have to season it every other time or every few times because the seasoning is really imparted into the metal at that point so if you're at all interested in cast iron i encourage you to try it out the investment is relatively small and in terms of care it's not that much work it's just a matter of making it part of your daily ritual when it comes to using your cast iron yeah what else to say about cast iron it's really good for your arms and forearms too you get some strength and muscles and you can pretend you're like on your chuck wagon dies you just need you know your flower sack towels all right enough of that all right thank you guys so much for watching hope you guys enjoyed that one i hope you guys learned something and i shall see in my next video oh be sure to share this video subscribe so you can get more of this great content and follow me on social media so you know we can stay in touch and be friendly and stuff all right toodaloo take care bye ah\n"