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by carabiner 917 days ago
The only reason people prefer cast iron is an affectation for "old school" things. There is no practical, objective reason to use them over stainless steel. Advocates seem to enjoy the new hobby of cookware maintenance. Similar to how to some Reddit guys are really into shaving with straight razors as a hobby, when it performs worse than a Mach 3.
3 comments
galdosdi 917 days ago
Well actually,

Cast iron heats more evenly and with more thermal mass retains the even steady temperature more readily against swings as you add ingredients.

You can get this benefit without the cleaning weirdness by getting an enamel covered cast iron cookware. Great for dutch ovens!

Stainless is pretty mediocre about this which is why aluminum cored steel pans can be nice.

That's what all the annoying weight buys you.

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COGlory 917 days ago
I'm fully on the cast iron train but it definitely heats less evenly. Nothing 1-2 minutes pre-heating can't solve, though. That said, as you mentioned, it will hold temperature a lot better.
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galdosdi 913 days ago
Ah, maybe I was confusing the two effects. Good explanation, thanks. I guess holding the temperature better makes it feel like it heats more evenly, but only after it's well preheated. It's definitely my goto for recipes where keeping a steady temperature despite introducing cold ingredients matters
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Yodel0914 917 days ago
I find cast iron extremely easy to care for - I basically just heat it up then scrub it under hot water. If you cook meat in stainless, it seems to take a hell of a lot more effort to clean off any residue.

When cast iron is brand new it can take a bit of work, but not a terrible amount - most of the "seasoning" happens just by using it. The two main downsides are things I actually like - the weight, and the lack of even heat distribution.

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sgarland 917 days ago
I have a well-seasoned Lodge cast iron pan, and a 5-ply All-Clad pan. Despite the fact that Lodge is in no way a high-end cookware brand, I can consistently get a perfect sear without sticking in it. The All-Clad is hit or miss.

Maybe I’m just not used to it and need to adjust something, but the cast iron at this point is dead easy to use.

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