If your Instagram account is anything like ours, there鈥檚 probably a shocking amount of 鈥渃ast iron porn鈥 peppered throughout your feed. It seems as if the world has rediscovered the beauty of this age-old cooking tool, which works as well over a campfire as it does on a gas-fired range.
鈥淭here鈥檚 something romantic about the cast iron skillet,鈥 says Chris Muscarella, who along with his brother Stephen spent years developing , a modern take on the kitchen staple. 鈥淚t's an item that you use every day for your entire life. It will outlive you and you鈥檒l hand it down to your kids. We live in a disposable world, and the idea of making something that doesn't expire has an appeal to it.鈥
In addition to the romantic appeal, there are also practical reasons to use cast iron. 鈥淚t retains a lot of heat, so you can get that sear that locks flavor into the food easier with cast iron than with other cookware,鈥 Muscarella says. 聽
Myths and misunderstandings surround聽cast iron, so we asked Muscarella to provide some tips to help you maintain a skillet so it can be handed down from one generation to the next.
Here are Muscarella鈥檚 four simple rules for taking care of cast iron.
1. Keeping seasoning.
鈥淪easoning鈥 is the natural coating that happens when oil hardens onto the pan. Most new cast iron skillets will come pre-seasoned, which means a layer of oil has already been baked onto the surface and you can start cooking with it right away. Continue that seasoning process simply by cooking with it, starting with non-acidic foods like onions and vegetables in butter, which will add additional layers of seasoning.
2. Don't be scared of washing.
There鈥檚 a myth about never using soap in a cast iron skillet, which might have been true 100 years ago when soap had lye in it, but modern dish soap is just a degreaser. It will take the grease out of your pan, but it won鈥檛 damage the cast iron. If you do wash it, be sure to rub a dab of coconut oil on the surface afterward to start the seasoning process again.
3. But don鈥檛 put it in the dishwasher.
Water and cast iron don鈥檛 get along. Don鈥檛 boil water in it, don鈥檛 leave water sitting in it overnight, and don鈥檛 put it in the dishwasher.
4. Less is more.
After you cook with the pan, dry it thoroughly with a towel, then rub a dab of coconut oil or lard into it before storing it.
We picked five cast iron skillets we鈥檙e in love with right now, from old standbys to more modern takes on the classic.
The Field Skillet ($100)
This is up to 50 percent lighter than most cast iron pans you find on the market today making it easy to handle with one hand on the stove and in the fire. The smooth iron also provides a better non-stick surface than traditional pans.
Finex聽Skillet (From $125)
Another modern take on cast iron, has a unique wire sprung handle which stays cooler than normal iron handles. Multiple angles allow for easy pouring.
Lodge聽Pan (From $20)
Lodge Cast Iron has been an institution in the U.S. for more than 100 years. Today, the skillets are ubiquitous and inexpensive. They鈥檙e also pretty good. Although heady, they cook evenly and you can get all kinds of specialized skillets, like .
Le聽Creuset Dutch Oven ($200)
Le聽Creuset is a French manufacturer that鈥檚 known for its enameled cast iron. Their utilizes cast iron鈥檚 heat retentive properties聽making it an ideal slow cooker for roasts or stews.
Stargazer Cast Iron ($90)
Founded in 2015, follows the contemporary principles of being relatively聽light and incredibly smooth for easier cooking. The copper finish inside the pan comes from a special oil blend used in the seasoning process.