4 Reasons Why I Use Cast Iron for Cooking
I didn't grow up in a household that used cast iron cookware on a daily basis, so when I first had my own space, I naturally went for non stick pans. After about a year of using them (and they were a good brand too, John Lewis for anyone in the U.K that knows this brand!) and properly caring for them, they started to chip off into my food and loose their non stick coating.
I wasn't comfortable with eating bits of pan in my food, so knew I wasn't going to invest in another set of non stick. I did my research, ditched the non stick, and went solely with cast iron pans for my frying. (And truly, I have never looked back!) Below are 4 Reasons Why I Use Cast Iron Pans.
4 Reasons Why I Use Cast Iron Pans
1.Cast Iron Lasts Forever
I think the number one thing that drew me to cast iron pans is that they will last a lifetime (and more!). This makes investing in a cast iron pan a practical and economic choice! With my properly cared for non stick pans, I had to replace them after one year. It's not budget friendly to be buying a new set of pans yearly.
I like to think that I will be using the same pans as my children grow, and they will come home as adults one day seeing me cooking out of the same pans I always used. There's something so comforting about coming home to a kitchen that is constant. And the dreamer in me likes to think I will pass down my pans to one of my children one day.
2.Cast Iron Distributes and Holds Heat Well
When I first started using my cast iron pan the first thing I noticed was how well it distributed heat. It fries food a lot more evenly. Also it's amazing how long cast iron can retain heat. Food left in a cast iron pan stays warmer for much longer after removing it from the heat source, which is beneficial when going back for seconds or keeping dinner warm for your husband.
3.Cast Iron is Versatile
Cast iron pans can be used for a recipe where you need to fry something before baking it, as they can be placed straight into the oven. You can even use your cast iron pan when camping over an open fire or on a grill. I love how universal they are!
4.Cast Iron Actually has Health Benefits
Every time you cook with a cast iron pan, a tiny bit of the iron leaches out into your meal. This ups your iron intake. When I was experiencing low iron during my pregnancies, this (along with a few other natural remedies) helped to increase my iron levels.
Non stick pans have a Teflon (PTFE) coating. At normal cooking temperatures, they release various gases and chemicals that present mild to severe toxicity. Check out the study here. What does Cast Iron release? The fat used to season it and iron, both of which are good for your body. It's a no brainer really.
Do you share my love of cast iron too? Let me know if you are a cast iron household in the comments below!
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