The Original Cookware

When selecting a pan to cook dinner, many prefer a pan in which food does not easily stick, it just makes clean up so much less hassle, but whenever I find myself in the kitchen watching a pot to see if it will boil, my mind wanders and I sometimes ask myself a specific question: what type of cookware did early Americans use? They didn’t have our modern aluminum and stainless steel pans, since those metals weren’t even discovered by that point in history. Think about the Oregon Trail and the rugged life in the western territories, they didn’t have microwaves, stoves, or modern nonstick pans, so what did they use?

Nearly everyone traveling on the Oregon Trail used a Dutch oven and a cast iron skillet to cook their food over a fire. Cast iron was so deeply rooted in American culture that it was a staple in the United States since the beginning; European settlers brought their cast iron with them to the New World, and eventually the colonies were able to cast their own cookware.

Cast iron continued to be a staple in American kitchens up until the 1960s and 1970s when teflon coated pans were introduced, however, cast iron is making a comeback in the 21st century.

What is cast iron cookware?

Cast iron cookware is simply a pot or pan that is made by pouring molten iron into a mold and then protecting the pan from corrosion and sticking by seasoning it.

The first known usage of cast iron cookware was around the year 220 AD; casting techniques eventually spread across the European continent, and by the end of the 16th century, cast iron was widespread. Cast iron is almost certainly the original nonstick cookware.

This basic yet timeless cookware is not only easy to use, but it also has a long list of benefits; here are some of them.

It’s naturally nonstick. Unlike modern nonstick pans that are coated in Polytetrafluoroethylene, better known as PTFE or Teflon, which may release mildly to severely toxic gasses when heated, the nonstick coating on cast iron is simply edible fats and oils that have been charred, leaving behind a carbon layer.

It does not easily harbor bacteria. Not only are there very few species of bacteria that might possibly survive in the oil coating on cast iron, the temperatures reached while cooking and frying in cast iron are high enough to kill any bacteria and viruses that come into contact with the cookware.

It withstands nearly any heating method. Cast iron can be used on stovetops, in ovens, on grills, and even directly over fires.

It retains heat. The dense nature of iron causes this type of cookware to keep food warm for much longer than other materials; that does mean that cast iron requires slightly more time to heat up, but it also cooks evenly.

It adds iron to food. Because the pan almost completely consists of iron, the food you cook in cast iron will have trace amounts of iron, a vital mineral, without which your blood cells cannot transport oxygen throughout your body. Continued usage of cast iron can help increase your consumption of iron.

It’s very durable. Cast iron can handle more wear and tear than modern cookware, and it can usually be restored after suffering some corrosion. Because of its hardness, cast iron will not bend, although, since iron is a physical material and not some science fiction metal like beskar or vibranium, cast iron could break if dropped with enough force or exposed to extreme thermal shock. 

It lasts for generations. Cast iron’s durability and longevity mean that well kept cast iron could last for at least a few generations.

It’s affordable. The decently low price of cast iron due to its simplicity coupled with its lifespan make cast iron an extremely cheap investment into your family’s future.

There are a couple general rules to remember about your cast iron: do not wash with soap, this is not only unnecessary, but it also removes the nonstick seasoning you have been developing every time you cook, and do not throw away your cast iron.

Instead, you should gently scrape off any food chunks with hot water, dry the pan by using a cloth or piece of paper towel, then lightly coat your pan with oil; your pan is now ready for storage. The more you use your pan, the better your seasoning will become, but If your pan needs a maintenance seasoning, you will need to coat the pan with oil and bake it in the oven. There is plenty of information online to guide you with seasoning your cast iron, including this webpage from Lodge.

Even if your cast iron is old, unused, or rusted, there is almost no reason to throw it away. The cast iron can almost always be cleaned, re-seasoned, and used again, but if the cast iron is destroyed and no longer usable, it can always be recycled. If you simply do not want the cookware anymore, consider selling it or giving it to someone who uses cast iron rather than disposing of it.

Do you use cast iron cookware?

Onward American 🇺🇸

Source: Pioneers Used Cast Iron

Source: Benefits of Cast Iron

Source: Benefits of Cooking with Cast Iron

Source: Teflon Coated Cookware Toxicity

Source: How to Season Cast Iron