Cast Iron Kitchens

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Cast Iron Kitchens

With renewed interest in vintage cast iron cookware spreading like wildfire, we felt it was time to develop a Web site and blog geared specifically to "cast iron kitchens" across America (and around the globe!) to help coalesce and organize useful information regarding collecting, identifying, restoring, using and maintaining vintage cast iron cookware.

We aim to provide a one-stop portal to everything you need to develop and manage your own vintage cast iron collection as well as connect with others who share your passion!

This Web site and blog will provide categorized links for each category of interest beginning with collecting/identifying, restoring, maintaining and cooking in cast iron.

The premise of the Web site is that we can learn from each other! We are Cast Iron KitchenS (plural) because we want to see and hear from you! We want to provide a forum where you can contribute to the knowledge base and share YOUR videos and photographs with a community of kindred souls!

The site and blog will develop over the next several weeks. Watch for more content coming soon!

Getting Started

Below, I list some of the best sites for beginners. I chose these sites for the ease of access, the concise and accessible information and their simplicity. Some of the reference sites below are most useful when you're looking for specific information or doing more in-depth research. These beginner sites are the best place to start if you're new to collecting, using or restoring vintage cast iron.

The first question to ask yourself is whether you are most interested in COLLECTING cast iron pans or USING them to cook in. Some brands are valued more for their collectibility and are typically marked with logos that indicate their origin (and carry premium, often astronomical prices), but those who are USERS often favor unmarked brands of what many consider a higher quality for cooking. Pans that are thin and light (e.g., vintage Griswold and Wagner) have a higher value in the collectible market, but do not distribute and retain heat as well as the heavier (often unmarked) brands like BSR (Birmingham Stove & Range) and older Lodge (who later added logos to their pans). While marked collectible pans CAN be used to cook in with vigilance, the heavier walls of thicker pans (often unmarked) provide a superior meal with less fuss cooked with a more consistent heat distribution and retention. Unmarked pans are typically MUCH less expensive and easier to acquire in flea markets, antique stores and online. Don't be fooled into thinking that PRICE equates to QUALITY since, at least with vintage cast iron cookware, the opposite is often true.

Cast Iron Kitchens

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Why the Cast Iron Skillet is the Only Kitchen Tool You Need

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Cast Iron Kitchens