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[K90]Kitchenaid Cast Iron Cookware

by John Francis, Joh

You have a skillet that came from your mom, and before that your grandma, and has now fallen into your hands. So how do you take care of it, use it, clean it, and get the best taste possible from it? I hope to answer some of those questions in this article.

I love my cast iron skillets, passed down from my Mom; I remember her using them to make delicious fried chicken dinners, cornbread to go with our Great Northern beans and the best popcorn. The only thing I didn't remember is just what she did to keep those skillets nice. I do remember her drying them slowly on the stove and then coating them with some sort of grease. Now we would use a thin coat of cooking oil or a pan spray.

That is called seasoning and is important in the care and use of cast iron to prevent rust and create a natural non-stick cooking surface. Even if your inherited skillet or Dutch oven has been neglected and rusty, you can restore it by seasoning it again.

The more you use your cast iron the better seasoned it becomes. A black shiny skillet is a well-seasoned utensil and the one that will give the best flavor. Seasoning is done both for the inside and the outside of your cast iron, and even the lid must be seasoned. Here's a hint to make your cast iron shiny again is to fry bacon and similar fatty meats. It will help it become seasoned faster and give you that shiny black non-stick interior you are working for.

Here are the steps to seasoning your cast iron utensils.

1. First, wash with hot, soapy water and stiff brush.
2. Rinse and dry
3. Apply a thin coat of shortening both inside and out
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line oven rack with foil to catch drips
5. Put cookware upside down on the upper rack of your oven and bake for one hour.
6. Let the cookware cool before taking it out of the oven.
7. Store it in a cool, dry place and allow air to circulate around it
8. Never wash in a dishwasher.

After using your cast iron, rinse with hot water and no soap. Dry it thoroughly and coat it with a think coat of cooking oil, shortening or pan spray.

The process of restoring rusted cast iron cookware can bring a family heirloom back to life and make it a fully functional asset in your kitchen. You can even salvage a garage sale or flea market find that looks too far gone. The beauty of cast iron cookware lies in it's rugged durability and versatility. Cast irons durability results from the quality and thickness of the material from which the pan was made. Older cast iron is especially tough since it was made before the time of cheap imports that do suffer some quality issues. But, nonetheless any piece of cast iron that is structurally sound can be restored and put to use in your kitchen.

Before beginning the restoration process, you must carefully inspect the pot or pan and make sure it is truly structurally sound. Look for cracking or pitting in the surface of the pan. If the pan is cracked or severely pitted then it would be best to set that pan aside and not proceed with restoration. a cracked cast iron pan is very hard to repair and requires a process called brazing to fix the pan. This is usually an expensive process and even with repair the possibility of contamination of your food from the repair process makes the pan pretty much useless for use in the kitchen. If you would like you can restore the damaged pan and use it as a decorative reminder of days gone by in your kitchen.

Once you have established the soundness of the cast iron, you can begin the process of restoration. Start by using steel wool or a wire brush to remove as much surface rust from the pan as possible. You can then soak the pan in a solution of 1 part vinegar to 10 parts water for a day or so. This will help to finish dissolving any rust that remains on the surface of the pan. If you run into a pan with severe rusting, then you may have to use a product like spray on oven cleaner to remove a heavy layer of rust. Be careful when using caustic chemicals like oven cleaner. Wear personal protection such as gloves and a mask to prevent personal injury. Also, avoid using any other highly caustic chemicals on your cast iron. Solvents and similar chemicals can soak into the loose pores of the iron and then leach into your food at a later time.

After you are sufficiently satisfied with the initial phase of restoration of your cast iron, then you can proceed to the seasoning step. seasoning is a simple process whereby the clean pan is coated with either lard or bacon grease and repeatedly heated in an oven. This process creates a durable non-stick finish for the cast iron and makes it easy to clean after use.

Article Source : Where Can I Buy Appliances

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Both John Francis & Larry Honz are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

John Francis has sinced written about articles on various topics from Binding Machines, Motorola Cell Phone and Family. - are you getting the best for your money?. John Francis's top article generates over 12100 views. to your Favourites.

Larry Honz has sinced written about articles on various topics from Aquarium Fish, Home Appliances and Cooking Tips. . Larry Honz's top article generates over 4400 views. to your Favourites.