Is cast iron worth having?

smiler34

Thinking of getting a cast iron stock pot and just wondered if they are worth the money, anyone got any experience with them?

Thanks

Penelope_Penguin

I have lots of Le Creuset and use it every day IMO it's worth every penny :T

rachbc

I had some unenamelled cast iron pots years ago and they were a write off - needed seasoning repeatedly which I wouldn't get the knack of and ended up rusting away. I know have a couple of le Creueset things - a roaster, a casserole and a griddle and I love them and use them nearly daily - worth their very hefty weight in gold (and nearly as expensive)

Triker

If you can find a good sized cast iron pot then yes. They do appear to conduct heat better.

You can pick them up from car boots and charity shops.

You don't have to get Le creuset, there are plenty of other brands that do the job just as well.

Tesco and sainsburys have their own branded cast iron cookware, Morrissons have Gino D Campo cast iron pots and pans and grillits on special offer at the mo.

Dunhelm have some huge oval and round pots too, quite reasonably priced.

There is also cast iron such as Chasseur on Amazon and Vogue on Nisbets.

I have a few, use them a lot and love them.

LondonDreamer

I have a Tesco cast iron pot that I picked up on clearance in summer (£35 down to £7! Still chuffed) and I love it. A few of pros for me are that it retains so much heat that I'm always cooking on low instead of medium now. It's not non-stick, but still really easy to clean. And the food just seems to taste nicer than when made in a regular pot or especially compared to the slow cooker. Main con would be the weight, but I've gotten used to it.

Gutted that I missed the half price Le Creuset pots on Amazon's sale today. I've been wanting the shallow casserole forever!

greenbee

Triker wrote: »

I have a few, use them a lot and love them.

A few What did you do with the rest of them then???

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Depends who you want to hit, really,

Triker

greenbee wrote: »

A few What did you do with the rest of them then???

I have decluttered a number of them as you very well know Ms Greenbee...I bet you've got more than me now.:p:D

[Deleted User]

I use a cast iron dutch oven on a regular basis. You cannot use detergent on it and it needs oiling every time I use it but it cooks food wonderfully on the lowest of heat. I use it for lots of food including like a bread oven in my oven. It is very heavy and will work on my induction hob. I would definitely buiy the same pot again. It is heavy and I keep it in a cupboard but will probably keep it out as I get older

morganlefay

Le Creuset: wonderful, but VERY heavy. And if you drop it on a terracotta tiled floor the pot will chip, not the floor. But I still love them and have had a couple of them for 37 years and still going strong.

mandragora_2

Yes, we have them and use them - the only le creuset I bought in a shop was at a very good price indeed, everything else has come from car boot sales and, the very best one, was a fab frying pan from the tip. It's not enamelled, so we had to scour it with a sander (well, himself did) to get back to base layer and remove all the rust/old grease, and then find out from t'interweb how to 'prove' it, but it was worth it, because it's given us a great pan that we use almost daily.