[0 - 2] - We love cooking in cast iron skillets.
[2 - 5] - But hold your horses, there's a lot more
[5 - 11] to know about cast iron skillets than you might think. (upbeat music)
[11 - 12] Hey everyone, welcome to "Gear Heads."
[12 - 14] Lisa's out on vacation,
[14 - 17] so joining me today is my ATK reviews teammate
[17 - 19] Valerie Li Stack.
[19 - 20] Thanks for joining us, Val.
[20 - 22] - So great to be here, Hannah.
[22 - 25] - Cast iron skillets are one of the most versatile pieces
[25 - 28] of cookware you can buy since they work on the stove top
[28 - 29] in the oven, even on the grill.
[29 - 30] In terms of cooking,
[30 - 32] there's very little these pans can't do.
[32 - 35] - And with plenty of views in the right care,
[35 - 39] their surface becomes naturally non-stick.
[39 - 40] But how do you choose between the many types
[40 - 42] of cast iron skillets
[42 - 45] and how do you take care of them properly?
[45 - 46] - Today we are going to answer
[46 - 49] your frequently asked cast iron skillet questions.
[49 - 51] I'll guide you through shopping
[51 - 53] for traditional versus enamel cast iron skillets,
[53 - 56] and then Val is gonna show you how to achieve
[56 - 59] and maintain that naturally non-stick surface.
[59 - 62] - First up, Hannah with her buying guide.
[65 - 68] - Today we're going to focus on three main types
[68 - 70] of cast iron skillets.
[70 - 72] The traditional mass produced skillets
[72 - 76] with a rougher texture, the less common artisan skillets
[76 - 78] with a smoother texture and a golden color
[78 - 81] and enamel coated cast iron skillets.
[81 - 84] These are our ATK recommended winners
[84 - 86] from Lodge, Smithey and Le Creuset.
[86 - 87] Let's start with how they're made.
[91 - 94] All cast iron skillets start as hot molten iron
[94 - 96] that's poured into molds of sand,
[96 - 98] which has a hotter melting temperature than iron.
[98 - 100] After the pans have cooled,
[100 - 103] they're broken from their mold covered with a thin layer
[103 - 106] of oil and baked at a high temperature, which seals
[106 - 110] and rust proofs the surface with a layer of seasoning
[110 - 113] and makes the pan ready to use, enabling a sort
[113 - 116] of naturally non-stick coating after use.
[116 - 119] This process is what makes cast iron skillets
[119 - 121] and other cast iron cookware so great.
[121 - 124] Its superpower is that it can retain
[124 - 127] and conduct plenty of heat for deep browning of food.
[127 - 129] Generally being a single piece
[129 - 132] of metal also makes these skillets very sturdy.
[132 - 135] We'll first look at our traditional winner from lodge.
[135 - 138] This is by far the least expensive of the bunch
[138 - 141] and it is a really great bargain.
[141 - 142] These pans are mass produced,
[142 - 146] meaning they are thicker than the artisan or enameled pans,
[146 - 148] and they carry a rough texture left
[148 - 150] behind from the sand mold they were cast in,
[150 - 154] making thicker pans and skipping steps like hand polishing
[154 - 156] the rough surface is much more efficient
[156 - 159] for larger manufacturers like lodge.
[159 - 160] This means that of these three,
[160 - 162] the traditional mass produced lodge model
[162 - 163] is the most durable.
[163 - 165] It's basically indestructible,
[165 - 166] but it's also the heaviest
[166 - 169] of the three options at eight pounds and FYI.
[169 - 172] You will need to use a little bit of fat in these pans
[172 - 173] to get that non-stick ability.
[173 - 177] Moving on to the artisan pan by Smithey.
[177 - 180] Artisan makers often cast their to have thinner sides,
[180 - 183] but a thicker bottom which cuts down on the total weight
[183 - 187] of the pan, but keeps that heat retention capability.
[187 - 189] Most artisan makers will also take the time
[189 - 192] to hand polish their pan surface,
[192 - 194] which makes it naturally non-stick
[194 - 196] much faster than a mass produced pan.
[196 - 198] You can see right here this pan is really smooth
[198 - 200] to the touch, whereas this one is a little rougher.
[200 - 203] The artisan pans are a gold or more coppery color
[203 - 205] because they are more lightly pre seasoned
[205 - 206] with a proprietary oil.
[206 - 208] Usually a type of vegetable oil.
[208 - 212] Unseasoned cast iron without a coating at it at all
[212 - 213] would be closer to a silver color.
[213 - 215] This artisan process means
[215 - 217] that these pans are much more expensive
[217 - 218] than the traditional style.
[218 - 221] This pan by Smithey is around $200 compared
[221 - 224] to the Lodge's, $44 a quarter of the price.
[224 - 228] Fast math, Hannah, but you get what you pay for.
[228 - 230] It's a beautiful, highly functional pan.
[230 - 233] Now let's talk about our winning enamel cast iron option
[233 - 235] from Le Creuset, another gorgeous pan.
[235 - 239] These cast iron pans start out like traditional cast iron,
[239 - 242] but then they're coated in a glass like vitreous glaze
[242 - 244] that seals the pan from air
[244 - 246] and moisture that could cause rust.
[246 - 248] If you don't know what vitreous means, I didn't either.
[248 - 249] It means derived from glass.
[249 - 252] This glaze starts as a powder,
[252 - 254] which is then melted on at very high temperatures
[254 - 255] like regular cast iron,
[255 - 258] these pans have excellent heat retention,
[258 - 259] so they'll sear, fry
[259 - 262] and braise well maintaining the heat you want
[262 - 265] without undesirable temperature dips as food is added
[265 - 268] or flipped, which is great for like frying for example.
[268 - 270] But unlike regular cast iron,
[270 - 274] their enamel coating makes enamel cast iron pans
[274 - 276] virtually maintenance free.
[276 - 279] You never have to season them and you can soak, use soap
[279 - 281] and scrub as much as you'd like.
[281 - 284] Best of all, you can cook almost anything, even acidic foods
[284 - 287] that need to be simmered for a long time like a tomato sauce
[287 - 290] because the enamel seals the cast iron making
[290 - 292] the pan rust proof and non-reactive.
[292 - 294] Acidic foods like tomatoes can strip
[294 - 297] the seasoning from traditional cast iron if simmered
[297 - 298] for too long in the pan.
[298 - 301] While both regular and enameled cast iron pans
[301 - 304] are induction compatible, the smoother enameled bottoms
[304 - 307] can be a little gentler on glass cooktops,
[307 - 309] though you should still lift
[309 - 311] and place heavy pans carefully rather than dropping
[311 - 315] or dragging them because you can damage a glass cooktop.
[315 - 319] Finally, their colorful appearance is pretty enough to bring
[319 - 320] to the table for serving.
[320 - 323] Our recipes for warm dips and fondue
[323 - 325] take advantage of these features.
[325 - 326] Be warned however
[326 - 329] that this enamel coating makes these skillets less durable
[329 - 331] than their uncoated brethren.
[331 - 334] The enamel coating can sometimes heat and expand
[334 - 336] and retract at different rates, which can lead
[336 - 339] to cracking, an issue called crazing.
[339 - 341] The enamel isn't toxic,
[341 - 343] but you certainly don't want that in your food
[343 - 346] and it does make the surface more sticky.
[346 - 350] Another downside, don't expect enamel cast iron skillets
[350 - 353] to be or become non-stick.
[353 - 354] Enamel, like we said,
[354 - 357] is a glass like coating heated to very high temperatures
[357 - 359] and bonded to the pan's surface.
[359 - 360] It will not become seasoned
[360 - 363] as you use it the way plain cast iron does.
[363 - 366] While some manufacturers claim their pans will do this
[366 - 368] and become more non-stick with use,
[368 - 371] in our hands-on testing experience,
[371 - 372] we found that not to be the case.
[372 - 376] Basically, these pans are going to be naturally non-stick.
[376 - 378] The enamel cast iron skillet never will.
[378 - 380] Enamel pans also tend to be more expensive.
[380 - 383] Our winner from Le Creuset is about $250.
[383 - 385] We also tested a bunch more
[385 - 389] and found a best buy from Viking, which was around $110.
[392 - 395] So which should you buy between enameled
[395 - 396] and regular cast iron?
[396 - 398] It depends how you cook.
[398 - 401] With traditional and artisanal cast iron pans,
[401 - 403] you're never gonna baby your cookware.
[403 - 405] If you wanna bang it around with no fear of damage
[405 - 407] and use it at any temperature under the broiler
[407 - 410] or on the grill, even over live fire or with metal utensils.
[410 - 412] They're also for the person
[412 - 413] that doesn't mind simple maintenance.
[413 - 415] You want to wash and dry these pan thoroughly
[415 - 418] and lightly oil them each time after use to prevent rust
[418 - 420] and build up that non-stick surface.
[420 - 423] These are also for cooks that don't mind using little
[423 - 426] to no soap, hot water and a good scrub brush.
[426 - 428] Our winners from O-Cedar will suffice.
[428 - 430] These are also for folks who don't plan
[430 - 433] to make long simmered acidic sauces
[433 - 435] such as a marinara in this pan.
[435 - 438] You also never wanna leave these pans soaking in the sink,
[438 - 439] so if you're that type of cook,
[439 - 442] maybe cast iron isn't for you.
[442 - 444] Enameled is for the person that never wants
[444 - 446] to think about seasoning their pan.
[446 - 447] Enamel doesn't need it.
[447 - 448] This is also for the person
[448 - 450] who doesn't mind spending a little more.
[450 - 452] You know, remember even our best buy here is a $100
[452 - 454] versus 44 for the Lodge.
[454 - 456] This is also for someone who does not mind being a little
[456 - 459] bit cautious with the glass like enamel surface.
[459 - 461] You also wanna avoid using metal utensils
[461 - 464] and scraping or banging the pan, you know it's glass,
[464 - 466] so you gotta be a little bit careful with it.
[466 - 468] You also don't wanna stack them in a pile all willy-nilly.
[468 - 471] You can put a piece of paper towel, a paper plate, a piece
[471 - 473] of fabric in between your skillets
[473 - 474] to help cushion them as they sit.
[474 - 476] If you plan to cook lots
[476 - 478] of long simmering acidic sauces in your skillet,
[478 - 480] an enameled skillet is a fine choice for that.
[480 - 483] Again, it does not have that seasoning that you have
[483 - 484] to worry about wearing away.
[484 - 486] And finally, if you want cast iron
[486 - 489] but would like a lighter pan look to enamel, they tend
[489 - 492] to be lighter than traditional and traditional pans
[492 - 493] while they're a few pounds heavier,
[493 - 495] they have better heat retention.
[495 - 496] So there is a little bit of a trade off there.
[496 - 498] Though all of these are gonna sear a great steak.
[498 - 500] Between traditional and artisanal non-stick,
[500 - 504] it really comes down to price, both perform really well.
[504 - 507] The artisanal pans are a little less maintenance
[507 - 510] than the traditional pans and they just look beautiful.
[510 - 512] Whatever type of cast iron and skillet you choose,
[512 - 515] look out for these key features
[515 - 518] when you shop across materials and styles.
[522 - 524] First, a broad cooking surface.
[524 - 527] We preferred pans that offered at least 10 inches
[527 - 529] of flat cooking surface.
[529 - 532] This allowed for plenty of room for cooking
[532 - 535] and prevented crowding when shallow frying potato wedges
[535 - 537] and searing steaks, so you really get
[537 - 538] that beautiful browning.
[538 - 541] Another factor sides that are at least two inches tall.
[541 - 543] The sides of one pan we tested measured just one
[543 - 547] in three quarter inches tall from the pan's interior bottom.
[547 - 550] That extra height is really necessary for containing hot oil
[550 - 552] and food, such as when frying donuts
[552 - 554] and shallow frying chicken.
[554 - 556] You don't wanna risk overflowing hot oil anywhere.
[556 - 558] Next up, weight.
[558 - 560] There is such a thing as lightweight cast iron pans.
[560 - 562] We've tested them, we don't like them.
[562 - 564] While lighter, thinner pans were much easier to lift,
[564 - 568] they simply do not do the thing we really want cast iron
[568 - 571] to do, retain and conduct plenty of heat
[571 - 572] for deep even browning.
[572 - 574] A thick heavy pan has the mass
[574 - 577] and density to hold more heat than a thinner pan does,
[577 - 581] and once preheated will cook more evenly than a thinner
[581 - 583] and lighter pan, make sure
[583 - 585] to preheat these things like five minutes.
[585 - 588] A big helper handle is also key.
[588 - 589] It wasn't totally a deal breaker.
[589 - 591] Some nice pans had smaller handles,
[591 - 595] but we preferred those with wide broad loops
[595 - 596] that we could really hang onto,
[596 - 598] especially when wearing oven mitts.
[598 - 601] Like we said, these are heavy pans that get really hot.
[601 - 603] You need a good place to grip.
[603 - 606] When it came to size, we also tested eight inch
[606 - 608] and then 10 inch cast iron skillets.
[608 - 611] The same criteria applied to those two sizes
[611 - 613] and they are great in that they can save space
[613 - 615] and they're a little bit lighter. Generally though,
[615 - 618] we recommend buying a 12 inch skillet if you can.
[618 - 621] It's always good to have the option of a bigger pan
[621 - 623] for recipes of different sizes, especially
[623 - 625] with a versatile material such as cast iron.
[625 - 627] Okay, that is my buying guide
[627 - 629] for these wonderful lifetime pans.
[629 - 632] Here's Val with her guide on cast iron maintenance
[632 - 634] and hey, drop a like for Val.
[634 - 636] She's a crucial part of our reviews team
[636 - 640] and it's her first "Gear Heads." (upbeat music)
[641 - 644] - As Hannah said, an important feature
[644 - 648] of cast iron skillets is its natural non-stick ability.
[648 - 651] When fat or cooking oil is heated to its smoke point
[651 - 656] in cast iron, its fatty acids, oxidize and reorganized
[656 - 661] or polymerize into a new plastic like layer of molecules.
[661 - 665] This layer becomes trapped within the surface of the pan
[665 - 668] and bonds to the metal itself,
[668 - 671] creating the slick coating known as seasoning.
[672 - 675] Repeated exposure to smoking hot oil continues
[675 - 677] to build on this coating,
[677 - 680] making it more slippery and durable.
[680 - 683] That's why even though most skillets these days come
[683 - 685] with a factory seasoning,
[685 - 687] the surface will become even more non-stick
[687 - 689] with repeated use.
[689 - 691] Over time, the pan might start
[691 - 693] to look patchy because of general wear
[693 - 695] and tear on the surface,
[695 - 697] and that's when you should season it.
[697 - 698] To do a seasoning touch-up,
[698 - 701] heat the skillet over medium high heat
[701 - 705] using paper towels dipped in oil and held with tongs.
[705 - 707] Wipe the surface until oil smokes
[707 - 710] and there's no remaining oil residue.
[710 - 713] Repeating oil application three to five times,
[713 - 718] making sure the oil smokes and let the skillet cool lightly
[718 - 719] after each application.
[719 - 721] When it comes to the oil you should use
[721 - 725] for seasoning cast iron, the more polyunsaturated the fat,
[725 - 728] the more readily it will oxidize and polymerize.
[728 - 732] We have found that flex seed oil, which oxidizes
[732 - 735] and polymerizes faster than other vegetable oils,
[735 - 738] forms a particularly durable seasoning,
[738 - 741] but cheaper oils such as sunflower
[741 - 743] and soybean also work fine.
[743 - 746] Over the lifetime of a cast iron skillet,
[746 - 750] you'll just need to maintain or touch up its seasoning,
[750 - 754] but if the seasoning becomes very dull or damaged
[754 - 757] or if the pan barely rusts, you'll need
[757 - 758] to give it an overhaul.
[759 - 761] First, try steel wool and soap.
[761 - 765] Give it a good thorough scrub to remove crusty residue
[765 - 768] and traces of rust and get it back to a level surface.
[768 - 771] You don't need to remove all the seasoning,
[771 - 772] just the gunky parts.
[772 - 774] Rinse and dry the skillet thoroughly
[774 - 776] and re season it on the stove.
[776 - 779] Lisa has an even more in-depth guide to stripping
[780 - 782] and re-seasoning your skillet in the oven,
[782 - 784] which you can find on our website.
[784 - 785] Let us know in the comments
[785 - 789] if you'd like to see Lisa cover that in another video.
[789 - 791] When it comes to cleaning cast iron skillets,
[791 - 795] wipe the interior surface of a still warm skillet
[795 - 798] with paper towels to remove any access food and oil.
[798 - 801] Rinse it under hot running water scrubbing
[801 - 804] with a non-metal brush or non-res of scrub pad
[804 - 806] to remove any traces of food.
[806 - 810] Use a small amount of soap if you like, rinse well.
[810 - 813] Dry the skillet thoroughly, do not drip dry,
[813 - 815] then heat it over medium low heat
[815 - 819] until all traces of moisture have evaporated.
[819 - 821] Add half a teaspoon of oil to the pan
[821 - 826] and use towels to lightly coat interior surface with oil.
[826 - 828] Continue to wipe the surface with oiled paper towels
[828 - 833] until it looks dark and smooth and no oil residue remains.
[833 - 837] For more information on all the gear we talked about today
[837 - 840] and more cast iron skillet tips, check out the links below
[840 - 843] or go to Americastestkitchen.com.
[843 - 846] - Which cast iron skillet do you think is best for you,
[846 - 848] traditional, artisan or enamel?
[848 - 850] Let us know on the comments, hit
[850 - 852] that Like button while you're down there
[852 - 853] and be sure to click the bell icon
[853 - 859] so you never miss an episode. (upbeat music)