What’s so great about cast-iron pots?
1. High level of appearance
This reason has to be number one! The usual kitchen utensils are drab, either black or stainless steel. And cast iron pot due to the enamel layer of the surface of the process, can do a variety of pink or bright colors, super beautiful!
2, Save fire and Save time
Because cast-iron pots are better at sealing and storing heat, they can cook food more easily and in less time than regular pots.
3, Easy to use
When cooking meat ingredients, you can fry them in a cast iron pot and then boil them in water without changing the pot. The cooked dishes can also be served with a pot to keep them warm and convenient. In addition, cast iron pots can be used in addition to an open flame, but also for induction ovens or ovens.
Of course, there are those who think their home casserole or electric pressure cooker already meets their cooking needs. I think it is also very good, after all, the most important thing to choose kitchenware is to meet their own needs, do not blindly follow the trend.
What exactly is a cast iron pot made of?
Cast iron pot is cast by pouring hot iron into sand mold. Cast iron pot on the market can be divided into two categories: one is pure cast iron pot represented by lodge. The outer surface of cast iron pot is not coated, and there will be soybean oil protective layer for rust prevention when leaving the factory.
The other is the enamel cast iron pot represented by Le Creuset, Staub, etc. The cast iron pot is coated with colorful enamel coating, which is also known as “enamel”. It is essentially a glass porcelain glaze, which can well separate the cast iron from the contact of air and water, and protect the cast iron pot from rust. If further subdivided, it can be divided into white enamel and black enamel.
What can be done with a cast iron pot?
In addition to regular braising and frying dishes, cast-iron pot with fort soup, roast chicken, toast is also a good hand. There are many small partners to unlock the cast iron pot braised rice, do complementary food, steamed fish without water, baked desserts and other ways to open the kitchen in short, there is a cast iron pot, it seems to open countless possibilities.
Before you buy a cast iron pot, do a little homework:
1. Cast iron pot can be used on the open fire of gas stove, and can also be used for induction stove, electric pottery stove, oven, etc. If using a high oven temperature, make sure the lid is free of other non-heat resistant accessories. But cast iron pot as a metal pot, not suitable for microwave oven.
2. Generally speaking, pure cast iron pot without enamel coating is more suitable for frying and other oily cooking rather than soup stew. Because there is no coating, this kind of cast iron pot has higher maintenance requirements. After each use, it is necessary to apply cooking oil to “raise pot” to prevent pot rust and enhance non-stick effect. Cast iron pots with enamel surfaces generally do not have rust problems, and black enamel, due to pores, needs to be “boiled” before use to form a protective oil film. Black enamel has good expotsibility, and it is not easy to crack and stain under long-term use. The cast iron pot with white enamel coating has a denser surface texture and no pores. It does not need special maintenance before use, so it has a good non-stick effect. But also because the surface is tight, cracks may gradually appear after long-term use, as well as coating staining, which needs more careful care.
3, The enamel coating of cast iron pot is affected by the process, sometimes there will be uneven edge spraying, or a small number of pits, which are difficult to avoid defects in the production process of cast iron pot, generally do not affect the normal use, do not worry!
What should we pay attention to when using cast iron pots daily?
1, No enamel layer of cast iron pot and black enamel coating cast iron pot in the first use before the need to “boil” : first wash the pot dry, and then use kitchen paper towel. A small amount of cooking oil, in the inner wall and edge of the pot thin smear 2~3 times, dry 8~12 hours later, wipe off the residual oil before use.
2. The heat conduction and heat preservation effect of cast iron pot are very excellent. It is recommended to preheat the pot with small and medium heat for 2-3 minutes before adding the ingredients to cook. General cast iron pot for stewing, boiling only need small and medium fire heating can, its excellent insulation performance is enough to ensure that the food materials fully absorb heat, fast stew in place.
3. In order to protect the enamel coating, it is recommended to use a wooden spatula or a heat-resistant silica spatula when cooking the cast iron pot, to avoid the metal spatula whose material is too hard.
4. Cast iron pot should not be washed directly in cold water or put into the refrigerator at high temperature to avoid excessive temperature difference affecting the service life of the surface enamel coating.
5. During cooking and after cooking, the cast iron pot is hot as a whole! Remember to use heat insulation gloves, pot pads, etc., to avoid burning yourself or damaging the table!
6, Cast iron pot is relatively heavy, daily use and movement should pay attention to hold steady, flat. Try to avoid pot toppling, falling, to avoid breaking the floor or yourself! Falling and bumping can also cause the enamel coating on the surface of the cast iron pot to break, which is very painful!
After reading this article, I believe you have a general understanding of the operation of cast iron pot!
But with so many cast iron pots out there, how do you know which one is best for you? In fact, the product can meet their actual needs, within their own reasonable consumption level.
