Many of you have heard of cast iron pans for cooking. These pan and pots are great for retaining heat, so food can be cooked evenly inside the pan. These type of cookware has many benefits and can be useful at home cooking as well outdoor cooking on grill.
Copper pans are great for retaining heat and offer similar benefits to cast iron pans, but they are much more expensive to purchase. Cast- Iron pans are much cheaper but requires seasoning and maintaining of the pan. There is also enamel coated pans and pot available. They are little more pricier than bare cast iron but one does not have to worry about seasoning and maintaining the pan.
Benefits:
1. Good heat conductor
2. Good for retaining heat, even outside temperature fluctuates
3. Can be used on stove top and oven safe
4. If you are using enamel coated pan, you can take it directly from oven to serving table
5. If seasoned properly, it works like nonstick pan
6. Enamel based pan works like nonstick without seasoning
7. Durable and strong
8. If maintained, it can last life time
Cons
1. Can rust
2. Can react to acidic food changing colors and taste of food, if left in pan too long
3. Not dishwasher safe
4. Need seasoning and maintaining
Conclusion:
Cast iron is very versatile and offers many benefits. If you spend little time seasoning and maintaining pans, they can be a great asset to any kitchen. You can find more information about cast iron cookware here: Cast Iron Cookware
For many cooks, enamel coated cast iron pots and pan can be a good choice, as it gives all benefits of cast iron without the work of maintaining it. Enamel coated dutch oven are very useful for making soups, stews, bake cake in oven and it looks great on serving table too.