We usually don't pay close attention to our health until someone close to us becomes ill with a life-threatening disease. We only start becoming health conscious when this happens. Then, we get obsessed with what food we eat, what products we use, et cetera, et cetera...
One of the things we commonly neglect is the kind of cookware we use at home. A search in Google about healthy cookware always brings up cast iron as the number one option. Yet, it also has a reputation of being difficult to maintain and complicated to use. It indeed is very intimidating, and I had my hesitations about getting one. I needed a nonstick, nontoxic pan and cast iron seemed to fit the bill so I went ahead and bought one! I paid a visit to Landers and there were three options: Lodge, an unknown brand made in China, and Tramontina. I chose Tramontina because Lodge was too expensive for me. The one made in China was scary to even try and more expensive than Tramontina.
So here it is, my new baby - a 10-inch Tramontina cast iron skillet!
It really was very, very heavy, and I couldn't lift it with just one hand. You can seriously damage your wrist if you lift it with just one hand upon plating. Aside from that, I found it quite easy to use. It conducted heat really fast, and a small amount of heat got it sizzling in no time. It also stayed hot for quite a while after cooking. It was too hot to handle even with the rubber wrapped around the handle.
It came pre-seasoned, but I still rubbed a little oil on it and heated it before I used it the next day. I cooked eggs in it, and there was no sticking at all. After cooking the egg, it looked so clean that I decided not to wash it yet. I've read that cast iron pans don't need a lot of washing and that no soap should be used. After a few more uses, I washed it in salt and warm water. Then, I wipe it dry before heating it on the stove to make sure there was no residual moisture left. After that, I rubbed a little oil on it again, ready for my next use.
To sum it up, I'm pretty happy with it so far. It's not as sensitive as one might think. In fact, it looks very sturdy with how thick and heavy it is. It also seems fairly resistant to scratches. I love how it cooks food evenly, how fast it heats up, how nonstick it is, and most of all, it's nontoxic! The only limitation with cast iron cookware is you can't cook acidic food in it. I also wouldn't recommend using it for cooking stew since moisture seems to be it's enemy. It is prone to rusting if not taken care of properly. I hope mine doesn't rust, and I hope it lasts a long time. I will post an update next time!
