The Best Cast Iron Pots & Pans Set

Most of us receive gifts from our parents and grandparents, and not all of them achieve heirloom status. Sweaters might be relegated to the back of the wardrobe, and toys or knitted blankets might fall by the wayside as soon as the kids grow up. But if you do any cooking at all, there’s one hand-me-down that you should both use and cherish, and that’s a cast iron pan.

Cast iron cookware holds a place of honor in any kitchen, and not just because it looks imposing. Of all the materials you can cook with, this is one of the most versatile and definitely the most durable. If you treat them properly, cast iron pots and pans will actually get better the more you use them. For that reason alone, it’s worth doing a little research when buying this kind of cookware set. They may be a little pricier, but you can look forward to making tasty meals on them for the rest of your life.

First, let’s talk about the properties of cast iron. It may not seem like an ideal material for cooking from a novice perspective, given how slowly it heats up. But once it does heat up, it retains that heat for much longer relative to other metals. That makes the pans great for searing or frying meat. Cast iron can also handle the hotter temperatures of the typical oven, which means the pots can roast pork or other large dishes exceptionally well. If your set comes with a dutch oven (a type of heavy, thick-lidded pot) it will change the way you braise and brown your meats.

So, what should your set include? It all depends on the way you cook. At bare minimum a cookware set should come with a saucepan and a pot, hopefully with lids for each. If you plan on making multiple courses at once, you might need some more pots or pans of varying sizes, and maybe a rectangular dish for baking.

The most common type of cast iron cookware is bare cast iron, and you’ll know it when you see it. The black or grayish metal typically comes pre-seasoned, which means that it has a layer of oil baked into it. This is essential to cast iron’s durability, as well as its non-stick properties. Unlike other types of cookware, you won’t want to wash it with soap. Simply scrub it with water and a brush (or steel wool for stubborn stains). Every once in awhile, you’ll want to re-season the pot or pan yourself. It’s an easy bit of maintenance that will pay dividends for years to come.

If upkeep isn’t your thing, you may want to pay a little extra for enameled cast iron. These items have a coat of enamel that adds an extra layer of protection to the cookware, and eliminates the need for seasoning. It also allows you to cook acidic foods like tomatoes with impunity. (These foods can pick up a metallic taste from poorly seasoned cast iron.) On the other hand, this layer of enamel can crack over time, and it does make the cookware somewhat less conductive of heat.

Either way, cast iron is a worthy (some say necessary) addition to any kitchen arsenal. Buy the right set, and you’ll never have to buy another one — and neither, quite possibly, will your kids.

Once you’ve got your cast iron set, you’re in for endless nights of good cooking, plus a few adjustments to your cleaning routine. While bare cast iron is typically easy to wash, you don’t want to use soap — and under no circumstances should you put it in an automatic dishwasher. Soap will strip the cast iron of that all-important layer of oil that makes it non-stick, prevents rust and helps it cook evenly.

In fact, you’ll want to re-season your cast iron a couple of times a year to maintain it. Doing so is easy: First, coat your cookware with cooking oil or shortening. Wipe off any excess with a paper towel so that you’ve got a thin, even coating. Place it in the oven with a baking sheet or aluminum foil underneath to catch any drips. Bake the pot or pan at 450 degrees for one hour. Let your cookware cool fully, and you’re ready to use it again!