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Cast Iron Cookware – yes, today I am sharing my favorites, the ones I use every single day. These pots and pans are staples in my kitchen and there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t pull out my favorite Staub skillet or Coquette. Best part? These cast iron pieces are durable enough to last a lifetime. I truly could not love cooking with cast iron any more, and once you give it a try, I know you guys will too!
You all remember on Sunday how I mentioned I might throw in a surprise post this week? Well, today’s the day, and instead of a recipe I am finally sharing a post detailing all of my favorite cast iron pots and pans. After countless emails, comments, and DM’s on Instagram asking about my favorite cast iron cookware, I finally decided I needed to just put it all into a blog post for you guys to easily reference.
It’s no secret that I love a good skillet recipe, my grill pan is my best friend in the summer, and come fall my Dutch oven is on the stove or in the oven braising something daily. I really love cooking with cast iron and I honestly don’t use any other kind of cookware, it’s all cast iron.
{skillet lemon butter chicken and orzo}
5 Reason why I love cooking with Cast Iron:
One: Cast iron is basically non-stick. You need to season your pans every few months, but it’s easy to do (more on that below).
Two: Cast iron has no harsh chemicals and instead gives off a little extra dose of iron. Cool. Cool.
Three: My cast iron skillets, braisers, and coquettes will last me a lifetime, they are so durable.
Four: Cast iron retains heat evenly and perfectly sears everything from meat, to seafood, to vegetables…and it cooks the BEST Dutch Baby Pancake.
Five:Â Cast iron is so pretty and timeless in any kitchen.
{Cheaters No Knead Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread}
And with that, here are my favorites…
1. Skillets
I don’t know what I would do without my skillets, I use them every single day, multiple times. I like to use one skillet for meat, one skillet for seafood, and then leave one skillet just for sweet recipes and baked things like Dutch Babies. Normally I’ll use my meat skillet for vegetables too, but not going to lie, I have six plus Staub skillets…so I could easily have one just for vegetables too.
This Staub 11″ skillet is my favorite, but I also love the 12″ skillet and use both equally.
If you’re looking for something a little more affordable, check out the Lodge Skillet.
My Favorite Skillet Recipes:
Skillet Lemon Pepper Chicken and Garden Veggies with Feta and Basil
Chicken Broccoli Cheddar Quinoa Casserole
Browned Butter Cinnamon Peach Dutch Baby
I use these for everything from boiling pasta water, making soups and stews, and even baking bread. Again, I could not live without multiple coquettes.
I have (and love) both the Staub 4 quart and 8 quart. I love having both sizes, one for smaller batch recipes and one for bigger. If I had to choose just one size, I’d get the 4 quart.
If you’re looking for something more affordable, I have heard good things about this Lodge Dutch Oven.
PS. I have the Staub Pumpkin Coquettes in all colors and they are my FAVORITE. I am already excited to break them out this September…
My Favorite Dutch Oven Recipes:
6 Ingredient Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup
3. Braisers
I LOVE my braiser. Oh my gosh. These are great for recipes that call for a skillet, but need a little more room on the edge of the pan for lots of stirring. I love making skillet pastas in my braiser or one pan chicken recipes. My smaller braiser is my go-to for rice.
I have braisers of all sizes. This 2.75 quart is my go-to for rice, this 3 1/2 quart is great for roasting chicken and tossing up lots of pasta. I also have this pretty one with a glass lid that I equally love.
If you want something more affordable, this is a great option.
My Favorite Braiser Recipes:
Roasted Moroccan Chicken and Olive Tagine
Garlic Butter Creamed Corn Chicken
Lemon Roasted Chicken and Veggies
4. French Ovens
These are classic and so pretty. I mostly use mine for cooking big batches of quinoa, soups, and stews. I love their shape and have both the smaller (great for rice and quinoa) and larger French ovens. These look SO pretty on open kitchen shelves. Love them!
PS. I don’t have this pumpkin one, but oh my gosh, I want it…
My Favorite French Oven Recipes:
Poblano Corn Chicken Tortilla Soup
Pumpkin Beer Broccoli Cheddar Soup
20 Minute Peanut Noodle Soup with Lime Mango
5. Grill Pans
Oddly I do not own a grill, so I use this grill pan almost daily in the summer. I find it so easy and convenient.
If you want something more affordable, this is a great option.
My Favorite Grill Pan Recipes:
Whole Grilled Chicken with Peaches and Basil Vinaigrette
Open Faced Rosemary Chicken, Peach, and Bacon Sandwich
Cinnamon Grilled Peaches with Mascarpone Ice Cream
Cleaning Your Cast Iron:
For everyday cleaning, rinse the skillet under hot water, and if needed, scrub with a kitchen scrunchy (nothing too abrasive). For stubborn pieces and crusted-on crumbs, pour in a few tablespoons kosher salt, add a little slash of water, and scrub that around with a scrunchy, then trash the salt and wipe the skillet clean. Simple as that!
Just be sure that whenever you rinse your cast iron out, you wipe it dry to ensure it doesn’t ever rust.
Seasoning Your Cast Iron:
All Staub products are already seasoned, so there is no need to season them. If you are using an unseasoned skillet, here is how to season it.
Spread a thin layer of neutral cooking oil (vegetable or grape seed oil) in the pan. Flip the pan upside down and transfer to an oven. Bake for 1 hour, turn the oven off, and let the skillet cool completely in the oven. DONE. Bon Appétit has a super helpful video for those of you who are interested.
It’s really as simple as that.
Just one thing? Never, ever put your cast iron in the dishwasher. That is one of the biggest NO’s when it comes to working with cast iron.
My Favorite Brand…
As if you could not tell I am a Staub girl through and through. I love their styles, colors, durability, and most importantly how well their pots and pans can cook just about anything.
Hope this post was helpful for you guys, please let me know what you think in the comments! I always want to be improving our content, so your feedback is very appreciated! Would you like to see more of these kinds of posts? Let me know!
Love that you love Staub as much (or probably more!) than I do. A long time ago I read that cooking tomatoes in cast iron is a no-no because the acids from the tomatoes can lead to a reaction with the iron and potentially cause the piece to rust. I noticed you had a tomato soup recipe listed and thought I’d ask your advice/opinion on the subject. The last thing I want to do is ruin a piece of cast iron.
Hey Amy! I have personally never had any issues with using tomatoes and having them cause rust. Never had rust issues with any of my Staub pots! Please let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks so much!! xTieghan ?
OMG! Your blog is so incredible, I just love following you altho I have to admit that some of your ideas are very far beyond anything I could do. But as sensational as you always are, you simply out-did yourself with your fab instructions on cast iron ware, how you use it, how to take care of it and what to use it with. You are amazing! Thank you so much. I have saved it to my files for what I would like to get and do! You are an inspiration!
Thank you so much Victoria! I am so glad you like this and hope you continue to enjoy my blog and recipes!
So all the links for the fancier stuff are enamel coated- is that what you use? I just have an old lodge pan but I want a Staub one but I wasn’t sure if that’s what you use since you talk about seasoning and stuff- I thought the enamel stuff didn’t have the same rules?
HI! I use all Staub and yes, you are correct it does not need to be seasoned, which is SO nice! The Lodge does need to be seasoned. Let me know if you have any other questions!
You should not use steel wool to clean your cast iron. I found a square chain mail scouring pad at Bed, Bath & Beyond that works fabulously.
Thank you!
me too, love my ugly ordinary black cast iron…lol
So wish I could afford all that @staub you have, I think your collection is about what I paid for my house…no kidding 🙂
WOW-AH
Blessed
Thank you so much Vickie! So glad to hear you are loving cast iron!
Wonderful post! Cast iron is awesome. I use my Lodge cast iron skillet every single day. In fact it lives on my stovetop. I do have one minor correction though, the proper term for the small covered casseroles is cocotte. A coquette is a young woman who is a tease in a subtle sexy way.
Thank you for your great recipes and delightful favorites!
Thank you so much Sandra!
I love all my cast iron cookware. My Lodge Wok has to be my favorite . Thank you for all your
great recipes ? !
Thank you! I am so glad you are liking my recipes!
Hi Tieghan,
Great tips — I actually kind of gave up on cast iron because the clean up process took so long. I’ve never tried the salt tip though and definitely will — plus great piece recommendations!
Thank you Carissa!
I just wanted to add a few more tips as a person who loves cast iron now, but hated it when I first started using it.
1. Don’t put a hot cast iron pan right from the stove or oven into a sink full of water. It could warp the pan or even crack it if the temperature difference was great enough.
2. Cast iron holds heat so cooking with it takes some getting used to. Lower the gas or electric setting a bit on the stove. Unless I am boiling something I rarely go above medium.
3. To clean it don’t throw it in a sink of soapy water. Put the pan back on the stove add some water (hot water if the pan is still hot) let it simmer for a bit then turn it off and let it cool down. Then use a scotchbrite (green and yellow) that you only use on cast iron to scrub it clean with just water. Using soap will remove the seasoning, on full enamel pans you can use soap though. On the enamel outside/inside you can use bonami powder (barkeeper’s friend and comet are a bit too harsh) use one of the non scratch scotchbrite (blue/more blue).
Thank you for these helpful tips Will! I am sure people will love these!
Hi! If you cook exclusively in cast iron, do you own ceramic coated cookware for when you make acidic (eg, tomato based or wine sauced) dishes? Cast iron typically doesn’t react well and I find that it can discolor the food, which has been keeping me from going completely cast iron.
Hi Irene! I do not own any ceramic coated dishes and Have not had any issues cooking with cast iron and acid, but I a, not pro, so I am sure that is probably a thing. I just don’t have any issues with it personally.
LOVE THIS POST! I am so inspired to go blow my money on new cookware.
More like this please!
Haha I hope you love your new cookware! It is worth it in my opinion! Thank you Libby!
Thank you for sharing some of your favorite cookware. I believe cookware makes a big difference in the turnout of how a recipe turns out. I am looking forward to more posts about cookware you use in the kitchen.
Thank you so much Nicole!
Yes! I loved this post! Thanks for the little tutorial on the various shapes of cast irons and how to care for them.
Thank you Kelly!
Love this info. Thank you. I recently got a cast iron skillet and was a little intimidated about how to best clean and season. I got a Dutch oven last winter for soups. I’ll prob add a brazier soon after reading this. Keep loving what you do and sharing your passion.
Thank you so much Lisa!
I have many pieces of cast iron as I have inherited them from my mother. I love my cast iron but I would like to have more cast iron recipes. Can you help ???
Hi Wes! I make almost all of my recipes with cast iron cookware! If you need more examples of ones you can make with it please let me know! Thanks!