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Re: T&T: Cast Iron Cookware

From: Arild Jensen (no email)
Date: Sun Jun 03 2007 - 12:58:19 EDT

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    > -----Original Message-----
    > From: LA Licata
    > I know that cast iron cookware is heavy, and can rust, but my
    > experience shoreside is that it is easier to cook with them than
    > stainless and usually, just a snap to clean.
    >
    > What is the downside, other than heavy, and need to keep oiled, using
    > them while cruising?

    REPLY
    Cast iron has mass and more mass requires more heat input to reach a certain
    temperature for the entire pot or pan.
    It would all depend on what you use as an energy source whether this
    represents an unwanted additional expense.
    Aluminum cookware initially gained acceptance because it heated up so
    quickly. Now that we know the downside to aluminum, stainless steel seems
    to be gaining favor. Even so, professional cooks have their own favorite
    type of cookware.

    Cooking with gas seems to be a problem in some parts of the world due to
    limited availability of refill stations.
    Cooking electrically will now mean you run the genset longer to cook a given
    meal in cast iron cookware compared to some other cookware that heats up
    quickly.

    Induction cooking promises faster heat transfer compared to conventional
    resistance heat elements in a typical household stove. In terms of energy
    demand on the genset, induction cook stoves require as much wattage as a
    conventional stove.
    So cast iron will still require more time than stainless steel.

    Now here is the rub. Cooking a meal can be as mundane as microwaving frozen
    TV dinners or become an elaborate artistic effort that consumes a great deal
    of time. Depending on your own preferences some cooking methods simply are
    not acceptable.
    The rate of heat transfer into the food and the temperature of the cooking
    surface is critical to achieving culinary perfection.
    Choice of meals also plays a critical part. A crock pot (slow cooker) can
    cook a meal using much less energy than doing the same batch on a stove top
    using a conventional pot. Some of the new countertop kitchen appliances uses
    much less electrical energy to achieve the same end result. Quartz tube
    radiant heat toaster ovens are much faster than conventional resistance
    element toaster ovens.

    If cast iron cookware is your preference, I suggest getting an induction hob
    instead of the conventional stoves.
    Storing the cast iron pots will require care to avoid any non ventilated
    cooler locations. It definitely will require more care than ashore.
    Maintaining the seasoned surface intact is your best bet for keeping the
    rust away.

    regards
    Arild
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