Generally, cooking brings so much joy whether you are doing it yourself or watching someone else do it. The sizzling and beautiful smoke gets to you so much and you cannot wait to eat your food especially after you have plated it so well. More interestingly, cooking with an iron pan is very healthy and one with a lot of advantages. Asides frying, you can grill, broil and poach your food with the smallest amount of oil on them - they are almost all-purpose!.
If you just moved and are out shopping for kitchen utensils, make sure to add an iron pan to your purchase because it definitely comes in handy for the occasional meal whip-ups that you always need. Unlike stainless-steel pans, they clean up really easily when the right cleaning processes are followed.
Also unlike stainless-steel pans, they can be thoroughly scrubbed and oiled again once they get rusty. This makes them suitable and durable for the long term compared to stainless-steel pans, regardless of if you love cooking or are someone who gets into it once in a while.
Iron pans cut across different modes of cooking including baking after being popped in the oven, but just like every other cooking ware, becomes much more enjoyable and durable when specially cared for in the right manner.
A lot of things happen when using a pan and it will be great to be prepared for times when a few things happen and you don’t understand how to respond to them. Even in their greatness, iron pans do need a lot of attention and care before you can effectively use them and reach that efficiency needed for your cooking times.
With the greatness that accompanies them, our iron pan is not any different regarding the general use of a great cooking pan and as such, we have set out a few guidelines to help you in its use and long-term care:
To Enjoy Using the Frying Pan Better:
Before initial use, carry out this procedure for a long-lasting product experience.
- Set your pan on the heat, with just enough oil that covers it for about one-third of its size for about 5 minutes. Make sure your heat is on low throughout this process.
- Once time is up, empty the heated oil into an appropriate container. Avoid pouring hot oil into plastic containers, or they will melt. Also take caution while handling your pan to avoid hot oil accidents.
- Gently spread oil remaining in the frying pan throughout its entire inner surface with a paper towel.
Now that you have launched your iron pan with oil, you are very well ready to enjoy it. The next thing to move on to is retaining its awesomeness for as long as you possibly can. Note that maintenance is very important and this is something your pan needs. It is equally amazing to cook with your iron pan and find out that your food didn’t stick on or burn so for everytime you cook, carry out the procedure below.
Right before you use the pan:
(The purpose of this procedure is to help your pan acclimatize itself with oil, which improves its use and maintenance)
- Heat your pan, drying out any liquid or moisture from it. Keep the heat on medium.
- Add one cooking spoon of oil into the pan and spread generously throughout its inner surface.
- Empty the pan of the oil and your cooking can start with the appropriate amount of oil needed for your cooking.
After use, do the following:
(it is important to note that your iron pan should not go in a dishwasher)
- For great results, clean with sponges or brushes while pan is still warm
- Rinse off and dry it out with a thorough wipe before setting it aside in storage.
How to Maintain your Iron Frying Pan
To avoid having hot water stripping parts of your pan’s entire makeup off while boiling or cooking in it, thoroughly wash your pan once you’re done using it and apply some oil on it. Should your food burn during the course of cooking it, simply have the burned food be softened with some water, bringing it to a boil. Doing this makes washing off easier when you are ready to clean up your pan.
For removal of oil stains or any other type of stain on your pan:
- Have your gas stove on maximum heat, utilizing it in burning your pan’s stains off till the resulting smoke stops.
- Scrub the stains off on either sides of your pan with a metal sponge or hard brush once the heat cools down.
- Rinse your pan and dry it out, then transfer it back onto medium heat on your gas stove for up to 5 minutes and repeat all steps for maximum satisfaction as allowed.
Ingredients that take in a lot of iron begin to produce repugnant smells when fried in iron tools. While they may not affect food taste or consumption, it is very important to note that your resulting food be served immediately on a dish once you are done with cooking. Don’t forget to also wash your pan appropriately after. Ingredients like eggplants produce that burnt color and smell that you definitely do not want on your pan.
A few times, your pan might also respond to the absorption of sour ingredients like tomatoes by changing color, this is normal. Simply restore its black color by carrying out a unique thermo treatment on it.
Iron pans are terrific for so many things and are great for any types of food explorations you might want to try out. They are tough, rugged products that can stand the test of times and are difficult to easily ruin. They retain heat for a good amount of time and as such help your foods stay heated for a considerable time period.
Bake to your feel and to perfection with beautiful iron pans that are sure to make you that healthy food you need. Keep your arms staying nice and strong while holding it because, why not? The naturally heavy weight of iron pans make for a great arm workout!