For anyone looking for pans, I see nice cast iron pans in good shape and name brands at estate sales all the time, usually $15 or less. I have my favorites at home, my large one came from my in-laws so it’s a trip down memory lane. I have a duItch oven and a 10 inch skillet with a lid, plus an 8” that I use all the time. The 10” is great for camping.
My mom has a super old Griswold pan that has been on her stove my whole life. It's fine to use soap to wash your cast iron. A long time ago we had lye in our soap which would strip the seasoning, but modern soap doesn't.
I use cast iron for almost every meal at home and at camp. Dutch ovens are wonderful for what I call “1-pot wonders” and for baking. My favorite camp meals are slow smoked bbq, for days when I’m hanging at camp, and taco salads for quick get ‘er done meals. At home, I make a full variety of meals and the thing about cast iron is that it just gets better with age. I have my grandmother’s pans that she used for well over 60 years and one of them was her mother’s! Lots of history and sentimental value in those pans. My dutch ovens are Staubs that I recently acquired after dedicating my other dutch oven for camp-only meals.
Dutch ovens are so much fun to cook with at camp! I'd have to agree with you... BBQ and tacos are some of my favorite meals. I love the story about your pans. Hopefully one day I can pass mine down to my kids!
Almost all of my cookware is cast iron! I bake bread and cakes in my skillet. I make Irish Soda Bread in my 12-inch Lodge, it is always a hit! Also, baked chicken is always a favorite! (2 chicken breasts, seasoned any way, cook at 350 for 28 minutes).
You look so pretty in this video. Thanks for the great info. I'm ready for another summer pack raft viddy with you guys!! So cool last year but I think you only had one video of that. I keep watching it over and over LOL. I love your hiking camping and simple camp cooking videos. You inspire me to get out and move in nature even if the family doesn't want to go. I am working on getting fit and feeling good. Thanks to you! 😊😊
I love cast iron! I’m a Lodge fan. Lodge has a set for campers called the Wonderlust Series. They have camping designs on the bottom of the skillets like tents or campers.
Amanda , I watch all your videos but I must say any video about cast iron you just can't beat. I probably have about 150 different cast iron pieces including a 15 gallon caldrin. Love what you do THANK YOU FRANK FROM MONTANA...........
Nick and I have quite the collection too... it's one of our favorite things to look for at antique stores. One year for my birthday Nick got me a Griswold muffin pan and it's the best! Blueberry muffins out of a cast iron muffin pan... amazing! Thanks for commenting Frank!
Also be careful with your hot pan when sitting it on the picnic table if it's not wood. They have replaced a lot of the picnic tables with a plastic cover over the metal and your pans will get stuck on them.
I have a designated cast-iron pan for camping. I like to make camp nachos in it quite often. But I love it for browning meats as well. Thanks for the helpful tips Amanda.
I have always used a metal spatula or utensil in my cast iron. I don't use anything else because of how hot the iron can get. This was a good informative video on cast iron. Thanks for doing this one!❤
Absolutely great video! Been thinking about getting my first (not antique) cast iron pan for a while. I think you've pushed me over the edge. Thank you!
I still feel regret for losing my ancient cast iron pan during one of my many moves. My mom gave it to me from her collection and my favorite things to cook in it were pineapple upside down cake, cornbread and fried chicken. Yum.
I used my cast iron pan camping last month. Cooked eggs and bacon on the stove, and we forgot hot dog sticks, so we cooked like 20 dogs at once on the pan over the fire, and they tasted so good
Even as an experienced cook, there are always new things to learn. I did not know about heating the pan slowly. Thanks for that tip. Have you used a heat defuser? I need to go on Lehman’s Hardware and order a new one. They sit between the pan and the flame and are fabulous for gas cooking and that includes at camp!
We have an antique cast iron flat round grill that we use at home and camping. It is very versatile. Cleaning is very easy that being said, my favorite pan is carbon steel. Much lighter, but many of the same properties of cast iron.
Great tips. Sometimes when I have some stubborn stuff stuck to the bottom of the pan, I'll throw a little water in it while it's hot and work it out. It usually helps to break up some of that stuff (like it does on my Blackstone at home.)
I love your Skillet S'mores recipe! I've made it on 2 different camping trips this year. Delicious! On one of the trips I substituted walnuts for the almonds because that's what I had. Really good, too. Thanks for all of your great content!
Deep fried donuts over the campfire using the Lodge dutch oven combo and Pillsbury grands layered biscuits this weekend--big hit! I'd never deep fried anything before in my life either.
Restaurant supply stores sell slide on handle covers to keep from burning your hand. I hand a couple of silicone ones from Le Crueset but I don’t know if they are still available
I have a fancy 12 inch pan made by Smithey, I paid way too much but it's a gorgeous pan. But I do want to get a nice antique 10 inch pan, I think it's really neat to have something that's been around so long and wonder how people were using it like back in the Great Depression.
Hi Amanda! Good to see you again! I miss your videos! Funny about using cast iron pans because I just used mine last night for the first time in awhile. I made flank steak with homemade garlic and herb butter. It was delicious! Thank you for your video! Hope to see more upcoming new videos!!
That flank steak sounds amazing. Can't go wrong with steak, garlic, and butter! I'm planning to be back uploading more frequently this summer. I've missed it! 😁
I have for sure forgotten that my cast iron handle is not a regular pan handle and grabbed it 😅💀 love my cast iron though! I've tried to remember to now drape a pot holder over the handle immediately so that I remember and that anyone else around knows it's hot
BSR is also a very reliable and sought after old pan that are also very collectible durable and smooth, and typically cheaper than griswold and Wagner., BSR Red Mountain pans are easily identified by the back of their handles.
$80? Ouch! A brand new Lodge doesn't have the cachet of vintage but actually works just as well and can be had at your local grocery store for maybe $20. Having said that, I have a collection of vintage cast iron as well! I found out accidentally that if you put your pan in the broiler of your oven and forget about that eventually when you pull it out it has been baked back to the original forge finish 🤣. Literally baked off every burnt crusty bit until it was the smooth finish from when it was originally sold. Re-season the whole the thing and it's as good as new. A cast iron dutch oven will elevate your camp fire cooking to legendary status.
No, $80 for a Griswold that size and age in good condition is cheap. You didn't overpay. You can easily pay $150+ in antique stores or ebay for ones with some pitting. I've both restored quite a few Griswolds and inherited a few, the oldest being in excellent condition from the 1800s where you can still see where the casting rod was attached. All the ones I bought were at a pre-1840s Rendezvous from older folks retiring from camping, paid no more than $20 for each of my big and small block Griswolds, but the average person looking to buy them, the market is quite steep compared to what you think was overpriced. My mom has a collection of Griswold that is very impressive. Not just pans, fryers, and dutch ovens, but waffle irons, "toasters" and a lot of unique, limited run Griswold items in excellent condition. They sanded the bottoms. Also, any modern cast iron that is pre-seasoned has harmful chemicals in it. If you buy modern, you still need to sand off the pre-seasoning and re-season it if you value your health. Now ways you're wrong or it depends on the cast iron: Griswold or Wagner doesn't need to be slowly heated, especially if it's well seasoned. It also has zero chance of warping if you put water in it after using. New cast iron? Yes. A griswold, if you do have any sticking and you're out camping, you put water in the pan and it'll be fine. If you're cautious, set it near or on the fire again to cook it loose. It's perfectly fine to use a little dish soap if necessary, it won't remove the seasoning at all, that's a myth. Old timers often used brushes made of stiff straw and some soap to clean them with no issues. I'm as old, if not older than you and have used cast iron extensively both at home and for camping over a wood fire for Rendezvous for a long time. We're country folk, farmers, and rednecks that use fully cast iron tools, pans, grill grates, etc. and most of what is spread online about cast iron is myths or only applies to cheap, modern cast iron. Most of the "experts" on YT videos just discovered cast iron 10 years ago when it became popular as non-sticks were found to be toxic, who are also the ones who drove up the price of Griswolds for those of us who've collected them for 20, 30, 40 years.
I have 2 of my grandmother's 10" cast iron skillets. She cooked many meals in them for her family and then gifted them to my mom when she married my dad. My mother cooked many meals in them before gifting them to me. I use them all the time, but my wife is intimidated by them and is worried she will damage them even though I have assured her she will not. I will keep getting her more comfortable with them!
In the video I just sprayed it with Lodge Seasoning Spray, but at home I usually use tallow or any oil I have on hand just to further protect it after washing it with water.
What are some of your favorite meals to cook in your cast iron skillet? Comment below!
We made some nachos one time. We are still learning how to fully use the cast iron skillet. I saw you make make brownies and lasagna 🤯
Cornbread!!!!!!
Gravy, sausage, cornbread and burgers just to name a few.
Pizza and deep dish apple pie
Two of my small cast iron belong to my grandmother and great grandma
One tip for hot pan handles is to leave the hot pad over the handle. This is a clear reminder that it is hot. Learned by experience.
For anyone looking for pans, I see nice cast iron pans in good shape and name brands at estate sales all the time, usually $15 or less. I have my favorites at home, my large one came from my in-laws so it’s a trip down memory lane. I have a duItch oven and a 10 inch skillet with a lid, plus an 8” that I use all the time. The 10” is great for camping.
My mom has a super old Griswold pan that has been on her stove my whole life.
It's fine to use soap to wash your cast iron. A long time ago we had lye in our soap which would strip the seasoning, but modern soap doesn't.
I use cast iron for almost every meal at home and at camp. Dutch ovens are wonderful for what I call “1-pot wonders” and for baking. My favorite camp meals are slow smoked bbq, for days when I’m hanging at camp, and taco salads for quick get ‘er done meals. At home, I make a full variety of meals and the thing about cast iron is that it just gets better with age. I have my grandmother’s pans that she used for well over 60 years and one of them was her mother’s! Lots of history and sentimental value in those pans. My dutch ovens are Staubs that I recently acquired after dedicating my other dutch oven for camp-only meals.
Dutch ovens are so much fun to cook with at camp! I'd have to agree with you... BBQ and tacos are some of my favorite meals. I love the story about your pans. Hopefully one day I can pass mine down to my kids!
The splendor of camping with delicious food 🧀🍗
I like the essence of bacon in my cast iron. Makes cornbread and pancakes even better.
Yea I do too, so I'm not sure why I used that as an example 😂 As always, thank you! I appreciate all your support and comments on my videos!
Almost all of my cookware is cast iron! I bake bread and cakes in my skillet. I make Irish Soda Bread in my 12-inch Lodge, it is always a hit!
Also, baked chicken is always a favorite! (2 chicken breasts, seasoned any way, cook at 350 for 28 minutes).
You look so pretty in this video. Thanks for the great info. I'm ready for another summer pack raft viddy with you guys!! So cool last year but I think you only had one video of that. I keep watching it over and over LOL. I love your hiking camping and simple camp cooking videos. You inspire me to get out and move in nature even if the family doesn't want to go. I am working on getting fit and feeling good. Thanks to you! 😊😊
I love cast iron! I’m a Lodge fan. Lodge has a set for campers called the Wonderlust Series. They have camping designs on the bottom of the skillets like tents or campers.
Love your channel. Thanks for helping me learn about all this stuff. So, I can camp w my peeps
I love your channel and I love this video! I’m new to camp cooking and cast iron so I’m just a sponge soaking up anything I can learn about it. ❤
Amanda , I watch all your videos but I must say any video about cast iron you just can't beat. I probably have about 150 different cast iron pieces including a 15 gallon caldrin. Love what you do THANK YOU FRANK FROM MONTANA...........
Nick and I have quite the collection too... it's one of our favorite things to look for at antique stores. One year for my birthday Nick got me a Griswold muffin pan and it's the best! Blueberry muffins out of a cast iron muffin pan... amazing! Thanks for commenting Frank!
Amanda Outside, I liked this video because it's awesome!
Also be careful with your hot pan when sitting it on the picnic table if it's not wood. They have replaced a lot of the picnic tables with a plastic cover over the metal and your pans will get stuck on them.
I use a 10" lodge and cook for 2 comfortably. I cook veggies and corn wrapped in foil in the fire too.
Great video!! I love my Griswold skillet...nothing else compares.
I have a designated cast-iron pan for camping. I like to make camp nachos in it quite often. But I love it for browning meats as well. Thanks for the helpful tips Amanda.
Camp nachos are one of my favorite camping meals!
This is awesome! I’m very excited for your trailer renovation!
I absolutely love cooking with my cast iron skillets!! Great video. Thanks for sharing. 😊
I have always used a metal spatula or utensil in my cast iron. I don't use anything else because of how hot the iron can get. This was a good informative video on cast iron. Thanks for doing this one!❤
You're so welcome!
Absolutely great video! Been thinking about getting my first (not antique) cast iron pan for a while. I think you've pushed me over the edge. Thank you!
Thank you for this video ❤
I still feel regret for losing my ancient cast iron pan during one of my many moves. My mom gave it to me from her collection and my favorite things to cook in it were pineapple upside down cake, cornbread and fried chicken. Yum.
I used my cast iron pan camping last month. Cooked eggs and bacon on the stove, and we forgot hot dog sticks, so we cooked like 20 dogs at once on the pan over the fire, and they tasted so good
haha that's awesome!!
Great video! I collect Griswold skillets as well. Love the quality and history. Thanks!
A small chainmail pad works great for scrubbing cast iron. I just started using one at my cabin.
Even as an experienced cook, there are always new things to learn. I did not know about heating the pan slowly. Thanks for that tip. Have you used a heat defuser? I need to go on Lehman’s Hardware and order a new one. They sit between the pan and the flame and are fabulous for gas cooking and that includes at camp!
Thank you for another wonderful video with good information. I love baking my sourdough bread and corn bread in my cast iron Dutch. 😍
Loved this helpful, informative video, thanks.
We have an antique cast iron flat round grill that we use at home and camping. It is very versatile. Cleaning is very easy that being said, my favorite pan is carbon steel. Much lighter, but many of the same properties of cast iron.
Great tips. Sometimes when I have some stubborn stuff stuck to the bottom of the pan, I'll throw a little water in it while it's hot and work it out. It usually helps to break up some of that stuff (like it does on my Blackstone at home.)
Love the safety reminders!
Now super inspired to buy a vintage cast iron- I wish you went through on how to look for them and clean them. But I’ll RUclips it. Terrific video!😊
Some will have a small ring around the bottom plus the in side will be smooth because in the day they had better casting sand as they dont now.
I have an antique Wagner and a Griswald. I think the smooth finish is called machined.
Always great videos Amanda. I hadn’t thought about using my cast iron pan for pancakes. I’m going to try that. Happy trails.🤘🏻🥾⛰️
Pancakes cooked in a cast iron skillet with some butter... so good!
I love your Skillet S'mores recipe! I've made it on 2 different camping trips this year. Delicious! On one of the trips I substituted walnuts for the almonds because that's what I had. Really good, too. Thanks for all of your great content!
You're welcome!! So glad you love the skillet s'mores. I think walnuts are a perfect addition!
Deep fried donuts over the campfire using the Lodge dutch oven combo and Pillsbury grands layered biscuits this weekend--big hit! I'd never deep fried anything before in my life either.
Meat, taters and onions, with seasoning salt, black pepper and garlic powder.
Restaurant supply stores sell slide on handle covers to keep from burning your hand. I hand a couple of silicone ones from Le Crueset but I don’t know if they are still available
I have a fancy 12 inch pan made by Smithey, I paid way too much but it's a gorgeous pan.
But I do want to get a nice antique 10 inch pan, I think it's really neat to have something that's been around so long and wonder how people were using it like back in the Great Depression.
i have started using carbon steel pans they are just as versatile but just more then half the weight of a cast iron
Hey Amanda! Thank you for these helpful videos! My cast iron skillet was recently popped on by mice.😭 How do I disinfect it?
Hi Amanda! Good to see you again! I miss your videos! Funny about using cast iron pans because I just used mine last night for the first time in awhile. I made flank steak with homemade garlic and herb butter. It was delicious! Thank you for your video! Hope to see more upcoming new videos!!
That flank steak sounds amazing. Can't go wrong with steak, garlic, and butter! I'm planning to be back uploading more frequently this summer. I've missed it! 😁
I have for sure forgotten that my cast iron handle is not a regular pan handle and grabbed it 😅💀 love my cast iron though! I've tried to remember to now drape a pot holder over the handle immediately so that I remember and that anyone else around knows it's hot
That's what I do now too!
This video makes me want to pick up a cast iron skillet and learn how to use it!
You can determine what pan or is by the gate mark and by the handles you don’t have to rely on the griswold or Wagner logo all the time.
BSR is also a very reliable and sought after old pan that are also very collectible durable and smooth, and typically cheaper than griswold and Wagner., BSR Red Mountain pans are easily identified by the back of their handles.
This was great!
$80? Ouch! A brand new Lodge doesn't have the cachet of vintage but actually works just as well and can be had at your local grocery store for maybe $20. Having said that, I have a collection of vintage cast iron as well! I found out accidentally that if you put your pan in the broiler of your oven and forget about that eventually when you pull it out it has been baked back to the original forge finish 🤣. Literally baked off every burnt crusty bit until it was the smooth finish from when it was originally sold. Re-season the whole the thing and it's as good as new. A cast iron dutch oven will elevate your camp fire cooking to legendary status.
No, $80 for a Griswold that size and age in good condition is cheap. You didn't overpay. You can easily pay $150+ in antique stores or ebay for ones with some pitting. I've both restored quite a few Griswolds and inherited a few, the oldest being in excellent condition from the 1800s where you can still see where the casting rod was attached. All the ones I bought were at a pre-1840s Rendezvous from older folks retiring from camping, paid no more than $20 for each of my big and small block Griswolds, but the average person looking to buy them, the market is quite steep compared to what you think was overpriced. My mom has a collection of Griswold that is very impressive. Not just pans, fryers, and dutch ovens, but waffle irons, "toasters" and a lot of unique, limited run Griswold items in excellent condition. They sanded the bottoms. Also, any modern cast iron that is pre-seasoned has harmful chemicals in it. If you buy modern, you still need to sand off the pre-seasoning and re-season it if you value your health. Now ways you're wrong or it depends on the cast iron: Griswold or Wagner doesn't need to be slowly heated, especially if it's well seasoned. It also has zero chance of warping if you put water in it after using. New cast iron? Yes. A griswold, if you do have any sticking and you're out camping, you put water in the pan and it'll be fine. If you're cautious, set it near or on the fire again to cook it loose. It's perfectly fine to use a little dish soap if necessary, it won't remove the seasoning at all, that's a myth. Old timers often used brushes made of stiff straw and some soap to clean them with no issues. I'm as old, if not older than you and have used cast iron extensively both at home and for camping over a wood fire for Rendezvous for a long time. We're country folk, farmers, and rednecks that use fully cast iron tools, pans, grill grates, etc. and most of what is spread online about cast iron is myths or only applies to cheap, modern cast iron. Most of the "experts" on YT videos just discovered cast iron 10 years ago when it became popular as non-sticks were found to be toxic, who are also the ones who drove up the price of Griswolds for those of us who've collected them for 20, 30, 40 years.
I have 2 of my grandmother's 10" cast iron skillets. She cooked many meals in them for her family and then gifted them to my mom when she married my dad. My mother cooked many meals in them before gifting them to me. I use them all the time, but my wife is intimidated by them and is worried she will damage them even though I have assured her she will not. I will keep getting her more comfortable with them!
I love these stories of pans being used for generations!
Love your videos. I use my cast iron pan almost everyday. Plan on taking it camping too. What kind of oil do you use on it after cleaning it?
In the video I just sprayed it with Lodge Seasoning Spray, but at home I usually use tallow or any oil I have on hand just to further protect it after washing it with water.
Let's gooooooo 🙌
The cast iron pan has a 2 good uses..1 good for cooking mmmmm.. 2 people who don’t help in camp … OUCH !! smack in the head…. Chef great video 🍺🍺
Wow that hair is beautiful
I cook everything in my cast iron
👍🙏🤗
Nice pan…