★★★★★ 5
Good Cast Iron
Size: 2-Quart
I'm in my fifties. I'm from the south. I've been cooking with cast iron since before I was strong enough to lift it. This is a good pot. I liked the 2-quart pot so much that I bought a second one. Now I have two. Both pots were from the warehouse, discounted because they had been returned. They both work flawlessly. I have had cheap cast iron from family dollar and upscale cast iron from Cabellas. This pot from Amazon is mid range. Its not as nice as my great grandmother's pre-WW1 pot, but its about as good as Lodge. I like this size for cooking rice (2-cups dry, 4 cups water, 20 minutes on low after boiling). It makes better rice than you've ever had from a rice cooker and it keeps the rice warm for at least an hour without burning. Just leave the lid on and take it off the stove after cooking. It's also perfect for cooking dried beans. Whether you cook plain beans or add bacon or ham hocks (or turkey necks) for seasoning, the beans cook fast and evenly. They do not have to be watched every minute. On medium-low, covered, they're tender in an hour (assuming you soaked them overnight). I can cook beans in one pot, rice in the second pot, and dinner requires almost zero attention. Since I do a lot of simmering in my pots, they require regular care. I wash them with a scrub brush and a dab of Dawn dish detergent. I have never put one in the dishwasher. I think that would be foolish. After washing, I let them drip dry for a few minutes and then dry with a dish towel. Finally I rub cooking fat on both the lid and pot with a paper towel. I use vegetable oil. My grandmother used Crisco. My great-grandmother used lard. My mother didn't use cast iron, she preferred teflon. In my experience the type of cooking fat really does not matter. When the pot becomes rusty, as it inevitably will, there is a simple solution. Rub it liberally with the fat of your choice and cook it in the oven on low overnight. Voila! Instant no-stick coating. Cast iron is the very best cookware ever created. Even cheap cast iron lasts your and your grandchildren's lifetime. Just rub it lightly with fat after washing and then season it a couple of times a year. It never wears out and it adds iron to your diet which is especially nice for pregnant and nursing moms. The 2-quart pot from Amazon is reasonably priced for a pot that will last at least 2-lifetimes and its good enough quality to justify its price. If your pot is rusting, that's your fault and you have the power to correct it. If you don't, then that's on you, not the pot. By all means give it away to somebody who will appreciate it. I've gotten several of my favorite cast iron pieces that way.😁
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Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2021