My love/hate relationship with black iron cookware

Black iron is my nemesis. I love cast iron and carbon steel pans…for a while. When they are properly seasoned, they are almost as slick as nonstick cookware, much more durable, and they hold on to heat like nothing else. But … I have terrible luck maintaining them. Rusty iron cookware is my secret shame.

Every couple of years I get enthusiastic about iron pans, usually when my nonstick pans are getting scratched up. “This is my chance to get rid of nonstick pans! No more buying pans every couple of years, no more wondering about PFAS, these iron pans will last forever!” I spend the time to season the pans … I’m good at that part … but then I don’t use them often enough. Eventually they start to rust. I clean them up, donate them to charity, and say “I guess cast iron/carbon steel is not for me.” Then I see a shiny new cast iron or carbon steel pan, run out and buy it, and the cycle repeats itself.

The problem is: I’m a lazy cook. Or, at least, I’m lazy about my cookware. I’m not terrible about it - I keep my cookware cleaned, and use it often - but it’s easier to grab my nonstick skillet or stainless steel fry pan for most things. (And don’t forget my Instant Pots…) The cast iron and carbon steel aren’t used as much, and I don’t pull them out to do maintenance seasoning. If they don’t get used, they don’t get seasoned.

The other part of the problem is: Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS, as we call it in the photography world). When I just have one iron pan, it stays seasoned, because I use it often enough to keep it properly seasoned. But I can’t help myself. The itch kicks in. “This 12-inch cast iron fry pan is great, I should get the 10-inch and 8-inch so I have the set. They look so pretty!” And then…I never use the 8-inch, and split my time between the 10-inch and 12-inch. None of them get used enough to build up a good layer of seasoning. Then, to make things worse, I buy a set of carbon steel pans, thinking they’ll be lighter and more generally useful than heavy cast iron. And, of course, I need the 3-pan set. Now I’ve got six iron pans, none of which I’m using enough to keep seasoned.

After a few months, I pull out a pan, and…rust. Again.

(Wait - I have seven black iron pans - I forgot wok. Of course, I have the same problem with carbon steel woks. I love using a wok to stir fry, but I don’t stir-fry often enough. Sigh.)

I’m trying to steel myself (hah) to get rid of the extra pans, and just keep one of each. One 12-inch cast iron skillet, one 12-inch carbon steel fry pan. I’m going to donate the 10-inch and 8-inch pans, stick to those two, and try to keep them seasoned properly. Will the cycle repeat itself, with me collecting cast iron pans again in a year or two, when I’ve forgotten this lesson? I’ll let you know.

(And I’m keeping the carbon steel wok - it is still holding up, in spite of my best efforts - and whoops, I’m falling into the same trap again? Already? Sigh.)

Is it just me? Are you having luck with them in your own kitchen? If so, how often do you use them, and how do you keep them seasoned? Let me know how cast iron and/or carbon steel are working for you.

So, which pans am I keeping?

I’m keeping two pans (and a wok):

1. ​Stargazer 12-inch cast iron skillet. This is my favorite of the “new” cast iron pans, with fancy designs and smooth cooking surfaces. (I know, I’d probably be better sticking with an old-school Lodge skillet, but I like the idea of a smoother cooking surface - and I’m not going to take sandpaper to the Lodge, I’d just make a mess.)
2. ​Strata 12.5-inch carbon steel frying pan. Speaking of new pans, I’m really liking the Strata carbon-clad designs - 3 ply pans, with an aluminum core clad in carbon steel (on the cooking surface) and stainless steel (on the exterior.) The aluminum reacts quickly to the heat, and the carbon steel surface is smooth and nonstick, once it’s seasoned. (As above, I probably should stick to the traditional style de Buyer carbon steel pan, but I’m an All-clad fan from way back, so the idea of carbon-clad cookware intrigues me.)
3. ​Yosukata 13.5-inch flat-bottomed wok. This is my current wok, and it’s made it through a few years with me, so maybe, just maybe, I’m keeping up with the iron maintenance. (That said, my GAS is saying I need to try the new Strata 14-inch carbon-clad wok with its 3-ply carbon steel/aluminum/stainless steel construction, and I’m weakening…)

July Posts Roundup

My youngest son is home from college. He loves chili, so this month was chili-heavy (when I wasn’t away on vacation…)

Instant Pot Cactus Chili

Cactus in chili is so obvious. Why didn’t I think of it myself? When I saw it as a local grocery store’s “Soup of the Day,” I had to make it for myself.

​Instant Pot Cactus Chili - Recipe​

Quick Skillet Fajitas - Stir Fry Technique

My college-aged son is home for the summer, and he is suddenly interested in cooking for himself, and asking me about all sorts of recipes. (It’s amazing what having a dorm room with a kitchen does.) These fajitas come from a tossed-off comment I made while I was walking him through a chicken stir fry recipe. I said “you can also use this technique to make fajitas, just change the protein and the spices”, and he demanded I show him how.

​Quick Skillet Fajitas - Stir Fry Technique - Recipe​

Instant Pot Quick Chili Verde

This is an update to an older recipe on the blog, also inspired by my son, a big chili fan. I looked up my quick chili verde recipe so I could make it for dinner, and realized that the post could use a rewrite.

​Instant Pot Quick Chili Verde - Recipe​

Bonus Vacation Recipes

In my “on vacation” email last week, I mentioned the ramen and paella I made during our Lake Erie cottage vacation. (I have to keep the nieces and nephews happy.) The other two recipes I used on vacation were:

Grilled New York Strip Steaks

I love grilling steak while looking out over Lake Erie. That said, cooking steaks for 12 people on a 26-inch Weber Kettle was challenging - I had to cook in batches, moving steaks between the high-heat searing zone over the coals, and the indirect heat roasting zone to get them all cooked properly. Grilled New York Strip Steaks - Recipe​

Pan Grilled Brats

This recipe is much easier for a crowd. Ignore the cast iron skillet I’m using in the pictures, get a large aluminum foil pan instead. That lets you make as big a “Brat Tub” as you need. (I got a deep lasagna pan to 3x this recipe). Pan Grilled Bratwurst with Peppers and Onions - Recipe​

Q&A

Mike, dry brined salmon is a great idea (if you have extra time).

The advantage to the wet brine is speed. I use it in this recipe because the salmon is ready to cook after only 2 to 4 hours of brining.

A dry brine tastes better, but takes longer. For a dry brine version, mix ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or 1 tablespoon fine sea salt), and 1 teaspoon of paprika. Sprinkle the dry brine over the flesh side of the salmon fillet, and pat it down to get good surface contact. (“Rubbing” results in too much on my fingers and not enough on the food - a gentle pat to get it to stick is what I’m trying to do.) Let the salmon sit in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight. (This is technically a sugar and salt cured salmon.)

Which do I prefer? If I have the time, I prefer the dry brine, but I have to be ready the day before. The wet brine isn’t quite as good - 4.5 stars for the wet brine, 5 stars for the dry brine - but they’re both better than the 3-star version without any sort of brine at all. With the wet brine I can buy the salmon in the morning, brine it in the afternoon, and have it cooked in time for dinner.

What do you think?

That’s it for this month. If you have any other ideas about this newsletter, please let me know! Questions, comments, and ideas are welcome. (I can’t promise I’ll do anything with them, but I am definitely open to new ideas.)

Thanks again, and see you next month!

Mike Vrobel - ​DadCooksDinner.com​​

August 7, 2026