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Cast Iron Pots??

bernetta putnam

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Location: Mena ,Arkansas zone7

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posted 5 years ago

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I used to have a set of pots sm,med,large (aka side pots for sauce, corn, ect) with lids and wooden handles.
unfortunately they got left behind in a past move and ive been looking to replace them.
but haven't been able to find pots of this kind.
anyone know a source?

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Bee Putnam

Daniel Ackerman

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posted 5 years ago

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I’ve had good luck building up my cast iron collection at antiques malls and flea markets. Now that people know the value of cooking in cast iron, the prices have gone up, but garage and estate sales oftentimes offer fantastic bargains on old cookware.

Good luck!
D

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bernetta putnam

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posted 5 years ago

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I got my last set at a yard sale, sigh...
I was just hoping there was a company that still made and sold sets

Bee Putnam

Chris Kott

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posted 5 years ago

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I strongly suggest you look into local antique and flea markets. I don't have the space for more than I already have, and that's after having cleaned house for coated trash, but virtually every piece I find that's worth buying is cheap and has that mirror-polished bottom, or had, at one point, that can get really non-stick.

But frying pans are far more common in my area than cast iron pots. We use dutch-ovens, which work a treat. They're still cast iron, just with a handy-dandy ceramic coating. And I like the option of brightly-coloured cookware.

-CK

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Karla Jaeger

Posts: 22

Location: Coastal BC

posted 5 years ago

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I've built up a set of vintage enamel cast iron pots with wooden handles by keeping an eye out in the thrift stores for a couple of years. They don't seem to be commonly used around here, though dutch ovens and fry pans are. I've also had great luck on ebay (bought an enamel dutch oven for a great price) and I know that etsy also often has great vintage cookware like that. I love my cast iron pots.

bernetta putnam

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Location: Mena ,Arkansas zone7

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thank you i'll be keeping my eye out for more.

Bee Putnam

Marco Banks

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posted 5 years ago

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Most of my collection has come off of e-bay. I'm pretty selective and only buy Griswold or Wagner. Quality matters and nobody did it better than those old companies. While Griswold is more collectable, I find absolutely no difference from Wagner skillets, dutch ovens and griddles.

Consider it a lifetime investment --- both for yourself, and your heirs. Cast iron, if thoughtfully maintained, will last forever. So it's an investment that's worth spending more on to get something really good. If I had to start a collection, I'd go with a #8 skillet, a #8 or #12 dutch oven, and a round griddle (#8 or larger). You can get a #8 Wagner skillet for about $40 to 50. A #8 Wagner dutch oven will run you about $80. Worth every penny.

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Mike Barkley

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posted 5 years ago

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Consider it a lifetime investment --- both for yourself, and your heirs. Cast iron, if thoughtfully maintained, will last forever.

No kidding. Most of mine belonged to my grandmother & it still has another 100 years left. I use it almost every day. She did too.

I estimated (guessed) she bought a pan for $5 in 1935. That calculated to 0.00017 cents per day so far. Not bad.

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Marco Banks

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posted 5 years ago

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Mike Barkley wrote:

No kidding. Most of mine belonged to my grandmother & it still has another 100 years left. I use it almost every day. She did too.

I estimated (guessed) she bought a pan for $5 in 1935. That calculated to 0.00017 cents per day so far. Not bad.

I can't compete with that, but I've found skillets at garage sales, estate sales, and on the bottom shelf of thrift stores (cast iron is always found on the bottom shelf at an antique store or thrift store because they tend to nest the pans together and they quickly get very heavy that way). I'll find them for $5. I used to give them away as a part of a wedding gift bundle (something old, something new), but I've found that a majority of people don't know what they've got and end up getting rid of it, so I only gift them to people who have an appreciation for cast iron.

I've got a Griswold #8 that I use weekly that I picked up at an estate sale for $3 about 30 years ago. 10 cents a year -- not a bad investment. Its as good today as the day I purchased it.

Notes for caring for your cast iron:

In as much as humanly possible, never wash it with soap. You can wash the outside, but the inner cooking surface should never see soap.

To scrub off caked-on stuff, try soaking it in water for an hour or two, and then use kosher salt as your abrasive to get it clean.

Never transfer a hot pan immediately to cold water. You will warp you pan, and once it's warped, forget about it. I'm even careful about pouring cold liquid into a really hot pan while cooking (for instance, to de-glaze a pan).

When purchasing a pan, set it on something hard and flat and see if there is any warp or crowning on the bottom. If it rocks, pass on that pan --- it's not worth it. Pitting is OK, cracks are not. Pass on any pan with a crack in it.

A little rust isn't a problem. A lot of rust . . . still, not that big of a problem. I've got a #12 Wagner dutch oven that I found outside at an antique store in their bone-yard behind the store. It was filled with leaves and rain water. The inside bottom was pitted and nasty, but I bought it anyway ("How much for this old piece of rust? I'll give you $5.") and scrubbed off that rust. Now, after years of use, the seasoning (burnt-on carbon) has filled most of those pits on the bottom of the pan. It works great and the lid fits perfectly.

Season your pans with a little bit of oil wiped-on with a paper towel. I like to bake my pans when I'm first seasoning them. I'll wipe a thin coat of oil (doesn't seem to matter -- bacon fat works great) and then throw them in a hot oven (350 or so) for an hour. You can leave your pans in the oven and let them bake every time you use it. The best way to season your pans is to simply use them. After awhile, you won't have to think about it. An alternative is to use your gas BBQ -- use your pans right on the surface of the grill every time you fire it up. There you can let them be as greasy as you want and it will not mess anything up (unlike a pristine clean oven). By the end of summer grilling, your pans will be black and well seasoned.

If you use too much oil when you season them, or if you leave oil on the bottom of the pan and store it, it can get funky/rancid. Just a little. Patience. Time and use is the best way to get that nice hard black coating of carbon all over your pan.

Richard Stromberg

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posted 4 years ago

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The wood handle will wear out but can be easily replaced...

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S Ydok

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Location: A NorCal clay & rock valley

posted 3 years ago

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I've got some of those in a cabinet that I have yet to finish cleaning up. I'm not sure they were ever used much and I don't have plans to use them myself.

Re' Burton

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Location: 4b Wyoming

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posted 3 years ago

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I have those same pots in a partial set. They are WKM brand made in Taiwan. I know I know, but they are great pots and pans.

Go outside and play!

Lisa Sampson

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posted 3 years ago

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I haven't seen ones with wooden handles but you can get or make the pot holder grip thingys for the regular handles so you don't burn yourself. Then you can just visit yard sales and thrift stores until you rebuild your set.

Just my 2 cents...

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Joe Banks

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Location: Franklinton, NC

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posted 3 years ago

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I've got a Marieta dutch oven with three peg legs on it and a heavy lid. The perfect pan for reheating my leftovers on the wood stove. On the glass top electric, forget about it!

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Chard Irking

Posts: 75

Location: Central GA

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posted 3 months ago

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There hasn't been any replies to this thread in three years, but does anyone have any other recommendations for an enameled cast iron dutch oven? I haven't been able to find one secondhand, so I want to order one online. Probably a 5 qt. There are just so many brands to choose from...

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