These days, cast iron cookware comes in all shapes and sizes, from skillets or frying pans to casseroles, saucepans and a whole variety of dishes and pots for just about any culinary use imaginable.
The old "frontier" image that used to be attached to these cooking workhorses has long since passed and today's modern cast iron pans are a beautiful and useful addition to any kitchen.
It's easy to see why. Although they're ideal for use with all Aga-style ovens or ranges, their properties also lend themselves to a much wider variety of cooking styles and equipment.
Here's my list of the top seven benefits of cast iron cookware:
1) Excellent heat retention. The nature of the iron means that the heat is retained within the material for longer. This makes your pan extremely energy efficient, as once it's hot, only a low to medium setting is required in order to maintain peak performance. You can remove the cookware from the heat and either leave the food cooking in its own retained heat or you could bring the pot to the table where the heat retention of the cookware will keep your food warmer for longer.
2) Ideal heat induction. As well as the heat retention, the cast iron provides ideal heat induction. This ensures that your food is heated evenly and consistently, with no hot spots. You get perfect and predictable results every time.
3) Versatility. You can safely use this cookware with a wide variety of heat sources, such as: gas, electric plates (solid or radiant), induction, under grill, on the hob or in the oven. And, of course, it's especially suited for Aga-style range cookers - most cast iron can withstand temperatures of up to 190 degrees celsius (374 degrees fahrenheit).
Plus, you can easily use a single frying pan or skillet for almost any cooking task - bake a cake, roast or fry a chicken, fry potatoes, sear a fillet, stir-fry vegetables etc.
4) Durability: This durable cookware is built to last for generation after generation. In fact, I inherited several pans from my mother and I intend to leave them to my children! Sensibly maintained, they'll never crack or peel and their properties remain consistent throughout their life. They're just so solid and reliable. Indeed, I'd argue that good quality cast iron cookware actually improves with age.
My advice to anyone buying cast iron cookware today, is to go for an enamelled piece (as most of them are - particularly from the top manufacturers). The process of enamelling the interior surface of a pan generally involves fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing at extremely high temperatures resulting in a permanent vitreous/porcelain enamel glaze. But enough of the technicalities - what that means for you is your enamelled cookware has these additional benefits:
5) Non-stick surface. With an enamelled piece, there is no need to season (or re-season) the cookware prior to use.
6) They're hygienic. The enamel surface is impervious to odours and flavours, making the cookware ideal for holding marinating foods or for storing raw or cooked food in the fridge or freezer.
7) Easy to maintain. The pans are a cinch to clean, either by hand or in a dishwasher.
Oh, and there's an extra benefit - they look fantastic! Okay, I'm biased. But for me, the sheer aesthetic beauty of modern cast iron cookware, especially from the top specialist French manufacturers, just can't help but bestow a touch of class to any kitchen.