CI sauce pan cooking question

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EricC

Member
As I continue to learn more about cast iron cookware, I notice that skillets dominate, with dutch ovens and cornbread/gem pans also pretty widespread.

But I'm learning CI sauce pans were manufactured, too, but they don't seem to be nearly as common, as far as I can tell.

So here's the question - the cooking advantages of CI are obvious with skillets, but are there also cooking advantages from using sauce pans made with CI, over other materials? In other words, are there reasons that make using a CI sauce pan more desirable, like using a CI skillet is more desirable?
 
CI sauce pans exist because, at the time of their popularity, they, like other CI cookware, were affordable relative to finer, more expensive metals. As camping utensils, they were and are more durable than the alternatives. In the context of all other materials for saucepans, are they superior? Probably not. Do I collect or have or use any CI saucepans? No.
 
For a bare iron sauce pan the disadvantages out weigh the advantages of more even heating and retaining heat. They are hard to get/keep seasoned and are more likely to share the taste of iron cooking water based foods. They also are much more difficult to clean.

Ceramic coated iron like Descoware make a great solution.

Hilditch
 
Hmmm, I was afraid of that, that they were produced merely to "cover the bases" and that their functionality wasn't as optimal as with CI skillets.

I mean, it makes sense - normal saucepan use wouldn't build seasoning, if anything it would damage it. And the only advantage I could think of would be if you wanted to take something off the heat it would stay warmer longer, such as a pot of soup that you want to cool but still be warm enough when you go back for a second serving, and that seems pretty minor.

Maybe making an emulsion like beurre blanc would be a little easier, IDK.

Anyway, the "goals for your collection" thread had me thinking about the subject and some BSR saucepans were falling within the scope I was defining. I'm afraid I put the cart in front of the horse a little bit and already bought a couple before asking this question. But now at least I can set my expectations properly when I receive them. Thanks.
 
Myself I'd rather use the Descoware type non bare iron. I picked up one a year ago and surprised how often I use it. Looking for two more sizes to add.

Another type of bigger pot that makes good users are pressers cookers. You can find them cheap at yard sales. Most times you find them like new. The owners were afraid to use them. I have the large one and it's my chicken stock pot for soups and 7 count egg noodles and a smaller one for odds and ends, I think it's a 4qt both are heavily made and stand up well over time.

Steve,
 
I wish I had at least one heavy iron saucepan, bare or enameled. There are some things like cream sauces that need to be done in a heavy pan; I have a glass "Visions" 2 1/2 qt. saucepan that I use now. My fear is that I'll break the glass pan; not as likely with CI. For steaming veggies, making tomato sauce, etc., I think the stainless pans I have will do fine, at least until the handles fall off.:p As for the pressure cooker, mine is aluminum, and I've resisted the temptation to use it as a large saucepan; the thing was a wedding present, and after we'd had it about 30 years, my hubby figured out how to use it, and does so frequently. I don't dare mess it up!
 
Sharon, I agree with having a heavy pan for cream sauces. Way in my past I did a Milk cream sauce for SOS in a cheap pan that had a little dent in the bottom. Yep that's where it started to burn. Soon after it became a warm up soup vegetables out of the can pan only.

On the vision wear, I came across 3 and I didn't get the results I was looking for. But that could well of just been me. I gave two pots and a skillet to a friend wife that missed hers and loved them.
 
To confirm the thoughts in this thread, I present the following:

Tonight I made pasta fazool in a 2 qt/ saucepan. See pic under the recipe below. The bottom of the pan had some thick lard seasoning and the sides had a thinner coat, but all was black black and looked good. The pasta fazool was only slightly acidic.

Boiling the pasta left a light flower coating on all, didn’t wash & went directly to the sauté. Upon washing with a loofa there was still tomato residue on the sides, especially around the liquid level. A second wash took the seasoning off the mountain tops on the sides and still left the seasoning looking blah.

A batch of popcorn and a real good stovetop smoking helped some, but not enough. So the walls will get another coat of lard, baked at 480° F and put up until the next time I have to prove to myself that using it just isn’t worth the trouble.

Hilditch
 
I agree, the few times I've used them they really haven't been worth the effort. I used one last weekend just to boil water over a campfire and I could have done the same thing with a simple enameled kettle with much less maintenance.
 
I make my greens in mine, and since I start with either bacon grease or olive oil (depending on the type), I have no issues.
 
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