There is a host of different materials that are used by all cookware manufacturing companies and all has its signature advantages and disadvantages. However, there is only a handful that is very popular and preferred by households over others. You may think that it is the Teflon or nonstick items but it is not the only one out there. Cast iron cookware is slowly but surely growing very popular and for several good reasons.
Reasons for popularity
Cast iron has several chemical as well as physical properties that have made it a popular choice among the households.
- It does not leach chemical fumes into your food and instead leaches iron which is good for your health.
- According to the research report of Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics cast iron has the ability to reduce iron deficiency.
- It contains carbon, silicon and manganese with occasional traces of impurities such as sulfur and phosphorus and has withstood to the test of time as cookware dating as far back as the 6th century.
- As a cookware cast iron material is highly durable and extremely functional. It is for this reason you can even purchase cast iron pans second hand.
- It is easy to use, clean and maintain making it cost effective option even more even as a hand-me-down cookware.
If you follow this website you will find several people swearing by the ability of cast iron that heats up evenly and distributes it uniformly all across. High it conductivity, you will be able to cook food really fast.
The scientific reason
If you consider the scientific reasons for its high level of functionality and performance then it is the exceptional emissivity of cast iron along with its high volumetric heat capacity that is the primary reason.
This means that the heat will not be confined to the portion of the cookware that is exactly and directly over the flame. It will spread all around quickly and steadily facilitating a uniform cooking.
The emissivity of cast iron describes the amount of heat that is emitted from it surface. You can check it by placing your hand a little over the surface. You will find it is much more in cast iron cookware due to its high emissivity of 0.64 as compared to stainless steel cookware that has a low emissivity of 0.07.
This means the food that is beyond and not touching the hot surface over the flame directly will also get adequate amount of heat to cook evenly. This is very helpful when you have piling ingredients on your pan as everything will be cooked uniformly right from the top to the bottom.
Cast iron is also your pan of choice due to its high volumetric heat capacity. This means that once the pan gets hot, it will remain hit for a long time. That means you can not only cook your food in quick time but can also keep it warm for a long time if you store the food in cast iron cookware.