Cast iron cookware is heavy but it also provides the best option for cooking a variety of dishes. For example, once the cast iron gets hot it stays hot, making it perfect for searing meat. Equally, this natural heat retention makes it the right choice for slow cooking and keeping dishes warm.
In fact, that’s why you’ll find a quality Crumble Dutch Oven is made with cast iron. It’s easy to cook with and gets great results.
But, you’ll want to make sure you choose the right utensils. After all, if you’re invested in high-quality cast iron cookware then the least you can do is invest a little more in the right tools.
Utensils To Avoid
Before we address the best utensils for your cast iron pots, it’s worth having a look at what ones you should be avoiding.
The good news is that there are none! Because cast iron is so strong and durable it can’t be scratched or damaged, regardless of which utensils you decide to use.
Choosing The Right Utensils
The key decision when choosing the best type of cooking utensils to use with cast iron is which type do you prefer to cook with? After all, any can be used. Of course, some are better than others.
Silicone
Silicone is one of the best choices you can make. Although silicone spoons are usually available in an array of colors and seem to be fragile. However, they have an extremely high melting point. You’ll have to get the temperature past 600° F or 315° C to see a deterioration in the silicone.
Anything you are making below this temperature works well with silicone.
Naturally, it is a good idea to ensure you are using food-grade silicone, this ensures no harmful chemicals are released during the cooking process.
In addition, you’ll find that the utensils don’t get hot when being used. That means there is little risk of you getting a nasty burn, providing you don’t touch the cast iron.
It’s also worth noting that silicon doesn’t stain. It’s a non-porous material and that means stains can’t soak into it. You simply need to give it a good wash to eliminate the marks on it.
Nylon
Nylon utensils are less common and can be a suitable alternative to silicone. They are also non-porous and won’t stain. Equally, the utensils will stay cool regardless of what you are doing. However, their melting point is a little lower than silicone, they’ll start to melt at 400°F (200°C).
That makes them a good choice but silicone is a better one.
Plastic
Plastic utensils are very popular, cheap to purchase, and generally a good choice. It should be noted that plastic doesn’t stain but it will take a little more scrubbing to get the marks out of the utensil.
But, with plastic, you need to proceed with a little caution. The melting point for plastic utensils is 220°F, 104°C. That means there is a good chance they will melt if left in the oven for too long. Of course, when plastic melts it will release chemicals into your food, although they shouldn’t be harmful they will affect the taste.
Again, plastic stays cool to the touch until you reach its melting point.
Wooden
Wooden utensils have been popular for many years as they seem like a natural and environmentally friendly option. However, the truth is that, while they are a good choice, they are not as good as silicone.
Wood is strong and durable and is very comfortable to your hands. That makes it a natural choice. You may also be interested to note that a wooden spoon can stop your pan from boiling over.
If you choose the right ones they are made from recycled wood and they generally feel good in your hand. But, they do conduct the heat and will gradually get hot in your hand.
Final Thoughts
The bottom line is that any utensil can be used in a cast iron pot and the final decision is yours. It’s a matter of preference but silicone utensils are well worth considering. Once you have tried them you’ll never go back!
