Cast iron skillets are kitchen workhorses – they sear steaks beautifully, bake perfect cornbread, and can even go straight from stovetop to oven. But after years of cooking with mine, I’ve learned there are some foods that just don’t belong in cast iron.
Tomato-based dishes were my first painful lesson. That delicious shakshuka I made? It came out tasting like I’d cooked it with loose change. The acid in tomatoes reacts with the metal, giving food a metallic tang. Now I save my marinara sauces and citrus-heavy recipes for stainless steel pans instead.
Strong-smelling foods like fish or garlicky dishes can leave behind stubborn odors that haunt your pan. Even after scrubbing and re-seasoning, I’ve had pancakes that mysteriously tasted like last night’s salmon. Not exactly the breakfast of champions.
And eggs? Don’t believe the hype about “perfectly seasoned” cast iron being non-stick. Unless your pan is museum-quality seasoned and heated with scientific precision, you’ll be spending more time scraping than eating. I keep a cheap non-stick pan just for omelets and sunny-side ups.
