A Short History of Cast Iron Cookware

Although every day cast iron cookware didn't become really popular until the 1700's, the History of Cast Iron Cookware dates back to the 5th century BC. But what is cast iron and when was it first made? Cast iron is iron that has been melted and poured into a cast or mold to form a shape. The Chinese developed furnaces for making cast iron in 513 BC. These furnaces were hot enough to melt the iron so that it could be poured into molds to make many products including cast iron cookware.  European development of the cast iron process did not occur until AD 1161.

In the early 1400s, cauldrons were developed. They were the cast iron cookware of that time. Cauldrons were pots that varied in size and use.  Some of them would hang in a fireplace. Some of them had three feet and would sit over an open fire. Some even had both features. This early cast iron cookware was expensive and time consuming to make.  Cast iron cookware, at that time, was brittle and had to be made very thick to keep it from breaking. This thickness also made cauldrons very heavy and they took a long time to heat up.

4.5 Qt. Round Dutch Oven w/lid & wire handle

In the early 1700s, cast iron stoves were being produced in quantity. Stoves with tops allowed the use of cast iron cookware, in the form of pots and pans, to be used on top of the stove for cooking.  About this same time, the process of annealing was discovered. The process of annealing allowed cast iron cookware to be made thinner to allow for faster heating. To prevent rust and the taste of iron from seeping into the food, cast iron cookware was covered with a thin coating of tin metal, a process called tinning. Cast iron cookware became very popular at this time. Cast iron cookware was being mass produced by several different manufacturers.

5 Qt. Blue Round Roaster

A new type of cast iron cookware appeared in the late 1800s called enameled cast iron cookware. This cookware was covered with a glassy enamel coating that today can be made in many different colors.

Cast iron cookware lost some of its charm in the 1900s with the advent new materials and new coatings for cookware. However, cast iron cookware has been making a comeback because of its cooking versatility.