Cast iron cookware has a bad rap. “It's heavy. It's hard to take care of. It rusts.” Some of this is partly true, but only if you suck at taking care of things. There are also fables about cast iron that don't help its cause when people expect the impossible and end up disappointed. It's not completely non-stick, especially at higher temperatures, just easier to clean than aluminum/steel/enameled cookware. You can’t cook every last thing in it, as certain uses degrade the seasoning. It doesn’t conduct heat well, just holds a buttload of it fairly consistently. I’ll address these points over the course of the post, but needless to say, cast iron can be rather particular about how it’s used. But the rewards brought by a well-seasoned, properly used cast iron pan are legion.