Dependable, that’s what cast iron is. It will last for centuries if properly cared for, and it has a natural non-stick surface that’s eco-friendly.

Cast iron has been around for hundreds of years. Before fancy teflon cookware was even a notion, cast iron was the standard for good cooks everywhere. You can bake cornbread in it, scramble some eggs in it, make your favorite vegetarian black bean chili in it or sear a perfect steak in it. Cast iron cookware is the definition of all-purpose.

If you don’t already have a cast iron skillet, here are a few reasons to go to your nearest resale shop or garage sale and begin looking for one. You won’t regret it.

Top 5 Reasons Why Cast Iron Cookware Is So Green…

1. Cast iron is naturally non-stick. Properly seasoned nothing will ever, ever, stick to it. Cast iron eliminates the need for the costly, toxic chemicals used to create the non-stick surfaces in modern cookware.

2. Eco-easy clean up. All cast iron cookware requires for clean up is hot water and a stiff brush, so you avoid any harmful chemicals in detergent or solvents.

3. Cast iron can take the heat. It can withstand much hotter temperatures and will distribute the heat more evenly than traditional cookware. And since it holds heat well, you can use less energy to cook. Plus it’s perfect for outdoor cooking. Just remember that cast iron does get really, really hot!  So don’t forget your oven mitt!

4. It’s a great upcycling opportunity. Don’t ever worry about buying a cast iron skillet or other cast iron cooking vessel—like a dutch oven—from a resale shop or garage sale. Even if it looks rusty and dirty, it can be cleaned and re-seasoned and continue on cooking, forever.

5. It’s good for you. Cast iron cookware leaches small amounts of iron into food, so you get a little extra iron each time you use it. Almost anyone, especially women in their child bearing years, will benefit from this.

I have treasured the skillets my old Granny gave me when I was a bride the way most people treasure their good pearls.  Along with my 6-8- and 12 inchers, I added a dutch oven in 1989 and a griddle just last year.  Amazingly, at a garage sale in Los Angeles about 15 years ago, I bought a giant, deep skillet that turned out to be called a Texas skillet. (An omen, I guess since I live in Texas now. ) I love my cast iron cookware. I’m guessing you will, too.