Latest news with #castiron
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Landmark rail cafe restoration reaches milestone
Work to restore a 178-year-old building is progressing as the first cast iron sections have been returned to the site. Built in 1847, The Mermaid Cafe at Cleethorpes Railway Station is undergoing a major restoration to its wood and ironwork. The cast iron conservation is being carried out by specialist company Calibre Metalwork, with the aim to ensure the corrosive sea air does not attack the metal framework. Work began in December and is due to finish in the summer, North East Lincolnshire Council (NELC) said. The process of cast iron conservation included blast cleaning the metalwork to remove the paintwork layers and any corrosion, before applying chemicals to remove any remaining salt. Repairs were then made if required and it was cleaned again before being primed and painted. Stonework around the building had also been recreated by Paul Booth Stonemasonry. By the end of the restoration, the project would see conservation work to the iron framework of the building, the timber elements and re-roofing. The cast iron gutters and downpipes were also set to be replaced. Andy Chant from Calibre Metalwork, said: "It's been a challenging project overall – the thing with these types of project is they're not meant to be dismantled in pieces." He added: "It's a job we've really enjoyed doing, though – and as long as it's maintained, it should be fine for another 150 years." Carol Heidschuster, project manager for the Cleethorpes Townscape Heritage programme, said "a real collaboration of contractors" have been involved in the work. "The building will be completely transformed when the scaffolding comes down," she said. The listed building on the North Prom sea front was constructed as a waiting room for the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway. It was set to be repainted in these company colours. Funding for the restoration work came from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and The Railway Trust as part of the Discover Cleethorpes Heritage Townscape Heritage Programme. Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Historical cafe to be restored to former glory Funding bid to improve Cleethorpes boating lake North East Lincolnshire Council The National Lottery Heritage Fund
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Cleethorpe's Mermaid cafe restoration reaches milestone
Work to restore a 178-year-old building is progressing as the first cast iron sections have been returned to the in 1847, The Mermaid Cafe at Cleethorpes Railway Station is undergoing a major restoration to its wood and cast iron conservation is being carried out by specialist company Calibre Metalwork, with the aim to ensure the corrosive sea air does not attack the metal began in December and is due to finish in the summer, North East Lincolnshire Council (NELC) said. The process of cast iron conservation included blast cleaning the metalwork to remove the paintwork layers and any corrosion, before applying chemicals to remove any remaining were then made if required and it was cleaned again before being primed and around the building had also been recreated by Paul Booth the end of the restoration, the project would see conservation work to the iron framework of the building, the timber elements and cast iron gutters and downpipes were also set to be replaced. 'Real collaboration' Andy Chant from Calibre Metalwork, said: "It's been a challenging project overall – the thing with these types of project is they're not meant to be dismantled in pieces."He added: "It's a job we've really enjoyed doing, though – and as long as it's maintained, it should be fine for another 150 years."Carol Heidschuster, project manager for the Cleethorpes Townscape Heritage programme, said "a real collaboration of contractors" have been involved in the work."The building will be completely transformed when the scaffolding comes down," she listed building on the North Prom sea front was constructed as a waiting room for the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway. It was set to be repainted in these company for the restoration work came from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and The Railway Trust as part of the Discover Cleethorpes Heritage Townscape Heritage Programme. Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Aldi set to launch $40 'dupe' of popular $570 luxury Le Creuset cookware 'must-have'
Shoppers reluctant to fork out hundreds of dollars on high-end cookware will be thrilled to know that Aldi Australia is launching a cast iron range for a fraction of the price. The supermarket giant is set to release a new 'winter cooking' collection as part of its Special Buys sale on Saturday, June 7. One of the top deals is the $39.99 cast iron bread oven - a near-perfect 'dupe' of luxury French-Belgian brand Le Creuset's $570 version. Both bread ovens share similar features - including a dome-shaped lid that traps and circulates steam to produce a golden, crispy crust, and a cast iron base with handles, making it easy to move from hob to oven to table. Despite the significant price difference, Le Creuset is renowned for its high-quality enameled cast iron cookware, crafted from some of the world's finest materials. Perfect for baking bread at home, Aldi's cast iron oven has a three-layer enamel coating, and is said to be 'built to last for long-term use'. Suitable for all stovetops, including gas, electric, glass ceramic, and induction, the bread oven comes in three colours: blue, green and white. The range will include a wide selection of cast iron pieces, including the popular $26.99 Dutch oven, $39.99 oval pot and a $34.99 French pan. Other items to look out for is a $19.99 frypan, a $26.99 roasting dish and a $19.99 grillpan. The Dutch ovens have been a huge hit among shoppers in recent years, with many Aldi shoppers sharing rave reviews of the affordable range. 'My Aldi cast iron pan and pot are amazing, still going strong for a reasonable price,' one said. 'Had my Aldi one for five years, used regularly. No problems at all. Always hand wash - don't have a dishwasher. No complaints and still looks new,' another shared. 'I've had an Aldi Dutch oven for over 15 years - it's a beauty,' one revealed. Meanwhile, those with expensive taste can't get enough of their beloved Le Creuset. 'I have had my Le Creuset Dutch oven for over 25 years and it's as good as the day I bought it,' one shared. 'I've had 40 years of daily use from my Le Creuset pans. The Aldi ones don't compare, but at their price they can be replaced after a few years if necessary,' another added. 'Le Creuset pots are not just a pot but a future family heirloom. I love mine,' one said.
CNET
24-05-2025
- General
- CNET
Love Your Cast-Iron Skillet? Here Are 4 Foods You Should Never Cook in It
You'd be hard-pressed to find a cookware material more fawned over than cast iron. While cast iron is exceptionally durable, it's not impervious to damage. Cooking with highly acidic ingredients, exposing the pan to prolonged moisture, or using it improperly can compromise the integrity of its seasoning or even cause lasting harm to the surface. Such missteps can reduce a once-dependable kitchen mainstay to a crippled piece of kitchen cookware. To find out exactly which foods to keep out of cast iron -- or at the very least, cook with caution -- I asked Eric Rowse. Rowse is the lead chef instructor of Culinary Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education and shared tips for using the cult-favorite cookware without ruining its surface. If you want to keep your cast iron slick, smooth, and worthy of its place on the stovetop throne, there are a few things you should never let near it. Here's what to avoid — and why your pan will thank you. 4 foods that will ruin cast-iron cookware According to Rowse, you can technically cook anything in cast iron -- even fish and eggs -- but some foods react poorly to cast iron if not done properly, leading to surface decay or food with a metallic taste. 1. Tomatoes It's OK to cook acidic foods such as tomatoes and vinegar in your cast-iron pan but letting them sit for long periods can eat away at the seasoning. istetiana/Getty Images "Highly acidic foods, such as tomato and tomato-based dishes, can be problematic on raw iron, poorly or underseasoned cast iron," Rowse says. "Cooking these foods in neglected cast iron can lead to a metallic taste in the food. If the pan is well seasoned and cleaned out after each use, it isn't a problem." To be safe, cook some bacon in your skillet afterward to give the seasoning extra protection. As a bonus, you'll have bacon on hand. What you don't want to do is leave the acidic food just sitting in the pan, which can eat away at the seasoning. 2. Vinegar Most BBQ sauces have a fair amount of vinegar that can damage your cast-iron cookware. CNET For the same reason as tomatoes, vinegar can eat away at a seasoned cast-iron skillet, sending you back to square one. Vinegar-based foods like adobo or Carolina-style barbecue sauce are good examples of acidic foods that shouldn't sit in a cast-iron pan for long. If you do use vinegar in a recipe and cook it in cast-iron, be sure to clean the pan immediately afterward with hot water and salt or a small dash of gentle dish soap. Read more: Clean Your Cast Iron Skillet Easily With This Common Kitchen Staple 3. Citrus Avoid cooking citrus-based sauces in your cast-iron cookware for long periods. Géza Bálint Ujvárosi/EyeEm/Getty Images While they're may not be a ton of reasons to put citrus in a cast-iron skillet, certain recipes call for a fair amount of lemon or lime juice. A squeeze of lemon at the end probably won't destroy your cast-iron pan, but don't let citrus juice simmer inside of it for long, or your precious patina won't survive the night. 4. Wine-based sauces Red wine is great to add into stews and red meat dishes. fermate/Getty Images Cooking with wine is almost always a good idea. In fact, we have a list of recipes that thrive with a few ounces of red or white. But letting acid-heavy wine braise or simmer in a cast-iron pot or pan for too long could cause the slick patina to erode, leaving you with an unseasoned skillet that food will stick to. Can you cook eggs in cast iron? A properly seasoned cast-iron skillet can cook eggs without issue. Getty Images While they won't damage your pan, eggs are tricky to pan-fry without having a sticky mess to deal with after. While cast-iron cookware isn't as nonstick as chemically coated pans, it's still a fine candidate for scrambling or frying the morning staple. "I love cooking eggs in cast iron," Rowse told us. "I have a small 5-inch one that I cook fried eggs in. Cast iron is able to get super-hot, and precise control is harder because it retains heat for longer, and therefore it is more difficult to make small adjustments to the temperature." What about fish? I heat my prepared meals up in a skillet or air fryer if I'm home. David Watsky/CNET Likewise, many varieties of fish are flaky and tend to stick to surfaces if not managed properly. If your cast-iron's patina isn't properly slicked or is too hot when the fish goes down, you may end up scraping half of your halibut from the bottom of the pan. How to avoid a cast-iron cooking conundrum Properly seasoning your cast iron will keep foods such as fish and eggs from sticking. Tyler Lizenby/CNET First and foremost, you'll want to properly season so you can cook even the stickiest foods without worry. When cooking acidic foods in cast iron, avoid slow-braising or simmering on the stovetop for long periods. When the food is finished cooking, remove it and wash your cast-iron pan immediately with hot water, a drop of dish soap and a sprinkling of kitchen salt for extra stuck-on foods. And if you're not sure, opt for an acid-safe piece of cookware as an enameled Dutch oven or stainless-steel skillet.
CNET
16-05-2025
- General
- CNET
I Cooking Instructor Told Us 4 Foods That Will Ruin a Cast-Iron Skillet
Using a cast-iron pan is more than just a way to cook — it's a ritual, a relationship, a legacy. A well-seasoned skillet can outlast its owner, passed down like a family heirloom, its glossy black surface telling stories of meals shared and flavors perfected. But even the toughest kitchen tools have their kryptonite. Cast iron may be rugged, but it's not invincible. Simmer the wrong sauce, soak it too long, or pick the wrong ingredients, and you could strip away that hard-earned seasoning or damage the pan's surface for good. Acidic foods, prolonged moisture, and a few other culinary culprits can turn your skillet from hero to hazard. To find out exactly which foods to keep out of cast iron -- or at the very least, cook with caution -- I asked Eric Rowse. Rowse is the lead chef instructor of Culinary Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education and shared tips for using the cult-favorite cookware without ruining its surface. If you want to keep your cast iron slick, smooth, and worthy of its place on the stovetop throne, there are a few things you should never let near it. Here's what to avoid — and why your pan will thank you. 4 foods that will ruin cast-iron cookware According to Rowse, you can technically cook anything in cast iron -- even fish and eggs -- but some foods react poorly to cast iron if not done properly, leading to surface decay or food with a metallic taste. 1. Tomatoes It's OK to cook acidic foods such as tomatoes and vinegar in your cast-iron pan but letting them sit for long periods can eat away at the seasoning. istetiana/Getty Images "Highly acidic foods, such as tomato and tomato-based dishes, can be problematic on raw iron, poorly or underseasoned cast iron," Rowse says. "Cooking these foods in neglected cast iron can lead to a metallic taste in the food. If the pan is well seasoned and cleaned out after each use, it isn't a problem." To be safe, cook some bacon in your skillet afterward to give the seasoning extra protection. As a bonus, you'll have bacon on hand. What you don't want to do is leave the acidic food just sitting in the pan, which can eat away at the seasoning. 2. Vinegar Most BBQ sauces have a fair amount of vinegar that can damage your cast-iron cookware. CNET For the same reason as tomatoes, vinegar can eat away at a seasoned cast-iron skillet, sending you back to square one. Vinegar-based foods like adobo or Carolina-style barbecue sauce are good examples of acidic foods that shouldn't sit in a cast-iron pan for long. If you do use vinegar in a recipe and cook it in cast-iron, be sure to clean the pan immediately afterward with hot water and salt or a small dash of gentle dish soap. Read more: Clean Your Cast Iron Skillet Easily With This Common Kitchen Staple 3. Citrus Avoid cooking citrus-based sauces in your cast-iron cookware for long periods. Géza Bálint Ujvárosi/EyeEm/Getty Images While they're may not be a ton of reasons to put citrus in a cast-iron skillet, certain recipes call for a fair amount of lemon or lime juice. A squeeze of lemon at the end probably won't destroy your cast-iron pan, but don't let citrus juice simmer inside of it for long, or your precious patina won't survive the night. 4. Wine-based sauces Red wine is great to add into stews and red meat dishes. fermate/Getty Images Cooking with wine is almost always a good idea. In fact, we have a list of recipes that thrive with a few ounces of red or white. But letting acid-heavy wine braise or simmer in a cast-iron pot or pan for too long could cause the slick patina to erode, leaving you with an unseasoned skillet that food will stick to. Can you cook eggs in cast iron? A properly seasoned cast-iron skillet can cook eggs without issue. Getty Images While they won't damage your pan, eggs are tricky to pan-fry without having a sticky mess to deal with after. While cast-iron cookware isn't as nonstick as chemically coated pans, it's still a fine candidate for scrambling or frying the morning staple. "I love cooking eggs in cast iron," Rowse told us. "I have a small 5-inch one that I cook fried eggs in. Cast iron is able to get super-hot, and precise control is harder because it retains heat for longer, and therefore it is more difficult to make small adjustments to the temperature." What about fish? I heat my prepared meals up in a skillet or air fryer if I'm home. David Watsky/CNET Likewise, many varieties of fish are flaky and tend to stick to surfaces if not managed properly. If your cast-iron's patina isn't properly slicked or is too hot when the fish goes down, you may end up scraping half of your halibut from the bottom of the pan. How to avoid a cast-iron cooking conundrum Properly seasoning your cast iron will keep foods such as fish and eggs from sticking. Tyler Lizenby/CNET First and foremost, you'll want to properly season so you can cook even the stickiest foods without worry. When cooking acidic foods in cast iron, avoid slow-braising or simmering on the stovetop for long periods. When the food is finished cooking, remove it and wash your cast-iron pan immediately with hot water, a drop of dish soap and a sprinkling of kitchen salt for extra stuck-on foods. And if you're not sure, opt for an acid-safe piece of cookware as an enameled Dutch oven or stainless-steel skillet.
