Cast Iron on Electric?

[Sukie]

Can you use cast iron on an Electric stove?
Want to buy a dutch oven. Think they are only cast iron (??)

[Food Network Fan]

Yes, assuming you don't have one of those smooth tops, I don't think you can use it on those. You might be able to use the enameled.

[Sukie]

oops should have said I have a smooth top.
ideas?

[Food Network Fan]

My brother has one and he says he uses it on his. I don't think they recommend it though. Do you like yours? I hated it when I had mine. It was so hard to control the temperature. But mine wasn't a very good one. One of the reason we needed our remodel, all the appliances were old and cheep.

[Sukie]

I do like mine. New (webought a few years ago).
But that said, seeing people cook on gas, I think I would like that better.
Funny thing is, my house is heated with gas, but has electric appliances.

[Food Network Fan]

Mine would stay hot LONG after it was off. One evening we had tacos and I had taken the toppings out on a tray for us to make our tacos out on the porch. We finished the whole meal and sat outside for a while and I carried the tray back in and sat it on the cook top which had been off at least an hour and it still melted the cheese before I got everything else carried inside.

You could always put your cast iron in the oven. I actually like using mine that way and I have gas now.

[Food Network Fan]

Err, my range has gas.

[Pluff Mudder]

I've seen threads at other sites regarding cast iron cookware and smooth top ranges. Seems most of the problems lie with either scratching the surface from sliding the pan on it or breaking the surface from sitting the pan or pot down too heavy on it. As long as you're careful, I don't think you would have any problems. A fair number of people who posted in these threads were using the cast iron... but just being easy with it.

[Bentley Green]

My very first apt was an all-electric one, so yes, it DID have an electric stove as well as the apt before this one.

And I also had no problen using cast iron cookware on them.

[Lucy]

I have a glass top stove and use cast iron pans on it occasionally. I just make sure that I'm careful when setting the pan down, but I've never had a problem. I do make sure that I hold the handle with both hands as I'm not the strongest person in the world and I'm afraid of dropping the pan and shattering the stove top.