Cast Iron vs Stainless Steel

Tillerman

Just wanted to know everyone's opinion on cast iron grates vs. stainless steel... Pros cons etc.  Thanks!

fishlessman

 i think the castiron is overrated for use in the egg, better suited for grills that cant attain the higher heats that you can get out of the egg. its also heavey and prone to cracking. i switched to stainless

Tillerman

@Fishlessman:

I understand the weight issues, just wanted to know why some folks thought they were worth while etc.  Like you I currently use stainless steel.

cazzy

IMO, they serve different purposes and I find I use my CI only 15% of the time.  Which is typically when I want a sear.  

My favorite combo application:

cazzy

Oh and for the record, if i'm cooking just for me, I sear on a cast iron pan now.  When do you ever see grill marks on a steak at a fancy steak house?  Um never.  The crust you can achieve from a cast iron pan is unreal and totally elevates your steak or chop.

Eggcelsior

Cast iron has better heat retaining properties than stainless steel. That's why it is better for searing on an appliance with less heat production, like a stove or gas grill. On the egg, this point is moot due to the high heat capacity. I see 2 reasons for CI:

Pretty grill marks, if you are into that.

Smaller gaps for food to fall through.

Hungry Joe

I use the cast iron for steaks and it works well when we cook mahi mahi which we do a lot of. Other then that I only use it if it is already in the egg and the other grates are not nearby.

But, it is a must for steaks with me.

Carolina Q

I spent my entire grilling life (longer than I care to think about) with a Weber kettle and those skinny chrome plated wire grids. When I finally got my egg, I decided to finally spring for the CI so I could do pretty steaks. A chunk broke off the first one. Another broke off the warranty replacement. The third one is still in it plastic bag and has never been used. Should probably have tried for a "lemon law" refund!

I leave the CI on the egg. Always. Paid good money for it so I will keep using it. If the two cracked ones ever become unusable, I still have the bagged grid. As for the nice grill marks on steaks, it doesn't matter. I haven't had a good steak from the egg since the first one I cooked over 4 years ago. It's not the egg, it's the steaks I (used to) buy. Steak after steak was either tough or flavorless... or both. I finally gave up. Haven't had a steak in a couple of years now. Would LOVE to, but got tired of spending good money on bad meat.

But they ARE pretty. This was done on an 8" CI ($2, antique shop) right on the lump. Subsequent roast was done on my standard CI at gasket level.

Little Steven

If you are interested and can braze well I have about 4 CI grids worth of pieces.

Little Steven

Carolina Q said:

I spent my entire grilling life (longer than I care to think about) with a Weber kettle and those skinny chrome plated wire grids.

That sir is a very, very long time

Carolina Q

Little Steven said:

Carolina Q said:

I spent my entire grilling life (longer than I care to think about) with a Weber kettle and those skinny chrome plated wire grids.

That sir is a very, very long time

Maybe. But it hasn't stunted my growth. 

Little Steven

Ouch!

Carolina Q

You deserved that, 

Little Steven

Had Chrome been invented when you started?

Terrebandit

Stainless steel grid and a cast iron pan for me.

minniemoh

I bought a demo L egg and it had a cast iron grate in it. Personally, it works fine but I would rather have a stainless one. I wouldn't buy one for the L as an accessory. 

I do use a small CI grate on my spider and that works pretty well. I just got a lodge set with a griddle pan that I'm itching to use for a sear.

yzzi

Forget getting the ci grid. Go stainless just for less work and get yourself a skillet to sear. Having a solid crust is better than grill marks in my opinion. Not to mention is much more versatile: Stove, oven, egg, open fire.

Carolina Q

Little Steven said:

Had Chrome been invented when you started?

Yes. We had chrome much earlier than you Canuckians did.

Smart ass. (Or did I already say that?) 

)

smokeysteve

I have a Lg Egg with a ceramic platesetter AND a Cast iron platesetter. I use the CI Platesetter when I grill Steaks or anything else I want to sear. Works great! I use the ceramic PS for everything else.

QDude

cazzy said:

Oh and for the record, if i'm cooking just for me, I sear on a cast iron pan now.  When do you ever see grill marks on a steak at a fancy steak house?  Um never.  The crust you can achieve from a cast iron pan is unreal and totally elevates your steak or chop.

For those of you who bought a Baking Steel pizza "stone", it works well for searing steaks also.

QDude

Carolina Q said:

 It's not the egg, it's the steaks I (used to) buy. Steak after steak was either tough or flavorless... or both. I finally gave up. Haven't had a steak in a couple of years now. Would LOVE to, but got tired of spending good money on bad meat.

If you have a Sam's Club near you, I have found that their prime rib, rib eyes, and strip steaks have been really good.

Carolina Q

Thanks, QDude, 

However...

I joined Sam's Club some years ago because a coworker told me they had great meat. I went there, signed up, bought a few things, including some steaks (though I wasn't impressed with the way they looked). Sure enough, they weren't particularly good and I wound up never going back to Sam's. That was the only reason I joined in the first place!  Should have asked for a refund. Don't remember what I bought, but it was tough and flavorless. As usual. 

Steak costs too much for me to even bother. Probably me and not the meat, but I've tried all kinds of ways to cook it and have used everything from a CI skillet to gris to commando, directly on the lump. Have used a jaccard to tenderize it too. Ribeye, NY strips, Porterhouse, Filet Mignon... whatever. Almost always flavorless and tough. I can make London Broil more tender than a "good" steak!! Pork chops and chicken breasts are always tender and full of flavor too. Not to mention, affordable. Gave up on steak long ago.

EGG_Daddy

Try 'No Name Steaks'.  Expensive, small, filled with artificials but AMAZING.

Tillerman

@ Carolina q: Have you ever tried a side of beef?

Carolina Q

EGG_Daddy said:

Try 'No Name Steaks'.  Expensive, small, filled with artificials but AMAZING.

Never heard of No Name, but I had to laugh when I looked it up. At least the first ingredient listed is actually "steak". Can't eat it anyway - FAR too much sodium in a single serving for my diet.

Tillerman said:

@ Carolina q: Have you ever tried a side of beef?

Nope. No place to keep a side anyway. Except this time of year - I could just keep it out by the egg! 

babyhawk

I purchase  Omaha Ribeye steaks they are guaranteed to  last a year, so purchase them during the winter months major sales and coupons. I grill them on my egg and they are just wonderfully good

NPHuskerFL

babyhawk said:

I purchase  Omaha Ribeye steaks they are guaranteed to  last a year, so purchase them during the winter months major sales and coupons. I grill them on my egg and they are just wonderfully good

Everything from Nebraska is wonderfully good :-)
I sure do miss my Nebraska corn fed beef! Da Best!

KiterTodd

Good thread, I was going to buy one.  I had my eye on the CI grate because I always loved it on my gas grill.  In addition to heat retention, I just liked the thicker grates when you are cooking seafood or vegetables.  They are less likely to fall through...

...crap, I think I just talked myself back into wanting the CI grate!  )

Mickey

Gave away CI 's for Large, Small and Mini. Did not like the weight and the SS worked just fine. Do have a CI Lodge griddle pan and this (pureSteel).

SGH

@Mickey‌
That's awesome brother. Very, very nice!

caliking

That's a cool shot @Mickey.