Asian cast ironware are great to use in your kitchen. I own a few myself and love them. I encourage my friends and customers to cook with Asian cast ironware first before buying other collectibles because you need to get comfortable with cast iron first.
Asian cast iron has received a bad wrap in the last several years. During the height of World War II, rumors started to surface about Asian made cast iron containing radioactive material to kill Americans. Still today, many of these rumors still exist. I counteract this argument replying that if this is true, then people would be contaminated with radioactive poising, and I certainly don't see any proof of that.
There are many benefits in owning Asian made iron ware.
Cheap. Asian made cast iron is very cheap. You can find plenty of old Asian made cast iron in yard sales, estates sales, and antique malls, for next to nothing. When I find a great bargain on Asian made cast iron, I'll flip the cast iron (restore) and gift the piece to a friend, or sell it.
Light in weight. I own many cast iron pieces that are super light. Lighter than some of my American made cast iron. I often forget how light Asian made cast iron is when I'm grabbing a piece off my kitchen counter.
Amazingly slick surface. My goodness y'all, I love how slick and shiny cast iron pieces are. They are some of my best users when I cook eggs. The eggs "flop" right on out.
Unique milling. Some of the older Asian made cast iron pieces have beautiful swirls on the surface of the pan. These pans make great conversational pieces or gifts during the holidays.
Odd pieces. Probably not what you thought you would see. Some pieces of Asian cast ironware have missing pieces. For example, this cast iron piece I use to cook bacon, cookies, biscuits, and the list goes on. This piece is a lid to a modern-day fish fryer. I found this piece in a junkyard and instantly knew what I wanted to do with it. This piece only cost me $15, but the restoration was well worth the cheap investment.
