Common complaints about cast iron

This post is about common complaints people have about cast iron, based on negative Amazon customer reviews:

1. "It's heavy." Yes, it is. Use both hands.

2. "It sticks." At first, it sure does. Some assume that because a pan is "pre-seasoned", it should already be non-stick. No; Even spraying generously with Pam, it takes several uses to "break it in" before it's finally non-stick.

3. "It got hot and burned me." Yes, I have several burn marks from being careless. Use oven gloves. And don't drop it on your foot, either.

4. "It rusted when I soaked it in the sink." Yes, it WILL rust if you leave it in water. You have to towel dry completely after washing.

5. "My food tastes like soap!" Never use soap in cast iron.

6. "It's not microwave safe!" No, absolutely not. But microwaves are unpredictable for cooking anyway.

7. "It's not dishwasher safe!" No, but that leaves room in your dishwasher for other things.

8. "The paint chipped off!" That's because you bought cheap garbage from the dollar store. Real cast iron is not painted.

9. "No instructions on how to cook with this!" Put it on the burner and turn the stove on.

10. "It smells like metal!" Yes it does. Cast iron is metal.

Keep in mind, since cast iron gets hotter and retains heat longer, you may need a lower setting and shorter cooking time to prevent overcooking.

If I find any other complaints I'll post here, but those are the big ones.