May42012
INSTANT SURVIVAL TIP: Wanted: Cheap Pots & Pans
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PDFWhat do you use for your every day stovetop cooking? Chances are, you’re like a lot of us who own fairly nice cookware. My set is nice, but I’d never want to use it over a gas grill, campfire or campstove. One major reason is that it isn’t safe to use non-stick cookware over a fire.
image by INeedCoffee
Last year when I began lurking around garage and estate sales, I started picking up used, and cheap, pots, pans, and an old-fashioned coffeepot. They are all pieces I wouldn’t mind putting over an open flame. In fact, a couple of them look like they’ve already done some hard time over campfires!
If your culinary skills are ever put to the test in less than ideal conditions, you’ll be glad to have a few of these pots and pans for your cooking, and they are so easy to find in thrift stores and at garage sales. While you’re at it, keep a sharp eye out for cast iron cookware as well. Purchased new, it can be a bit pricey.
Hey, if your cookware is already old and crummy, this is one prepping step you don’t have to worry about!
© 2012, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.
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Andrea
Fun post! Our power was out most of the day about 2 weeks ago and I did a lot of cooking in my old Dutch oven on top of the kerosene stove….never did I appreciate back up heat and cast iron cookware more than on that day! Still watching for that ever-elusive percolator/coffee pot though!
CouponCook
Walmart sells a blue percolator ($11.00 here) in the camping department. I have actually switched to it. The coffee is a bit stronger than with a drip. And it takes a few pots to get the hang of actually making it yourself as opposed to pushing a button. Overall we’re happy with it. If you decide that you really want one, make sure to have oven mits handy! ~Amber
Lynx
If you can, get a french press for coffee/tea or any hot drink. It’s nicer than camping perculators and since pour boiling water in it like a teapot by the time your coffee is done brewing you just plunge the filter and pour.
rightwingmom
Love my cast iron buddies! 12" skillet, 10" griddle and 2 dutch ovens (one w/ legs and one w/ a flat bottom). Don't forget, never use soap on them and season them with plain Crisco. I use them constantly in my kitchen and they ALWAYS go camping with us. Still working on increasing the versitility of my dutch ovens.
RightWingMom
UPDATE ~ My collection has increased! Recently found a Lodge rectangular griddle at a flea market for $2! All it needs is a little “elbow grease” to clean off some rust and to be re-seasoned. Replacement value = $60! Of course, that’s for the newer version….they don’t make this style anymore.
Rebecca Ramirez
I love my cast iron also but have always been a bit reluctant to purchase or use rusty items. How much scrubbing with steel wool (?) is needed to remove all of the rust. Is it only superficial? I get the seasoning, just not sure about the rust removal. Thanks for any help.
kelly
If you google care of cast iron and there are some easy ways to restore it. Don’t let the rust scare you. You just have to go back to the beginning as if it’s a new set after you steal wool cleaning it. It is well worth the effort. I have had expensive cookware over the years and have gone back to my cast iron. My grandmas words are coming back true, “Nothing beats cast iron!!”
Jim
The best way to clean cast iron is to burn off any crusty buildup or rust. You can do it in a fire place, fire pit, on the burner of a turkey fryer, or any other open flame that will get it smoking. Oh, and that is a point; it will smoke as you burn off the impurities so start your hood or do it outdoors. I’ve been doing this for years and never had problems, just remember to season as soon as it’s cool enough to do so.
As far as rust is concerned; won’t hurt you. Rust is iron oxide and many of you ladies who have given birth were prescribed iron pills.
Hannah
To clean those lovely old cast iron pots …
(1) Really, REALLY rusted … Burn out the offending area. I found a lovely three legged pot which someone had used as a planter, so I took it down to a welding shop and they cleaned it up for me by burning out the rusty insides. Then I took it home and started on the course of ‘re-seasoning’ it.
(2) general cleaning … Get some kosher salt. It is coarse enough to clean gummy food from the insides. Secondly, it will not hurt your pot, and it is environmentally friendly. (When camping, I have kept the salt in its own container, using it more then once to clean the camping pots).
Hope these suggestions help you.
juju_mommy
Down here in the south, cast iron is a must-have of any kitchen! I'm just starting my own "collection", though. For Christmas, I got a butch oven AND a tri pod to cook over the fire. Haven't had the opportunity to try it out yet but I'm sooo looking forward to our next camping trip. LOL.
TheSurvivalMom
I have to admit that cooking with a dutch oven isn't something I've mastered. A couple of stores in my area offer classes, and there's one coming up this weekend for people like me with the desire but few skills!
CouponCook
Google Girl Scout dutch oven recipes. I’ve found some really tasty things to make. Our girl scouts loved it, especially the cobblers! Ok so not health food. But really tasty stuff. ~Amber
Ravenwolf31
Well, with looking for stuff like that, places like Craigslist, Goodwill and thrift stores are your friends too! Like I said to my mom "There is no shame in going to Goodwill." It is nice to find good iron pots and pans for cheap in places like that.
TheSurvivalMom
I love thrift stores, and my kids do, too. You just never know what you're going to find. Maybe it's the treasure hunt aspect that gets addicting. :O)
Dukmadgin
Really, garage sales are the way to go! You have to hit a few dud ones though before you get to a good one!! I can hardly wait til Saturday morning to go! Plus, no sales tax!!!!
TheSurvivalMom
Finding a great garage sale is quite a thrill! A few months ago we went to one in which the homeowner was selling five very upscale rental homes and getting rid of EVERYTHING. She had flat screen TVs for sale, patio furniture, expensive linens, it was just amazing. And the no-sales-tax is just another bonus!
zmalfoy
A few years ago, while I was in college in New Orleans, the rest of the family lost power in the middle of a huge snowstorm for about a week. All the cooking was done on our propane grill, which ruined one of Mom's pans. Ever since, she's been collecting a set of cast iron pans. She's also gave me one Christmas one of those Japanese Cast Iron Tea Pots– because of my love of Japanese things and tea, I suppose. But it bears up to fire very well, as do the matching cast iron tea cups.
I've also found that cast iron doubles well as "last ditch home defense"–BOOM! Taste my teapot!
katzien
As a kid, I had to scrub our cast iron skillets…after soaking them for a day. They were my mom's, and she got them from my grandma…rest her soul. As an adult, I swore off cast iron…too much work. When me, sis and mom all had a garage sale last spring, I saw these three big black things on a table and I asked my sister "oh my goodness….are these grandma's???" (gasp!) "Yeah, so?" "What…Jenn…how can you sell these??" (We adored our grandma.) "I don't have room for them…you want'em?" (Duh!) I snatched them up, mainly for sentimental reasons, but now I can see my grandma and her farm-wife-root-cellar-self smiling down on me. Am I a lucky girl or what? They are now perfectly seasoned…teflon smooth…and cured with lots of love. I've wondered about making coffee though………
TheSurvivalMom
The coffee pot I found was one of those old fashioned cheap aluminum things. I doubt I ever make coffee since the only coffee drink I like is that 3000 calorie caramel frappuccino from Starbucks, but I thought it would come in handy to boil water. I need to start re-using my cast iron skillets. I found them at garage sales, but my nice non-stick stuff is so easy to use and clean that I haven't been too eager to switch to cast iron occasionally.
Cindy Osborne
I’m sure this has already been said but I have one word on the subject of cast iron skillets…CORNBREAD. I actually cannot make cornbread in anything else. If you’re not sure how “in to” cornbread you are-try using Morrison’s cornbread kits (if you can find them) melt a tablespoon or so of butter in the oven in the skillet while you’re mixing it up-pour the hot butter into the batter and then pour all of that back into the butter coated skillet. Add a side of beans or get out the molasses or cane syrup. Yum!! Makes it worthwhile to get out that cast iron.
Use a paper towel to wipe it out after use. Scrape gently anything that’s left if you have to with a spatula and if you have to use water-put in on the stove over low heatafterward for a little while to dry it out. Not a bad idea to coat it again with shortening on a paper towel before storing.
mjf
just found your website,,,,nice going MOM,,,,we need more like you in our country,,,,,,you could teach some of the men some things,,,,to many need these lessions.
mjf new mexico,,,,
mjfFMJ@gmx.com
Lori Scott
Since the early '80s all my cookware has been stainless steel with all steel handles and lids. No glass, no plastic. These have been used on electric, gas, wood and campfires. After 20 years, one of the saucepans started to delaminate on the bottom layers but otherwise they are perfect and easy care and I have just bought another set which I am phasing in.
Cast iron dutch ovens are mainly used on the open fire or wood fire due to the energy needed to heat them initially. When cooking on the open fire, coals are heaped on the lids to cause the inside to heat with out direct heat on the bottom and you can actually bake cakes and so forth in them. Bit of an acquired skill and the relative heat of the timber that you use makes a real difference with this method.
Just had a wood stove installed at my house. We figured we were a bit shady for solar and a bit sheltered for a wind generator but OMG we have lots and lots of sticks! Hi to everyone from Australia
Desert Dweller
Wonderful food for thought in your article. I considered these things in the late 60's and 70's and still hang on to my survival books "just in case". I see it's time to rethink my earlier concerns. Thanks for the lists, so thoughtfully made for us. Does a desert home outside of Phoenix qualify for a safe place?. Laws frown on open fires even on acreage homesites…but….a mountain home 2 hours away could be our answer ;going in on back roads, where a woodstove, fire pits, fireplace and cast iron cookware await us. Hope we don't have uninvited guests waiting for us ! ! ! If so, we'll make room, add a little food to the pot and pass out chore lists to all. What a world !
TheSurvivalMom
DD, I don't consider the desert to be a safe place simply because of the lack of water. If a city like Atlanta can have a water shortage, it could certainly happen here and with far more disastrous results. Also, the shortage of water would make gardening/farming far more difficult, if not impossible. Yes, property or a home in northern Arizona would solve that problem, probably, but the drawback to that is earning an income in that area and/or the expense of maintaining two residences. However, just thinking along these lines, wondering, "What if??" puts you far ahead of most people who are living like it's 2006.
Trish
Ok, I am replying because I am also a desert dweller and I am concerned about having to “Bug In” when the SHTF. My family all live 1600 miles away and I am a single mom, so “Bugging In” is my only reasonable option. Water is my main concern if the grid were to go down. Any advice you can give me, Lisa, or anybody familiar with the desert, I would surely appreciate.
As far as purchasing extra pots and pans – is the consensus that stainless steel or cast iron are the best options for cooking on alternative heat sources?
Thanks!
Rebecca Ramirez
We live in Gilbert, AZ and have also been looking for a couple acres in the “hills” where we could escape to when the valley is hot and/or people start looking for what others have and they want to take! Its coming for sure. Glad to hear about others planning and being prepared for whatever. I love this site. My new favorite group to chat with!..
Jenn @ FrugalUpstate
I know this is an old post, but I just wanted to share–at a Methodist Church rummage sale a couple of weeks back I found an old, glass pyrex stove top coffee percolator from the 50's. . . for a buck. Woohoo!
SingleMom
There aren’t too many yard sales or flea markets around here, but I swear by Goodwill. I began using them out of necessity and continued just because it’s fun! It really is a treasure hunt, and I’ve found some very useful housewares there. Don’t go to thrift stores with the idea that you’re going to find Item X, or you’ll wind up disappointed. The fun of it is finding the unexpected!
Cliff
Dutch ovens are the bomb! I have one for the stove top and oven, and one for the open fire. So versatile, and they remind me of years gone by. Love using iron skillets too!
Bill
Estate sales are great places to look for old cast iron. It takes some practice cooking over a campfire (coals are actually what you shold cook over for even heat). Even if it is rusty, it is fairly easy to recondition. Just make sure it has no cracks.
I picked up an aluminum percolator on clearance at a sporting goods store for $5. The individual “Tea Bag” style coffee packets work great and keep the grounds out of your coffee (since most coffee is ground for automatic drip).
Amanda
I am suprised no one has mentioned a french press. Easy no power coffee making… and it filters out the grounds!
Lisa W
Amanda, you read my mind! One of the first “prepper” pieces of equipment I bought was a french press. It’s all well and good to say the first thing should be a radio or water filter..phooey! If I don’t have my coffee in the morning, somebody dies by noon!
countrygirl
I have all stainless or cast iron cookware and recommend getting rid of the non-stick nonsense.
Once you get used to the cast iron it really is no big deal to use and I use it for nearly everything. If you take care of it and season it properly you get a nonstick surface.
Also if you use the cast iron dutch oven in the oven with the lid on you are cooking your roast or chicken or what not with about ten pounds of pressure, and it comes out wonderful.
CouponCook
I am loving my cast iron (and stainless steel). I’ve been using most of it for about 5 years now. In addition to a cast iron dutch oven for outdoors I’ve added a 3 quart and a 6.5 quart enameled dutch ovens to my daily cooking and find I can’t do without them. I would love to have one of my mothers cast iron skillets they are 20+ years old now, and perfectly black. I suspect that with all of the frying she did in them over the years my arteries are nearly as hard as her pans. But nothing can replace the love cooked up in a cast iron pan.
Bonus for me: Summers are brutal here. I’ve set up my “outdoor kitchen” on the back porch. I’ve got a toaster oven, grill with burner eye, crock pot, coffee pot (auto drip not my beloved percolator), I’ve got a campfire grate too. Now I don’t have to heat up my house all summer to do the cooking. ~Amber
Winnie
I have a wood burning stove that has a couple of grates sitting on top from a gas stove. (what you would set your pan on over one of the four burners). The grates keep the pans off of the wood stove so it doesn’t rust. I use my cast iron Dutch oven as a slow cooker, or I have even used my regular pan to make things like pancakes. Since I live in a very rural area in the north, loss of power is not that unusual. You learn to roll with the punches. Growing up as a camper was probably the best survival teacher I could ever have!
Mary
I just found this site and am impressed with the information given. One is never to old to be prepared!
As to cast iron pots and pans-I am 75 years old and with the exception of one small skillet and one camp dutch oven, all 15 pieces plus lids belonged to my grand mother and great grand mother. That makes them over 100 years old and they are as good as they were when they first got them. She taught me to clean them with hot water only, and use sand as an abrasive if and only IF they needed scrubbing (Now I use a plastic scrubbie unless something really sticks while camping). Hand dry them and give them a light coating of crisco and cook it in on top of the stove..I use them daily.
I’ve got my good stainless steel but I swear by my cast iron for inside AND outside cooking.
jayjay
Ahhh. I too was worried about cooking outside or on the Coleman and bought a cast iron from TSC.
The directions said don’t use detergent.
“”After cooking, clean utensil with a stiff brush and hot water. Using soap isn’t recommended, and harsh detergents should never be used.”"
So that’s how I ruined my skillets!!!
thesurvivalmom
It’s hard to get out of the mindset of not using soap!! I have a number of baking stones and, similar to cast iron, soap is a no-no.
c
Cast iron cookware is a must have for any survivalist and a good investment. I was blessed with my husband’s grandmothers cast iron skillet she used for years in her restaurant. To clean any rust, scrub well with steel wool and place well oiled pan in a hot oven to season. Cast iron cookware can be used anywhere….dig a hole, fill it with broken tree branches, place a few large rocks strategically to set your skillet on and light. Cast iron can withstand just about anything, it will last forever and it gets better with age.
Jim
Please see my cleaning reply to Kelly June 4.
Gary Wolf
It’s True! Never Ever use soap on cast iron! it’s bad Mojo! If you have a little rust going on, or your just trying to get the cooked on eggs out here’s one surefire way. Sand! yup that’s it, just scrub up with sand! once all the gunk is out, hit it with a bit of bacon grease (while it’s still on the fire we don’t want raw bacon grease all over) then wipe clean with a dry cloth.
StoopidIS
Magpie57
I priced some new aluminum and steel, stackable camping cook pots and found them way out of my budget. But I like to check out my local thrift shops each week and now I have two complete sets of vintage, stackable, campfire cookware including two big stew pots with metal bail handles and two frypans with removable handles. I am assuming someone cleared out a former Scout Master’s garage. I just know I’m glad to get this stuff because it’s designed to hang over hot coals and can probably do nicely on a gas grill too. No need to worry about plastic handles and Teflon coatings melting.
S. Rosencranz
Salt, kosher salt is how you clean a cast iron skillet for every day use. The French have been doing it for hundreds of years. Especially good for greasy pans. Put a small amount of kosher salt in the pan, walk away and let the salt soak up the grease. Come back a few minutes later and using a paper towel or a cleaning cloth, swoosh that salt around. The coarse grains will scrub the pans clean. The pilgrims used sand from beaches but they also would throw a bit of wood ash in the pan with the grease and actually create a rudimentary soap from the lye and the grease combo. Rough on the hands though.