Cast iron pots and pans
I still use and treasure the cast iron frying pan my father cooked trout in when he took me fishing in sparkling Northern California rivers. Cast iron pots and pans have been favored for at least 1,500 years because they retain heat evenly, with either seasoned or enameled surfaces.
In 19th century Europe meals were cooked over or in a hearth fire, and iron pots and pans were made either to set in the fire or hang over it. Four legs were added to some pots, and in 1708 Abraham Darby got a patent to make and sell a “spider,” which has a handle and three legs so it could stand a little above the flames. Lodge has made all sorts of shapes and sizes consistently since 1896 in South Pittsburgh, Tennessee.
Other popular companies that have made sturdy cast iron pots and pans include Griswold, Wagner, and Backlock, some of which were outdone when Teflon pans came in. Some old cast iron pots and pans from these companies are more expensive than new ones. Bare cast iron is the cheapest and longest lasting and sometimes available in grocery stores.