One piece of cookware sees more action than anything else in the kitchen: my cast iron skillet.

I'm pretty passionate about this chunk of metal. In fact, I've found myself on a bit of a mission lately to convince everyone I know that they, too, should jump on the cast iron bandwagon. And today I'm adding all of you to my audience. Cast iron has enormous benefits over other cook surfaces on the market.

Benefits of Cast Iron
Inexpensive - skillets start around $15
Durable - one skillet will last a lifetime
Nonstick - properly seasoned cast iron is a natural nonstick surface
Versatile - use it for stir fry, pancakes, tofu scramble, seared tomatoes, you name it
Easy to care for - clean with hot water and a stiff bristled-brush, no soap!
Healthy - no chemical coatings or treatments

Choosing the right piece of cast iron cookware for you and your family is pretty easy. You may opt to pick up a few different pieces, but one good skillet is a must for everyone! I'll confess: I own a 12-inch skillet and an enameled 6-qt Dutch oven and I can't imagine doing without either one of them.
Some things to consider when shopping for cast iron:
 
Size:
Since I'm typically cooking for just 1-2 people, I went with a smaller 12-inch skillet and it's definitely the right size for me. Cast iron skillets are available in a mind-blowing range of sizes these days, from 6-inch to 20-inch and more!

Dutch ovens are also available in a range of sizes. I bought mine primarily for baking bread in (a la ) so 6-qt is perfect, but you can find smaller and larger ones at affordable prices by Lodge.

Cost:
My favorite skillet came pre-seasoned and I didn't pay more than $15 for it. My Dutch oven was around $45 and I spent about $2 at the hardware store on a stainless steel knob to replace the factory plastic knob to make it oven-proof. It stands to reason that larger skillets and other types of pans will cost you more, and if you're so inclined, you can easily find a way to spend a few hundred smackers on some cast iron pieces.

Uses:
As I mentioned before, a cast iron skillet can become your new best friend in the kitchen. It can handle anything from fried tofu to pancakes to stir fry and even sauces.

I discovered the magical wonders of the Dutch oven while learning a new approach to bread making from by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois. Baking bread inside a cast iron Dutch oven creates a fantastic crispy-chewy crust that is, I'm convinced, impossible to obtain through any other methods. Since there truly is nothing better in this world than homemade bread, I bought a Dutch oven to serve my bread-lust.

But, I'm also a member of the Alton Brown school of thought that dictates that there is no room in the kitchen (especially a tiny one like mine!) for unitaskers! All items must serve multiple purposes. In the case of the Dutch oven, that meant I had to learn what else it was good for. I've had it for a couple of years now and I'll admit, I'm still discovering new uses. But, in brief, Dutch ovens are great for: soups, stews, chili, tomato sauce, making seitan from scratch, making seitan roasts, rice dishes, upside down cake, and heck, you can even bake a pizza in it!

Notes:
Cast iron gets HOT HOT HOT so take precautions. Be conservative when heating your stovetop, as cast iron is slow to heat up and slow to cool off. Once it's hot, it'll stay hot for a long time. Also, if the rest of your cookware has cool-touch handles, you may want to buy yourself a little insurance against burns by using a silicone handle like the on your skillets.