Muffin pans? Bread pans?

[Karen Mikolainis]

I'm curious if the muffin pans are nice to work with.  Haven't learned much about cast iron yet or baking in cast iron.

What would you pay for your first muffin pan if you were to go that way?

Also, I came across this interesting looking pan.  It looks like maybe it's for rolls?   Just posting because it's interesting.

http://www.shopgoodwill.com/auctions/Vintage-Waterman-Cast-Iron-Pan-32040873.html

Karen

[George Gardner]

Karen, welcome to the WaGS forum.  My opinion is that the CI pans are great to bake with - I even bake cakes, pies, and cookies in my skillets for that matter.  Generically known as "gem" pans, there is a large number and variety of them out there to choose from that are quite affordable at $10 - $15, while others are more collectible and will cost notably more.  The Waterman you referenced is a nice oldie good for cornbread cakes and is one of about a dozen different styles that Nathaniel Waterman designed - collecting his entire works is a challenging endeavor, but that is a part of the appeal of old cast iron pieces.

The "muffin" pans are also referred to as popover pans and are readily found as most of the major CI cookware foundry's made these in ample quantities.

[Mark R. Smith]

I have three of the Wagner muffin pans and two of the Lodge loaf pans. Love them both when making bread or rolls for dinner. The Wagners are used of course and I bought them off EBay. The Lodge loaf  pans I bought from WalMart. After seasoning they are as non-stick as any other of the non-stick pans.

[Stuart Lowery]

Karen,

  I'd like to encourage you to think about joining WAGS. Then, plan on attending our annual convention the end of September, it will be in Grand Rapids, Mi.
  Along with all the educational stuff (and great people) we have a swap meet with all sorts of CI for sale. I'll have multiples of the items on your "wish list" muffin/gem pans, larger skillets, chicken fryers... along with as much other CI as I can safely haul over there.
  Compared to some "crazy" high prices out there, I give mine away (especially to help a newer WAGS member get started), you can see/hold them (no blurry pics), and no sky high shipping costs (or breakage).

  It's a safe bet that I can save you the cost of the membership ;)

[Karen Mikolainis]

Thanks for the offer, Stuart! 

[Jim Glatthaar]

Karen, cast iron pans are great to bake with.  Last year I baked a small apple pie in a Wagner #3 pie logo skillet for my 87 year old mother's birthday.  She was just the happiest.  And the pie was great also. ;)

[C. Perry Rapier]

Karen, cast iron pans are great to bake with.  Last year I baked a small apple pie in a Wagner #3 pie logo skillet for my 87 year old mother's birthday.  She was just the happiest.  And the pie was great also. ;)

Hello Jim. That was an excellent idea. I never thought of making a pie that small. I'll bet it was good too. And in a 'pie logo skillet' to boot.  ;)

[Jim Glatthaar]

BTW Perry, I took the skillet back home.  She wouldn't use it anyway.