Episode 331
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Today, I want to talk about something I use every day in my kitchen—my cast iron skillet.
A long time ago, I used different pans for cooking. Some were good, but they didn’t last long. Some had a nonstick surface, but after some time, it was gone. And some just didn’t cook food the way I liked.
Then, I found cast iron skillets. At first, I didn’t know much about them. They were heavy. They needed oil. And people said, “Don’t wash them with soap!” It sounded complicated! But when I tried one, I understood why people love them.
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Why I Love My Cast Iron Skillet
Now, I have many cast iron skillets in different sizes. And guess what? I use them every single day!
🍳 For breakfast: I cook scrambled or fried eggs and even omelets. The eggs don’t stick if the pan is hot and well-oiled. They come out perfect!
🥩 For lunch or dinner: I cook steak. The pan gets very hot, so the outside of the meat is crispy, and the inside stays juicy.
🍄 For vegetables: I also love cooking mushrooms in my skillet. They turn golden brown and taste amazing!
A cast iron skillet makes everything taste better. It holds the heat for a long time and cooks food evenly. You can use it on the stove, in the oven, or even over a fire!
How to Take Care of a Cast Iron Skillet
At first, I was scared to clean my skillet. People said, “No soap! No dishwasher!” But now, it’s easy for me.
1️⃣ After cooking, I let it cool a bit .
2️⃣ I rinse it with warm water and scrub gently.
3️⃣ I dry it immediately with a towel. After that, I put it back on the stove and heat it to evaporate any remaining water completely.
4️⃣ I rub a little oil on it to keep it nice and smooth.
That’s it! If you take care of your skillet, it will last forever. Some people still use skillets from their grandparents!
Try It!
If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, I really recommend it. Start with simple food—maybe fried eggs or mushrooms. Then, try meat or even bread!
Do you have a cast iron skillet? What do you cook in it? Let me know! 😊
Now, let’s practice.
Speaking Practice
POV Story: Grammar in Context
Notice how the verbs, pronouns, and time perspective change naturally.
First version
Past Tense - Singular
Anna loved cooking. Well… she wanted to love cooking. But her frying pan had other ideas.
Every morning, she tried to make a simple fried egg. And every morning, it was a disaster. The egg stuck to the pan like glue. She tried to flip it—SPLAT! Half the egg was on the pan, the other half was on the floor.
“Why does this always happen?!” she cried.
One evening, her friend Lisa came over for dinner. Anna was fighting with her pan again.
Lisa watched for a moment, then said, “Okay… you need help.”
“I need a new pan,” Anna sighed.
Lisa shook her head. “No, you need a cast iron skillet.”
Anna frowned. “A what?”
Lisa showed her a big, black, heavy pan. “This is the best pan ever. It lasts forever, and food never sticks!”
Anna picked it up. “Forever? Are you sure? It feels like a weapon.”
Lisa laughed. “Well… yeah, you could fight a bear with it. But it’s better for cooking.”
The next morning, Anna gave it a try. She heated the skillet, added oil, and cracked an egg.
The egg cooked perfectly. She held her breath and flipped it. It didn’t break! It didn’t stick! It was beautiful!
Anna gasped. “It’s… it’s a miracle!”
She started cooking everything. Mushrooms? Delicious. Steak? Crispy outside, juicy inside. Omelets? Fluffy perfection.
Now, Anna uses her cast iron skillet every day. She has many in different sizes. And when her friends complain about their pans, she just smiles and says, “Get a cast iron skillet. It’s magic.”
Second version
Past Tense - Plural
Anna and Lisa loved cooking. Well… they wanted to love cooking. But their frying pans had other ideas.
Every morning, they tried to make simple fried eggs. And every morning, it was a disaster. The eggs stuck to the pans like glue. They tried to flip them—SPLAT! Half the eggs were on the pans, the other halves were on the floor.
“Why does this always happen?!” they cried.
One evening, their friend Mia came over for dinner. Anna and Lisa were fighting with their pans again.
Mia watched for a moment, then said, “Okay… you two need help.”
“We need new pans,” they sighed.
Mia shook her head. “No, you need cast iron skillets.”
Anna and Lisa frowned. “A what?”
Mia showed them big, black, heavy pans. “These are the best pans ever. They last forever, and food never sticks!”
Anna and Lisa picked them up. “Forever? Are you sure? They feel like weapons.”
Mia laughed. “Well… yeah, you could fight a bear with them. But they’re better for cooking.”
The next morning, Anna and Lisa gave them a try. They heated the skillets, added oil, and cracked some eggs.
The eggs cooked perfectly. The girls held their breath and flipped them. They didn’t break! They didn’t stick! They were beautiful!
They gasped in unison: “It’s… it’s a miracle!”
They started cooking everything. Mushrooms? Delicious. Steak? Crispy outside, juicy inside. Omelets? Fluffy perfection.
Now, Anna and Lisa use their cast iron skillets every day. They have many in different sizes. And when their friends complain about their pans, they just smile and say, “Get a cast iron skillet. It’s magic.”
Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you in the next episode.
Review
Vocabulary from This Episode
Review useful words and expressions before listening again.
01 cast iron skillet
a heavy frying pan made from cast iron.
02 nonstick surface
a coating that helps prevent food from sticking.
03 well-oiled
covered with enough oil to cook or protect the surface.
04 crispy
pleasantly firm and crunchy on the outside.
05 juicy
containing plenty of natural liquid.
06 scrub
clean by rubbing firmly.
07 evaporate
change from liquid into vapor.
08 season a pan
build and maintain a protective layer of oil on cookware.
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