Seasoning

• Your cast iron skillet has a rough surface and it needs to be seasoned before it will cook evenly and prevent rusting and pitting from acidic foods. Season your cast iron skillet by coating the inside with vegetable oil and baking for 300 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour. Repeat this procedure once. Oil the inside and outside surfaces on a regular basis. Do not use animal fat, as it can go rancid.
  
  

Utensils

• Use plastic or wood utensils that won't scrape the seasoning off the cast iron skillet. You can tell when the seasoning has worn off or when the skillet has not been seasoned properly because cooking food will stick to the skillet.
  
  

Iron Consumption

• Cooking in a cast iron skillet adds iron to the food you're preparing. That may be good news for people who don't get enough iron in their diets. But others who have problems with high iron levels should not cook in these skillets. According to Mercola.com, a cast iron skillet can leach 2817 mg/L of iron into your food, as found in its 2009 heavy metals leaching test.
  
  

Weight

• Cast iron skillets are heavy, some weighing about 5 lbs. While this weight may be an advantage when it comes to evenly cooking food, it can be quite a hazard if you drop it. It is heavy enough to break bones or cause severe bruising. The interior and exterior oiling can also make the skillet slippery and easy to drop.
  
  

Heat

• Cast iron skillets conduct heat extremely well and hold onto that heat for a long time. You may also use other pans with insulated handles, but don't forget that the handle on a cast iron skillet is also cast iron. Grabbing a hot cast iron skillet handle can cause serious burns.