"As part of the quintessential American breakfast duo, bacon is one of the first things that many budding cooks learn to whip up. It doesn't really matter which of the many types of bacon we're talking about; it is an almost universally adored food, and, really, it is pretty hard to mess up. But if you are still using a cast-iron pan to fry these salty strips, you are making a huge mistake, according to chef and restaurateur Geoffrey Zakarian."
"This is worth it when you are cooking something that needs a good sear, like a large cut of meat or fish, but for some tasks in the kitchen, it is just unnecessary. As Zakarian puts it, "We wouldn't put water in a cast iron," and equally, when it comes to bacon, "You don't need the heat of a cast iron." You would never choose a cast-iron pot to boil water, as it is simply slower and less efficient."
Bacon cooks quickly and does not require the heat-retaining properties of a cast-iron pan. Stainless steel pans perform well for frying bacon, and sheet pans offer practicality for preparing large batches. Cast iron stores substantial heat and requires significant time and energy to reach cooking temperature, which benefits searing large cuts but is excessive for thin bacon strips. Using cast iron for tasks that need rapid, even heat is inefficient, analogous to choosing cast iron to boil water. Selecting lighter, faster-heating cookware improves practicality and efficiency when frying bacon.
Read at Tasting Table
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