Counting Cast Iron

W. Hilditch

Active member
Here is my theoretical cast iron: (all pieces are CI)

A syrup warmer with a tray/trivet and lid.
A Dutch oven with a lid.
A skillet with a lid.
A 1 qt. saucepan with a skillet lid.
A set of waffle irons with a base.

How many pieces of CI cookware do I have?

Hilditch
 
Here is my theoretical cast iron: (all pieces are CI)

A syrup warmer with a tray/trivet and lid.
A Dutch oven with a lid.
A skillet with a lid.
A 1 qt. saucepan with a skillet lid.
A set of waffle irons with a base.

How many pieces of CI cookware do I have?

Hilditch

Waffle Iron (2 paddles) and Base = 3
Syrup Warmer = 1
Tray/Trivet = 1
Dutch Oven = 1
Skillet = 1
Saucepan = 1
Assuming that a single lid fits the Syrup Warmer, Dutch Oven, Skillet, and Saucepan = 1

Minimum pieces = 9



Waffle Iron (2 paddles) and Base = 3
Syrup Warmer, Tray/Trivet, Lid = 3
Dutch Oven, Lid = 2
Skillet, Lid = 2
Saucepan, Lid = 2

Assuming each lid is matched to its respective piece = 12

---------- Post added at 07:38 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:34 AM ----------

My fingers added up to 14

Does that mean you have 7 fingers on each hand? :icon_rofl:
 
RLMuse, Hilditch has the orange descoware syrup warmer on his stove in the chicken and waffle post. It is a 3 piece set.
 
Here is my theoretical cast iron: (all pieces are CI)

A syrup warmer with a tray/trivet and lid.
A Dutch oven with a lid.
A skillet with a lid.
A 1 qt. saucepan with a skillet lid.
A set of waffle irons with a base.

How many pieces of CI cookware do I have?

Hilditch

Was there suppose to be a right or wrong answer to your question?
A piece of "cookware" may consist of several pieces to form one (1) piece of cookware by definition.
Since this was your post I assume you were trying to find out if we were paying attention to your question???
I still think you have five pieces of "cookware" per the above list.
 
Do I hear a 6?

Hilditch

---------- Post added at 01:27 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:58 AM ----------

MD, I thought it would be interesting to see how others counted their collections, for myself and for new collectors. This was not a right or wrong answer question. It was interesting that you came up with 5, meaning you didn’t give credit for either the syrup warmer or skillet lid.

I don’t claim that every piece of cast iron in the house is cookware like the CI stove or think that a marketing ploy of counting a few trivets or a hot mitt in a set of cookware is legit.

I still hope others will respond here as the more the better.

Hilditch
 
I'd call it 5, but since skillets and lids are often sold separately I can see why some might say there are 6.
 
I count the syrup warmer as cookware as it is also used to make drawn butter and boil a single egg.

The skillet lid to the sauce pan is an egg pan so I count both of them as cookware.

Hilditch
 
I guess "theoretically" each piece of the CI posted can be manipulated to use as an additional cooking implement which would mean we all have much more "cookware" than we thought.
It's an interesting subject you have brought up and I hope it's not too confusing to those trying to amass a collection based simply on pieces rather than "cookware pieces". Fun to see all the different counts submitted but I am still sticking to (5) pieces of cookware.
I'm really not trying to be argumentative but just giving my opinion based on the definition of "cookware".
 
I went with the theory that each piece of cast iron can be found all by itself in some antique shop somewhere, so each was an individual piece of cookware.

All the individual pieces that make up one complete cookware "set" can be put together after being bought piecemeal.

A skillet lid to me is its own piece of cookware. I can be used on a flat top grill to cover cheeseburgers for the quick water spurt to steam melt the cheese.

When purchasing a complete set of stainless steel pots and pans, the box usually says "9 piece cookware set" if it has 3 pots, 3 pans, and 3 lids (with lids fitting one pot and one pan each).
 
I went with the theory that each piece of cast iron can be found all by itself in some antique shop somewhere, so each was an individual piece of cookware.

All the individual pieces that make up one complete cookware "set" can be put together after being bought piecemeal.

A skillet lid to me is its own piece of cookware. I can be used on a flat top grill to cover cheeseburgers for the quick water spurt to steam melt the cheese.

When purchasing a complete set of stainless steel pots and pans, the box usually says "9 piece cookware set" if it has 3 pots, 3 pans, and 3 lids (with lids fitting one pot and one pan each).

Thought the question was ( how many "CI" Cookware pieces do I have?) Didn't realize we were going into "sets" of cookware pieces.
Walmart advertises a Rachael Ray 15 pc. Hard Enamel Non-Stick cookware set which includes a potato peeler, spatula, and other utensils comprising the total of (15pc's). Would like to see something cooked on a potato peeler or spatula. The sets also includes glass lids for the pots and pans which may be difficult to cook in. I still maintain that a piece of "cookware" consist of whatever pieces combined to cook with/in. Manufactures use the ploy of a lot of pieces one gets for the dollar amount spent thus the more pieces included in their cookware sets the more likely one will buy it. Again...Just my theory.
 
Here we have what was referenced in post #1. As predicted by The Man of Many Fingers (I wonder what that is in Navajo?) there are 14 pieces of cast iron in this pic including the two grates. However, cookware? Your call.



Hilditch
 
MD, I wish you could relate to my mini cast iron. They can cook eggs in any way you can think up. Fried, hard boiled, soft boiled, an omelet, shirred, a casserole, scrambled, sunny side up, over easy or poached. There are many other single serving uses as well. Thus, I count them among my cast iron cookware as they have all proven themselves.



Hilditch
 
Couldn’t resist posting this pic. Two over well and three sunny side up got joined by Goetta, fried apples and ciabatta toast.



Hilditch
 
I was hoping for a consensus. Hehe. I thought I knew how to count my own cookware and just remembered the following set. Now I’m in trouble again.



Hilditch
 
The Romans used to say, "sic transit gloria mundi", but apparently they didn't have cast iron. These patty molds might not be famous anymore, but I'm sure they still function as perfectly as ever. Cool set!
 
@W. Hilditch, nice looking end-grain block you've got your pieces sitting on. Nice pieces, too...

This is an interesting thought question. Yes, sets are typically marketed (at least these days, don't know about historically) as a count of the number of separate pieces in the set, regardless of their function. Like in a set of something with a holder, the holder counts, too.

But, marketing aside, how do we count them?

Personally, I define it like this - if the pieces are only designed to be used together, they have no individual function (unless you get very creative), then the set is one piece of cookware.

But if each individual piece can be used standalone or in conjunction with pieces other than what they came with, then they are single pieces.

For example, a waffle iron, can you really use the individual pieces separately, without getting really improvisational? And a syrup warmer, do the lid and trivet really serve any meaningful purpose without the pitcher? I would call each set a single "piece".

While a lid, though there's no "standard usage" for a lid without a pot or pan to put it on, a single lid can service multiple pots and pans of the correct size, so I'd call that a separate piece.

Just my opinion.
 
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