These days, cast iron cookware comes in all shapes and sizes, from frying pans or skillets to casserole pans, saucepans, and a whole variety of dishes and pots for just about any culinary use imaginable.

The old “frontier” image that used to be attached to these cooking workhorses is long gone and today’s modern cast iron skillets are a beautiful and useful addition to any kitchen.

Is easy to see why. Although they are ideal for use with all Aga style ovens or stoves, their properties also lend themselves to a much wider variety of kitchen styles and equipment.

Here is my list of the top seven benefits of cast iron cookware:

1) excellent heat retention. The nature of iron means that heat is retained within the material for longer. This makes your pan extremely energy efficient, as once it’s hot, only a low to medium setting is required to maintain maximum performance. You can remove the cookware from the heat and allow food to cook in its own retained heat, or you can bring the pot to the table where the cookware’s heat retention will keep food hot longer.

two) ideal heat induction. In addition to heat retention, cast iron provides ideal heat induction. This ensures that your food is heated evenly and consistently, with no hot spots. You get perfect, predictable results every time.

3) Versatility. You can safely use this cookware with a wide variety of heat sources, such as: gas, electric cooktops (solid or radiant), induction, under broiler, on the hob or in the oven. And, of course, it’s especially well-suited to Aga-style cooktops: most cast-iron cooktops can withstand temperatures up to 374 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius).

Plus, you can easily use a single skillet or skillet for almost any kitchen task: baking a cake, roasting or frying a chicken, frying potatoes, searing a steak, sautéing vegetables, etc.

4) Sustainability: These durable cookware are built to last generation after generation. In fact, I inherited several pans from my mother and I intend to pass them down to my children! Sensibly maintained, they will never crack or peel and their properties will remain constant throughout their lives. They are so solid and reliable. In fact, I would say that good quality cast iron cookware actually gets better with time.

My advice to anyone shopping for cast iron cookware these days is to choose an enameled piece (as are most of them, especially from the better makers). The process of glazing the interior surface of a pan typically involves fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing at extremely high temperatures, resulting in a permanent vitreous/porcelain enamel glaze. But enough of the technicalities – what that means to you is that your enamel cookware has these additional benefits:

5) nonstick surface. With an enameled piece, there’s no need to season (or re-season) the cookware before use.

6) they are hygienic. The enameled surface is impervious to odors and flavors, making the cookware ideal for storing marinated foods or for storing raw or cooked foods in the fridge or freezer.

7) easy to maintain. The pans are very easy to clean, either by hand or in a dishwasher.

Oh, and there’s an added benefit: they look fantastic! It’s okay, I’m biased. But to me, the sheer aesthetic beauty of modern cast iron cookware, especially from the leading specialist French manufacturers, cannot help but lend a touch of class to any kitchen.