NEW YORK— While cast iron cookware and recipes have been around since American frontier times, the segment saw a surge in popularity during the last year. This, according to industry experts, can be attributed to its durability, oven-to-table capabilities and versatility.
Vendors noted that the cast iron segment is forecasted to grow in 2017 as well, as the category continues to benefit from several market and lifestyle trends. This includes the continued rise of cooking at home, media attention from food bloggers and culinary related television shows, cast iron cookware usage from celebrity chefs and the Millennial consumer who is just starting to hone their culinary skills.
“Many quintessential American recipes are best and were originally developed in cast iron— cornbread, steak, fried chicken, and burgers easily come to mind. And as American cooking becomes more cosmopolitan, you see people branching out to bring other cuisines into their cast iron skillets— roasted chicken, shakshuka, dosas, and more,” said Chris Muscarella, founder of Field Company.
The continued growth of the “foodie” and the cross between sweet and savory cookware and bakeware have also brought a new cast iron consumer to the market and will help the category continue to thrive.
“For 2017, we expect to see cast iron cooking gain traction far beyond the core true believers who have always been passionate about the benefits of cast iron,” said Mike Whitehead, founder of Finex Cast Iron Cookware. “Cooks are becoming better informed about cast iron cookware and happy to open their wallets and invest in premium cast iron given how long they plan to keep it in the family.”
Mark Kelly, advertising and public relations manager of Lodge Manufacturing, said that he predicts that cast iron will continue to grow in 2017 and that basic cast iron cookware pieces will lead the way.
“The basic skillets, grill pans and Dutch ovens are going to continue to be strong sellers. They can be used in a variety of places and people still love the basic shapes,” he said.
Whitehead agreed. “Cast iron skillets will continue to be the star of 2017 but look for cast iron grill pans to give them a challenge. Buyers are finding grill pans to be the new essential for indoor grilling and appreciate their ease of cleaning and lack of greasy flare-ups for outdoor use,” he said.
Brian Melzer, president, Epoca International, also said that grill pans will grow in popularity during the next year. However, he explained that increased coating options that allow consumers easy cleaning will also help drive business forward.
Sara Dahmen, founder of Housekeeper Crockery, said that smooth-finished cast iron pieces will pique the interest of consumers this year and may send them looking for vintage-style pieces.
“We’ll see people who are looking to do boutique cast iron wares trying to replicate that smooth finish, whether it’s with grinding, polishing or sanding, as well as people who really care about the finishing and seasoning,” she said.
In addition to product offerings, cast iron product sales are poised for growth at retail because of the positioning the category has taken. More private label goods in the market are being advertised and there has been continued growth of open stock cookware sales in general.
“Retailers have been pushing more branded and private label on promotional flyers with key products featured in open stock offerings. Vessel offerings and designs will push growth in the categories as the cast iron connoisseur will further invest in the pans for their kitchens,” said Manny Gaunaurd, CEO of Creative Home & Kitchen, which manages the Victoria brand of cast iron.
Retailers can expect that more introductions from new and established vendors will be hitting the market to capitalize on the cast iron trend.
Kelly said that he predicts more companies will launch cast enamel products in 2017 as a way to bring the cooking benefits of cast iron and couple it with personal touches, like color.
Dahmen said, “I suspect we’re going to hear more about cast steel and possibly ductile iron. Both of these are still considered to be cast as they’re formed with the same process and machines but they have a different molecular make-up than regular gray cast iron, and perform differently on heat. Already we’re starting to hear about cast steel making in-roads, albeit slowly.”
John Anthony, president and CEO at Columbian Home Products, noted that other cast goods— like cast aluminum— should also be popular in 2017 as consumers continue to seek out materials that have the cooking properties of cast iron but are not as heavy and require less maintenance.
