Good article. Thanks Harold.
I like baking in it, and using it as a slow-cooker. It does both superbly well, in part because the lids (always buy lids, which also should be cast-iron) are ovenproof, and heavy. They don't so much fit tight as the weight of the lid keeps it on firmly.
The relative evenness of the heat is great for baking. You can bake all sorts of things in them: bread (might be oddly-shaped but it does a good job), pies, cobblers, etc. Bread is particularly good because if you leave the lid on while a wet dough is baking, it will trap the steam and create a very thin, crackly-crisp crust.
It's also good for griddles, in part because of the relative even-ness of the heat, and in part because cast iron doesn't warp unless you seriously abuse it. Makes absolute perfect pancakes.
The article mentions the brittleness of cast-iron, which is good. Cast iron will last a century or so IF you don't drop it or rust it!
