Cooking with cast iron has always been one of my favorite ways to prepare meals. Whether it’s a hearty breakfast, a simple lunch, or a comforting dinner, my cast iron skillet is often the first pan I reach for. It’s reliable, incredibly durable, and with the right care, can last for generations. There’s something about that solid weight and even heat distribution that just feels right in the kitchen. But as amazing as cast iron is, it does have a few limitations.

While it’s versatile enough for searing meats, baking cornbread, or roasting veggies, there are certain foods you should avoid cooking in cast iron if you want to keep your pan in top shape and your meals tasting their best. One of the biggest offenders is highly acidic foods. This includes tomatoes, lemons, vinegar-based sauces, and any other ingredients with strong acidity. While your cast iron might be well-seasoned, acidic foods can still react with the metal, especially if the seasoning has any weak spots. This reaction can cause the seasoning to break down, which not only damages the pan over time but can also give your food a strange, metallic taste. I learned this the hard way after cooking a tomato-heavy shakshuka in my cast iron skillet. I was excited to try it, but the end result tasted like I’d added a handful of pennies to the recipe—not exactly what I was going for.

Since then, I’ve reserved acidic dishes for my stainless steel or non-stick pans. Another group of foods to be careful with is super fragrant ingredients. Think fish with a strong smell, powerful cheeses, and heavy doses of garlic or onions. While cast iron is great at locking in flavors, it’s also known for holding onto odors. Even after a good cleaning, these strong smells can linger in the pan and end up affecting the next dish you cook. Some people recommend putting your cast iron in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes to “burn off” any lingering smells. That method can work, but it’s not foolproof. I’ve had times when I cooked something delicate, like pancakes, and ended up with a faint whiff of last night’s garlic shrimp.

To avoid this, I usually steer clear of cooking especially fragrant foods in cast iron unless I know I’ll be making similar dishes in it again soon. And then there are eggs. This might come as a surprise because many people believe a well-seasoned cast iron skillet should be naturally non-stick. While that can be true, eggs are particularly tricky. Unless your pan is seasoned perfectly and at just the right temperature, eggs tend to stick like glue. More often than not, I’ve found myself scraping scrambled eggs off the bottom of the skillet, leaving behind a stubborn brown layer that’s a pain to clean. Eggs also have a way of soaking up the flavor of the seasoning, which can be a bit overwhelming depending on what was previously cooked in the pan.

For a stress-free breakfast with perfectly cooked eggs, I always opt for a non-stick pan instead. Despite these few exceptions, cast iron remains one of the best tools in my kitchen. It’s tough, dependable, and delivers amazing results for a wide variety of meals. Knowing what not to cook in it is just as important as knowing what it does well. Avoiding acidic, overly fragrant, or delicate foods like eggs will help you preserve the integrity of your pan while ensuring your meals taste exactly as they should. Cast iron may not be the right choice for everything, but for the things it’s good at, it’s unbeatable. Take care of it, use it wisely, and it will serve you well for years to come.