You gotta use the cast iron stuff for 6 months before you really get to enjoy it. But once it's seasoned, you don't have to wash it and stuff doesn't stick. Everything comes out tasting better and has that "grill" feel/taste. Here's a few tips for seasoning cast iron quicker:
When you just buy it (or want to recoat it), buy like a gallon of cheap vegetable oil. Pour the pan full of oil (maybe 1/4-1/2 way high depending how deep the pan is) and rub the sides with oil. Put that in your oven at about 250 degrees. I forget the exact temp, just play with it until it just starts to smoke, bring it down to where it's no longer smoking. Heat it that way for 30-60 minutes and then turn it off and let it stay for a long time. Possibly repeat this process 1-2 more times. This puts an even coating of oil into the iron pores.
Next get bacon. Bacon grease really does a miraculous job on these pans. The pans I've cooked bacon in have a coating PTFE could never come close to. You don't have to eat the bacon you make the first time. Just cook it and let that bacon grease run all over the pan. Wipe off most of it but leave a little and let the pan cook for about 20-40 minutes without smoking and then let it cool slowly. After this point you should be 3/4 of the way toward a seasoned pan and shouldn't have much trouble cooking with it. Always rub the pan down with a thin layer of oil before and after you cook. After a few uses you'll see how easy it is, convenient, and tasty. If you cook a lot of less oily/fatty stuff try to alternate occasionally to something that is (such as bacon, burgers, etc).
Here's an article about my cast iron cookware.
