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Cast iron leet

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Re: Cast iron leet

#31

Post by jstx1 »

In general I find that cast iron is very overrated.

> Here's a list of myths about cast iron skillets: (...) You can't cook with acidic foods (e.g. tomatoes) because it'll destroy the seasoning

You might not destroy the seasoning but you will get metallic tastes in your food. I don't get why anyone would pick cast iron over stainless steel for an acidic sauce that needs to be cooked for a longer period of time.

Also not mentioned downside of cast iron - you need to dry it perfectly every time or it rusts very easily.

Stainless steel has better heat retention and distribution, doesn't react with acidic foods, is easier to clean, and never rusts. Nonstick pans are better at being nonstick than cast iron. So cast iron ends up being second best for most use cases but the cult around it is certainly strong. (And I admit that they do kind of look cool).

Cast iron = the Python of cooking pans.

Re: Cast iron leet

#32

Post by f38zf5vdt »

taywrobel wrote: post #13

This does miss one huge drawback of cast iron for cooking some dishes - heat control. Cast iron retains heat like crazy and doesn’t change quickly. Get that thing up to a searing temperature and it’ll be 10-15 minutes before you can get an egg anywhere near it for example. A thinner steel pan will heat up and cool down much rapidly allowing for a lot more control. Luckily there’s a fantastic non-nonstick option for t…

Virtually every type of pan comes in carbon steel for affordable prices from cookware wholesalers. They've been life changing for me, especially combined with an induction cooker.

Not to endorse any specific company, but a Thermalloy 8-inch pan is available for approximately $20 USD.

Re: Cast iron leet

#33

Post by taywrobel »

twawaaay wrote: post #30
taywrobel wrote: post #13

This does miss one huge drawback of cast iron for cooking some dishes - heat control. Cast iron retains heat like crazy and doesn’t change quickly. Get that thing up to a searing temperature and it’ll be 10-15 minutes before you can get an egg anywhere near it for example. A thinner steel pan will heat up and cool down much rapidly allowing for a lot more control. Luckily there’s a fantastic non-nonstick option for t…

Carbon steel wok is only viable on a powerful gas stove. Right now where I live there is a campaign to get rid of gas stoves. And the existing ones are far, far from being powerful enough to use wok properly.

I actually just moved to a house with an all-electric range. We use the wok too often for that, so grabbed a butane burner for ~$50 on Amazon. Can also find them at camping supply stores.

The one we got is 15,000 BTU, which is frankly too much. You can find 10,000 or 12,000 BTU options for cheaper, and will probably get some more fine grained control out of it.

The butane lasts for quite a while in it for wok use as well, since you’re generally only cooking for a few minutes at a time.

Re: Cast iron leet

#34

Post by [deleted] »

twawaaay wrote: post #30
taywrobel wrote: post #13

This does miss one huge drawback of cast iron for cooking some dishes - heat control. Cast iron retains heat like crazy and doesn’t change quickly. Get that thing up to a searing temperature and it’ll be 10-15 minutes before you can get an egg anywhere near it for example. A thinner steel pan will heat up and cool down much rapidly allowing for a lot more control. Luckily there’s a fantastic non-nonstick option for t…

Carbon steel wok is only viable on a powerful gas stove. Right now where I live there is a campaign to get rid of gas stoves. And the existing ones are far, far from being powerful enough to use wok properly.

[deleted]

Re: Cast iron leet

#35

Post by jlkuester7 »

f38zf5vdt wrote: post #10
nicexe wrote: post #7

Cast iron is far from perfect. I use it for steaks because they are hard to sear in other cookware. The cleanup and seasoning processes make cast iron hard to use for anything else. I plan to get a ceramic one (with iron core) but even if it solves the seasoning process and the cleanup process, it isn't the best to sear steaks in it. My point is that each tool has its use and in this specific case, cast iron is not t…

I went from teflon to ceramic to cast iron to steel ("carbon steel"). You still have to season it, but it's a lot lighter than cast iron and things stick less. The price point is roughly the same. Searing with gas or induction is straightforward.

The price point of carbon steel pans is about the same as cast iron? My first exposure to carbon steel was a link someone posted out here on HN and the linked pans were $100's (compared to cast iron which are $10's). Maybe I just looked at a very expensive sample..

Re: Cast iron leet

#36

Post by f38zf5vdt »

jlkuester7 wrote: post #35
f38zf5vdt wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I went from teflon to ceramic to cast iron to steel ("carbon steel"). You still have to season it, but it's a lot lighter than cast iron and things stick less. The price point is roughly the same. Searing with gas or induction is straightforward.

The price point of carbon steel pans is about the same as cast iron? My first exposure to carbon steel was a link someone posted out here on HN and the linked pans were $100's (compared to cast iron which are $10's). Maybe I just looked at a very expensive sample..

They are very affordable, but you need to order from somewhere that wholesales to restaurants.

https://www.wasserstrom.com/restaurant-supplies-equipment/pa...

These pans are pre-seasoned and ready for use.

Re: Cast iron leet

#37

Post by jstx1 »

nicexe wrote: post #7

Cast iron is far from perfect. I use it for steaks because they are hard to sear in other cookware. The cleanup and seasoning processes make cast iron hard to use for anything else. I plan to get a ceramic one (with iron core) but even if it solves the seasoning process and the cleanup process, it isn't the best to sear steaks in it. My point is that each tool has its use and in this specific case, cast iron is not t…

> I use it for steaks because they are hard to sear in other cookware.

Stainless steel is perfect for searing. Easier to maintain than cast iron too.

Re: Cast iron leet

#38

Post by jlkuester7 »

sunaurus wrote: post #4

What really impressed me with cast iron skillets is how they actually get better with use. I bought my first cast iron skillet 10 years ago, originally it came with a relatively rough cooking surface. This meant that it was still somewhat sticky even after seasoning it. But now, 10 years later, the cooking surface has worn to a completely smooth state through constant use, it's very easy to cook anything on it withou…

My grandmother has some cast iron pans (one of which came from her mother) that are so smooth to the touch that it is hard to believe they are the same material as the gritty Lodge pans at the store. This is what I love most about these pans! It completely flips the script on our disposable culture and gives you something that just keeps improving as the decades go by!

Re: Cast iron leet

#39

Post by the_third_wave »

twawaaay wrote: post #30
taywrobel wrote: post #13

This does miss one huge drawback of cast iron for cooking some dishes - heat control. Cast iron retains heat like crazy and doesn’t change quickly. Get that thing up to a searing temperature and it’ll be 10-15 minutes before you can get an egg anywhere near it for example. A thinner steel pan will heat up and cool down much rapidly allowing for a lot more control. Luckily there’s a fantastic non-nonstick option for t…

Carbon steel wok is only viable on a powerful gas stove. Right now where I live there is a campaign to get rid of gas stoves. And the existing ones are far, far from being powerful enough to use wok properly.

They work splendidly on wood-burning stoves, give it a try. If you don't have one of those a metal bucket with holes in the bottom-side (for air intake) and top-side also works very well, just feed it dry sticks through the air holes to keep it going. I regularly use a big carbon steel wok to make nasi goreng (fried rice), to deep fry fish and for similar things.

Re: Cast iron leet

#40

Post by fulafel »

hef19898 wrote: post #9
rmetzler wrote: post #6

During the pandemic I learned how to make great Neapolitan style pizza in a normal kitchen oven. To get great pizza you usually need very high heat (~500° / ~930°F) so the pizza cooks very fast and gets cross and soft at the same time. If you use less heat the cooking will take longer and the longer you have it in the oven the more dryer it gets. So you need either a pizza stone or cast iron pan to transfer a lot of…

You cab get your oven to 500 degrees C?? I need one like that, not for cooking but for heat treatment of blades at home!

I read it as saying you don't need 500C if you have a pizza stone or cast iron pan for transferring heat fast. So use a object that has a significant heat capacity to buffer heat, and you don't need the oven to be as hot. (Stone has higher heat capacity per unit mass than iron, but large cast iron pans are heavier than typical pizza stones, so the two objects probably have similar heat capacities.)
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