I have used cast iron and carbon steel for a while. They have their uses and I generally prefer them, but a nonstick pan is essential in many circumstances. Just watch Jacques Pepin make a French style omelette. He used a non stick pan. Who is going to disagree with that man.
Cast iron leet
71–80 of 337 posts
Re: Cast iron leet
#72Cast 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.
I find it sticks like glue and then I end up pulling of the seared coat and leaving the tasty bits burned on to the pan.
A well seasoned cast iron pan lets me move the steak or burger round and build up a nice coat on it.
Re: Cast iron leet
#73In 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…
A downside of non-stick pans are the unknown side effects of the non-stick substance used, though.
https://www.fda.gov/food/chemical-contaminants-food/question...
>Some PFAS are approved for use in the manufacture of non-stick cookware coatings. These coatings are made of molecules that are polymerized (i.e., joined together to form large molecules) and applied to the cookware through a heating process that tightly binds the polymer coating to the cookware. Studies show that this coating contains a negligible amount of PFAS capable of migrating to food
Re: Cast iron leet
#74Earlier quoted context omitted.
Doesn't this also mean you ingest all that wonderfully scraped material?
It's just polymerized cooking oil. There is worse stuff in tap water.
Well, it's that and iron. If I understand correctly, cat iron cookware is sometimes recommended for people who are anemic.
Re: Cast iron leet
#75Earlier quoted context omitted.
> 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.
I find it sticks like glue and then I end up pulling of the seared coat and leaving the tasty bits burned on to the pan. A well seasoned cast iron pan lets me move the steak or burger round and build up a nice coat on it.
It happens if you try to flip things too early. Once you have a seared crust, it's easy to release.
Re: Cast iron leet
#76This 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 use carbon steel pans on a ceramic electric stovetop and they work perfectly. If you don't like Western style pans and you still want to use a wok, then you can get a wok where the centre is flat (many woks are built that way so it should't be too hard to find one), and it will work the same way as the pans I use.
Re: Cast iron leet
#77During 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!
The ones in pizzerias presumably can
Re: Cast iron leet
#78I bought a professional non-stick (teflon) pan and I use it with a metal fork a couple of days a week for almost 3 years now and it's good as new. Just don't stab it.
It was still cheaper than a cast iron pan and the amount of time I save cooking is enormous.
Re: Cast iron leet
#79In 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…
The seasoning has no problems with acidic foods, you do not get a metallic taste units you leave the food in the pan overnight. Once seasoned it does not rust easily but even if it does this is not a problem, just clean it with some cooking oil and use it and the rust is gone. Clean it while warm and it'll dry by itself. Use some fat and your food won't stick - you need fat anyway. No problems with overheating plasti…
> The seasoning has no problems with acidic foods, you do not get a metallic taste units you leave the food in the pan overnight.
Epicurious's taste tests indicate that the proper figure is 30 minutes.
Re: Cast iron leet
#80What 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…
When I got my 12" Lodge a number of years ago, I just hit the cooking surface with a flapper wheel on the angle grinder. It only took a few moments and turned out super smooth. I love that pan. Still use it every day, probably 10 years later.