Anonymous wrote:Cuisinart GreenGourmet
Mauviel
Le Creuset

I have several Le Creuset cast iron enamel dutch ovens and use them all the time. Thinking about getting a fry pan. Are these as good as the cast iron? I need it for eggs and pancakes.

http://www.amazon.com/Le-Creuset-Hard-Anodized-Nonstick-Shallow/dp/B0016ZS9G0/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1385135416&sr=8-11&keywords=le+creuset

I currently use a Berndes but, around the corners, i am starting to see some spots of white. I guess the non stick suface is starting to fall eventhough we only use wood or silicon utensils with it.

http://www.amazon.com/Berndes-9-1-2-Inch-Crepe-Pan/dp/B00008DGOR/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1385135489&sr=8-5&keywords=berndes+pan

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get cast iron. They're cheap, they're durable, and once they're seasoned they're basically nonstick.

Everyone says this, but ive had my cast iron for 7 years and it is certainly not non-stick unless i use a ton of oil. I cant fry eggs in it. And no i dont use soap on it. What am i doing wrong?

People are full of shit. They stick.

I have 2 cast iron pans and have been using them for well over a decade. I use them almost daily, but do not use them when I truly need a non-stick pan. I used one last night for salmon burgers which is perfect since the salmon has a ton of oil in it.

When I want to use little or no oil, I use the non-stick pan. I use ecolution pans. I only use a quick spritz of oil.

http://www.ecolutionhome.com/

Cuisinart GreenGourmet
Mauviel
Le Creuset

I bought the Kirkland brand set that looks like all clad/calphalon. It has been great so far.

Finally, you may be cooking at too high a temp. You don't need to blast everything with heat.

If I'm searing steaks, I'll turn it up to 8 or above. But most everything else is medium or lower. I saute vegetables at 5 to 7, make bacon at 5, and fry eggs at 3 to 4. That keeps cooking times manageable and I don't scorch stuff.

Your range will vary, of course, but if everything is sticking on you, try preheating first, and then try turning it down a notch.

Also, when you use it, preheat it before you add the oil. Remember, "hot pan, cold oil." Then let the oil heat till shimmery, then add the food.

This applies to frying in stainless steel as well.

What I was told is that the metal is porous, and when you heat it, the metal expands, closing the pores. You want that to happen before you add the oil, so the oil forms a slick on the closed-pore surface. If the pores are open when you add the oil, the surface is apparently "stickier."


I'm no metallurgist or engineer, and I don't know if I believe that, but I follow it and it seems to work.

Anonymous wrote:Get cast iron. They're cheap, they're durable, and once they're seasoned they're basically nonstick.


Everyone says this, but ive had my cast iron for 7 years and it is certainly not non-stick unless i use a ton of oil. I cant fry eggs in it. And no i dont use soap on it. What am i doing wrong?

Maybe you're not using it or seasoning it often enough? (Or generously enough?)

I re-season mine about every 2 mos. or so, or whenever it looks like it needs it. Rub it with shortening or bacon fat, then bake in the oven in the 200's for a couple of hours. I cook eggs in it four or five mornings a week, nothing ever sticks.

I love my Scanpan! The non-stick is amazing and is supposed to be better for you than Teflon. You just have to be careful, because it scratches very easily. I only use wood utensils when cooking with it and a soft sponge to wash it.

We just got the calphalon ceramic non-stick pans and I love them. They're the non-stickiest non-stick pans I ever used, and no worry about Teflon.

It just disgusts me that manufacturers are making such crap that everyone has gotten accustomed to just throwing out a pan every year. What a waste of our natural resources. For those of you buying pans and just throwing them away, picture them piling up in landfills. It's just so wasteful. Why don't they make good products that last anymore. This stuff is not supposed to be disposable!

I bought a number of cast iron skillets (different sizes) at the thrift shop. They are old and durable. I had to clean them really well and then season them to restore them to their glory.

For baking, I prefer stoneware. I hate Pampered Chef, but love their stoneware. Similar to cast iron, you do not use soap and they need to be seasoned to become non-stick.

I buy the $20 three pack from Costco and replace once a year. If you're cooking at a high enough temp to worry about the dangers of teflon, you're probably searing something which should be done in stainless steel anyway for best results. Properly done, high temperature searing should leave the vast majority of the fat in the pan anyway, negating the benefits of non-stick cooking.

Calaphon, but not the ones on sale. The more expensive ones work better. We have discarded several of the cheaper ones.

Anonymous wrote:The best pans are allclad.

Yes, they make the best regular pans, but I hate their non-stick. They are sticky. I do like the Emeril ones.

Also, a cheer for emerilware. I bought a small one on a whim at Marshals and it is my favorite. They seem to have a new kind of non-stick out that is non petroleum based..might want to research that...sounds healthier.