I see no need to own a cast iron pan

[HereWeGoAgain]

By the way Isaac Toups agrees with the "clean it with salt" crew...

Using salt is a last resort.
I usually put a little water in the pan and bring it to a boil and scrap it with a plastic pan scraper,dump it wipe it dry and wipe it with a paper towel with some oil on it.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

It seems more efficient to own a stainless steel skillet that can do both things instead of needing to switch to compensate for shortcomings.


Searing meat is about the same between cast iron and stainless steel. I can cook eggs on stainless but usually use a nonstick pan I have just for eggs.


How? The stainless steel pan I can throw in the dishwasher, or hand wash and put on the drying rack, or put water in to soak if I want to clean later. Easy. Cast iron you can't soak it, you can't put it on a drying rack, there are people in here talking about oiling or salting it after every use. That is not easier.


This isn't true, cast iron is notorious for uneven heating. Clad stainless steel pans distribute heat far more evenly than cast iron. Copper is the best of course, but good copper pans are out of my budget.

Where cast iron shines is retaining heat because the pan is so thick.

I have stainless cookware but cast iron works way better in a lot of ways.
I wouldnt bake cornbread in a stainless pan,or blacken fish in a stainless pan or cook eggs in a stainless pan.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Stainless steel "sandwich metal" bottom pans have a very small window of temperatures that food will not become literally glued to the bottom of the pan. (Which have to be scrubbed out later)

Cast iron pans have a larger window of non-stick temperatures to operate within. The polymerization of various oils provides the non-stick surface inside the pans. These heavy pans tend to hold the heat longer and are capable of searing meats without a huge heat loss from the cold food placed in them.

However, the drawbacks extensively mentioned have not covered the warping or cracking that can come from cast iron abuse.

Also....a new cast iron pan these days requires a LOT of work to prepare for cooking. The inside needs to be ground Smooth in some fashion to remove the casting surface silicone laden metal to open the pores and provide a smooth surface to cook eggs and pancakes on.

View attachment 844229

Not true.
I have two Field cast iron skillets that are smooth as glass right out of the box.
I used to buy Lodge and grind it smooth but thats no longer necessary.
There are a bunch of new cast iron manufacturers that are smooth as well.
I heard somewhere that Lodge is now selling super smooth pans to keep up with the competition.
In the past I'd sand my Lodge stuff until it was super smooth and then sugar blast them.
This made them way better at holding the polymerized oil.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

/---/ Quickest way to anger a Southerner

View attachment 844355

My brother had a girlfriend that ran his cast iron through the dishwasher.
It didnt end well.

 

[Couchpotato]

It's not advised to wash them with soap and water .. it won't destroy them, it will negate the seasoning that provides protection and the "non-stick" surface. Water is fine, as it is a common approach to boil after your cook to clean / steam the surface.

No it doesn’t. I have 3. 2 are older than you and have been washed in soap and water over and over. If seasoned properly soap and water do not hurt them.

How to Clean Cast Iron

We'll teach you how to clean cast iron in three simple steps.

www.lodgecastiron.com

“Wash your cast iron cookware by hand. You can use a small amount of soap”

 

[jotathought]

No it doesn’t. I have 3. 2 are older than you and have been washed in soap and water over and over. If seasoned properly soap and water do not hurt them.

How to Clean Cast Iron

We'll teach you how to clean cast iron in three simple steps.

www.lodgecastiron.com

“Wash your cast iron cookware by hand. You can use a small amount of soap”

Sigh ... "small amount" .. No need to be an ass.

Contrary to popular belief, you can use a small amount of soap to clean cast iron cookware! Large amounts of soap can strip the seasoning off your pan, but you can easily re-season your pan as needed.

Source

 

[Muhammed]

Stainless steel can cook everything that cast iron can cook. It can sear, it can braise, it can fry, it can go in the oven, it is durable, lighter, and easy to care for. I don't make cornbread. These are facts, not being contrarian.

Just because you can pound a screw into a wall with a hammer, that doesn't necessarily mean it's the best way to do it. There's nothing wrong with using a screwdriver to accomplish one task and using a hammer to accomplish a different task.

 

[JohnDB]

Not true.
I have two Field cast iron skillets that are smooth as glass right out of the box.
I used to buy Lodge and grind it smooth but thats no longer necessary.
There are a bunch of new cast iron manufacturers that are smooth as well.
I heard somewhere that Lodge is now selling super smooth pans to keep up with the competition.
In the past I'd sand my Lodge stuff until it was super smooth and then sugar blast them.
This made them way better at holding the polymerized oil.

I seen the price tag too....
$216 for a cast iron skillet is too rich for my blood.
$9 over 30 years ago and I'm still using it. No need for another.

But just a thought about used cast iron pans.
If you own one with black stuff on the bottom you put there it's seasoning...
But if someone else put the black stuff on it
It is crud that must immediately be removed.

 

[Couchpotato]

Sigh ... "small amount" .. No need to be an ass.



Source

I can tell you from experience that the amount of soap you use makes little difference. I use mine everyday, and they get washed in soap and water every time.

 

[AveMarica]

sorry but cast iron sears perfectly for the experienced user,,,

as shown in the pictures above,,,

No need to be sorry. Stainless steel also sears perfectly, which is kind of my point about not needing cast iron for the searing.

As shown in the pictures below...

 

[iamwhatiseem]

It seems cast iron has had a resurgence in popularity and some folks are borderline cult-like over it, but I've yet to have anyone give me a good reason to own one instead of stainless steel. They are heavy (I like to flip food), take longer to heat up, aren't responsive, react with acidic ingredients, and you can't just soak the pan to clean later since it will rust out. I don't get the appeal.

They are good for searing meat, and that is about it. When I pan fry a steak, I use the one cast iron pan I have for that.
Having said that - the alternatives are not very good.
90% of non stick pans leech chemicals. And those chemicals are very bad for you and your family.
Other non stick pans that DO NOT leech chemicals, such as green pan don't hold up to real cooking. The surface will only last you about 2 years tops.

Note - I like to flip stir as well.
I have a set of Green Pans, I have replaced 3-4 of them over the past couple years. They do not hold up, but they don't leech horrific chemicals into your food either.

 

[bigrebnc1775]

washing them doesnt destroy them,,

You have to retreat them to prevent rust. If you don't do that it does make them useless.

 

[AveMarica]

I don't care what you think! I don't follow youtube videos, I listen to the advice of some of the world's greatest chefs like Gordon Ramsey. The guy has won 17 Michelin stars.

So let me get this straight, you don't follow youtube videos, but you listen to the advice of a celebrity chef. Unless you personally know Gordon Ramsey you are following videos, either on TV or an internet platform like youtube.

Cast iron holds heat far better than any other type pan.
I have a laser temp gun and my gun says this is bullshit.
It looks to me like they didnt let the cast iron get to temp.
We use cast to make cornbread and the color is the exact same across the cornbread everytime.
Same goes for blackened fish.

Cast iron holds heat better because it is thicker, but it is very poor at distributing heat evenly. Physics.

Just because you can pound a screw into a wall with a hammer, that doesn't necessarily mean it's the best way to do it. There's nothing wrong with using a screwdriver to accomplish one task and using a hammer to accomplish a different task.

Absolutely! However I've not seen anything here demonstrating cast iron is the better tool, except for cornbread which I don't cook.

 

[AveMarica]

Cast iron holds heat far better than any other type pan.

By the way, your cast iron pan probably doesn't hold heat better than an Demeyere Atlantis stainless steel fry pan, which has a 4.8mm base.

It does hold heat better than an All Clad stainless steel pan, but for searing a steak either pan holds enough heat to turn out a great result.

 

[gipper]

They are good for searing meat, and that is about it. When I pan fry a steak, I use the one cast iron pan I have for that.
Having said that - the alternatives are not very good.
90% of non stick pans leech chemicals. And those chemicals are very bad for you and your family.
Other non stick pans that DO NOT leech chemicals, such as green pan don't hold up to real cooking. The surface will only last you about 2 years tops.

Note - I like to flip stir as well.
I have a set of Green Pans, I have replaced 3-4 of them over the past couple years. They do not hold up, but they don't leech horrific chemicals into your food either.

Cast iron leeches iron into the food. I don’t know how much, but men certainly don’t need more iron. It’s been linked to heart disease.

I do like how cast iron cooks a good steak though.

 

[progressive hunter]

No need to be sorry. Stainless steel also sears perfectly, which is kind of my point about not needing cast iron for the searing.

As shown in the pictures below...

View attachment 844731

View attachment 844733

yeah ,, doesnt look as good,,

looks stressed and rigid,,

 

[progressive hunter]

Cast iron leeches iron into the food. I don’t know how much, but men certainly don’t need more iron. It’s been linked to heart disease.

I do like how cast iron cooks a good steak though.

OMG!!! it does???

dont really care,,

 

[progressive hunter]

You have to retreat them to prevent rust. If you don't do that it does make them useless.

doesnt take much to make them useable,,

deffinitly not destroyed

 

[toobfreak]

So let me get this straight, you listen to the advice of a celebrity chef.

Bottom line, you don't know what you are talking about and can't accept any view which does not comport with YOUR choices and needs. Typical leftard, you must think cookware is a "settled science," same for all, much like climate change and election fraud.

Cast iron holds heat better because it is thicker, but it is very poor at distributing heat evenly. Physics.

Physics my ass. You are ignorant. Iron has great heat capacity. Maybe you are just a bad cook who doesn't know how to use it.

Heat capacity - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Specific Heat Capacity of Metals Table Chart

Specific Heat Capacity of Metals Table Chart, Specific Heat Capacity Conversions.

www.engineersedge.com

The Laws of Thermo-Culinary Dynamics | Craftsmanship Magazine

The science behind clay's seemingly magical cooking properties, as evidenced by the way a clay pot holds its heat.

craftsmanship.net

Soon as you change the heat of a burner or take an aluminum or steel skillet off the flame it begins cooling rapidly. One of the great advantages of cast iron is that once brought to temperature, it wants to remain at that temp and is slow to change regardless of variations in burner or food placed inside.

What you have to understand is that cast iron isn't better, it is just different. Having it offers you a choice in cooking characteristics, plus, cast iron is very cheap, it lasts forever, food generally doesn't stick, it is easy to care for, and it is great for searing and slow cooking.

 

[AveMarica]

yeah ,, doesnt look as good,,

looks stressed and rigid,,

It looks as good as the cast iron one.