I had a housemate who fried sausage patties and eggs in my cast iron skillet every morning for a couple of years. Gave it a good wipe and that’s it. I’d cook other things in it sometimes and wash it up if needed. The seasoning on that thing developed into a deep black that was so smooth you see your reflection in it and you could fry an egg without oil and it came off clean with just a nudge from the spatula. It was beautiful.
We went our separate ways and it quickly degraded back to a more normal “good enough” level of seasoning. It was great, but I’m not frying up a fancy breakfast every morning for it.
I’m a stainless steel enjoyer. Get that cast iron and teflon shit out of here.
Let me add to your comment…
“PFAS filled Teflon shit out of here.”
My cast iron cookware exists out of survivors bias. Everything else has fallen apart in one capacity or another.
Sure, but everything else has fallen apart because I use them frequently. My cast iron pans sit in the back of the cupboard because it’s heavy and things stick, so I might as well use something lighter.
If things are sticking to your cast iron it needs to be better maintained. Properly cleaned and seasoned fast irons don’t stick
The quick and dirty way is to wipe that bitch down with canola oil and bake it on high for about 30 minutes.
Thanks, I’ll try it out.
why use a forever pan when you can have forever chemicals?
I never understood fans of cast iron. Its like still using candles for light, sure it gives a warming light, but electricity is cheaper, safer, and quicker to use for light. Same for pans, stainless steel have exactly the same use as cast iron without any of the inconvenience. Sure heating behavior is different, but who cares, you can get to the same results with stainless steel with a bit of experience… If you really want that “hipster cooking” feeling, just use copper, sure its way more expensive and you need to be extra careful, but its still better than to try using cast iron which is a real pain in the ass to use, making cooking twice as long as it should be… And for Teflon… it’s shit, weak as hell and will give you cancer. Aluminum is shit too, still better than teflon and at least its the cheapest.
I cook with cast iron almost daily, all I do is scrub it with hot water and let it dry, and it’s ready for the next day.
If you’re buying modern garbage $10 pans from Dollar General don’t be surprised when they’re not performing as well as your Cuisinart SS. I have all SS and cast iron, and they both get about equal usage. CI is just better for meats. The higher heat conductivity and even temperature across the surface (with proper time to warm up) is incredibly useful. Searing is unsurpassable with CI. You can be rough with CI and it takes the beating in stride.
SS is better for quick heat and rapid changes in temperature. Boiling water, sauces, roux, etc.
I’ve had cast iron pans with old dinner remains sat in the bottom for 3 days, it comes off with hot water. And yes I use soap and water. If you use a good oil for seasoning and you set your pan up nicely you don’t have to worry about babying the seasoning.
twice as long
If you’re using CI for the right use cases it is WAY faster than aluminum. As I said, the heat transfer of iron is extremely good compared to thin walled aluminum or stainless. CI will cook chicken very fast. It’s all down to knowing your tools and using them correctly.
I can tap a nail into a wall with pliers, doesn’t mean they won’t do the job as well as a hammer.
Nothing cooks fried eggs as well as my cast iron pan. Fried eggs, scrambled eggs, french scramble, omelettes, any kind of eggs. Sometimes I use it for sausage too.
I use stainless for everything else.
It seems obvious you purchase equipment for restaurants. /s
Quite a hot take there. You ignored carbon steel in the conversation.
A large number of restaurants use rolled carbon steel or cast iron for searing and shallow frying.
Yeah, cast iron is a giant pain. I have a relatively heavy steel pan, which is fantastic for cooking anything I would cook on a cast-iron pan because it retains heat well, and it’s easier to clean.
Screw cast iron, the only cast iron thing I like is my enamel-coated pot for soups, and that’s because it avoids pretty much everything about cast iron except heat retention.
Well, I found it to be easier than stainless. I know how to use stainless in theory, but I never managed to use it properly. lol
I realized there’s a hipster factor around it but I really find it easy to cook a lot of things without thinking twice. I’m only careful when I clean it.
I’ve had one for roughly 15 years and use it almost every day. I most often use it as a baking pan or for grilling things. Not much sticks to it and what does is easily scrubbed off. I don’t season it in any meticulous way, just put a coat of cooking oil on and toss it in the oven every few months. I don’t cook acidic things in it - that is the rare time I use the stainless. I definitely understand why some don’t like the weight but I’m used to it.
Really? I’ve never had luck frying eggs on a cast iron pan, they always seem to get mangled because they stick inconsistently. I guess I could dump a ton of oil on it? That seems… excessive.
You need to start the pan hotter. They only stick for me if I cook them without preheating the pan.
Perhaps, but I’m used to cooking on stainless steel, so I’m guessing it’s hot enough? But I’ll certainly try again, I like the idea of cast iron, just haven’t had a good experience so far.
I’m honestly surprised it took this long before Teflon and PFAS in general became a more public issue.
Especially after project farm showed how easy it is to scratch the coating material. I think only like 2 pans actually held up somewhat in hardness.
Not objective by any measure, but I don’t think ingesting dissolved iron is as bad as dissolved Teflon.
Some would even say that ingesting dissolved iron is required for your health.
I have a cast iron pan. Pros - it’ll last forever if you look after it, it doesn’t contain PFAS and generally it is non-stick enough to not be a nuisance. Cons - heavy AF, needs to be cleaned and dried after use & not in a dishwasher. I haven’t tried to cook anything acidic in it yet but it does okay for steaks, eggs, mushrooms, sauces that I have used it for.
I still use soap and a plastic scrubber on mine and just dry it on the hob for a bit. I haven’t had to reseason it yet but I imagine it will be a pain in the ass when I do. I have seen part of the seasoning flake off but it normally self heals with more cooking.
So it’s okay overall but I think lack of PFAS and the fact that this thing will last a lifetime are the clinchers. Even if you have non-stick buy one of these and use it by default. I expect a stainless steel pan would be good too for same reasons.
Look for antique CI and you’ll get less weight. I love CHF (Chicago Hardware Foundry) and BSR (Birmingham something something…) pans because they’re thinner casting and smooth finish. I also have some Antiques from the 19th C that get regular use. I can’t stand modern pans. They are all way too heavy, and that pebbled surface is a pain in the ass to cook on and clean. It’s no wonder people hate cast iron
I’ve heard from several sources that the iron is supposed to be good for the diet. I love my carbon steel and cast iron kitchenware. All of the studies I’ve seen show it as a superior option to PFAS cookware and will still outlast the latest ceramic options. I have a very non-stick carbon steel pan and griddle from avocado oil seasoning.
You didn’t mention that you’re oiling it after drying it. It’s recommended that you lightly oil the surface upon storage.
One Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px6jqcYFdFs
I’ve heard from several sources that the iron is supposed to be good for the diet. I love my carbon steel and cast iron kitchenware. All of the studies I’ve seen show it as a superior option to PFAS cookware and will still outlast the latest ceramic options. I have a very non-stick carbon steel pan and griddle from avocado oil seasoning.
You didn’t mention that you’re oiling it after drying it. It’s recommended that you lightly oil the surface upon storage.
I think cast iron will definitely outlast ANY non-stick, no question. For non-stickiness though it’s basically on the tolerable end - put oil in it and most stuff will slide around but sometimes you don’t want too much oil so its a trade off. I think stainless steel is a great option in its own right - it’s not really non stick but it can be made tolerable with oil and can be scrubbed back to condition and thrown in the dishwasher.
I sometimes coat my cast iron pan in oil, but more often than not I don’t.
For non-stickiness though it’s basically on the tolerable end - put oil in it and most stuff will slide around but sometimes you don’t want too much oil so its a trade off
Not sure if you are saying the non-stick surface of a seasoned (carbon steel or) cast iron pan is inferior to PFAS options, that’s how I’m responding below.
Speaking from experience, I’ve screwed up seasoning pans before I got it what I’d call right.
A poorly seasoned polymerized surface on any metal (cast iron, carbon steel, stainless steel, or titanium) will always fair poorly, though more healthy than teflon style pans.
A properly seasoned polymerized surface on any smooth metal is easily on par or superior (regarding stickiness) with non-stick PFAS or metalized ceramic.
It absolutely requires minimal oiling when properly seasoned. I absolutely use less oil in my carbon steel pans than I would with ‘non-stick’ pans.
Another issue I see frequently is putting food into a pan that is too cold.
I think stainless steel is a great option in its own right - it’s not really non stick but it can be made tolerable with oil and can be scrubbed back to condition and thrown in the dishwasher.
Stainless steel can be non-stick using either the Leidenfrost effect or seasoning/oil polymerization. I do like being able to put my dishes through the auto-wash. My carbon steel and cast iron surfaces being the exception.
I sometimes coat my cast iron pan in oil, but more often than not I don’t.
I’m telling you what my experience is. I have pans that have a self healing non-stick surface. I don’t put soap on my cast iron or carbon steel unless planning to re-season. I boil water and may agitate it with salt if something sugary stays stuck to the surface. The flame/heat sterilizes, and the water+salt granules removes particulate.
I can fry an egg with less than a light spray of oil and produce a picture perfect egg consistently.
I’m in process of removing all of our PFAS or newer titanium ceramic gear due to it failing from scraping or flaking.
I am not eating out of your kitchen, not trying to tell you how to manage the tools. Offering suggestions, I feel could make life easier for you.
If it works for you, and you’re happy - carry on.
Stainless steel pans are amazing when used for the right purpose. They weigh much less than cast iron, don’t require any maintenance beside cleaning them, and they are pretty much indestructible. If you burn something badly you can use metal scowering pads or any chemical you damn well like (including sodium hydroxide that will melt flesh) to get the thing clean again. They are tolerant to any cooking temperature you would ever use, ever. You can’t overheat one with any appliance a normal kitchen would have. This means you can easily pop one in the oven provided it has a metal handle.
The only issue being they have no non-stick properties to speak of and relatively little thermal mass. This is good in that they don’t need long to heat up, but bad in that it’s not a consistent temperature and you have to know what you are doing with the power control to get the results you want. This means it’s essentially useless for cooking things like steak, and difficult even to cook an omelet without using a lot of butter, ghee, or oil. Things like tomato sauces though? Perfect. The stainless steel could care less about the acidity.
So the stainless steel does care at least a little bit about the acidity?
What made you think that?
Well you said the stainless steel could care less. In order for it to be able to care less, that means it has to care at least a little bit to begin with.
Hi David Mitchell!
Love my cast iron pan and my stainless and mostly agree. Just want to point out that stainless steel isn’t really comparable to cast iron. Cast iron is cheap while good stainless pans are quite expensive, and you can’t really season stainless to be nonstick. Sticking is actually a feature of stainless, because then you can use a technique called “deglazing” to make a flavorful sauce out of the stuck bits.
I have one of each and I like them both for different things.
Mostly agree. I want to add, there are ways to make your stainless steel produce a non-stick effect.
Very similar to the method used to produce a non-stick surface on carbon steel, cast iron, and other heated cooking surfaces. Essentially you apply a light coat of oil and created a polymerized surface on the pan.
One source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXEt-fhyCis
Edit: Another Source (Leidenfrost effect): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUwaOnCd1h0
Don’t care, use carbon steel
My biggest gripe with Teflon, after the whole PFAS problem, is that you have to baby it. I never was able to find a plastic spatula that worked well for any application. At worst, some are so darn floppy it’s like trying to flip an fried egg with another fried egg. Not to mention, the leading edge would eventually melt and deform sending plastic shreds everywhere over time.
The things you can do cooking-wise with metal tooling just get you more control and better results. Any pan/pot that lets you do that is going to help your overall cooking experience. Plus, even if you don’t go carbon steel or iron - say, stainless or even glass - de-glazing the pan with some water and heat from the range can make short work of cleaning.
One last point to this rant: your favorite cooking shows are lying to you softly. Your cookware are tools - they’re gonna get fucked up. Used things eventually get scratched, stained, singed, dented, and that’s okay; I promise you they’re not unsanitary because they’re in this state. Those stainless pans with mirror-perfect surfaces, or carbon steel skillets with that pristine golden hue, they’re new; you usually see new product on camera thanks to sponsors and the general optics of the thing. Teflon pans hold out this false promise of pristine cook surfaces that just aren’t realistic. And in practice, even those awful things do not go the distance. So yeah, reject modernity and all that. You’ll be okay.
Why would you use a plastic spatula? I use wood with teflon - doesn’t scratch and isn’t floppy!
Right! I use silicone spatulas because I like the slight bit of flop it has, but there are options besides pan scratching metal and really crappy, pan saving plastic spatulas.
call me lemmyml but I fucking love using a carbon steel wok to cook anything
Why is that associated with lemmyml
Because they love everything from China. Woks, genocide, pollution, capitalism, murdering protesters, they love it all.
Soy sauce, execution vans, chopsticks, virgin boy eggs…
Do I want to know what a virgin boy egg is?
YES! And I will tell you! Eggs soaked and boiled in the urine of young boys, preferably of the age 10 or younger. It’s a delicacy in one of the Chinese provinces.
Given the “reasonable, horrific” cadence, I’m going with no.
it’s so much better than stainless
debatable but i think so
it takes a little maintenance
everything needs maintenance in the sense that you have to clean it. jokes aside, the only maintenance it needs is to burn oil in it if the seasoning got a little damaged for any reason
can’t cook anything tomato based
you can, it’s not great but won’t ruin it
eight coats of oil you have to burn onto it before you can use it
that’s not true, all cast iron pans come pre-seasoned from the factory
you can cook fried eggs and steak
that is true
even after seasoning it everything will still stick to the pan
not really, it’s pretty non-stick
to clean it you gotta heat it up then dry salt scrub then re-season
not really, you only need to do that if the seasoning got damaged
if water ever touches it the entire thing will disintegrate
that’s not true, you’d have to leave it in water for days to get it to rust
things that aren’t mentioned: you gotta use it regularly otherwise it gets sticky; you can use metal tools like knives and spatulas directly in the pan that would demolish any teflon; the seasoning is more resilient than people think, you can even wash it with dish soap; the seasoning actually gets stronger when you fry fatty things in it (grilled cheese, steaks, eggs, sausages); it’s very simple, durable, rustic, old technology, and incredibly cheaper than skillets of a similar quality (excluding cheap teflon pans); you can unrust it in your garage and even weld it back together if it breaks, which is sick as hell.
you can unrust it in your garage
You can very easily de-rust cast iron cookware with Ospho which is basically phosphoric acid (Loctite naval jelly available at Lowe’s is the same stuff in gelled form, which is a bit grosser). Obviously you have to rinse it really well afterwards, but it’s a hell of a lot easier than trying to physically remove the rust.
“some of this is true”
I’m with you 100%.
I’ll add that I rarely use my cast iron in the kitchen, preferring to use it on camping trips or the grill. Why? The sheer heft of the thing could accidentally cause my glass cooktop some trouble. For those occasions, I reach for my well-seasoned carbon steel pans: much lighter with most of the same non-stick situation as the iron skillet.
glass cooktop
This is one gripe I have with my own cast iron, is that it marks up my glass cooktop when I use it. I can return the top to pristine condition by scrubbing it with steel wool, so it’s not permanently damaging it, but it’s kind of annoying to me that you can see which one of the burners I use way more often than the others because its discolored in a cast iron-sized circle.
Deep scratches are one major concern/gripe I have with glass cooktops, hence why my skillet goes nowhere near it. Scratches can introduce weak points that can nucleate a fracture.
https://glassdoctor.com/blog/why-did-my-glass-top-stove-crack
When dragged across the glass surface, rough pots and pans create micro-scratches. When they accumulate over time, they can weaken the integrity of the glass to the point of cracking.
I don’t know your glass cooktop, but i’d be shocked if the weight of a cast iron was enough to damage it. Does this mean you also wouldn’t put a cooking pot full of water on it? Mine had no problem, didn’t even get scratched which i was worried it might.
That said i do think cast irons can be too heavy for some people, especially when it’s full
Here’s the thing: I’m a klutz, and do not always watch my hands (damn ADHD). So this whole thread is semi-rational at best. Still, I’m certain that I’m the guy that would drop it one or more inches onto the cooktop by accident. I honestly don’t know how resilient these things are, but I’m not about to find out.
That said, I looked up some numbers for weights and well, it’s really not too different from a full pasta pot. I may just have to work up the courage. Thanks.
Yeah i believe you can break a cast iron, it will snap instead of bend, but i have no idea how hard you’d have to drop it. It also probably would damage the glass
I like to avoid the hassle of taking special care of a cast iron and just use a stainless steel pan from IKEA. Spray on cooking oil works really well to keep food from sticking if your don’t crank up the heat and anything that does get stuck can be easily scrubbed off with a copper scouring pad. Best part is that there’s no need to worry about rust. Ultimately just use what you like most.
Especially for steak, pork, and fish, the cast iron heats up better and sticks far less than steel. Also much easier to clean.
But for anything that’s saucy (pasta) or could benefit from a good deglazing (scallops particularly but also for veggie dishes), stainless steel works best.
I just have to commit myself to cleaning up immediately after the meal or consign myself to a lot of scrubbing.
I like to have both on hand. Really depends on the dish.
Cast irons are best cleaned while they’re still hot. I hit mine with hot water, give it a gentle scrub/rinse, then bake it in the oven to evaporate any left over moisture.
I’ve had it for ten years and if I stuck it on a shelf and said it was new nobody would know the difference
Ultimately just use what you like most.
I always say that the best pan is the one you got for free when you moved into your new house.
My best pan was the cast iron frying pan from the 1920s that I inherited from my grandmother. I say “was” because eventually my brother used it to drain the oil from his motorcycle. I still haven’t totally forgiven him for that.
Nothing you couldn’t recover from unless he managed to crack it. I’d wipe it down, and hit it with brake parts cleaner. If I was still nervous about contamination, I’d put it in an oven with the self cleaning function and run it. That should burn it back down to bare metal. Then, s good scrub with dish soap to remove any residue and a good seasoning, and you’re back in business. I don’t know if I’d personally skip the heat clean step or not, but I’d definitely put it back in usage.
That pan is long gone - this was in 1990 or thereabouts.
Hey, if your meat is sticking it might just need to sit longer at a slightly lower temp if you are worried about burning. Letting pork sit for longer has done a lot for me for it sticking.
And then also for cleaning heating up the pan dry on the burner than throwing in some warm water to boil while scraping the bottom has been way faster than scrubbing it all.
The only thing I would use cast iron for is to fight the ninjas hiding behind my fridge
Unless you have arms like tree trunks then this is a bad weapon choice. Ninjas are notoriously fast and cast iron is notoriously heavy.
I assume they would be slowed down by having to clamber out from behind the fridge, I can get them while they’re off balance
I just like how I can use my metal scrapers and spactulas without having to worry about damaging it.
I get that point, but stainless steel also exists.
Stainless doesn’t work as well as ferrous, especially for frying. Carbon steel pans are popular too, sort of a modern version of cast iron.
Yeah honestly I want more pans made like my wok and just have it be anodized carbon steel. It’s so good even if it is not pretty.
