Good alternative to Teflon cookware?

[Arcadio]

Another vote for cast-iron.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Here's our newest ceramic it says Denmark on the bottom

You still need to use some oil for most things

 

[KMc]

Scanpan.

 

[Exterous]

Do you guys know what brand you have? Are they ceramic coated cast iron? Some of them are super expensive and some are super cheap.

I bought them with this deal but don't know about the cast iron part:
http://slickdeals.net/f/8279729-t-fal-culinaire-or-ceramic-8-x-10-fry-pan-set-pyrex-measuring-cup-16-free-store-pickup

 

[Fanatical Meat]

I tried cast iron a few years ago. I found that food burned or got stuck frequently, cleaning them is a major pain in the ass especially for daily use, rust would develop on some of them, their weight & bulk was impractical to use and store.
Your results may be different but I have a hard time believing there are people that use cast iron at home on a daily basis.

 

[Aharami]

hah. i just finished reading that article, and I too am looking for a good stainless steel cookware set. Will replace all my plastic utensils also

 

[Aharami]

Just watch turning up the heat too high on some ceramic pans, but I imagine they vary.

Can hurt some a bit, I managed to hurt the coating on one skillet in the past year that way. Some are better than others I imagine.

Have cast iron I tend to use a lot myself these days. Getting them broken in right etc takes a little work over time, but are great for any things. I never wash mine in soap and water, but I grew up with the family having a lot of cast iron so was always used to using it.

Cast Iron lasts a very long time if you get it seasoned right and treat it properly.

That and distributes heat well to begin with.

a couple myths
http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/11/the-truth-about-cast-iron.html

 

[Aharami]

I tried cast iron a few years ago. I found that food burned or got stuck frequently, cleaning them is a major pain in the ass especially for daily use, rust would develop on some of them, their weight & bulk was impractical to use and store.
Your results may be different but I have a hard time believing there are people that use cast iron at home on a daily basis.

see link in my previous post. Might be of your benefit

 

[vi edit]

But the real question is: what type of cookware do you use?

I've got a couple different things. Several non-stick skillets of various types that I do eggs in that also have coating flaking off.

But for doing anything pan fried (burgers, porkchops, hashbrowns, sausage, bacon, potatoes, ect) and for browning meat or I use a 12" cast iron skillet that is probably 60 years old. It's awesome for pancakes and grilled cheese.

Cast iron is great because you can do super high heat on it and do steaks on the stove. You can do pizza in them in the oven. You can do egg quiche with them in the oven. You can toss food in them and stick them on the grill. Pan pizza on the grill is awesome. I *heart* my cast iron skillet. My wife hates it. But she hates cleaning and sucks at paying attention to cooking food...so that for what it's worth.

They are a bit more maintenance, but not terrible. Especially once they get well seasoned. Just don't over clean them. You'll wash away the protective cocoon of carbon effluence that creates the non-stick surface.

 

[bradly1101]

Ceramic is great. It doesn't react with anything, creates a nice fond, won't create health problems if it's overheated, and is non-stick.

 

[MongGrel]

I tried cast iron a few years ago. I found that food burned or got stuck frequently, cleaning them is a major pain in the ass especially for daily use, rust would develop on some of them, their weight & bulk was impractical to use and store.
Your results may be different but I have a hard time believing there are people that use cast iron at home on a daily basis.

Sounds like you're just not familiar with using cast iron.

You have to break them in right, if they are rusting you were washing them in water which should never be done IMHO.

Some people have cast iron that has been passed down for generations. And I was told buy those people just to scrape/whipe them out and do not put them in a sink with soap and water.

They will stick if not seasoned right.

 

[MongGrel]

I've got a couple different things. Several non-stick skillets of various types that I do eggs in that also have coating flaking off.

But for doing anything pan fried (burgers, porkchops, hashbrowns, sausage, bacon, potatoes, ect) and for browning meat or I use a 12" cast iron skillet that is probably 60 years old. It's awesome for pancakes and grilled cheese.

Cast iron is great because you can do super high heat on it and do steaks on the stove. You can do pizza in them in the oven. You can do egg quiche with them in the oven. You can toss food in them and stick them on the grill. Pan pizza on the grill is awesome. I *heart* my cast iron skillet. My wife hates it. But she hates cleaning and sucks at paying attention to cooking food...so that for what it's worth.

They are a bit more maintenance, but not terrible. Especially once they get well seasoned. Just don't over clean them. You'll wash away the protective cocoon of carbon effluence that creates the non-stick surface.

Actually did a deep dish pizza and baked cornbread in mine over the weekend.

Both came out very well

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

Pardon my messiness.

 

[herm0016]

90% of our cooking is done in a 10 or 12 in lodge cast iron pan. The rest is Demeyere stainless. Learn to use the cast iron and you and your children will never have to buy another skillet again. We use a large leCreuset enameled cast iron for large meals that are braised.

 

[MongGrel]

a couple myths
http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/11/the-truth-about-cast-iron.html

I actually sanded the inside of the one I use now to flatten it out prior to seasoning it.

And even after that even reheating it while not using it several times in the oven took a while to even begin to get it seasoned right.

Knock yourself out if you feel otherwise I guess. I even grew up in a time where people would actually stick Meehanite angle plates for use in a tool shop in near the radiators in their car so they would heat up and cool down in the winter for stability later before they were ground square to relieve stress, just another old tale I guess.

Once upon a time people even made their own tools. It used to part of going through an apprenticeship, and part of how you learned to do things.

 

[vi edit]

Yeah my 60 year old one is nice and smooth surfaced. I don't like using my smaller, newer lodge because it's got a much more rough surface and it just seems like it's more prone to sticking.

 

[SketchMaster]

ATK: The Best Traditional and Enameled Cast-Iron Skillets

 

[MongGrel]

ATK: The Best Traditional and Enameled Cast-Iron Skillets

+1

 

[NetWareHead]

I tried cast iron a few years ago. I found that food burned or got stuck frequently, cleaning them is a major pain in the ass especially for daily use, rust would develop on some of them, their weight & bulk was impractical to use and store.
Your results may be different but I have a hard time believing there are people that use cast iron at home on a daily basis.

Most of our cooking is done on cast iron. They have so much use on them that I can cook crepes on them with minimal oil and no sticking. I do have over 10 years of cooking seasoning built up on them. People need to realize that cast iron is not an instant gratification and needs sometimes years of prepping the to build up a good seasoning (depending on how you cook, what you cook and how often).

Yes the pan is heavier than a typical aluminum pan but I dont find a typical 10 or 12 inch pan too heavy or unweildy to use. Hell even my 5'1" fiance doesnt complain about cast iron. We have 14 and 16 inch pans that I could see as heavy. Cleaning is about as easy as can be. Wipe the pan under hot water with a sponge until the food bits go into the sink and no soap needed. I then put it on the stove with heat on to dry before putting away. The only time I ever use soap is after deep frying. The pan needs a touch of soap to cut all of the grease.

If you are developing rust on your pan, your seasoning is bad and allowing the bare metal to oxidize (rust). The seasoning is what protects the metal and when it is thin or nonexistent, you have sticking food and rust.

 

[Slew Foot]

i use cast iron for high heat things and whatever Calphalon One is for everything else. The omelet pan is pretty non stick.

 

[dawp]

jf you decide to get a wok, carbon steel is best because of the high heat required to stir fry but it has the same basic requirements as cast iron, i.e. it has to be seasoned before you use it.

 

[notposting]

You can cook with anything, but some things are a lot better at certain tasks.

We have some of the T-Fal Professional non stick pans, but certainly don't use them all the time. I'll use them for scrambled eggs, or pancakes, but really they don't get any high heat usage at all.

For high heat but somewhat non stick, I'm kind of assuming there will be sticking/charring anyway, and at that point I'm pulling out the cast iron pans. (BTW, this is pretty good info for seasoning: http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/).

Most of the time, we are using our tri-ply pans (most of them are Tramontina, the two 12" pans are an All-Clad and a Bon Appetit lol). I'll do eggs over-easy on them with a little cooking spray and over low-med heat. They can handle low heat and they can handle high heat and sizzling away.

 

[Strk]

I remember Alton Brown going on a bit of a tangent about spray oils on his waffle episode. Basically IIRC he said they're good if you get the canola oil ones, and people are overly worried about them.

Regarding the OP, I'm going to start replacing my stuff with cast iron and stainless. Given that the failure point of cookware is usually the coating... if I get some good quality stuff that's not coated it'll last a lot longer.

I remember one of his complaints is the 0 calories claim since the serving isn't even a second's worth of spray.

 

[Muse]

I have some non-stick stuff, but use it sparingly. For cookies, yes, in the oven.

I use SS for sauce pans and cast iron to fry, have 4 cast iron, one of them being a large round griddle.

My biggest cast iron skillet fell and the handle broke off. I fashioned a repaired handle, one that doesn't get too hot. Result is that I don't have to use a pot holder with it, which for cast iron skillets in general is the biggest downside, having to reach for a pot holder.

The thermal depth of cast iron (due to the thickness of the metal) is a huge benefit. It takes longer to heat them up but they don't transfer their heat (and cool down) extremely quickly, the result being that you have far better control of the cooking process than with SS or teflon coated aluminum. Plus they don't get ugly like SS.

 

[FleshLight]

Anodized aluminium, tri ply stainless steel, enameled cast iron

 

[gorcorps]

Most of our cooking is done on cast iron. They have so much use on them that I can cook crepes on them with minimal oil and no sticking. I do have over 10 years of cooking seasoning built up on them. People need to realize that cast iron is not an instant gratification and needs sometimes years of prepping the to build up a good seasoning (depending on how you cook, what you cook and how often).

Yes the pan is heavier than a typical aluminum pan but I dont find a typical 10 or 12 inch pan too heavy or unweildy to use. Hell even my 5'1" fiance doesnt complain about cast iron. We have 14 and 16 inch pans that I could see as heavy. Cleaning is about as easy as can be. Wipe the pan under hot water with a sponge until the food bits go into the sink and no soap needed. I then put it on the stove with heat on to dry before putting away. The only time I ever use soap is after deep frying. The pan needs a touch of soap to cut all of the grease.

If you are developing rust on your pan, your seasoning is bad and allowing the bare metal to oxidize (rust). The seasoning is what protects the metal and when it is thin or nonexistent, you have sticking food and rust.

Everything I've ever heard and read says if there's one thing you don't do, is put soap on cast iron