I'm done with POS cookware, it's time for Cast Iron

[surfsatwerk]

Don't be that typical internet guy that makes a sweeping judgement of character because I bought some shitty nice plates at TJ max.

It's hip to be square.

 

[Iron Woode]

I've been hearing that the best oil to use is linseed/flax oil since they are drying oils and polymerize into a solid finish. I have a 14 inch cast iron skillet that is just too big to be used regularly. I break it out to cook a pound of bacon at a time for when I have company over but that's it. As a result the seasoning on it is not up to par with my more regularly used pans. So I may try the linseed oil route on this pan.

When you tried it, did you start on a new pan or did you strip the seasoning off an existing pan? I'm wondering if I should put the linseed oil over the existing seasoning or if I should strip the big pan completely

The pan is fairly new and it had issues with needing a good seasoning.

After doing some research I decided to try flaxseed oil. It is the edible version of linseed oil. People have recommended at least 4 layers to get a proper surface.

I will be testing it out this weekend.

 

[wirednuts]

The dumbass me shattered my cast iron and had to throw it away.

??? did you soak it in liquid nitrogen first?

 

[HomerJS]

From what I understand cast iron best for frying chicken. Want one but don't have space.

 

[Tommy2000GT]

Circulon is decent for a non-stick pan when you need a non-stick in certain cases

 

[wirednuts]

The pan is fairly new and it had issues with needing a good seasoning.

After doing some research I decided to try flaxseed oil. It is the edible version of linseed oil. People have recommended at least 4 layers to get a proper surface.

I will be testing it out this weekend.

its not that complicated. just wet a napkin with some vegtable oil, and give the pan a good coat. stick it in the oven at 225deg for a couple hours and youll be good to go.

and, once an awhile just cook bacon in it. that is an excellent way to naturally season the pan. just dont put bacon in there before you season it!!

 

[Vdubchaos]

^^ yep

Most people recommend seasoning when you get a new one as well. Factory coating sucks.

My griddle was sticking badly when I first got it (I didn't season it out of the box) but after 2-3 uses and few coats of Veggie oil it's perfect now.

PS. Bacon went on it already (and yes this does help)

Some people recommend some type of animal fat for preseason!!

From what I understand cast iron best for frying chicken. Want one but don't have space.

Case iron is best for just about anything you cook.

 

[wirednuts]

Some people recommend some type of animal fat for preseason!!

just as they recommend lard for deep frying... but honestly whatever you use will work just fine. people worry about the seasoning too much.. all it does is prevent deep sticking. i still use butter or oil every time i cook... its no different then a non-stick pan, its just a little more inconvenient to clean.

 

[zephyrprime]

I've never had a problem with nonstick pans wearing out quickly. True, they don't last as long as other types because of the non-stick coating being plastic which is fundamentally not strong but even so, they last me many years. You are just too rough on your cookwear. Use silicone instead of wood utensils maybe? Try some ceramic cookware too.

 

[Meghan54]

We've got cookware from these guys and they've proven exceptionally durable and easy to use/clean:

http://www.swissdiamond.com/us/home/

 

[zCypher]

I've had my cheapo nonstick pan for about 3 years so far and it's fine. Thing is you have to keep in mind that it is nonstick and therefore coating can scratch/come off! I need to get me some cast iron stuff though.

 

[TheFamilyMan]

You are talking about Enamaled Cast Iron?

Unless you want to dish out $300+.....I would stay away from them. They chip.

Lodge makes them and so does Costco/Kirkland.

I would just go with straight up Cast Iron as there is nothing to chip and it's forever.

I'm talking about these:

www.orgreenic.com/

 

[AstroManLuca]

I used to have a bunch of crummy cheap nonstick pans I got from my parents when I moved out. When I got married, we got a set of Circulon cookware as gifts. It's similar to Calphalon, very high quality nonstick stuff. My mother in law has had a set for over a decade and it is still nearly as good as the day she got it. And we've been married for almost 3 years and it's still going strong.

Maybe the cheap nonstick cookware eventually wears out, but so far I've had a good experience.

Not all nonstick is bad is all I'm saying.

Oh and as for eggs, I find the best way is to let the pan get really hot before you put the eggs in. Then they don't stick as bad, sometimes not at all.

 

[Kaido]

...shattered my cast iron and had to throw it away.

I have to know, how on earth did that happen?!

 

[Tommy2000GT]

I used to have a bunch of crummy cheap nonstick pans I got from my parents when I moved out. When I got married, we got a set of Circulon cookware as gifts. It's similar to Calphalon, very high quality nonstick stuff. My mother in law has had a set for over a decade and it is still nearly as good as the day she got it. And we've been married for almost 3 years and it's still going strong.

Maybe the cheap nonstick cookware eventually wears out, but so far I've had a good experience.

Not all nonstick is bad is all I'm saying.

Oh and as for eggs, I find the best way is to let the pan get really hot before you put the eggs in. Then they don't stick as bad, sometimes not at all.

Circulon and Calphalon are durable because they are hard anodized. The Teflon ones are the troubled ones that don't hold up.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

We've been using the teflon coated POS cookware forever. It works, but we have 1 10" cast iron skillet that I prefer to cook on. My wife has been wanting new cookware, so maybe I'll start looking into the cast iron stuff more.

 

[Wyndru]

I have one of those cast iron skillets. The only thing I don't like about it is you shouldn't use soap and water on it because supposedly it will lose the "seasoned" layer.

I usually just scrape any food off of it, rinse it, then spray it with cooking spray to store.

 

[lxskllr]

I have one of those cast iron skillets. The only thing I don't like about it is you shouldn't use soap and water on it because it is already seasoned.

I usually just scrape any food off of it, rinse it, then spray it with cooking spray to store.

I lightly run a copper scrubber over mine under running hot water, and put it on the stove to dry.

 

[Wyndru]

I lightly run a copper scrubber over mine under running hot water, and put it on the stove to dry.

Nice, so copper doesn't hurt it? I've always used a plastic scraper (I think I got it with a George Foreman year ago). The plastic actually is getting worn down from the cast iron texture though, so I'm looking for alternatives.

Oh, and I don't know why I said it was a skillet, it's a griddle I have. I got confused in my previous post.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

I used to have a bunch of crummy cheap nonstick pans I got from my parents when I moved out. When I got married, we got a set of Circulon cookware as gifts. It's similar to Calphalon, very high quality nonstick stuff. My mother in law has had a set for over a decade and it is still nearly as good as the day she got it. And we've been married for almost 3 years and it's still going strong.

Maybe the cheap nonstick cookware eventually wears out, but so far I've had a good experience.

Not all nonstick is bad is all I'm saying.

Oh and as for eggs, I find the best way is to let the pan get really hot before you put the eggs in. Then they don't stick as bad, sometimes not at all.

Just don't touch them. They'll stick at first, but let them cook and they'll release themselves.

The hotness just makes it so that they cook that much faster.

Nonstick isn't bad. They're fine for certain applications, just as cast iron is good for other applications.

Teflon didn't become extremely popular because it sucked ass.

 

[jaedaliu]

Nice, so copper doesn't hurt it? I've always used a plastic scraper (I think I got it with a George Foreman year ago). The plastic actually is getting worn down from the cast iron texture though, so I'm looking for alternatives.

Oh, and I don't know why I said it was a skillet, it's a griddle I have. I got confused in my previous post.

I had heard metal is bad.

I got 2 nylon scrubbing brushes from Ikea for $1. I use those. Then I empty out the water, give it a quick rinse and paper towel wipe, then it goes up side down in my oven.

 

[lxskllr]

Nice, so copper doesn't hurt it? I've always used a plastic scraper (I think I got it with a George Foreman year ago). The plastic actually is getting worn down from the cast iron texture though, so I'm looking for alternatives.

Not with reasonable use. You could strip the finish if you tried, but if you only use it to knock off the chunks, and give it a light rub down, it leaves the finish alone. I prefer the copper to steel wool due to the coarser grit(?) size, and lack of rusting. I don't like plastic, cause I just don't like plastic :^D It's an ugly material, and oils tend to embed in the grain for this particular use.

 

[DrPizza]

To clean my cast iron, I just dump in a couple tablespoons of kosher salt, and rub it around with a paper towel, then dump it into the sink. It's easiest to clean when it's still hot. Plus, if it came out of the oven (cooking a steak), then the cleaning leaves it slightly oily, and with an electric oven that retains the heat, sticking it back into the oven is like seasoning it again. (Besides, gotta do something during those 2-3 minutes while the steak is resting.)

 

[Scarpozzi]

I'm a fan of Calphalon. We've got a nice set of Calphalon Stainless that's been solid for years. Still shines up too with polish.

Nonstick will last longer if you don't use higher than medium heat on them and use non-metal utinsels. High heat, scorching, and the cleaning process after scorching do the most damage to non-stick pots and pans.

Edit: For stainless steel....never use bleach to clean it. This includes putting SS in a dishwasher with bleach-laced powders. Bleach is caustic to SS....stick to dishwashing detergent, like Dawn.

 

[Josh123]

Me and my wife ended up purchasing a cooking set from Royal Prestige right after we got married about 3 years ago and they are great pots. We paid about $1,500 for it all if I remember correctly but it will last us forever.