pots and pans: stainless steel vs non-stick

[Howard]

Meat searing works fine in good non-stick. We just prefer cast iron because it seems to retain heat better.

Meat can be seared in non-stick pans, but as searing happens better with a hotter pan, cast iron or stainless is superior since you can pre-heat the pan to a much higher temperature. Non-stick becomes dangerous once heated over ~450 F.

 

[Howard]

You get the crispy edge with a cast iron pan, something non-stick can't do.

Just a couple of days ago I fried some pancakes with the occasional crispy edge (it's not something I aim for) with a non-stick pan.

 

[PowerEngineer]

Normally I don't recommend cookware sets, but this is cheap enough and high-quality enough that I say screw it, buy it now.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Tramontina...re-Set/5716478

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

We bought a set of these pans last Christmas because of a very favorable review on "America's Test Kitchen". They are great! The aluminum cores really even out heat distribution and the steel cladding makes them virtually indestructable. And the price at Walmart can't be beat.

A note of caution. Tramontina makes cookware for lots of retailers and therefore to lots of different retailer specifications. Don't snap up a Tramontina cookware set at a cheaper price elsewhere without carefully reading the product descriptions.

 

[0roo0roo]

nonstick is essentially disposable. i've never had one last over a few years, regular pans are fine for cooking and essentially last forever, good thick heavy as hell is best for heat distribution, non stick tends to be just thin cheaper junk. i guess its fine for frying an egg though.

 

[sourceninja]

I used to buy sets of pans, but in reality I have never needed what the set provides. Now we just buy 1 or 2 pans a year based on need for a dish or pans that have worn out.

 

[Denly]

I switched to cast iron 10 years ago and never look back. 2 lodge pro series 10in and 12in and a wok + a SS stock pot is all I use now.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Whatever you get just make sure it's dishwasher safe. That's the most important part of any cook/dish/utensil or otherwise any product that will get dirty from using it. I think mine are stainless, I'm honestly not sure, it was a cheap set from walmart. Been fine for a couple years now, I always put it in the dishwasher.

I also have a non stick pan that I also put in the dishwasher, I don't think you're really suppose to though, but it's been working out fine for me.

I do hear great things about cast iron though, I will have to try that some day.

 

[Fritzo]

Stainless is used for high-heat cooking. Sauteed foods, frying, etc work well with stainless. Meat will mostly release from the pan when it is done on its side. The stuff that sticks can be deglazed with a splash of wine, vigegar, or lemon juice. You can also transfer a stainless pan from the stovetop to the oven (I do this with steak and chicken quite a bit).

Non-stick is used for low-medium heat cooking. (Eggs, veggies, starchy foods, etc).

Right tool for the right job.

 

[bononos]

For non-stick stuff, anodized aluminium and cast iron cookware are great alternatives to teflon coated. Theres ceramic coated cookware out there which is also non-stick but its not too popular yet. Basically if the surface has small ridges that help prevent food/cookware to bond together will be non-stick.

 

[yottabit]

I've found that stainless is very nice for searing meat in a pan, and for pots, but I bought a $300 set of multi-clad and 90% of the time I end up using one of two Calphalon non-sticks I got $30 for the pair when it comes to using a pan

The multi/all clad is very nice in that it has even heat (even meat touching the sides of the pan will get cooked) and it works great on this particular oven which has really uneven electric burners. With the non-stick pan the heat gets concentrated in one spot.

That being said, unless searing, non-stick is worth it for me. My understanding is you just don't want to leave a non stick at high heat WITH NOTHING IN IT, since the teflon could break down. Whereas it's okay to preheat a premium all-clad/multi-clad to high heat for searing.

I would have to say getting at least one quality stainless pan is worth it just for searing. The difference between cooking a steak in a non stick pan and properly searing it and keeping all those juices in is amazing. And I end up using the stainless pan for a lot of other non-sticky things (vegetables, etc) however a lot of times I cook eggs so I spend a lot of time with the non stick

That's my two cents! Bare in mind I'm fairly lazy when it comes to cooking. With a lot of patience and determination you can use the stainless for everything, but it's benefits in other categories of cooking are limited IMO

 

[nageov3t]

don't underestimate the benefits of stainless steel for sauce too.

non-stick pans won't give you a nice fond, which is pretty important when making a sauce for your meats.

 

[Howard]

don't underestimate the benefits of stainless steel for sauce too.

non-stick pans won't give you a nice fond, which is pretty important when making a sauce for your meats.

They can, if you scratch them up.

 

[Paperdoc]

After getting tired of replacing non-stick pans before our stomachs became completely coated with teflon shreds, we finally got an large electric stainless steel frypan by Cuisinart. It is GREAT! First thing we discovered is that it is EASY to clean! We just put some water (maybe a little detergent added) in it to soak after use, and in half an hour or less the stuff scrapes off really easily - often mostly just with fingernails or the spatula. On the rare occasions when we've really scorched something on, a good scrub with a scouring pad does the job. We never use steel wool pads on it!

After that we got two stainless steel frypans for top-of-stove use, BUT with heavy clad bottoms on each for good heat distribution. These also cook AND clean up very well. You most certainly can use them at high heat. In fact, for less-than-high settings, we find is better to run the stove burner a bit higher than on light-weight pans. The heavy bottoms spread the greater heating evenly, allowing you to cook faster and better. When starting from cold, we turn the heat under them to high first to get them warmed up quickly (the greater mass takes more heat), then turn down to cooking temp. On the other hand, if I'm sort of pre-warming the pan empty for 5 or 10 minutes before putting something in, I'll turn it lower than cooking setting, because it will get pretty hot in that time with nothing in it - too hot to start your cooking. Then I turn up the heat after putting the food in.

One small note - we had one bad experience when we ordered a stainless steel electric frypan on-line, and it arrived with a non-stick coating in it. We had to return it and get a different one. Apparently "stainless steel" pans sometimes are sold with non-stick coatings, too.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

go for stainless and enjoy good food and non-ruined pans for the rest of your life. also, get a cheapo non-stick for eggs.

 

[gotsmack]

I don't like non stick or cast iron. Stainless all the way for me. I also make eggs with a bit of butter instead of oil in a stainless pan and it doesn't stick, the trick is to get the heat on medium or slightly above and to use warm eggs.

For a beginner set of pans I recommend the Cuisinart French Classic line, you can get the set from BBB with a 20% coupon. It's made in France, not that the stuff made is China can't be better, but I don't trust their material composition. I don't like glass lids, but you'll have to pay more for a metal lid set at Bloomingdales.

For knives, I still use my set my Mercer set from cooking school, they're OK. I think I'm going to go with global for my next chef's knife. You don't need a set of knives since you'll most likely only use 4 pieces anyway.
1. Chef's knife
2. Paring knife
3. Boning knife
4. Kitchen shears

If you cook a lot of fish you'll need a fillet knife, but the fishmonger can take care of that for you too.

Get a mid priced line that you like the feel of. No point is spending too much on knives now since you'll beat the crap out of them when learning proper technique.

 

[Howard]

I don't know what you guys are doing to your non-stick pans to shred them so quickly. The worst that happens to mine is that either the aluminum warps (shitty pans do that) or the inner surface becomes less stickless as time passes.

As far as knives go, why buy a shitty set if you're going to throw them away after? Knives are a renewable resource, i.e. as long as you don't mess them up catastrophically, a skilled sharpener can fix any problems.

 

[7window]

The stuff I learned here about cookware is amazing. I learned so much about pans on this thread and I am scared about all the teflon I consumed. I ordered cast iron last week and its arriving tomorrow. Can't wait!!
We have stainless and food always stick to it. I will try eggs this weekend on SS.
I thought the quality of pan or teflon is the most important aspect on buying a pan. I've always wonder what you cook on SS pan. Ours just sit and collect dust.
We are excited about our cast iron.

 

[Wreckem]

I have a set of higher end stainless steel pots and pans + matching 12" stainless steel pan with non-stick coating that I use for cooking certain things.

 

[nageov3t]

I don't know what you guys are doing to your non-stick pans to shred them so quickly. The worst that happens to mine is that either the aluminum warps (shitty pans do that) or the inner surface becomes less stickless as time passes.

+1

using silicone utensils, my nonstick pans usually last for a good 2-3 years, even the shitty $10 pans from Ikea.

 

[LurkerPrime]

I've had the same set of non-stick pans for around ten years that i use all the time and they are doing just fine. I'm not really sure what ya'll are doing to them to ruin them. If you use the silicone or wood utensils, you shouldn't have to worry that much about scraping them all up. That and a few simple wipes with a towel and water and they are clean, no need to go in the dishwasher or anything.

Now I do have to say if you have a gas stove, you should NOT get non-stick pans. Its way too easy to overheat and ruin the pans with gas. You should also not be searing steaks/meats in non-stick pans. Thats what grills (with a sear burner, awesome btw) or your oven is for (yes you can sear steaks in an oven).

Now there is a difference between the cheap and expensive non-stick pans. I got an expensive non-stick pan last christmas, and it is much better at evenly distrubiting the heat (its also heavier). The difference is noticeable especially when cooking eggs, pancakes and crepes.

 

[Fritzo]

For non-stick stuff, anodized aluminium and cast iron cookware are great alternatives to teflon coated. Theres ceramic coated cookware out there which is also non-stick but its not too popular yet. Basically if the surface has small ridges that help prevent food/cookware to bond together will be non-stick.

I'm a huge fan of anodized. You can't put it in the dishwasher, but you can simply wipe it out with a wet cloth while it's still hot and rinse it for an instant clean.

 

[lokiju]

I just got the exact set from Costco for $200 about 2 weeks ago and holy hell does it make a HUGE difference having a nice set of pots and pans to cook with!

These things are great and are so durable that they're actually rated for use with metal utensils should you wish to use them.

For $200, it's well worth it for what you get.

If you don't have a Costco membership but know someone who does, ask them to buy you a giftcard to there for enough to cover the purchase or to buy them for you and pay you back.

If you have a Costco giftcard you can shop from there without membership.

 

[Fritzo]

I don't like non stick or cast iron. Stainless all the way for me. I also make eggs with a bit of butter instead of oil in a stainless pan and it doesn't stick, the trick is to get the heat on medium or slightly above and to use warm eggs.

With stainless, the secret is to heat the pan first, THEN add your oil/butter, bring it up to temperature, then add your food. Doing it this way creates a steam effect that prevents the food from seeping in to the tiny crevasses in the pan surface. (Pro-tip: add a bit of olive oil to butter to keep it from browning )

Also, if you're using stainless, be careful not to put salt directly on the pan. It will cause pitting. Always add salt to hot food/water.

 

[clamum]

+1

using silicone utensils, my nonstick pans usually last for a good 2-3 years, even the shitty $10 pans from Ikea.

For sure. My mom has mainly non-stick pans and she's had them for fricking YEARS. She does use plastic utensils though.

 

[7window]

any easy way to season a cast iron pan