Counterpoint:
It doubles as a weapon that can induce blunt-force trauma.
Mine is so heavy it hurts my wrist to pick it up. I’d never hit someone with it. They would definitely die or become paralized or something. And also I would injure my wrist, which would be equally bad.
Check out carbon steel pans. They are much the same as cast iron but significantly lighter.
The joys of DeBuyer
I definitely wouldn’t consider an injured, even broken, wrist anywhere near as bad as paralysis or death. But also, a stainless steel pan works just fine as a bludgeoning implement, too
Oy yah i Rember the Repunzle tutorial.
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.
wood and stainless steel is definitely the way to go. i don’t understand how nonstick seems to be the norm. are people not aware that the “nonstick” part of their pans is basically just plastic? and that it’s generally a bad idea to cook/eat/scratch plastic things?
I find they’re the same. You just have to oil them and use them regularly.
Let me add to your comment…
“PFAS filled Teflon shit out of here.”
Heat cooking oil in the pan until it starts smoking. Hey presto it’s seasoned. Tomato will not strip it, nor will soap. Intense scrubbing will.
Cast iron is so easy to care for. Just don’t stick it in the dishwasher or let it stay wet after washing.
None of this is true - I never used cast iron in my life…
Don’t care, use carbon steel
Most of this is true, I’ve never used cast iron in my life
Some of this is cast iron, I’ve been true my whole life.
True is some of this, I’ve been cast iron my whole life.
True iron is some of this, I’ve been cast my whole life.
My whole life is cast iron. I’ve been true for some of this.
Cast iron life been true. I’ve my is of this for whole.
Bames Nond’s having a stronk, call a Bondulance.
That’s a skill issue. Get better.
make me
Cue montage of hard work being done over an energetic Kenny Loggins song
🍳🍳🍳🍳🍳
+15XP
I talked to your parents and they told me to tell you to get better.
I’ll make you bb
*skillet issue
I have one that’s got some titanium coating so I dont have to deal with the seasoning shit.
I bought a $20 cast iron pan at target, I season it like once a year. I just wash it and make sure to dry it, I’m sure this is against the rules. Seems to work fine for me though. I wouldn’t say it’s nonstick but it’s mostly fine.
A $20 Teflon pan would be flaking and unusable, so for $20 it’s a good deal.
I have a cast iron griddle that I use once a year at my mom’s house. I leave it in the outdoor grill when I’m done using it and don’t even clean it. The next time I go to use the grill, I take out the cast iron griddle and just leave it out in the elements and it rusts like crazy.
Then, the day I’m ready to use it again, I scour the shit out of it, heat it up to 500-600°, throw some oil on it like a greased up whore, and get the lowest quality seasoning on it.
Then I use it to grill some ears of corn so they don’t turn black from the soot of all the wood I burn to heat the outdoor grill. Once the corn is done cooking, I close off the grill and tell the cast iron griddle to go fuck itself.
That sounds like a waste of effort to me, but you do you.
80% of my life is wasted effort. 15% is giving up at “good enough.” 5% is me looking back at my choices and and saying “yeah, I guess that was a good idea after all.”
lemm.ee has a profanity filter too?
Maybe it’s .ml? I see shit, whore, and fuck (as in poop[s•••], sex worker[w••••], and sex[f•••], in case they get censored)
Ah, they filter other way too, huh.
What a shitty instance
I don’t see any censorship in that post.
It’s fine and good to wash cast iron - particularly if you had something corrosive in there. Don’t do it in the dishwasher (change in heat can be bad for it - same reason not to machine wash kitchen knives).
People who say washing your pan will remove the seasoning have not properly seasoned their pans or see food residue washing out and think it is the polymerized oils bonded to the metal that are washing out. If that’s the case, they are washing way too aggressively.
There used to be some truth to the advise of not washing cast iron because those old-fashioned soaps had lye that could break down the seasoning. So I guess if you like to use boutique soaps you should be mindful if they contain lye. But if you’re just using dawn dish soap like probably 90% of everybody, go to town, you’re not going to remove seasoning with dish soap
Do test cast iron pans for lead please. Even cheap ones from Target (especially cheap ones)
How can I test one for lead?
It’s like gold, you bite it and see if it’s soft.
I looked up “lead testing” and my state, and was directed to their health department’s recommendations for both lead in homes and for child care center testing. They have links to several labs with kits that get mailed to you, typically you swab or take a sample, then mail it back to the lab. There are also in home test kits for lead on sites like Amazon that process immediately (have a color change when lead is present iirc), idk how accurate those are but could be at least a good starting point for some items.
The FDA bans lead in cookware: https://blogs.edf.org/health/2023/08/15/fda-says-cookware-that-exhibits-any-level-of-leachable-lead-upon-testing-is-prohibited/
Although I’m a little surprised it took until 2023 to make this happen. In any case, stuff bought at retail should be fine. I’d be very surprised if Lodge cookware–what Target usually sells–ever had lead in it.
Amazon stuff, though? That place is a leaky sieve of Chinese goods that wouldn’t normally be allowed.
There was lead in literal food on shelves. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/recalled-lead-tainted-applesauce-pouches-stayed-on-dollar-tree-shelves-for-weeks-fda-says
Really think about supply chains and products and the benefits that China or hostile nations may have to send poison to the US (instead of bombs). People assume these products will be safe but we have modern day examples where they clearly aren’t, no matter what the laws say. The law doesn’t matter if it isn’t enforced. Items can be swapped or mislabeled. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/temu-toxicology-test-concern-as-lead-is-found-in-an-item-sold-on-the-site/XL5OYZ6JWJEQFAHEVK6GZUMIGY/
Lodge won’t, but all the random no-name brands might. That and the “chef ____” type cookware is rarely quality controlled, it’s generally just made to make money off a famous person’s name off food network
I bought those cheap marble coated pan, now entering 2 years of frequent use, other than tiny bit of degraded non-stick capability, it works just fine, didn’t even chip. I bought an expensive teflon once, it only last around half year before it start chipping. Teflon is just bottom tier coating now.
I also own a cheap cast iron skillet, cook with it frequently, wash with soap and only heat dry it, didn’t even bother with seasoning after washing, it now has a nice, smooth patina on it that mostly non-stick. I genuinely don’t get why people always baby a cast iron, it’s a hilux, not a cybertruck.
to answer your question, I’ve heard it described as half hobby/half pan. And quality can vary on the finish. Mine required a full restoration after a potato took the seasoning with it. Since then, low maintenance.
Damn. Whatever happened to that potato
Crossed the border with the seasoning literally tied to the roof rack of his car and hasn’t been heard from since. #nogoodpotats
That and they’re very heavy. I think I’ll go with carbon steel instead. Yeah you still have to season it, but at least its easier to handle.
To me that’s a benefit. Stays steady on the hob.
Yeah, but one hit with this baby and you’ll send any ghost straight into the afterlife.
In the late 90’s I saw someone catch a cast iron pan to the head. I don’t recommend it.
lol look there’s one main benefit of cast iron: it holds heat really well. it is not easier to use or maintain than steel, but if you want something that holds a lot of heat, look no further
No, the main benefit is that it is made out of something edible that won’t give you cancer
Stainless steel is unreactive and is leeching less into your food than cast iron, if that’s your main concern. We already know that burned things are a carcinogen so why wouldn’t that include burned polymerized vegetable oil?
I think they mean Teflon coating. While Teflon itself is not carcinogenic, the chemicals used in its production are in the PFAS group and not so healthy. The question is then if those chemicals are sufficiently removed in the end.
Iron is literally a nutrient.
The dose makes the medicine though, as usual.
Can you find a source that provides any scale for how much over the recommended daily 8-28mg (men vs. women) is required to cause long-term concerns? All I can find online is for acute iron poisoning which is usually when a kid wolfs down a bottle of supplements.
If you’re curious, Wikipedia says iron poisoning happens at around 20-60mg/kg or 1.8-5.4g for a 90kg (200 pound) person. That’s like 3/4 of an M&M’s worth of pure easily digestible iron which is a shitload.
I’ve never heard anyone talk about any negative health impact of cooking with iron (which people have been doing for literally thousands of years), so I’m curious.
The one reason professional chefs don’t use it is because it doesn’t disperse the heat evenly tho
you heat it way up then use a low heat after it gets to temp. that’s a commercial issue
If you need even heat distribution, copper pans are the way to go
And they definitely need more babying than cast iron IMO, cast iron pans will take any and all abuse, then you can just clean & season them again and your pan is good as new
If you get cooper too hot, use the wrong utensils or are generally not treating it with kid gloves, it’s gonna end up ruined after a few years, especially if it’s a tin lined one
You’d be extremely daft to use copper that wasn’t tin lined btw
Oh yeah, compared to a bare copper pan, for sure
There are some modern ones that are lined with stainless steel though and they don’t have as much of an issue with high temperatures
Nothing beats the feeling of pouring cold water on the still hot cast iron pan.
I didn’t know metal exploded until I accidentally the pan.
Can they actually explode?
Explode? No. Crack? Maybe
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.
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
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
Yes, I can’t say I’ve been terrible impressed by cast iron pans. The people gushing about them are pretty funny though.
