Which pots and pans would you prefer?
By grandpa_lash
@grandpa_lash (5225)
Australia
November 24, 2008 4:23am CST
We are given a big choice in today's world. We can buy reasonably priced stainless steel or aluminium pots, or no-stick pans, or expensive copper-bottomed stainless steel, or, as I did last week, extremely cheap cast-iron cookware. Or ceramics, of course.
I already had two bits of cast-iron: a medium frypan which has been with me for twenty years and is so well cooked in now that it no longer rusts, and a wok, which is getting to that state very quickly. The new bigger frying pan is being used almost exclusively at the moment, and it should get a good carbon base soon.
I far prefer this cheap cookware to any of the others, although if I could afford it I wouldn't mind a couple of specialist pans (crepe and omelette) in the copper-bottom style. If you know how to prepare the pan for its first use, and know how to keep it clean and in good condition, they are magnificent. They hold heat well, cook evenly, and last forever. Cleaning is just a wipe over in hot soapy water, definitely no scouring, and if there should be anything struck to them, a sprinkle of salt rubbed around the pan with a bit of kitchen paper does the trick. Then a quick brush with a little oil, and Robert's your uncle (unless he's Tom, or Harry).
What do you think?
Grandpa
3 people like this
3 responses
@anitajayakumar (1202)
• India
25 Nov 08
Cast iron is the best cookware, IMHO. It distributes heat evenly, and lasts forever if it's taken care of properly. When cast iron is kept seasoned properly, the surface is practically non-stick. And you get trace elements of iron in the food, and most people can use more iron in their diet anyway.
1 person likes this
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
13 Dec 08
I would have to agree with you now. I would have argued a few years ago but now that I have learned to use them properly I love our cast iron pans and I will never go back to the non stick pans. If I look after the cast iron ones properly they should last for years not just 6 months.
@thyst07 (2079)
• United States
24 Nov 08
I currently use a high-quality set of non-stick pans, but different types of pans have different uses. I would like to have some good cast-iron pans, but around here they're actually more expensive than other types of pans. A good copper-bottomed saucepan or two would be nice as well, because copper conducts heat so much better than aluminum.
I have an antique cast-iron waffle maker, the kind that you set over the stove burner. I swear that it makes better waffles than any electric maker I've ever used. Unfortunately, I can't use it currently because I don't have a gas stove, and setting it over the electric coils doesn't heat it quite right. But I will never switch to a "modern" waffle iron.
1 person likes this
@grandpa_lash (5225)
• Australia
24 Nov 08
I completely forgot about my old cast iron jaffle maker (that's sort of a toasted sandwhich). It was designed for campfite cooking, and it was so much better than the sandwhich makers you buy now, I used to use it on the gas stove (won't work on electric). Wish I hadn't lost it.
Lash
2 people like this
@wanderer086 (759)
•
25 Nov 08
We have two stainless steel, copper bottom pans, a steel wok, a circulon pan,which is an anodised alloy, and a frying pan. The wok is too haevy for me as I have arthritis and I can only just manage the other pans but my husband does most of the cooking so it does not bother me too much. We mostly use an electric pot called a remoska. You can use it for baking, stewing and roasting. It comes from Europe and there is only one shop that sells them but it is really good.
@grandpa_lash (5225)
• Australia
26 Nov 08
I tend to use an electric slowcooker, unless the wood stove is fired up, for any stew/casserole dishes, and a rice cooker because it is so much simpler than the traditional methods. My partner finds the large cast-iron frypan a bit heavy, like you with the wok, but I do most of the cooking here, also like your household, so that's not a great problem.
Grandpa
1 person likes this
