Lets talk pots and pans (seriously)

[KomradeEli]

For you folks who need to decarbon vintage pieces, soak in a lye bath over night,wash the lye off,and scrub clean as new.I coat in lard,and put in the grill at 450°-500° for a hour to season it.It will smoke and don't let it get hotter than 500°. My grandpa would build a super hot fire in a barrel to burn off the carbon.Not a good idea...to much heat can crack or warp it.

do you mean old cast iron? I have some old cast iron I haven’t had success cleaning the residue off from the last owner. May try this

 

[hoosierdoc]

I just bought "hexclad" set for my wife. they are not cheap. good thing I love her to pieces

currently cheaper on their website than Amazon

 

[gregkl]

I want some of those some day! Super expensive now though

As long as you are a little careful to not chip it all up, Le Creuset is the stuff you pass down to future generations. I'm in line to get my mother-in-laws when she is done cooking.

 

[4651feeder]

Recently purchased two pieces of Carote non stick Granite coated from Switzerland. Opinion on these?

Are they using word play to market these like my German Steel Cutlery Set?

While the steel may have very well been from Germany, the assembly took place in China.

Or is German Steel a generic term used to describe a process?

 

[gregkl]

Recently purchased two pieces of Carote non stick Granite coated from Switzerland. Opinion on these?

Are they using word play to market these like my German Steel Cutlery Set?

While the steel may have very well been from Germany, the assembly took place in China.

Or is German Steel a generic term used to describe a process?

German steel is more of a generic term that refers to the process of making the steel. It can be made in other countries and be called "German" steel.

Krupp steel is/was specifically made in Germany. My father (German immigrant and master chef) always thought Krupps steel was the best. I have some of his kitchen knives that were made from Krupps steel.

Now they are part of Thyssen/Krupp

 

[4651feeder]

Thx, kinda what I suspected. The fancy too many piece Chineeze German Steel Knife Set was a retirement gift now residing in the DIL's kitchen.

Suspect the new pans may also have come from China, but the packaging print was too small for me.

 

[JettaKnight]

do you mean old cast iron? I have some old cast iron I haven’t had success cleaning the residue off from the last owner. May try this

Look up the Cast Iron thread here on INGO for tips.

 

[foszoe]

do you mean old cast iron? I have some old cast iron I haven’t had success cleaning the residue off from the last owner. May try this

I have cleaned with electrolysis. Have to reseason but straps everything. Just need a container, battery charger and a sacrificial piece of netal.

 

[AtTheMurph]

I worked in a professional kitchen for a while. I still love to cook and I think I have a pretty good idea of what makes good cookware.

First you want something heavy that can stand up to abuse, scrubbing with abrasives, slamming, dropping, and general misuse by others because I know you wouldn't do any of those things, except the abrasives.

Check the handles! They should be rock solid and attached so they never get loose.

Check the warranty. My main stuff (All Clad) is warranted for life. It's also stupidly expensive IMO.

I bought another set of stainless cookware for my second home. It's Cuisinart and was about 1/10th the price of the All-Clad. I don't like the sizes and shapes of the Cuisinart as well, but the construction seems to me to be really close. I like the lids better on the All Clad. They are solid steel and easy to clean. Cuisinart lids are glass but have a lip around the edges that is tougher to clean. Both sets can be cleaned thoroughly with some Bar Keepers Friend and look brand new.

Meat and some other things shouldn't stick in a stainless steel pan if it is hot enough. If it is sticking you are either: Not getting the pan hot enough before putting in meat/etc or trying to turn it too soon. It will release when it gets browned if you used some sort of oil.

For things like eggs, I keep a couple of ceramic coated pans. Last much longer than teflon and harder to chip. For steak and some other things I have old Griswold cast irons.

 

[Libertarian01]

Just a few more thoughts to add in. Many years ago I was speaking with a medical doctor who performed autopsies in hospitals. She told me that they are finding small flakes of Teflon in our brains. Every time you scrape the pan small flakes come off and get in the food, then the body, then the brain. As of that time they hadn't determined if this was bad or not, just that it was happening. Since then I have avoided Teflon.

If you're going to do a lot of good cooking be sure that EVERYTHING you use and every part of what you use can withstand heat. That means metal skillets with metal handles. That means no more plastic junk. Often times cooking will require using the skillet on the stove and then placed in the oven. Or using a colander to sit and drain into a hot pan.

Read reviews that tell good and bad! Here is a reasonably fair comparison of Lodge enamelware v/s Le Creuset: https://www.potsandpansplace.com/le-creuset-vs-lodge/

There is a big difference between the material the pan is made from as well. Some years ago in cooking class I made chicken gumbo. You have to burn the rue slightly, for real. Had I cooked in an aluminum pot it would have been much harder than the steel I was using. When paying attention to the material then you must pay attention to what you are cooking in it. Vinegar and tomato's are acidic and shouldn't be used in copper cookware. Copper heats really fast but also loses heat really fast, so it gives you a great deal of control but you'd better be there to control it. Cast iron heats really slowly but holds the heat for a long time. I always use a cast iron skillet to cook cornbread in, so it can be done before the meal and still be hot / very warm when the meal hits the table.

Note that almost anyone can cook almost anything in almost any pot or pan. In the final analysis you are heating a raw product in a container. How that container is designed, what it is made out of, how you care for it, simply makes the food taste better and it can be far easier to cook with. We could take a large flat stone and set it over a fire and cook a burger on it and get the job done. Doing it on a nice grill or cast iron skillet would be better and easier, but the stone would get the job done.

Regards,

Doug

PS - Knives. Knives can be just a complicated as pots and pans, even more so in some ways...

 

[Expat]

That is an interesting comparison of the le creuset and the lodge. I also read the le creuset comparison to stab.
I should buy the daughter something.

 

[1DOWN4UP]

I only have one piece that has a ceramic coating.It was a piece handed down from mom.It is called Doscoware from Belgium.Size 8 and it has become my go to.

 

[JettaKnight]

There is a big difference between the material the pan is made from as well. Some years ago in cooking class I made chicken gumbo. You have to burn the rue slightly, for real. Had I cooked in an aluminum pot it would have been much harder than the steel I was using. When paying attention to the material then you must pay attention to what you are cooking in it. Vinegar and tomato's are acidic and shouldn't be used in copper cookware. Copper heats really fast but also loses heat really fast, so it gives you a great deal of control but you'd better be there to control it. Cast iron heats really slowly but holds the heat for a long time. I always use a cast iron skillet to cook cornbread in, so it can be done before the meal and still be hot / very warm when the meal hits the table.

It's Friday, so a little thread jacking is OK, right?


Doug, do you preheat your skillet for cornbread? I usually load it with lard and put it in the oven for fifteen minutes before adding the batter.


I made gumbo a month ago - this time I really worked on the roux - cooked for at least an hour and got it really, really dark - almost brick red, but not burnt. Boy howdy, it was the best gumbo I ever made! Of course, that was in my Staub pot. (and for the curious - shrimp, andouille, and oysters)

 

[Expat]

Doug, do you preheat your skillet for cornbread? I usually load it with lard and put it in the oven for fifteen minutes before adding the batter.

Not Doug, but I do similar with bacon grease usually. Lately I have been dicing bacon up and render it out good on the stove top, then pour the batter in. Pan is hot and the bacon mixed in to the corn bread gives it some added flavor.

 

[Libertarian01]

It's Friday, so a little thread jacking is OK, right?


Doug, do you preheat your skillet for cornbread? I usually load it with lard and put it in the oven for fifteen minutes before adding the batter.


I made gumbo a month ago - this time I really worked on the roux - cooked for at least an hour and got it really, really dark - almost brick red, but not burnt. Boy howdy, it was the best gumbo I ever made! Of course, that was in my Staub pot. (and for the curious - shrimp, andouille, and oysters)

Preheat the oven and put the cast iron skillet in it. Load it up with bacon fat. I always use a little extra bacon fat, because, well.. bacon.

It isn't being heated up to full heat, just hot. Then add cornbread mix and yer good to go.

I try to keep my cornbread mix as southern as possible, but I substitute out 1/2 cup of cornmeal for 1/2 cup regular flour to help it hold together.

Regards,

Doug

 

[SheepDog4Life]

I worked in a professional kitchen for a while. I still love to cook and I think I have a pretty good idea of what makes good cookware.

First you want something heavy that can stand up to abuse, scrubbing with abrasives, slamming, dropping, and general misuse by others because I know you wouldn't do any of those things, except the abrasives.

Check the handles! They should be rock solid and attached so they never get loose.

Check the warranty. My main stuff (All Clad) is warranted for life. It's also stupidly expensive IMO.

I bought another set of stainless cookware for my second home. It's Cuisinart and was about 1/10th the price of the All-Clad. I don't like the sizes and shapes of the Cuisinart as well, but the construction seems to me to be really close. I like the lids better on the All Clad. They are solid steel and easy to clean. Cuisinart lids are glass but have a lip around the edges that is tougher to clean. Both sets can be cleaned thoroughly with some Bar Keepers Friend and look brand new.

Meat and some other things shouldn't stick in a stainless steel pan if it is hot enough. If it is sticking you are either: Not getting the pan hot enough before putting in meat/etc or trying to turn it too soon. It will release when it gets browned if you used some sort of oil.

For things like eggs, I keep a couple of ceramic coated pans. Last much longer than teflon and harder to chip. For steak and some other things I have old Griswold cast irons.

Murph, I agree completely... I have Cuisinart SS pans, BUT, they are the slightly higher grade Chef's Classic series. I know the set you are talking about, with the glass covers... the Chef's Classics have solid SS covers. Well, the saute pan came with a cover that also fits the 12 inch skillet. I have had these for 2 years now and am pleased... though I'm sure if I ever tried Allclads, I would start coveting them again. Lol! I'm sure the copper core would heat quicker than these do, but I normally am chopping vegetables while the pan heats, so I'm blissfully ignorant. And, I can report that they heat very evenly and remain very flat on the bottom... all have been in the oven and under the broiler... though I have not done the Cooks Illustrated test of broiler temps straight into a water quench torture test, lol!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008CM6B/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008CM6G/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008CM6F/

 

[two70]

My favorite pot is a mystery pot handed down from my grandmother. I have no idea what brand it is though I'm sure it was probably cheap whenever it was originally purchased likely in the 80's or possibly even earlier. It is a rather ugly brown color, the light weight suggest that it is aluminum, the lid no longer fits quite right and whatever coating it originally had on the inside is long since mostly gone. My grandparents always used it whenever they made pot roasts or chili and now, I use it exclusively to make the best chili, my grandmother'r recipe. It sticks on occasion but when it does I simply scrape it out, wash it up and carry on.

As for stuff you can actually buy, I've been impressed with what I've seen of the Henckel's stainless ceramic frying pans so far. Not sure how they will hold up but they seem to be well constructed for a fairly reasonable price. I have a cheap enameled cast iron pot from Sam's that is great for soups that is starting to show some wear after 6-7 years of use. I've got a Misen on order that should be step up in quality for not much more cost for when it wears out.

 

[Dirty Steve]

All Clad, hard anodized aluminum,...hands down.

https://www.all-clad.com/cookware/collections/ha1.html

Dirty Steve

 

[Tactically Fat]

I just bought "hexclad" set for my wife. they are not cheap. good thing I love her to pieces

currently cheaper on their website than Amazon

I wonder if it's cheaper or more expensive than the Pampered Chef-branded hexclad skillet we have.

Also: There is no "best" for anything. Except for gas stoves. Gas stoves > electric or induction.

 

[JettaKnight]

I wonder if it's cheaper or more expensive than the Pampered Chef-branded hexclad skillet we have.

Also: There is no "best" for anything. Except for gas stoves. Gas stoves > electric or induction >>>>>>> glass top.

FIFY.


Although, I'd really like an induction cooktop - just one "burner", so that I can cook with some serious heat and not turn my kitchen into a hot box.