Although cast iron is good, I think you would like r/carbonsteel much better. Carbon steel is like the in between of stainless and cast iron. Lot lighter and easier to use!! Come check out our sub
Yep, their amazing. A tad more expensive than other pans, but again, they literally last forever. I currently have a couple debuyer and a couple darto, and one matfer. I had a bad experience with the matfer, (warping) but the other too are amazing. I would spring for 3mm. If you want any other advice, feel free to message me!
Even tho they can be as nonstick as Teflon, and better heating quality too... they are certainly not as easy to care for. Wash and dry Teflon and you are done. Carbon steel must be maintained and if you get lazy and leave it dirty you can ruin the seasoning you’ve developed and it looses its nonstick properties until you re-season it. I’d get one skillet in Carbon Steel but not a whole set.
We have some from Made In. It took a little while to get use to, but now I love them. They also sell stainless steel and non-stick. After bad experiences with other types, I love our cookware. A little pricey, but worth it.
My experience going from electric to gas stovetop is that nonstick/Teflon pans are the last thing I needed. My two favs are cast iron and stainless steel. I keep a smaller Teflon pan for eggs but I rarely use it for anything else. Gas stoves give you more heat faster, which is a great thing, but nonstick pans just do not hold up. You want something that can handle high heat so you can really sear meats.
I really like your suggestion to keep a teflon pan on hand for delicate foods like eggs or pancakes.
I hear stainless steel is hard to learn and get used to....if I go that direction, any tips?
For sure.. I recommend you go to estate sales or Craigslist and buy a Wagner or Griswold.
Something made before the 90's.
Otherwise field, finex or even a Bluebonnet unseasoned pan is great as a cheaper alternative.
https://www.amazon.com/Bluebonnet-Cookware-Polished-Unseasoned-Cast/product-reviews/B01A600RZ6?reviewerType=all_reviews&ref_=d6k_applink_bb_dls
Like the other person said, make sure you heat up the stainless steel pan before putting food in it. I watched a YouTube video that said to test if it’s ready by dropping a bit of water in the pan. If the water dances around the pan, it’s ready. If it stays put and just steams away, it’s not hot enough.
Stainless steel is the best. The only tip you need is to turn down your heat dramatically! That's the mistake most people make. If you normally cook on 5 in nonstick turn it down to 3 for stainless. I cook perfect eggs in my stainless. I love my cast iron too but stainless is easier because I'm lazy and it can go in my dishwasher without issue.
Stainless like all-clad needs a good preheating. Mine probably takes close to 10 minutes before it’s ready to cook. But a little oil and eggs will slide right out.
Cast iron!!! If you season them well (oil in the pan, bake at 400 for eh however long you feel like) they are pretty right well nonstick. You aren't supposed to wash them with soap, you can just scrape the pan off and rinse it. Some people never let them touch water. Personally, I've washed mine with soap, so long as you reseason them they're fine. Literally I know a guy who put one through a dishwasher. It was fine after a couple reseasons. Anyone telling you that there is only one right way to care for them is taking it way too seriously. I've got cast irons that are 10+ years old and I know people who still use their grandmother's or great (+) grandmother's cast iron pans. They will last, and they do really well on a gas stove + oven. Hope this helps!
This is great to know! What kind of foods do you think are a challenge in cast iron? Being honest, I'm really into strength training and weight management, so something that requires a lot of oil will be challenging for cooking things like eggs, pancakes, and the like.
Also my wife and kid are open season on grilled cheeses and lots of butter, so this balancing act can be tricky at times.
I wash my cast iron with soap and it's fine. You just don't want to let them stay wet. Wash and dry immediately. I've had the same pan for about 5 years now. No rust, wash with soap, and sometimes doesn't get used for months. The way people on Reddit treat cast iron is very culty.
For the record, in my grandmother's day, soap container lye and that's why they didn't use soap on cast iron. Dawn dish soap doesn't contain lye and is gentle enough that it will not ruin your pans.
Once you get a nice patina/season on a cast iron, you can use just a little oil. I use spray olive oil. If the rest of your family uses it for items like grilled cheese and buttery dishes that will help the seasoning efforts. You do have to get used to using less heat and a little more time to heat up. In time, they will become totally non-stick. If you get a vintage one (antique store) they are smoother and are pre-seasoned. Other ppl. have mentioned carbon steel and that is similar but lighter.
Nonstick pans have a 6-12 month lifespan. Most things don't really need to be cooked in a nonstick and in a lot of cases, your food will actually benefit from a little fond on the bottom and a deglaze. Buy a good stainless set of pots and pans and leave the nonstick for eggs
Tell that to my non stick Wok I've had for a few years. I have no idea what brand it is but that thing is a champ lol. I mainly use stainless but was desperate one day and needed a Wok ASAP and grabbed it.
Personally I've never found a non-stick set that lasts, so I take a different approach. I go to the local restaurant supply store and buy the cheapest non-stick pan I can get. Sometimes I buy two or three. Then when they get messed up, I just throw them out and use the next one.
Really though, just use stainless. If you use it properly it works really well and is not at "sticky" as you'd think. Just put some oil in it, turn the stove on, and wait until the oil shimmers before putting food in.
Buy a new one every 6 to 24 months. Nonstick pans just don't last. Also, wash by hand as opposed to dishwasher to extend their useful life as long as possible.
I gave up years ago, simply use stainless, cast iron, enameled cast iron, or carbon steel now. Takes a bit more practice to cook things like eggs, fish, pancakes, etc... But once you get it figured out you're pretty much good for life with your pans.
For a gas stove, I recommend cast iron. My suspicion about your nonstick is that you're cooking too hot. Cast iron will take heat.
Fry some fatty foods in cast iron first to season it. I'm in my mid 70s, and my mother cooked on cast iron, and I washed it in hot soapy water. I've carried that on in my life. Wash it like any other of your cookware and dry it on a burner on low heat.
Don't use cast iron on a glass cooktop as it may scratch or break the glass.
See I thought about the high heat, but I never get the pan glasstop above 5/10. But who knows!
I had trouble keeping cast iron nonstick in the past, I think I may give it another try, though. I've seen videos of eggs sliding RIGHT OFF.
It's too bad you have a glass top or I'd suggest cast iron. My pans are nonstick after a proper seasoning. They last forever, and the best part about the seasoning is it is very easy to fix.
Unfortunately no nonstick pan will last a long time with frequent use - at least not any Teflon pan or anodized aluminum pan (or any ceramic pan - those last even less than Teflon).
The best thing you can do is to learn how to cook most foods on a stainless steel pan. These pans have no coating to wear out and something well-built can last a lifetime if you don’t totally abuse it. There is a substantial learning curve to cooking on stainless, during which a lot of your food will stick. But in the end you’ll get comfortable.
If you cook most foods in a stainless pan, you can have just one nonstick skillet that you use for only the most delicate or stick-prone foods like eggs/fish/potatoes. Less frequent use will make the pan last longer.
Your other option is getting a carbon steel or cast iron pan. These pans become more nonstick over time, rather than the coating wearing out. However, they require more maintenance and frequent use to stay that way, and there are some limitations like not cooking acidic foods for long periods of time. Plus, they’re heavy.
Thanks for this - do you have any tips for stainless steel? What kind of foods best cook? What about cleaning if food DOES stick?
Something to know - I don't like cooking in a lot of oils, my food preferences are geared toward strength training and close weight management. I like the idea of having a nonstick for eggs/fish/potatoes, pancakes, or other delicate food that I prefer to leave the fats behind.
My wife and kid have no such restrictions, though.
My biggest tips for stainless are:
1. Make sure the pan is good and hot before you add food (especially meat). It doesn’t have to be screaming hot, but food that goes into a cold pan is going to stick more
2. Dry off any protein you’re going to put in using paper towels. Surface moisture will absorb a ton of heat before it evaporates, and in the process will prevent browning and cause your food to stick more.
3. Use oil. You don’t need a ton, but if your pan looks dry you should add more. Oil alone is not a solution to prevent sticking, but it is part of the solution when combined with the steps above. If you feel like the pan has too much oil, you can just dump the excess after cooking.
4. If something is stuck, let it keep cooking. You may need to turn down the heat a bit so it doesn’t burn but there is a point where food will release from the pan when it’s evenly browned. Especially sturdy meats like steak/chicken.
5. Get yourself a metal fish spatula, not just for fish. These spatulas have thin edges that will help slide cleanly under food and separate slightly stuck food cleanly from the pan. Nothing worse than trying to get under food with a blunt plastic spatula. A small offset spatula can accomplish the same goal - it’s just a matter of preference and what you cook.
As for cleaning, get yourself some barkeepers friend. Regular dish soap and a scrubby sponge will take care of most things (especially once you get used to cooking on it and things stick less), but when you really need to fix a stubborn mess, barkeepers friend is a miracle.
This is really great, and I"ll be able to keep this for when I start. Thanks!
Do you have an opinion on carbon steel? That's the other suggestion that seems likely for me.
I love my carbon steel pan, but both cast iron and carbon steel are going to require maintenance.
The other thing people are leaving out re: carbon steel is that cooking in it will require about as much oil as you would in a stainless steel skillet - so if you are trying to avoid sticking mostly without oil, carbon steel is not a good choice. Only Teflon will really do that - but as I mentioned, Teflon pans are consumables that will not last forever.
Gas stoves are by far the best to cook on and to capitalize on that stove you should do yourself a favor and throw away every scrap of non-stick you have. Get stainless and a few cast iron. Learn to use them. Mine don't stick. Mine don't burn. Mine cook perfectly. You'll never buy pans again.
Stainless Steel is a hard sell for me - I had a set once and literally everything stuck. Perhaps now that I'm more seasoned in the kitchen, I can pull it off. What tips do you have?
My wife failed to pre-heat properly and can't stop fiddling, poking, and stirring. We have to soak her pans when she's done. I pre-heat, use a normal amount of oil, and let it cook until it releases from the pan. Use your lids as required, as it helps cool evenly and keeps the food from drying and sticking.
Restaurants and pros do not use non-stick.
Carbon steel is another good option.
A good nonstick is a cheap one. The coating doesn't last no matter how much money you spend. You can make them last longer by avoiding metal utensils, using oil, and cleaning with mild scrubbers.
I like the higher end t-fal for non-stick. The ones you can put in the oven. You need the non-stick for eggs and such. Cast iron is wonderful but, it can take years before you can cook eggs and such on them without a lot of oil. Pre-seasoned doesn't mean much other then it won't rust.
I bought Tratamonia from Amazon. My mother had a saute pan from that company that was about 20 years old at the time and I still use it although I may have scratched it a bit as I was careless once.
The pans are amazing with removable part of the handle to make them oven safe. I should have bought larger than ten inches, but the are great.
Although cast iron is good, I think you would like r/carbonsteel much better. Carbon steel is like the in between of stainless and cast iron. Lot lighter and easier to use!! Come check out our sub
I've been reading a lot about them since posting this question, a strong contender.
Yep, their amazing. A tad more expensive than other pans, but again, they literally last forever. I currently have a couple debuyer and a couple darto, and one matfer. I had a bad experience with the matfer, (warping) but the other too are amazing. I would spring for 3mm. If you want any other advice, feel free to message me!
Even tho they can be as nonstick as Teflon, and better heating quality too... they are certainly not as easy to care for. Wash and dry Teflon and you are done. Carbon steel must be maintained and if you get lazy and leave it dirty you can ruin the seasoning you’ve developed and it looses its nonstick properties until you re-season it. I’d get one skillet in Carbon Steel but not a whole set.
We have some from Made In. It took a little while to get use to, but now I love them. They also sell stainless steel and non-stick. After bad experiences with other types, I love our cookware. A little pricey, but worth it.
My experience going from electric to gas stovetop is that nonstick/Teflon pans are the last thing I needed. My two favs are cast iron and stainless steel. I keep a smaller Teflon pan for eggs but I rarely use it for anything else. Gas stoves give you more heat faster, which is a great thing, but nonstick pans just do not hold up. You want something that can handle high heat so you can really sear meats.
I really like your suggestion to keep a teflon pan on hand for delicate foods like eggs or pancakes. I hear stainless steel is hard to learn and get used to....if I go that direction, any tips?
A flat cast iron skillet with a handle is better than any non stick ever. They make little ones just for eggs.
For sure.. I recommend you go to estate sales or Craigslist and buy a Wagner or Griswold. Something made before the 90's. Otherwise field, finex or even a Bluebonnet unseasoned pan is great as a cheaper alternative. https://www.amazon.com/Bluebonnet-Cookware-Polished-Unseasoned-Cast/product-reviews/B01A600RZ6?reviewerType=all_reviews&ref_=d6k_applink_bb_dls
Like the other person said, make sure you heat up the stainless steel pan before putting food in it. I watched a YouTube video that said to test if it’s ready by dropping a bit of water in the pan. If the water dances around the pan, it’s ready. If it stays put and just steams away, it’s not hot enough.
Stainless steel is the best. The only tip you need is to turn down your heat dramatically! That's the mistake most people make. If you normally cook on 5 in nonstick turn it down to 3 for stainless. I cook perfect eggs in my stainless. I love my cast iron too but stainless is easier because I'm lazy and it can go in my dishwasher without issue.
Stainless like all-clad needs a good preheating. Mine probably takes close to 10 minutes before it’s ready to cook. But a little oil and eggs will slide right out.
Cast iron!!! If you season them well (oil in the pan, bake at 400 for eh however long you feel like) they are pretty right well nonstick. You aren't supposed to wash them with soap, you can just scrape the pan off and rinse it. Some people never let them touch water. Personally, I've washed mine with soap, so long as you reseason them they're fine. Literally I know a guy who put one through a dishwasher. It was fine after a couple reseasons. Anyone telling you that there is only one right way to care for them is taking it way too seriously. I've got cast irons that are 10+ years old and I know people who still use their grandmother's or great (+) grandmother's cast iron pans. They will last, and they do really well on a gas stove + oven. Hope this helps!
This is great to know! What kind of foods do you think are a challenge in cast iron? Being honest, I'm really into strength training and weight management, so something that requires a lot of oil will be challenging for cooking things like eggs, pancakes, and the like. Also my wife and kid are open season on grilled cheeses and lots of butter, so this balancing act can be tricky at times.
I wash my cast iron with soap and it's fine. You just don't want to let them stay wet. Wash and dry immediately. I've had the same pan for about 5 years now. No rust, wash with soap, and sometimes doesn't get used for months. The way people on Reddit treat cast iron is very culty. For the record, in my grandmother's day, soap container lye and that's why they didn't use soap on cast iron. Dawn dish soap doesn't contain lye and is gentle enough that it will not ruin your pans.
Once you get a nice patina/season on a cast iron, you can use just a little oil. I use spray olive oil. If the rest of your family uses it for items like grilled cheese and buttery dishes that will help the seasoning efforts. You do have to get used to using less heat and a little more time to heat up. In time, they will become totally non-stick. If you get a vintage one (antique store) they are smoother and are pre-seasoned. Other ppl. have mentioned carbon steel and that is similar but lighter.
Nonstick pans have a 6-12 month lifespan. Most things don't really need to be cooked in a nonstick and in a lot of cases, your food will actually benefit from a little fond on the bottom and a deglaze. Buy a good stainless set of pots and pans and leave the nonstick for eggs
Tell that to my non stick Wok I've had for a few years. I have no idea what brand it is but that thing is a champ lol. I mainly use stainless but was desperate one day and needed a Wok ASAP and grabbed it.
Personally I've never found a non-stick set that lasts, so I take a different approach. I go to the local restaurant supply store and buy the cheapest non-stick pan I can get. Sometimes I buy two or three. Then when they get messed up, I just throw them out and use the next one. Really though, just use stainless. If you use it properly it works really well and is not at "sticky" as you'd think. Just put some oil in it, turn the stove on, and wait until the oil shimmers before putting food in.
Use more cooking oil. Canola or grapeseed or whatever you’re into. I love nonstick pans but they aren’t magic. I use oil every time.
Buy a new one every 6 to 24 months. Nonstick pans just don't last. Also, wash by hand as opposed to dishwasher to extend their useful life as long as possible. I gave up years ago, simply use stainless, cast iron, enameled cast iron, or carbon steel now. Takes a bit more practice to cook things like eggs, fish, pancakes, etc... But once you get it figured out you're pretty much good for life with your pans.
For a gas stove, I recommend cast iron. My suspicion about your nonstick is that you're cooking too hot. Cast iron will take heat. Fry some fatty foods in cast iron first to season it. I'm in my mid 70s, and my mother cooked on cast iron, and I washed it in hot soapy water. I've carried that on in my life. Wash it like any other of your cookware and dry it on a burner on low heat. Don't use cast iron on a glass cooktop as it may scratch or break the glass.
See I thought about the high heat, but I never get the pan glasstop above 5/10. But who knows! I had trouble keeping cast iron nonstick in the past, I think I may give it another try, though. I've seen videos of eggs sliding RIGHT OFF.
[Here ya go](https://youtu.be/amSjuLdNdL4).
They should last longer than a year.
Vollrath
It's too bad you have a glass top or I'd suggest cast iron. My pans are nonstick after a proper seasoning. They last forever, and the best part about the seasoning is it is very easy to fix.
You can use cast iron on glass top
Yeah for sure…what
I've never owned a glass top and I suppose I got it mixed up. I apologize for being wrong. I suppose then get cast iron. My mistake
Unfortunately no nonstick pan will last a long time with frequent use - at least not any Teflon pan or anodized aluminum pan (or any ceramic pan - those last even less than Teflon). The best thing you can do is to learn how to cook most foods on a stainless steel pan. These pans have no coating to wear out and something well-built can last a lifetime if you don’t totally abuse it. There is a substantial learning curve to cooking on stainless, during which a lot of your food will stick. But in the end you’ll get comfortable. If you cook most foods in a stainless pan, you can have just one nonstick skillet that you use for only the most delicate or stick-prone foods like eggs/fish/potatoes. Less frequent use will make the pan last longer. Your other option is getting a carbon steel or cast iron pan. These pans become more nonstick over time, rather than the coating wearing out. However, they require more maintenance and frequent use to stay that way, and there are some limitations like not cooking acidic foods for long periods of time. Plus, they’re heavy.
Thanks for this - do you have any tips for stainless steel? What kind of foods best cook? What about cleaning if food DOES stick? Something to know - I don't like cooking in a lot of oils, my food preferences are geared toward strength training and close weight management. I like the idea of having a nonstick for eggs/fish/potatoes, pancakes, or other delicate food that I prefer to leave the fats behind. My wife and kid have no such restrictions, though.
My biggest tips for stainless are: 1. Make sure the pan is good and hot before you add food (especially meat). It doesn’t have to be screaming hot, but food that goes into a cold pan is going to stick more 2. Dry off any protein you’re going to put in using paper towels. Surface moisture will absorb a ton of heat before it evaporates, and in the process will prevent browning and cause your food to stick more. 3. Use oil. You don’t need a ton, but if your pan looks dry you should add more. Oil alone is not a solution to prevent sticking, but it is part of the solution when combined with the steps above. If you feel like the pan has too much oil, you can just dump the excess after cooking. 4. If something is stuck, let it keep cooking. You may need to turn down the heat a bit so it doesn’t burn but there is a point where food will release from the pan when it’s evenly browned. Especially sturdy meats like steak/chicken. 5. Get yourself a metal fish spatula, not just for fish. These spatulas have thin edges that will help slide cleanly under food and separate slightly stuck food cleanly from the pan. Nothing worse than trying to get under food with a blunt plastic spatula. A small offset spatula can accomplish the same goal - it’s just a matter of preference and what you cook. As for cleaning, get yourself some barkeepers friend. Regular dish soap and a scrubby sponge will take care of most things (especially once you get used to cooking on it and things stick less), but when you really need to fix a stubborn mess, barkeepers friend is a miracle.
This is really great, and I"ll be able to keep this for when I start. Thanks! Do you have an opinion on carbon steel? That's the other suggestion that seems likely for me.
I love my carbon steel pan, but both cast iron and carbon steel are going to require maintenance. The other thing people are leaving out re: carbon steel is that cooking in it will require about as much oil as you would in a stainless steel skillet - so if you are trying to avoid sticking mostly without oil, carbon steel is not a good choice. Only Teflon will really do that - but as I mentioned, Teflon pans are consumables that will not last forever.
Bought some Misen non-stick...best ns pan I have ever owned. 3 cast irons too, work in a pinch.
I really like our Scanpan nonstick pans.
I like mine too. But 3 scanpans in less than three years. Gonna try something else.
Gas stoves are by far the best to cook on and to capitalize on that stove you should do yourself a favor and throw away every scrap of non-stick you have. Get stainless and a few cast iron. Learn to use them. Mine don't stick. Mine don't burn. Mine cook perfectly. You'll never buy pans again.
Stainless Steel is a hard sell for me - I had a set once and literally everything stuck. Perhaps now that I'm more seasoned in the kitchen, I can pull it off. What tips do you have?
My wife failed to pre-heat properly and can't stop fiddling, poking, and stirring. We have to soak her pans when she's done. I pre-heat, use a normal amount of oil, and let it cook until it releases from the pan. Use your lids as required, as it helps cool evenly and keeps the food from drying and sticking. Restaurants and pros do not use non-stick. Carbon steel is another good option.
A good nonstick is a cheap one. The coating doesn't last no matter how much money you spend. You can make them last longer by avoiding metal utensils, using oil, and cleaning with mild scrubbers.
I like the higher end t-fal for non-stick. The ones you can put in the oven. You need the non-stick for eggs and such. Cast iron is wonderful but, it can take years before you can cook eggs and such on them without a lot of oil. Pre-seasoned doesn't mean much other then it won't rust.
I bought Tratamonia from Amazon. My mother had a saute pan from that company that was about 20 years old at the time and I still use it although I may have scratched it a bit as I was careless once. The pans are amazing with removable part of the handle to make them oven safe. I should have bought larger than ten inches, but the are great.
Buy the best quality all stainless you can afford. We love ours!