saraha Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 What is the best uses for the following pans- cast iron skillet, non-stick skillet, stainless steel skillet. I have all three of these and use the stainless steel for making gravy, the nonstick for everything else, and the cast iron when the other two are dirty because things tend to stick in it. Can you help me broaden my horizons? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardening momma Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 I use cast iron for camping and non-stick for everything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saraha Posted April 5, 2012 Author Share Posted April 5, 2012 So what is the best use for stainless steel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 I use my cast iron for frying meats--not deep frying, just pan frying. I use stainless steel for most everything else--steaming veggies, making sauces, etc. Dh likes a nonstick skillet for frying eggs, but I've found that if you heat your pan well and add the fat right before you add the eggs the stainless steel doesn't stick. We also bought a nonstick griddle for cooking pancakes or garlic toast. It's also a handy cook surface for traveling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 If your cast iron is seasoned correctly, it shouldn't be sticking. You may want to look into seasoning it again/checking its seasoning on a more regular basis. How I understand it: cast iron heats slowly and keeps steady heat longer. The others heat faster, but less steadily. That means for quick browning stainless/non-stick and for slower, longer cooking the cast iron. Personally I use cast iron for everything, but that's only because I got tired of straining to clean the stainless steel every time we made eggs and I worry about the non-stick coating getting scratched off and onto our food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 cast iron skillet - everything non-stick skillet - nothing stainless steel skillet - when one runs out of clean cast iron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 (edited) I use cast iron for almost everything -- frying meat, omelets/fried eggs/scrambled eggs, sauteing vegetables, frying pancakes and french toast, soups and stews, etc. I've got cast iron pans, a dutch oven, a big skillet that covers two burners, even cast iron waffle irons, and I use at least one of them every day, usually at least two. I have non-stick nothing (except for a couple of specialty bake pans, like for bundt cakes and edge brownies). The cast iron just needs to be seasoned very well, but it has replaced any non-stick pans as well as my crockpot. I use stainless saucepans for boiling eggs or vegetables like lima beans and peas, cooking beans, and for making sauces. I suppose cast iron would work fine for those too, but I don't have pans in the right sizes/shapes for those. I do have big stainless stockpots that I use for some soups, making stock, stuff like that, but the dutch oven might suffice for those too. I bake in Pyrex or Corelle casseroles some too, when the cast iron isn't the right size/shape. And while I happily cook beef and pork roasts in the cast iron dutch oven, I prefer chicken roasted in a stainless roasting pan. ETA: I do have a stainless steel frying pan still, but I haven't used it in years. Partly that's because it's not big enough for my family anymore, but mostly it's because I like the cast iron better. Stuff doesn't stick to the cast iron nearly as much as it did with the stainless. Edited April 5, 2012 by happypamama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 cast iron skillet - everything non-stick skillet - nothing stainless steel skillet - when one runs out of clean cast iron :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.