New skillet: stainless steel or non-stick?

[Spy Car]

Holy cow!

Holy Cow, what???

 

Bill

[Heidi]

I cooked a dozen scrambled eggs in my stainless steel pan this morning and they didn't stick. This is how I do it:

Set heat to medium. Heat the pan. Heat the butter-about 2 Tbs in the pan. Pour eggs in when butter is bubbly but before it burns. Don't touch the eggs for about 30 seconds.. You have to wait until the bottom cooks but before it burns. Then slowly stir with a metal spatula. If it is sticking but the eggs arent burning yet, wait a few more moments before stirring. You want to keep the butter under the eggs until the pan is at temperature again. The eggs should come off clean as you stir when the pan is hot enough. I remove the pan from the heat about 30 sec before the eggs are done b/c they will keep cooking on the hot pan.

[Spy Car]

Holy cow on how heavy some of those pans are.

Yeah, they are not light.

 

It is just that many people like (even adore) cast-iron (and I'm among them), but they don't know about carbon steel pans, which are (at least) "lighter" and really excellent to cook with IMO.

 

I understand that heavy cookware does not meet many people's needs. I didn't want to give you the wrong impression that these were either light, or super-heavy. They are sort of in the heavy to moderately heavy class. Lighter than cast-iron, but bruisers compared with T-Fal.

 

Bill

[stripe]

Not a pan, but I just ordered an Emile Henry ceramic Dutch oven... been coveting one for years and there's a good promotion right now on the 4.2 qt size (perfect for 4lb chicken). These supposedly will take substantial heat, even empty.

How do you like it?

 

eta: oops, I saw your post about it. Feel free to elaborate.

 

I keep getting emails from King Arthur Flour about their sale. I don't want one though. NO! I don't.

[nmoira]

How do you like it?

 

eta: oops, I saw your post about it. Feel free to elaborate.

 

I keep getting emails from King Arthur Flour about their sale. I don't want one though. NO! I don't.

I love it.... so much lighter than cast iron and a cinch to clean. I seasoned initially with the rice instead of milk because I was worried about scorching the milk, and then make Chicken in Milk as my first dish (alternately you can boil the milk in another pan, then pour it in the cocotte to cool). It was a steal at the promo price.

 

I've now got their shallow braiser and a tagine on my wait-for-a-deal wish list.

[Catwoman]

Yeah I don't like heavy. 

 

Yesterday I went to Bed Bath and Beyond.  I was comparing various pans.  I really don't like insanely heavy pans.  I mean no I don't want them to be T-fals, but really I can't stand the thought of having to break my arms and back to lift a pan.

 

I lifted up a cast iron dutch oven and I thought if it was any heavier I wouldn't be able to lift it.  So that would be stupid.

 

Yeah, and then you add in the weight of the stuff you're cooking in it, and :eek:

 

I use some of everything, but I still prefer non-stick for things like eggs and French toast. I just toss the pans in the trash when the coating starts to look iffy.

[Catwoman]

My Emile Henry cocotte came last week... sooo light compared to cast iron (something like 30% lighter). Made Jamie Oliver's Chicken in Milk yesterday and I'm doing a slow cooked pork loin roast in it for tonight. I have a 6qt enamelled cast iron dutch oven, and I don't think I could confidently lift anything heavier.

That sounds good. Where did you buy it? (Or did you already mention it and I missed it?)

[nmoira]

That sounds good. Where did you buy it? (Or did you already mention it and I missed it?)

Amazon, but only the black 4.2 qt round cocotte/stew pot is still on sale ($90). The promotion for that piece was on some other sites too.

 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00080HEOW/ref=twister_B0009837IU

[Catwoman]

Amazon, but only the black 4.2 qt round cocotte/stew pot is still on sale ($90). The promotion for that piece was on some other sites too.

 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00080HEOW/ref=twister_B0009837IU

Thanks! :)

[stripe]

King Arthur Flour has them. 

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/refine-results/crocks-sale

[nmoira]

King Arthur Flour has them. 

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/refine-results/crocks-sale

 

I haven't tried the no-knead bread with it yet... or with my 6qt Dutch oven for that matter. That seems like a good project to start this afternoon.

[Alessandra]

I'm going all carbon steel for nonstick, with a stainless covered sautee pan and fry pan for acidic foods. I'm loving the carbon steel. So far I have 12" and 8" fry pans, and a 12" grill pan I picked up for a steal.

 

 

I'm with you. I think carbon steel skillets are one of the great and "almost undiscovered" cookware options out there.

 

They are relatively inexpensive, require seasoning (like cast-iron), and give people a professional grade pan that can take anything you throw at it heat-wise.

 

For some reason almost no one (but you and I) have them in home kitchens.

 

Bill

 

I just saw this thread. Count me in as a carbon steel pan user -- my old ones came from Bridge Kitchenware, when it was in NYC, and I just got a new crèpe pan from Sur La Table. The steel will end up being non stick after seasoning and use. I love cast iron and also tin-lined 2.5 mm copper (much cheaper than non-stick copper). 

 

nmoira -- the place you recommended now has the pans on sale for $99.

 

http://www.chefscatalog.com/product/25200-de-buyer-mineral-fry-pan.aspx

 

I have never used the de Buyer Mineral line. My impression -- from reading the de Buyer catalogue online and from reading endless posts at chowhound -- is that they are iron, not steel. Even though I have a load of pans, the set you linked to is VERY tempting....

 

Actually, this is where I would like to be let loose with someone else's checkbook:

 

http://www.e-dehillerin.fr/en/home.php

[nmoira]

I have never used the de Buyer Mineral line. My impression -- from reading the de Buyer catalogue online and from reading endless posts at chowhound -- is that they are iron, not steel. Even though I have a load of pans, the set you linked to is VERY tempting....

 

 

No, they're carbon steel. One line is billed as 99% iron, so 1%, give or take, carbon steel. The Mineral B is advertised as 100% natural mineral which probably means the carbon in the iron was original to the ore and not added down the line. Different smelting processes. The whole "pure" thing instead of calling them carbon steel is marketing, maybe to assure the poisons-are-everywhere set that these pans won't leech unspecified toxins (they won't) and kill them.

[Alessandra]

No, they're carbon steel. One line is billed as 99% iron, so 1%, give or take, carbon steel. The Mineral B is advertised as 100% natural mineral which probably means the carbon in the iron was original to the ore and not added down the line. Different smelting processes. The whole "pure" thing instead of calling them carbon steel is marketing, maybe to assure the poisons-are-everywhere set that these pans won't leech unspecified toxins (they won't) and kill them.

 

I'm looking at the Chef's site now, comparing to de Buyer catalogue. The stock numbers on the pans  are different from those on the de Buyer site. I should call Chefs and ask tomorrow (yes, I realize that I am obsessive about cookware). But buying without seeing makes me cautious. The Chef's site say Mineral, not Mineral B, but de B only makes one line of Mineral pans.... Amazon price for the same 3 pans is $163!!

 

Thank you for clearing up the mineral definition. I see now that in the De B catalogue, the heading is 'Steel' on the left and 'Mineral B' on the right; below that, it says 'iron frypan' -- confusing!

 

ETA from Chowhound

 

 

The Mineral B pans are actually made out of steel, but it is indeed a low carbon content steel. But it still qualifies to be called carbon steel as there is carbon in their alloyed mix.

Actually many parts of the world refer to carbon steel and cast iron as "iron pans". But we here in the US we are very regimented that iron means cast iron, and carbon steel means lighter weight high carbon alloys...

But the truth is that there can be many formulas in the metal-making and many designations. The Mineral B pans are a prime example. You may be comfortable calling them "iron pans", but my eyes make me call them "carbon steel" pans...

What matters is that they are great and useful tools for good cooks!

 

Cast iron is higher in carbon than steel. That carbon makes it hard, but brittle, hence the casting. Pure iron is much softer. Wrought iron approximates that. Steel is in between, with enough carbon to toughen it, but not so much as to make it brittle.

 

The De Buyer "Mineral" pans are pure iron, rather than steel. Steel is an alloy of iron + carbon + trace elements, and while steel is stronger than iron (which is irrelevant for cookware), it is also considerably more prone to rust and corrosion (as anyone faliliar with boating and marine hardware will know). For that reason--better corrosion resistance--I'd stick to the "Mineral" pans, rather than their "Blue Steel" (or other carbon-steel) types.

 

 

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/687718

 

 

[Catwoman]

King Arthur Flour has them. 

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/refine-results/crocks-sale

Thanks!!! :)

[nmoira]

I'm looking at the Chef's site now, comparing to de Buyer catalogue. The stock numbers on the pans are different from those on the de Buyer site. I should call Chefs and ask tomorrow (yes, I realize that I am obsessive about cookware). But buying without seeing makes me cautious. The Chef's site say Mineral, not Mineral B, but de B only makes one line of Mineral pans.... Amazon price for the same 3 pans is $163!!

 

Thank you for clearing up the mineral definition. I see now that in the De B catalogue, the heading is 'Steel' on the left and 'Mineral B' on the right; below that, it says 'iron frypan' -- confusing!

It's my understanding that the only essential difference between the older Mineral line (the ones at Chef's) and Mineral B line is the beeswax coating, which you're going to strip off anyway. Oh, and the bee stamp in the middle of the pan. :D

[nmoira]

dp

[nmoira]

99% pure iron is not pure iron and is in line with what you'd expect in carbon steel cookware, so I think that poster on Chowhound is in error.

[nmoira]

Here's a different discussion from Chowhound with a pretty good explanation of the terms.

 

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/834744

[Alessandra]

It's my understanding that the only essential difference between the older Mineral line (the ones at Chef's) and Mineral B line is the beeswax coating, which you're going to strip off anyway. Oh, and the bee stamp in the middle of the pan. :D

 

Oh, THANK YOU!! What a mine of information you are. I can live w/o the bee stamp and the beeswax, lol. I did compare thicknesses and weights, and Mineral and Mineral B seem pretty much identical. 

 

I remember a while back looking at copper, reading Williams Sonoma and Sur La Table websites and figuring they had the second best Mauviel (L'Heritage, I think) at a gigantic price. So I tend to check.

 

I put in a call to Chef's, left a message with the product expert, and then decided to order anyway -- the low price and the free shipping is just too good to pass up. So thanks again for the link.

 

ETA This applies to me, I'm afraid (from your link) --

 

"Apparently you don't understand the nature of iron, cast iron, or steel."

 

[nmoira]

Oh, THANK YOU!! What a mine of information you are. I can live w/o the bee stamp and the beeswax, lol. I did compare thicknesses and weights, and Mineral and Mineral B seem pretty much identical. 

 

I remember a while back looking at copper, reading Williams Sonoma and Sur La Table websites and figuring they had the second best Mauviel (L'Heritage, I think) at a gigantic price. So I tend to check.

 

I put in a call to Chef's, left a message with the product expert, and then decided to order anyway -- the low price and the free shipping is just too good to pass up. So thanks again for the link.

 

ETA This applies to me, I'm afraid (from your link) --

 

"Apparently you don't understand the nature of iron, cast iron, or steel."

 

de Buyer's marketing materials are to blame. No wonder there's so much confusion about their pans.

[Berta]

My stainless steel cookware came with a new dinner bell.... the smoke alarm. I seem to burn everything when I use it. I prefer cast iron or basic non stick pans.

[Alessandra]

I will be getting a new 10 inch skillet soon.  Which is better?  Stainless Steel or Non-stick?  

 

Op, I see you're fairly new here. Your thread went off on a bit of a tangent -- nothing personal, as it happens all the time. What you are going to cook in a skillet can make a difference in your choice.

 

My go-to for almost everything is old fashioned, cast iron. The pans are inexpensive (about $15 for a 10" one) and last forever. They are especially nice when you want to sear a piece of meat at a high temperature. If you are on a tight budget and see a used one, they will be fine -- any rust can be removed and the pan re-seasoned; there is even an old cast iron collectors group. 

 

http://www.lodgemfg.com/seasoned-cast-iron

 

http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L8SK3-Pre-Seasoned-Skillet-10-25-inch/dp/B00006JSUA/ref=sr_1_1?srs=2595663011&ie=UTF8&qid=1386727384&sr=8-1&keywords=lodge+skillet+10-inch

 

One good place to look for the nonstick and stainless that you originally asked about os Home Goods, if you have one nearby. They have brand name cookware, sold individually, not in dreadful sets, and, when I have compared prices, they have always been significantly cheaper than Amazon! Ikea is a great source for cookware too.

 

Another choice to consider is enameled cast iron. Some brands, like Le Creuset and Staub are $$$$$. But I have heard good things about Lodge and Target's brands. With enameled cast iron, you will get a sturdy pan that can be used for things, like white wine sauces, that are not recommended for uncoated cast iron.

[TravelingChris]

I bought an All Clad skillet.  It was expensive but I love it.   I know it is less weight than my cast iron and I am sure it is also less than carbon steel.  I do like my cast iron but it is heavy and I don't have one that is a big as the All Clad I bought.  I have had RA for almost thirty years now and I am slowly changing my kitchen and other areas over to what I can continue to use now and as I get even worse over time.  For me, one of the important things is for items to be no heavier than they have to be.  So my everyday china is all lightweight corelle versus the stoneware I started out with.  I don't need things to be super lightweight because those items are ones that I am more likely to lose my grip on like I won't switch to something like paper or foam plates because I find those harder to handle.  Same with the lightweight cups my dd likes to bring home from some places-  I don't like to use them since I am likely to just spill the drink.  I prefer mugs or glasses or cups with a bit of weight to counterbalance the weight of the liquid.