3 ms·

Ditch the Lodge, don't even think about the artisanal cast iron, and go straight for the DeBuyer Mineral B. It's much cheaper than the crap artisanal things, mu

Ditch the Lodge, don't even think about the artisanal cast iron, and go straight for the DeBuyer Mineral B. It's much cheaper than the crap artisanal things, much more options in pan sizes, and finished better. More generally - if they don't sell it at a restaurant supply store (or a store catering toward the restaurant business), you are going to be overpaying for it. This is true for almost everything you really need in the kitchen.

nate_meurer 8y ago
They're not the same thing. That De Buyer is thin carbon steel, not cast iron. I have one (an identical Paderno actually) and it's by far my favorite pan for crepes, but it sucks for everything else. It's no good for searing because it lacks the necessary heat capacity, and the thin steel causes hot spots even worse than cast iron. Deeper carbon steel pans are great for stir frying, but I have yet to find another use for very shallow carbon steel skillets. Note that Lodge makes skillets that it calls "carbon steel" which are actually just especially thin cast iron, and I love these. They are thick enough to perform like cast iron, but much lighter. I have 10 and 12 inch skillets (Lodge model numbers CRS10 and CRS12), and they're my go-to skillets for almost everything: pancakes, omelets and fried eggs, sauteing, and shallow frying. The only thing I don't use cast iron for is scrambled eggs. EDIT: Nope, nevermind, I'm wrong. I just checked my pans, and my Lodge thin cast iron skillets are the same thickness as those Mineral B pans -- 2.5mm. My crepe pan is thinner. So you're right, those De Buyer pans probably are excellent replacements for cast iron -- lighter, cheaper, similar performance. EDIT 2: Damn you batbomb, now I have to go shopping for pans. Restaurant supply store you say? Maybe ebay?
- starpilot 8y ago
  Not to mention carbon steel is what all restaurants use. Cast iron is too heavy.
  - bpicolo 8y ago
    Consumer ranges put out 1/3 the BTUs of a typical commercial range. Would that impact the success of carbon steel you think?
    - nate_meurer 8y ago
      The lower power of consumer ranges is mitigated somewhat by heavier steel and iron construction with greater heat capacity. A more powerful restaurant range can keep thin metal pans from cooling too much when food is dumped into them. This only really matters for searing and shallow frying, where temperatures need to stay high and stable. For lower temperature activities like sauteing, evenness of heat is more important. Delicate things like crepes and egg dishes are sort of special cases, requiring both evenness and a surface that releases the food without sticking.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]

nate_meurer 8y ago

They're not the same thing. That De Buyer is thin carbon steel, not cast iron. I have one (an identical Paderno actually) and it's by far my favorite pan for crepes, but it sucks for everything else. It's no good for searing because it lacks the necessary heat capacity, and the thin steel causes hot spots even worse than cast iron. Deeper carbon steel pans are great for stir frying, but I have yet to find another use for very shallow carbon steel skillets. Note that Lodge makes skillets that it calls "carbon steel" which are actually just especially thin cast iron, and I love these. They are thick enough to perform like cast iron, but much lighter. I have 10 and 12 inch skillets (Lodge model numbers CRS10 and CRS12), and they're my go-to skillets for almost everything: pancakes, omelets and fried eggs, sauteing, and shallow frying. The only thing I don't use cast iron for is scrambled eggs. EDIT: Nope, nevermind, I'm wrong. I just checked my pans, and my Lodge thin cast iron skillets are the same thickness as those Mineral B pans -- 2.5mm. My crepe pan is thinner. So you're right, those De Buyer pans probably are excellent replacements for cast iron -- lighter, cheaper, similar performance. EDIT 2: Damn you batbomb, now I have to go shopping for pans. Restaurant supply store you say? Maybe ebay?

starpilot 8y ago
Not to mention carbon steel is what all restaurants use. Cast iron is too heavy.
- bpicolo 8y ago
  Consumer ranges put out 1/3 the BTUs of a typical commercial range. Would that impact the success of carbon steel you think?
  - nate_meurer 8y ago
    The lower power of consumer ranges is mitigated somewhat by heavier steel and iron construction with greater heat capacity. A more powerful restaurant range can keep thin metal pans from cooling too much when food is dumped into them. This only really matters for searing and shallow frying, where temperatures need to stay high and stable. For lower temperature activities like sauteing, evenness of heat is more important. Delicate things like crepes and egg dishes are sort of special cases, requiring both evenness and a surface that releases the food without sticking.
deleted 8y ago
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