4 ms·

Obviously the right answer here is to replace both with cast iron.

adrr 7y ago
Cast irons aren't really convenient for everyday use, i can stick my non-stick in the dishwasher. My cast irons i have to water wash it, dry it, then re-coat with oil, then stick it back on the stove to get it polymerize otherwise the oil will go rancid after a while. Who wants to do that everyday for breakfast?
- askvictor 7y ago
  Once a cast iron pan is properly seasoned 'broken in' (this can take some weeks/months of usage) it shouldn't need to be re-seasoned after every use. My years-old skillet gets a scrub with hot water after a normal use; if I've cooked something smelly (e.g. fish) I might use some detergent (and even then it usually doesn't need re-seasoning as long as I haven't soaked it). Only if I've cooked something acidic (tomato sauce) do I need to re-season after cleaning. I don't fry every day for breakfast, but if I did, cleaning my skillet would take about the same time as it would to stack it into the dishwasher.
  - dragonwriter 7y ago
    > Once a cast iron pan is properly seasoned 'broken in' (this can take some weeks/months of usage) Only if you don't season it properly initially.
    - askvictor 7y ago
      Despite seasoning it properly the first time, I've definitely found it takes on a different quality (more resilient surface) over a longer period of time.
- ethbro 7y ago
  You shouldn't have to do that often. Certainly not every time. If you're polymerizing it, using a vegetable oil, and wiping it down before storage (so no pooled oil/fat), you shouldn't have to reseason... well, really unless you need to scour the pan. More frequent, med-high (e.g. standard breakfast) use also helps. Think "everyday use" over "everyday clean"
- devm0de 7y ago
  Get a $8 chainmail scrubber and use only water to clean with. Cleaning my cast iron takes the same amount of time as my non sticks, with the exception that I take more care to dry it. Definitely an every day staple cooking utensil in our household.
- pfranz 7y ago
  In general, I find non-stick to be more maintenance than cast-iron. If you're using it every day just wipe it out when you're done. Most non-stick pans discourage using the dish washer--I see mentions of high-heat [1] and aggressive detergents [2] degrading the coating. Limiting yourself to plastic utensils and even with hand-washing you have to replace it ever few years. I tend to only use non-stick for certain egg dishes and fish. [1] https://blog.williams-sonoma.com/how-to-clean-nonstick-cookware/ https://blog.williams-sonoma.com/how-to-clean-nonstick-cookw... [2] https://www.thespruce.com/nonstick-pans-care-1908563 https://www.thespruce.com/nonstick-pans-care-1908563
- KozmoNau7 7y ago
  For my beloved carbon steel pan, I just wipe it out with some paper[1]. If there are burnt-on bits, I use a bit of salt and oil, and a sponge, half a potato or a wooden spatula to scrape it off. Then a quick wash it with hot water, no soap is needed. I've never had to reseason my pan once the initial seasoning (using the oil+salt+potato peel method) was done properly. [1] And put the paper+grease in a empty milk carton or something, and then in the trash when it has cooled. Never dump grease down the drain!
- JshWright 7y ago
  > Who wants to do that everyday for breakfast? My go-to breakfast (literally, maybe once or twice a month I'll do something different) is an egg sandwich, with a slice of taylor ham cooked in a small cast iron skillet, then an egg fried in an egg ring in that same skillet (while that's going on, toast an english muffin, then toast the top half again, this time with a chunk of fresh mozzarella on top). Once I assemble the sandwich I give the skillet a quick rinse with a non-abrasive scouring pad, then set it back on the range (which is off, but still hot). Without exaggeration, I've made this meal several hundred times, and that skillet is far and away the the best of my cast irons when it comes to the quality of the seasoning, with no more care than what I just described. You really shouldn't have to reseason cast iron after every use (in most use cases, the seasoning should improve with use).
- dragonwriter 7y ago
  > My cast irons i have to water wash it, dry it, then re-coat with oil, then stick it back on the stove to get it polymerize otherwise the oil will go rancid after a while. Who wants to do that everyday for breakfast? No one, and absolutely no guide to cast iron care would recommend that process. You can invent an unnecessarily complicated maintenance routine for any kind of cookware to make it seem impractical.

adrr 7y ago

Cast irons aren't really convenient for everyday use, i can stick my non-stick in the dishwasher. My cast irons i have to water wash it, dry it, then re-coat with oil, then stick it back on the stove to get it polymerize otherwise the oil will go rancid after a while. Who wants to do that everyday for breakfast?

askvictor 7y ago
Once a cast iron pan is properly seasoned 'broken in' (this can take some weeks/months of usage) it shouldn't need to be re-seasoned after every use. My years-old skillet gets a scrub with hot water after a normal use; if I've cooked something smelly (e.g. fish) I might use some detergent (and even then it usually doesn't need re-seasoning as long as I haven't soaked it). Only if I've cooked something acidic (tomato sauce) do I need to re-season after cleaning. I don't fry every day for breakfast, but if I did, cleaning my skillet would take about the same time as it would to stack it into the dishwasher.
- dragonwriter 7y ago
  > Once a cast iron pan is properly seasoned 'broken in' (this can take some weeks/months of usage) Only if you don't season it properly initially.
  - askvictor 7y ago
    Despite seasoning it properly the first time, I've definitely found it takes on a different quality (more resilient surface) over a longer period of time.
ethbro 7y ago
You shouldn't have to do that often. Certainly not every time. If you're polymerizing it, using a vegetable oil, and wiping it down before storage (so no pooled oil/fat), you shouldn't have to reseason... well, really unless you need to scour the pan. More frequent, med-high (e.g. standard breakfast) use also helps. Think "everyday use" over "everyday clean"
devm0de 7y ago
Get a $8 chainmail scrubber and use only water to clean with. Cleaning my cast iron takes the same amount of time as my non sticks, with the exception that I take more care to dry it. Definitely an every day staple cooking utensil in our household.
pfranz 7y ago
In general, I find non-stick to be more maintenance than cast-iron. If you're using it every day just wipe it out when you're done. Most non-stick pans discourage using the dish washer--I see mentions of high-heat [1] and aggressive detergents [2] degrading the coating. Limiting yourself to plastic utensils and even with hand-washing you have to replace it ever few years. I tend to only use non-stick for certain egg dishes and fish. [1] https://blog.williams-sonoma.com/how-to-clean-nonstick-cookware/ https://blog.williams-sonoma.com/how-to-clean-nonstick-cookw... [2] https://www.thespruce.com/nonstick-pans-care-1908563 https://www.thespruce.com/nonstick-pans-care-1908563
KozmoNau7 7y ago
For my beloved carbon steel pan, I just wipe it out with some paper[1]. If there are burnt-on bits, I use a bit of salt and oil, and a sponge, half a potato or a wooden spatula to scrape it off. Then a quick wash it with hot water, no soap is needed. I've never had to reseason my pan once the initial seasoning (using the oil+salt+potato peel method) was done properly. [1] And put the paper+grease in a empty milk carton or something, and then in the trash when it has cooled. Never dump grease down the drain!
JshWright 7y ago
> Who wants to do that everyday for breakfast? My go-to breakfast (literally, maybe once or twice a month I'll do something different) is an egg sandwich, with a slice of taylor ham cooked in a small cast iron skillet, then an egg fried in an egg ring in that same skillet (while that's going on, toast an english muffin, then toast the top half again, this time with a chunk of fresh mozzarella on top). Once I assemble the sandwich I give the skillet a quick rinse with a non-abrasive scouring pad, then set it back on the range (which is off, but still hot). Without exaggeration, I've made this meal several hundred times, and that skillet is far and away the the best of my cast irons when it comes to the quality of the seasoning, with no more care than what I just described. You really shouldn't have to reseason cast iron after every use (in most use cases, the seasoning should improve with use).
dragonwriter 7y ago
> My cast irons i have to water wash it, dry it, then re-coat with oil, then stick it back on the stove to get it polymerize otherwise the oil will go rancid after a while. Who wants to do that everyday for breakfast? No one, and absolutely no guide to cast iron care would recommend that process. You can invent an unnecessarily complicated maintenance routine for any kind of cookware to make it seem impractical.