5 ms·

You’re should be using a cast iron pan, even on a gas stove anyway. That solves the uneven heat distribution.

by xedeon 5y ago

moate 5y ago
Please replace "cast iron" with "good" pans. Uncoated cast iron is a fucking pain to take care of if you cook anything acidic regularly. Coated cast iron is better, but SO heavy (and it takes forever to get up to temp because it's such a heat sink)> Nobody should be buying thin, cheap aluminum pans. They heat unevenly and both get too hot too quickly on the flame and lose heat almost immediately if they're of a burner. Solid bottom steel pans will always be the standard because they're lighter than cast iron but hold temp and work well. /chef rant
- nate_meurer 5y ago
  When you were cheff'ing, how often did you use heavy aluminum pans?
  - moate 5y ago
    Pretty regularly. Lots of places would go with cheaper pans. One thing to consider, I would assume that most professional cooks are cooking in a very different way than most regular home cooks. The way food is prepared, the familiarity with both the equipment/techniques. It was always nice when I'd get a job somewhere that had good stoves/pans.
- boring_twenties 5y ago
  Not being a chef, I'll have to defer to you, but I despise stainless steel pans. My favorite pans are these[1] thin, expensive-ish aluminum ones. They not only heat evenly, but are really non-stick (even with little or no oil) and are light and amazingly easy to clean. [1] https://www.scanpan.com/ https://www.scanpan.com/
  - nate_meurer 5y ago
    The steel pans that @moate is talking about are heavier commercial pans-- thicker than what you're probably used to. My steel crepe pans are nearly 3 mm thick. You're right about cheap stainless pans. They're the very worst. Stainless has even lower thermal conductivity than cast iron or carbon steel.
  - moate 5y ago
    I specifically avoided brand names because it seemed like it might have cheapened my point, but my pan of choice is All-Clad. If I had more money I'd convert everything I have to their Copper-Core pans for even better heating. The big appeal for me with these is that they're durable as hell and can take a wide range of temps while being easy to clean/care for. Quick question: Other than for omelettes/pancakes, what's the appeal of non-stick for you? Is this a health issue (cutting down butter/oil) or an ease of use thing? I only ask because I'm (PERSONAL OPINOIN, YMMV) not a fan. I find them much harder to clean/care for and am all too familiar with the fact that often the NS coatings degrade into really bad things which then get pulled into the food. Just looking for your opinion, not trying to start a flame war or say you're wrong.
    - boring_twenties 5y ago
      Well, eggs are kind of a big deal :) I don't think I'm extreme in my butter/oil preferences, for example 1tbsp butter for 2 eggs in an 8 inch pan. There's also pan-grilling -- I usually don't want a fried steak, or salmon fillet, or whatever. Mostly it's just ease of use, especially cleaning. These particular pans, if still hot, can be cleaned by simply running cold water over the hot pan, then wiping it off. Nope, this doesn't warp the pan, I've been doing it for years. On the occasions when the pan isn't hot enough for that, one or two quick passes with a soapy sponge, and it looks brand new. They can also go in the dishwasher, although I personally don't do that. The nonstick coating they use is some proprietary one, not Teflon. It's PFOA-free and durable enough to be used with metal utensils. I don't think any of it gets into the food. I probably sound like a shill at this point, but seriously, I just love these things. I would certainly prefer to not spend ~$100/pan, but after trying one, I ended up with four of them.
nate_meurer 5y ago
Cast iron has much lower thermal conductivity compared to aluminum, and thus heats much less evenly given the same thickness of material.
- xedeon 5y ago
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjeBhXcJ0JQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjeBhXcJ0JQ

You’re should be using a cast iron pan, even on a gas stove anyway. That solves the uneven heat distribution.

by xedeon 5y ago

You’re should be using a cast iron pan, even on a gas stove anyway. That solves the uneven heat distribution.

Please replace "cast iron" with "good" pans. Uncoated cast iron is a fucking pain to take care of if you cook anything acidic regularly. Coated cast iron is better, but SO heavy (and it takes forever to get up to temp because it's such a heat sink)> Nobody should be buying thin, cheap aluminum pans. They heat unevenly and both get too hot too quickly on the flame and lose heat almost immediately if they're of a burner. Solid bottom steel pans will always be the standard because they're lighter than cast iron but hold temp and work well. /chef rant

nate_meurer 5y ago
When you were cheff'ing, how often did you use heavy aluminum pans?
- moate 5y ago
  Pretty regularly. Lots of places would go with cheaper pans. One thing to consider, I would assume that most professional cooks are cooking in a very different way than most regular home cooks. The way food is prepared, the familiarity with both the equipment/techniques. It was always nice when I'd get a job somewhere that had good stoves/pans.
boring_twenties 5y ago
Not being a chef, I'll have to defer to you, but I despise stainless steel pans. My favorite pans are these[1] thin, expensive-ish aluminum ones. They not only heat evenly, but are really non-stick (even with little or no oil) and are light and amazingly easy to clean. [1] https://www.scanpan.com/ https://www.scanpan.com/
- nate_meurer 5y ago
  The steel pans that @moate is talking about are heavier commercial pans-- thicker than what you're probably used to. My steel crepe pans are nearly 3 mm thick. You're right about cheap stainless pans. They're the very worst. Stainless has even lower thermal conductivity than cast iron or carbon steel.
- moate 5y ago
  I specifically avoided brand names because it seemed like it might have cheapened my point, but my pan of choice is All-Clad. If I had more money I'd convert everything I have to their Copper-Core pans for even better heating. The big appeal for me with these is that they're durable as hell and can take a wide range of temps while being easy to clean/care for. Quick question: Other than for omelettes/pancakes, what's the appeal of non-stick for you? Is this a health issue (cutting down butter/oil) or an ease of use thing? I only ask because I'm (PERSONAL OPINOIN, YMMV) not a fan. I find them much harder to clean/care for and am all too familiar with the fact that often the NS coatings degrade into really bad things which then get pulled into the food. Just looking for your opinion, not trying to start a flame war or say you're wrong.
  - boring_twenties 5y ago
    Well, eggs are kind of a big deal :) I don't think I'm extreme in my butter/oil preferences, for example 1tbsp butter for 2 eggs in an 8 inch pan. There's also pan-grilling -- I usually don't want a fried steak, or salmon fillet, or whatever. Mostly it's just ease of use, especially cleaning. These particular pans, if still hot, can be cleaned by simply running cold water over the hot pan, then wiping it off. Nope, this doesn't warp the pan, I've been doing it for years. On the occasions when the pan isn't hot enough for that, one or two quick passes with a soapy sponge, and it looks brand new. They can also go in the dishwasher, although I personally don't do that. The nonstick coating they use is some proprietary one, not Teflon. It's PFOA-free and durable enough to be used with metal utensils. I don't think any of it gets into the food. I probably sound like a shill at this point, but seriously, I just love these things. I would certainly prefer to not spend ~$100/pan, but after trying one, I ended up with four of them.

nate_meurer 5y ago

Cast iron has much lower thermal conductivity compared to aluminum, and thus heats much less evenly given the same thickness of material.

xedeon 5y ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjeBhXcJ0JQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjeBhXcJ0JQ