3 ms·

I like my heavy modern-non-stick pan (not quite as have as cast iron, but close). Most of the same benefits of even heating, but it's even easier to clean and a

I like my heavy modern-non-stick pan (not quite as have as cast iron, but close). Most of the same benefits of even heating, but it's even easier to clean and also it's NBD if I discover that it's been sitting in a sink half full of water all day.

Stratoscope 4y ago
Cast iron heats very unevenly. If you have a gas range, try this: put some water in a cast iron pan and boil it. You will see a pattern in the water matching the range's support grill. The water won't hurt the pan. But you can do the same test with oil. Put a thin layer of oil with a high smoke point in the pan, and turn the heat up. You will see the same effect, where you can see the support grill pattern in the oil. Cast iron's strength here is that it holds heat (simply because it is so thick and heavy), not that it distributes heat.
- wiredfool 4y ago
  It holds heat, but if you've got something that absorbs it quickly, it's really slow at coming back up to heat. It's a pain really, the only ting I've found it good for is things where you don't want fast heat transfer -- dutch ovens in the actual oven, or pancakes on a griddle. I much prefer 3 ply aluminum core cookware for almost anything. On the other hand, for nonstick use lately, I've been using carbon steel on induction. That solves the slowness issue, because they're thin enough that they heat through the thickness basically instantly on induction. And I can still be neurotic about the seasoning issue. Now if I could get 3 ply Al core with a carbon steel inner, that would be something to try.
  - ReptileMan 4y ago
    >It holds heat, but if you've got something that absorbs it quickly, it's really slow at coming back up to heat. This is where 3.5 KW induction burners come into play.
    - wiredfool 4y ago
      My experience with cast iron was pre-induction, but then people were raving about it then too. I guess I’d rather have 5x the thermal conductivity than 5x the thermal mass for my cooking.
ReptileMan 4y ago
Cast iron is terrible for even heating unless the heating element is IR hotplate. Induction is not optimal either - too much heat, too localized - not because of technology, but the shitty and cheap engineering of the induction burners. It's bonuses are heat retention, ability to get red hot and be virtually indestructible. Non stick coating are very sensitive to overheating. CI - don't care. Something carbonized - self cleaning oven cycle and scrape.

Stratoscope 4y ago

Cast iron heats very unevenly. If you have a gas range, try this: put some water in a cast iron pan and boil it. You will see a pattern in the water matching the range's support grill. The water won't hurt the pan. But you can do the same test with oil. Put a thin layer of oil with a high smoke point in the pan, and turn the heat up. You will see the same effect, where you can see the support grill pattern in the oil. Cast iron's strength here is that it holds heat (simply because it is so thick and heavy), not that it distributes heat.

wiredfool 4y ago
It holds heat, but if you've got something that absorbs it quickly, it's really slow at coming back up to heat. It's a pain really, the only ting I've found it good for is things where you don't want fast heat transfer -- dutch ovens in the actual oven, or pancakes on a griddle. I much prefer 3 ply aluminum core cookware for almost anything. On the other hand, for nonstick use lately, I've been using carbon steel on induction. That solves the slowness issue, because they're thin enough that they heat through the thickness basically instantly on induction. And I can still be neurotic about the seasoning issue. Now if I could get 3 ply Al core with a carbon steel inner, that would be something to try.
- ReptileMan 4y ago
  >It holds heat, but if you've got something that absorbs it quickly, it's really slow at coming back up to heat. This is where 3.5 KW induction burners come into play.
  - wiredfool 4y ago
    My experience with cast iron was pre-induction, but then people were raving about it then too. I guess I’d rather have 5x the thermal conductivity than 5x the thermal mass for my cooking.

ReptileMan 4y ago

Cast iron is terrible for even heating unless the heating element is IR hotplate. Induction is not optimal either - too much heat, too localized - not because of technology, but the shitty and cheap engineering of the induction burners. It's bonuses are heat retention, ability to get red hot and be virtually indestructible. Non stick coating are very sensitive to overheating. CI - don't care. Something carbonized - self cleaning oven cycle and scrape.