4 ms·

> What's not to like? It's heavy. The handle gets really hot. my 12" stainless pan is hefty but not heavy. the smaller cast iron 10" or 11" is about twice the

> What's not to like? It's heavy. The handle gets really hot. my 12" stainless pan is hefty but not heavy. the smaller cast iron 10" or 11" is about twice the weight. I use it to cook just about everything. I think once the coating on my nice 12" non-stick pan goes off I'd probably get a carbon steel one (if it does... you can prevent most of it by not cooking things too hot and i mainly use it for hashbrowns on about medium.)

reissbaker 4y ago
Yeah, carbon steel is pretty much end game for me. Lighter than cast iron, better heat distribution, heats up faster. Similarly near-indestructible (more indestructible, even, since it won't shatter if you drop it). Slot a silicone handle cover on it and it's basically perfect. And still cheap! Slightly more expensive than cast iron, but not much; an entirely usable Lodge carbon steel pan is $40 on Amazon. The silicone handle cover is an extra $12.50 (although you don't reeeeally need one if you don't mind wearing oven mitts). Personally I ditched nonstick coated pans — sure, PTFE is supposed to be safer than the old Teflon formulations, but the chemical used to replace PFOA in many formulations is GenX, which recent EPA studies indicate is probably similarly bad [1]. Carbon steel and cast iron just avoid all of that. 1: https://www.epa.gov/chemical-research/human-health-toxicity-assessments-genx-chemicals https://www.epa.gov/chemical-research/human-health-toxicity-...
- weaksauce 4y ago
  Oh yeah i forgot to mention uneven heat distribution too. I don't really mind using a small dishtowel to move the pan so that lodge is probably fine. i'm sure there are some designs that don't get the handle hot either though i haven't researched that much at all since i'm happy with my stainless pan for 99% of my pan cooking.
  - reissbaker 4y ago
    Yeah if you wanna drop some extra cash for the most endgame pan of all, Solidteknics sells excellent $109 "wrought iron" pans — carbon steel material, but in a single cast so there are no rivets — that more lightweight than Lodge and have long handles that don't (apparently) get hot. Lodge is pretty good though IMO.
    - horsawlarway 4y ago
      I have a pair of solidteknics - they're pricey as all get out, but they are very nice pans (wedding registry ftw). The handle does get hot, but it takes a LONG time. I can easily cook a couple eggs, or make a few grilled cheese sandwiches without any problem. Cooking a whole batch of pancakes is too long through - I need sleeve/glove after about 25 minutes. Even then, though - it's not "burn me" hot, it's just uncomfortable to hold for more than a few seconds.

reissbaker 4y ago

Yeah, carbon steel is pretty much end game for me. Lighter than cast iron, better heat distribution, heats up faster. Similarly near-indestructible (more indestructible, even, since it won't shatter if you drop it). Slot a silicone handle cover on it and it's basically perfect. And still cheap! Slightly more expensive than cast iron, but not much; an entirely usable Lodge carbon steel pan is $40 on Amazon. The silicone handle cover is an extra $12.50 (although you don't reeeeally need one if you don't mind wearing oven mitts). Personally I ditched nonstick coated pans — sure, PTFE is supposed to be safer than the old Teflon formulations, but the chemical used to replace PFOA in many formulations is GenX, which recent EPA studies indicate is probably similarly bad [1]. Carbon steel and cast iron just avoid all of that. 1: https://www.epa.gov/chemical-research/human-health-toxicity-assessments-genx-chemicals https://www.epa.gov/chemical-research/human-health-toxicity-...

weaksauce 4y ago
Oh yeah i forgot to mention uneven heat distribution too. I don't really mind using a small dishtowel to move the pan so that lodge is probably fine. i'm sure there are some designs that don't get the handle hot either though i haven't researched that much at all since i'm happy with my stainless pan for 99% of my pan cooking.
- reissbaker 4y ago
  Yeah if you wanna drop some extra cash for the most endgame pan of all, Solidteknics sells excellent $109 "wrought iron" pans — carbon steel material, but in a single cast so there are no rivets — that more lightweight than Lodge and have long handles that don't (apparently) get hot. Lodge is pretty good though IMO.
  - horsawlarway 4y ago
    I have a pair of solidteknics - they're pricey as all get out, but they are very nice pans (wedding registry ftw). The handle does get hot, but it takes a LONG time. I can easily cook a couple eggs, or make a few grilled cheese sandwiches without any problem. Cooking a whole batch of pancakes is too long through - I need sleeve/glove after about 25 minutes. Even then, though - it's not "burn me" hot, it's just uncomfortable to hold for more than a few seconds.