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Most folks that cook a lot don't use non-stick pans much anyway because they just don't last very long. I keep a couple around for eggs and pancakes, but that'
by wheels 3y ago
Most folks that cook a lot don't use non-stick pans much anyway because they just don't last very long. I keep a couple around for eggs and pancakes, but that's it.
The usual recommendation for skillets is carbon-steel and cast iron because the seasoning does provide some non-stick properties. I have the full gamut with carbon steel, cast iron, non-stick and stainless steel, and find myself mostly leaning on the carbon steel. (I don't have any other materials since I cook on induction.)
But here's a catch: that seasoning? Basically a plastic. It's polymerized cooking oil. You can decide if you care. But you'll also polymerize oil when cooking on stainless. Basically: if you want to go ultra-paranoid, don't fry things.
- rcme 3y agoIt’s pretty easy to make a stainless steel pan non-stick. I cook eggs and pancakes all the time without any sticking. The trick is you have to let the pan come all the way up to your desired cooking temperature. When the pan is hot enough, water vaporizes instantly creating a gas buffer between your food at the pan, aka the Leidenfrost effect. You can tell if the pan is hot enough by splashing a little water on it. A pan hot enough to cook on without food sticking will have the water form round beads of water that slide around the pan rather than splashing or boiling. While there is definitely a minimum cooking temperature this works on, you don’t necessarily need to cook at a higher temperature. You just need to let the pan preheat at your desired cooking temperature for longer.
- helpfulmandrill 3y agoI tried carbon steel but I couldn't get the seasoning right, and it flash rusted every time I washed it. Also, to someone used to non-stick or stainless steel, it often looks kind of dirty - its difficult to distinguish between "good but unattractive seasoning" and "you didn't wash your pan well enough".
- wheels 3y agoWeird. I've never had carbon steel rust at all. I suspect you're cleaning it too intensely in an attempt to get what you perceive as dirtiness out. The checkered seasoning is kind of a badge of honor for cooking nerds. Here's what mine look like: https://imgur.com/a/IdtnjLL https://imgur.com/a/IdtnjLL
- DannyBee 3y agoHow fast it rusts is easily changed by the exact steel grade/etc. It's possible they just have a slightly different steel grade.
- dpcx 3y agoI bought some new pans a few months ago, and the folks at the shop suggested "Earth Brite" clay cleaner. It seems to work really well.
- gregschlom 3y agoThe easiest option to prevent rusting is to use a paper towel to wipe a small amount of any cooking oil on the surface, after washing and drying it.
- DannyBee 3y agoOh it's worse than that. Unlike steel, cast iron generates dust when abraded. Dust that is really bad for you. Known to cause lung issues, etc. I machine it all the time (both ductile and non). It is usually is machined dry with vacuum because it will clog coolant systems. It basically turns into a horrible mud when mixed with coolant or water I happen to filter the coolant system so i can machine it wet, but that's not all - i also run a dust extractor to avoid these issues. Cast iron is popular, but i've seen no science that suggests it should be used. There is no evidence i've seen that it's particularly better at anything, none of the "seasoning" thing is a real rust protectant for either cast iron or steel (and steel will usually rust slower), though it is non stick in the same sense that things are harder to stick to burned things :) Steel won't generate the same kind of horrible dust when you abrade through the seasoning. I don't season anything though - if i want to protect something from rust i dry it. If seasoning was a super good rust protectant we'd use it as one in other cases. If i want something to be non-stick i spray a light coat of oil on it.
- johnnyanmac 3y agoWell now I don't know what to do unless we starting being capable of telekinesis. And even then, is telekinetis debris bad to consume? It just sounds like we're picking our flavor of poison when we pack our food, something we've done since pre-historic times.
- asielen 3y agoCan you provide a source on the cast iron dust issue. I've heard that cast iron is actually recommended for anemic people who are low in iron. Are there other chemicals besides iron in the "dust"? How's would this dusty be formed unless you are purposely scraping there hell out of it with metal utensils? (And wood is generally recommended for cooking utensils anyway)
- vel0city 3y agoWhen during normal cooking am I going to be abraiding the surface of my cast iron to the point I'm aerosolizing significant amounts of dust off the pan?
- davidjfelix 3y agoI think it's worth noting that the seasoning, while still a plastic and an oxidized oil and not necessarily good for you (probably bad or neutral), is not necessarily the same levels of bad for you that PFAS like teflon are when ingested. PFAS are called "forever chemicals" because they've been observed in our blood stream and don't naturally break down.