4 ms·

> There's no good substitute for PTFE cookware. There is. Seasoned cast iron. The problem with cast iron is that it requires work to season it properly and m

by RajT88 3y ago

> There's no good substitute for PTFE cookware. There is. Seasoned cast iron. The problem with cast iron is that it requires work to season it properly and maintain it. People are lazy. > There's no good substitute for PTFE in rain clothes either. They used to use oil and wax. They were called oilskin coats. I'm not sure if it's because they are niche, but now such coats are pretty expensive. Problem: Cost. So you're right in some sense - the alternatives don't provide us with the same level of cost and convenience.

loeg 3y ago
Cast iron is significantly stickier than PTFE cookware. Oilskin coats are also much heavier and less effective at keeping out water. The main problem isn't cost, it's that they're much worse as rain wear.
- fullstop 3y ago
  I find that I have to use a lot more butter in cast iron. I love the skillet, though, it's fantastic.
thrashh 3y ago
I usually cook on stainless steel or cast iron but let’s not be facetious — there’s nothing like non-stick.
- arcticbull 3y ago
  In my experience a properly seasoned, oiled, cast iron pan isn't materially different than a non-stick for cooking eggs (which is one of the stickier things you can do). It's much more flexible. You can bring it to 450-500F without killing adjacent birds, and you can put it into the oven. High heat capacity, better sear on meats. And you can use metal utensils. No matter how you damage it, an hour in the oven with a thin coat of oil and it's good as new. I cook a lot, and I have no interest in non-stick cookware.
burnished 3y ago
Cast iron really isn't difficult to maintain, at least I'm lazy as hell and don't do anything special and mine are fine. I think cast iron gets a reputation for being this whole thing because some of us turbo nerd on it.
- hedora 3y ago
  Yeah; it's hard to screw up cast iron seasoning once you know how to treat it, and basically impossible to ruin the pan. The only way I've heard of people screwing up is by to using it infrequently. If you season with canola or vegetable oil, and use it every time you cook, then the patina takes care of itself. To clean, scrape using chain mail or a plastic scraper, such as the ones from pampered chef or lodge, and be sparing with the soap. Do not put it in the dishwasher. If you ignore the above, then scrape off as much of the old patina as possible, then coat lightly with oil + bake at 300 for an hour. Compare the above to non-stick, where getting it near anything sharp destroys the pan, and you have to buy a new set every 1-5 years. Re-seasoning a pan is much less effort (and cheaper / more environmentally friendly) than shopping for a new one!
  - burnished 3y ago
    Yeah! You can pick up a plastic scraper at I think pretty much any grocery and they are so perfect for cleaning up in the kitchen, anytime something gets stuck. I guess the soap thing isn't a big deal these days and that advice came from a time where the soap was more caustic. Also non stick burn when they get hot which is an awful trait in a pan. I cook some insane fish and beef and it is the most braindread process with a cast iron.
hedora 3y ago
I got a waxed jacket a while back. It was at some trendy designer store I haven't heard of, and overseas. It was ~$80USD, and lasted 5+ years. I don't think the issues for the well-known brands have much to do with the materials. Instead, I think it's because there are a few traditional brands using traditional (non-optimized) production techniques, then charging large margins. That's fine if you want to pay for the best of the best, but it would be nice if there were a bargain route too. e.g., for iron cookware, two good brands are Lodge and La Creuset. Heirloom-quality Lodge pans start at $25; La Creuset is many times more expensive because of the [traditional] ceramic coating. I don't know of a company that's comparable to Lodge, but that makes oiled/waxed outerwear.
- sirsinsalot 3y ago
  Barbour is the main one. Then Belstaff. Barbour traditionally made "oil coats" for fishermen. Then later waxed cotton jackets for farmers in the UK. They last for generations, you can rewax and repair them. Belstaff made waxed motorcycle wear. Both do amazingly high quality, if expensive, modern waxed and oiled cotton or canvas jackets and clothing.
adrr 3y ago
So you would trade Teflon for a known carcinogen that’s linked to lung cancer? Also it’s more work to maintain a cast iron pan, you can’t exactly throw it into a dishwasher.
- RajT88 3y ago
  Cast iron pans don't have a link to lung cancer. Unless you count the workers in the foundry that is making them.
  - adrr 3y ago
    Heating vegetable oil up so it turns into a polymer creates carcinogens. Why cast iron pans have a non stick surface.
    - RajT88 3y ago
      Had to look it up. That claim is truish. However it is only a risk while seasoning and if you are inhaling the fumes. Needless to say, don't do that and cast iron presents no risks. At the end of the day, a really silly reason to swear off cast iron.
- nerdbert 3y ago
  I have never spent more than 90 seconds cleaning our large cast iron pan. And that's only if it's really egged up. Whatever convenience we're talking about, it's trivial.

by RajT88 3y ago

loeg 3y ago

Cast iron is significantly stickier than PTFE cookware. Oilskin coats are also much heavier and less effective at keeping out water. The main problem isn't cost, it's that they're much worse as rain wear.

fullstop 3y ago
I find that I have to use a lot more butter in cast iron. I love the skillet, though, it's fantastic.

thrashh 3y ago

I usually cook on stainless steel or cast iron but let’s not be facetious — there’s nothing like non-stick.

arcticbull 3y ago
In my experience a properly seasoned, oiled, cast iron pan isn't materially different than a non-stick for cooking eggs (which is one of the stickier things you can do). It's much more flexible. You can bring it to 450-500F without killing adjacent birds, and you can put it into the oven. High heat capacity, better sear on meats. And you can use metal utensils. No matter how you damage it, an hour in the oven with a thin coat of oil and it's good as new. I cook a lot, and I have no interest in non-stick cookware.

burnished 3y ago

Cast iron really isn't difficult to maintain, at least I'm lazy as hell and don't do anything special and mine are fine. I think cast iron gets a reputation for being this whole thing because some of us turbo nerd on it.

hedora 3y ago
Yeah; it's hard to screw up cast iron seasoning once you know how to treat it, and basically impossible to ruin the pan. The only way I've heard of people screwing up is by to using it infrequently. If you season with canola or vegetable oil, and use it every time you cook, then the patina takes care of itself. To clean, scrape using chain mail or a plastic scraper, such as the ones from pampered chef or lodge, and be sparing with the soap. Do not put it in the dishwasher. If you ignore the above, then scrape off as much of the old patina as possible, then coat lightly with oil + bake at 300 for an hour. Compare the above to non-stick, where getting it near anything sharp destroys the pan, and you have to buy a new set every 1-5 years. Re-seasoning a pan is much less effort (and cheaper / more environmentally friendly) than shopping for a new one!
- burnished 3y ago
  Yeah! You can pick up a plastic scraper at I think pretty much any grocery and they are so perfect for cleaning up in the kitchen, anytime something gets stuck. I guess the soap thing isn't a big deal these days and that advice came from a time where the soap was more caustic. Also non stick burn when they get hot which is an awful trait in a pan. I cook some insane fish and beef and it is the most braindread process with a cast iron.

hedora 3y ago

I got a waxed jacket a while back. It was at some trendy designer store I haven't heard of, and overseas. It was ~$80USD, and lasted 5+ years. I don't think the issues for the well-known brands have much to do with the materials. Instead, I think it's because there are a few traditional brands using traditional (non-optimized) production techniques, then charging large margins. That's fine if you want to pay for the best of the best, but it would be nice if there were a bargain route too. e.g., for iron cookware, two good brands are Lodge and La Creuset. Heirloom-quality Lodge pans start at $25; La Creuset is many times more expensive because of the [traditional] ceramic coating. I don't know of a company that's comparable to Lodge, but that makes oiled/waxed outerwear.

sirsinsalot 3y ago
Barbour is the main one. Then Belstaff. Barbour traditionally made "oil coats" for fishermen. Then later waxed cotton jackets for farmers in the UK. They last for generations, you can rewax and repair them. Belstaff made waxed motorcycle wear. Both do amazingly high quality, if expensive, modern waxed and oiled cotton or canvas jackets and clothing.

adrr 3y ago

So you would trade Teflon for a known carcinogen that’s linked to lung cancer? Also it’s more work to maintain a cast iron pan, you can’t exactly throw it into a dishwasher.

RajT88 3y ago
Cast iron pans don't have a link to lung cancer. Unless you count the workers in the foundry that is making them.
- adrr 3y ago
  Heating vegetable oil up so it turns into a polymer creates carcinogens. Why cast iron pans have a non stick surface.
  - RajT88 3y ago
    Had to look it up. That claim is truish. However it is only a risk while seasoning and if you are inhaling the fumes. Needless to say, don't do that and cast iron presents no risks. At the end of the day, a really silly reason to swear off cast iron.
nerdbert 3y ago
I have never spent more than 90 seconds cleaning our large cast iron pan. And that's only if it's really egged up. Whatever convenience we're talking about, it's trivial.