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You can't, or rather shouldn't generally, cook acidic foods in cast iron pans. Plus cast iron is really poor to use for many types of cooking since they don't r

You can't, or rather shouldn't generally, cook acidic foods in cast iron pans. Plus cast iron is really poor to use for many types of cooking since they don't react to changes in heat. Saying that it's good to have one around for occasional things. I like enameled cast iron dutch ovens, etc.

barbazoo 2y ago
We use our cast iron pans for close to 100% of our ("frying pan") cooking, I'd say it works great.
- nemo44x 2y ago
  It’s great if you’re not precise and just want big sears or w/e. That’s fine for certain things. And anything acidic leeches so it tastes metallic. I think once you learn to cook the limits of cast iron become clear. Great for certain things but impossible for many others. Compare to say a thick copper sauté pan and it’s a world of difference in temperature control. The pan changes temp as soon as you turn the gas up or down, etc.
polalavik 2y ago
Carbon steel pans / stainless steel pans are also an option. Switched to carbon steel a couple years ago and haven’t looked back. Sometimes it’s a little more difficult, but once you get the technique down it’s as easy as non stick. It’s also cool to know the pan will work for decades to come. Non stick pans inevitable start breaking down and just become toxic trash.
- NoMoreNicksLeft 2y ago
  If you're not averse to high prices, copper pans are available too. Though a full set seems like it'd set you back $5000 or more. I've got a few from estate sales and other places for just a couple bucks, but there's only like 3 or 4 places in the United States to get them retinned, and they all want $120+ per pan (and that's with shipping it twice where they could get stolen, lost, or crushed). Half-tempted to try to do it myself. What's a few ounces of tin cost? The fiberglass glove's not that expensive. Afraid of screwing it up somehow though.
  - OutOfHere 2y ago
    This is a disaster in the making. Expect copper toxicity if cooking in copper. It happens more often than you think.
    - NoMoreNicksLeft 2y ago
      I can't tell if you're ignorant or trolling. They're not commonly sold, because poor people have to make due with $10 teflon pans (you know, the "forever chemicals") at Dollar General. https://mauviel-usa.com/collections/copper-sets https://mauviel-usa.com/collections/copper-sets The 12 piece set is $4200. You were probably too poor growing up to ever learn anything about this is my guess. But to reduce your anxiety, I'll point out that the cooking surface is tinned.
      - OutOfHere 2y ago
        I can't tell if you're ignorant or trolling. You have evidently not read the case reports of copper toxicity from cooking utensils resulting in irreversible organ damage. Even if the internal surface is tin, it will easily thin out when on the stovetop, resulting in the food coming in contact with copper, leaking much copper into the food. Tin is also not okay with acidic foods either, again thinning out and bringing the copper into contact with food. I guess money doesn't teach even an iota of common sense. In short, it is not worth even $42. If you're making a museum at home with your utensils, you're solving no one's problem, not even your own.
        NoMoreNicksLeft 2y ago
        [flagged]
        OutOfHere 2y ago
        > Have fun with Teflon As various comments have noted, stainless steel and cast iron are the main choices for high-heat cooking. The steel can be either 18/10, otherwise 3-ply or 5-ply with an aluminum core. > microwaved in a glass bowl There is nothing wrong with microwaving in a glass or ceramic bowl. Both are perfectly safe, so long as the glass is like pyrex and the ceramic is lead-free.

barbazoo 2y ago

We use our cast iron pans for close to 100% of our ("frying pan") cooking, I'd say it works great.

nemo44x 2y ago
It’s great if you’re not precise and just want big sears or w/e. That’s fine for certain things. And anything acidic leeches so it tastes metallic. I think once you learn to cook the limits of cast iron become clear. Great for certain things but impossible for many others. Compare to say a thick copper sauté pan and it’s a world of difference in temperature control. The pan changes temp as soon as you turn the gas up or down, etc.

polalavik 2y ago

Carbon steel pans / stainless steel pans are also an option. Switched to carbon steel a couple years ago and haven’t looked back. Sometimes it’s a little more difficult, but once you get the technique down it’s as easy as non stick. It’s also cool to know the pan will work for decades to come. Non stick pans inevitable start breaking down and just become toxic trash.

NoMoreNicksLeft 2y ago
If you're not averse to high prices, copper pans are available too. Though a full set seems like it'd set you back $5000 or more. I've got a few from estate sales and other places for just a couple bucks, but there's only like 3 or 4 places in the United States to get them retinned, and they all want $120+ per pan (and that's with shipping it twice where they could get stolen, lost, or crushed). Half-tempted to try to do it myself. What's a few ounces of tin cost? The fiberglass glove's not that expensive. Afraid of screwing it up somehow though.
- OutOfHere 2y ago
  This is a disaster in the making. Expect copper toxicity if cooking in copper. It happens more often than you think.
  - NoMoreNicksLeft 2y ago
    I can't tell if you're ignorant or trolling. They're not commonly sold, because poor people have to make due with $10 teflon pans (you know, the "forever chemicals") at Dollar General. https://mauviel-usa.com/collections/copper-sets https://mauviel-usa.com/collections/copper-sets The 12 piece set is $4200. You were probably too poor growing up to ever learn anything about this is my guess. But to reduce your anxiety, I'll point out that the cooking surface is tinned.
    - OutOfHere 2y ago
      I can't tell if you're ignorant or trolling. You have evidently not read the case reports of copper toxicity from cooking utensils resulting in irreversible organ damage. Even if the internal surface is tin, it will easily thin out when on the stovetop, resulting in the food coming in contact with copper, leaking much copper into the food. Tin is also not okay with acidic foods either, again thinning out and bringing the copper into contact with food. I guess money doesn't teach even an iota of common sense. In short, it is not worth even $42. If you're making a museum at home with your utensils, you're solving no one's problem, not even your own.
      - NoMoreNicksLeft 2y ago
        [flagged]
        OutOfHere 2y ago
        > Have fun with Teflon As various comments have noted, stainless steel and cast iron are the main choices for high-heat cooking. The steel can be either 18/10, otherwise 3-ply or 5-ply with an aluminum core. > microwaved in a glass bowl There is nothing wrong with microwaving in a glass or ceramic bowl. Both are perfectly safe, so long as the glass is like pyrex and the ceramic is lead-free.