Author Topic: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?  (Read 16318 times)

Rbuckyfuller

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 33
My teflon nonstick has ended its lifespan and we wanted to do something healthier and avoid getting teflon in our bloodstream.

The problem is that all the reviews I see for nonstick ceramic pans say that the nonstick wears off after only a few months.  Does anyone have one that they've had for a while that they recommend?

Barring that, are there any other materials people recommend for nonstick surfaces?  Should I just go with a seasoned cast iron?

Thanks in advance.

Nathan

vern

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 592
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #1 on: July 29, 2014, 10:30:00 PM »
Cast iron.  Why mess with perfection?

Hamster

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 623
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #2 on: July 30, 2014, 12:11:30 AM »
Cast iron.  Why mess with perfection?
+1
Brand new Teflon may be nonstick, but gets worse with every use.
Brand new cast iron isn't perfect nonstick but it gets better with every use. A well-maintained cast iron pan is perfect for frying eggs, crepes, everything else that I want nonstick for. The down side is weight and that it tends to retain strong flavors.

fixer-upper

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 255
  • Location: Wisconsin
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #3 on: July 30, 2014, 12:40:10 AM »
A gas stove makes a huge difference in how much things stick.  Electric is either on or off, which causes huge temperature swings, destroys coatings, and burns stuff.  If you're stuck with electric, look for pans with a nice thick bottom to help even out the temps.

Cast iron is great for everything but acidic foods, and most of those cook well in a stainless pan.

Joggernot

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 510
  • Age: 78
  • Location: Gulf Coast, TX
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #4 on: July 30, 2014, 06:20:59 AM »
Cast iron.  Why mess with perfection?
+1
Season it and it works forever.  We use it for acid foods as well.

Nancy

  • Guest
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #5 on: July 30, 2014, 08:28:03 AM »
I vote for cast iron. However, a good trick for a stainless steel pan- after you're done cooking and have removed your food, pour some cooking wine into the pan and cook it. It unsticks the food and makes cleaning a breeze.

starbuck

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 400
  • Age: 39
  • Location: Small Town Connecticut
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #6 on: July 30, 2014, 08:38:26 AM »
Cast iron.  Why mess with perfection?

Amen. I get irrationally angry when cooking breakfast in a kitchen that doesn't have a cast iron pan.

Hadilly

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 483
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #7 on: July 30, 2014, 09:45:04 AM »
I haven't had luck with cast iron, but love my scan pans.

mrsggrowsveg

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 542
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #8 on: July 30, 2014, 10:58:17 AM »
I haven't had luck with cast iron, but love my scan pans.

I love cast iron.  But there are some recipes that only my scan pan can handle.  Best wedding gift ever.

MoneyCat

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1752
  • Location: New Jersey
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #9 on: July 30, 2014, 11:12:30 AM »
I use hard-anodized aluminum cookware and it has been fantastic for me.  The food adheres slightly to the pan as you begin cooking it and it releases when the food is done.  I picked up a great set of hard-anodized aluminum cookware from Costco for a relatively low price.

La Bibliotecaria Feroz

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7124
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #10 on: July 30, 2014, 11:24:41 AM »
Cast iron is the most Mustachian cookware: It's not that expensive, and your heirs will fight over it when you die.

dragoncar

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 9923
  • Registered member
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #11 on: July 30, 2014, 01:29:14 PM »
Cast iron has chemicals on it.

Kriegsspiel

  • Guest
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #12 on: July 30, 2014, 02:08:33 PM »
YOU'RE a chemical!

dragoncar

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 9923
  • Registered member
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #13 on: July 30, 2014, 02:09:16 PM »
YOU'RE a chemical!

Which is why you should avoid eating me.

Kriegsspiel

  • Guest

Rural

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5051
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #15 on: July 30, 2014, 07:59:26 PM »
Cast iron.  Why mess with perfection?
+1
Season it and it works forever.  We use it for acid foods as well.


+ a bunch


Cast iron works for everything.

wild wendella

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 82
  • Location: Stamford, CT
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #16 on: July 30, 2014, 08:02:08 PM »
All non stick is not to be trusted in the human body.  go with cast iron and stainless.  season your cast iron skillet well.  you can use lard, olive oil... tonight I used lamb bone broth / fat. 

suburbanmom

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 11
  • Location: Indiana
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #17 on: July 31, 2014, 05:13:07 AM »
I got a ceramic pan. It was affordable ($25) and much lighter than my cast iron. I've been really happy with it, and it is safe/non-toxic.

somepissedoffman

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 127
  • Age: 35
  • Location: Mountain View
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #18 on: August 07, 2014, 04:00:58 PM »
Another +1 to cast iron.  Our 12" cast iron pan is the single most used item in the kitchen.

Russ

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2211
  • Age: 32
  • Location: Boulder, CO
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #19 on: August 07, 2014, 04:45:23 PM »
If you don't trust Teflon, you shouldn't trust the polymerized fats that are what people call "seasoning" on cast iron and carbon steel pans.

Or better yet, don't worry about either.

I dislike nonstick pans because (a) they're basically disposable and (b) you have to use shitty plastic utensils with them lest you shorten their lifespan further. In their place I use seasoned carbon steel and aluminum-clad stainless. The seasoned pan is great, but really anyone ought to be able to learn how to cook in stainless without things sticking. It's not that difficult.

legacyoneup

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 104
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #20 on: August 07, 2014, 06:06:37 PM »
Cast iron is a good option. This site suggests that good quality Flaxseed oil is best for seasoning :

http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/

Its a good read.

innkeeper77

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 360
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #21 on: August 07, 2014, 07:45:21 PM »
Alternative option: ENAMELED cast iron. I have found our skillet and dutch oven are only slightly "stickier" than raw cast iron, but we can scrub with soap and water without fear of harming the seasoning. We have cooked eggs every single morning on a Le Crueset enameled skillet (Wedding present!) and have been very happy at the minimal cleanup! Its slight sticking properties compared to teflon usually result in better browned food as well, when you are going for that.

There are cheaper options available, and had we not been given le crueset cookware I would be seriously considering lodge and other brands, which work just as well even if they are slightly less well made.

And FYI the enamel is essentially a type of glass- quite safe to cook on. (And fairly strong, though you can mark it up if you use metal utensils. I use nylon and wood, and metal tongs while being verrry careful) Also- if it ever chips, just put some oil on the chipped area occasionally and its fine- just like a regular cast iron implement at that point. It's not at all like a flaky nonstick pan that is bad to use at that point. Plus if you take care of an enameled pan or pot it will last a LONG time and may never chip.
« Last Edit: August 07, 2014, 07:58:19 PM by innkeeper77 »

AllChoptUp

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 180
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #22 on: August 18, 2014, 08:54:14 AM »
Another vote for enameled cast iron.  Not cheap but awesome to cook on, clean up and lasts forever.  I asked for them as xmas/bday gifts.  Took a few years though.

rugorak

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 388
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #23 on: August 18, 2014, 12:16:57 PM »
I love my stainless steel. Cast iron is great too. You can't go wrong with either. But some people get icked out by seasoning. Irrational in my view but if that is the case stainless is easy to "reseason". Just throw some bacon grease or oil in when you start and almost everything will slide right off.

Rbuckyfuller

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 33
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #24 on: August 25, 2014, 10:00:15 PM »
Wow.   Thanks everyone for the plethora of replies!  I'm going to look into seasoned stainless and cast iron.

gimp

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2344
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #25 on: August 26, 2014, 10:22:10 PM »
I love my cast iron. It cooks most of my food - everything except pasta, rice, beans... I have a 12", 10", and a dutch oven. My stainless steel pan is hardly ever used.

Cast iron is very low maintenance, too. Buy a pan from online, or any big box retailer. Make sure the brand is Lodge - there are no other good cast iron manufacturers except Lodge today. (There were in the past, of course, most notably wagner and griswold.) They're cheap as fuck, too. Now, note that 12" is perfect for two or three people, but it's heavy - and it's heavier when it's hot! (That's sort of a joke, but mostly -- when it's hot, it's probably loaded and therefore heavier; also you hold it farther from the base, which means a bigger lever arm, so it feels heavier.) 10" is great for one person.

So you buy a pan. Now you don't pay attention to it saying "pre-seasoned" on it and don't try to, you know, cook eggs the first day. Just use a paper towel to wipe down the inside with oil - most preferably safflower oil, or peanut oil, or vegetable oil, or olive oil (non-virgin, just the standard cheap stuff), in that order. Oil it - a small layer - then turn it upside down, stick it in the oven for as hot as the oven goes, let it sit for an hour. Take it out, let it cool, oil it again, and repeat.

You could skip all that and just use it for cooking things - use plenty of oil and especially cook anything greasy or fatty in it; cast iron loves grease and fat. Bacon is the holy grail.

Anyways, after seasoning and some time cooking, or just some time cooking, you notice nothing sticks anymore. Every. Even eggs. Even eggs with no oil. Yep, I cook eggs with no oil. Now that is non-stick!

A couple notes:

- Use a metal spatula, preferably one with sharp edges, like a small grill spatula. Like this, super simple. Make sure it has a sharp edge on either the top or the bottom. You use this to scrape your pan clean, never a plastic or silicone spatula.
- Clean it by scraping it, and paper towelling it. That usually is all you need. To wash it, rinse without soap, then stick it on the flame until all the water evaporates.
- Any time it gets wet, stick it on the flame to heat dry it.
- Never use soap or a dishwasher.
- Cast iron loves heat. Loves, loves, loves. Don't be afraid to give it heat. Screaming hot stove-top, into the oven, broiled, back out, onto a fire... whatever. Just don't cool it too fast with water, that's the only thing I know that can break them.
- If it gets rusty, use vinegar (or apple cider vinegar) to de-rust, then reseason and off you go.
- You are going to burn yourself by grabbing the handle by habit. Don't worry, you'll soon break the habit.
- If you treat it right, the cast iron pans will outlive you. Your grand-children will teach your great-grand-children to never use soap on them.
- Very handy should a war come your way. Use it to bash some skulls. May or may not be bulletproof against small calibers.

Frugal_Red

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 45
  • Location: New York City
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #26 on: September 08, 2014, 06:45:31 AM »
+1 to cast iron as well.  We got ours for a about 5 bucks and after cooking in it, with a little oil wipe down after each use (we use olive oil), it is now non-stick! These things also last forever.  My sister uses our Grandmother's cast iron pan which must be well over 60 years old!  Talk about a great product! 

Frugal_Red

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 45
  • Location: New York City
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #27 on: September 08, 2014, 06:57:44 AM »
- Use a metal spatula, preferably one with sharp edges, like a small grill spatula. Like this, super simple. Make sure it has a sharp edge on either the top or the bottom. You use this to scrape your pan clean, never a plastic or silicone spatula.

I actually use a wooden spatula (bought in China-town). It works great and doesn't scrape the pan's bottom. I've had a couple different ones and they last for about 6-8 years before becoming kindling. :-)

RapmasterD

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 589
  • Location: SF Peninsula
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #28 on: September 08, 2014, 09:18:30 PM »
My cast iron skillet is probably older than most of you punks on this here message board cough cough cough wheeze.

chops

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 180
  • Location: Mustachian Midwest
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #29 on: September 17, 2014, 10:45:43 AM »
Great thread!  Definitely learning a lot here and will ditch the ol teflon pan as soon as I find a good deal on a 12" Lodge...

Thanks for all the info, mustachians!

 - Chops

galliver

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1863
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #30 on: September 17, 2014, 11:29:41 AM »
While I find that cast iron makes great meat, I find I dislike how heavy it is for other things (veggies, eggs, crepes). I like to be able to lift my pan without dislocating my shoulder. My new stainless pans had a learning curve, but I rather like them now. :)

kite

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 900
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #31 on: September 29, 2014, 02:16:54 PM »
Great thread!  Definitely learning a lot here and will ditch the ol teflon pan as soon as I find a good deal on a 12" Lodge...

Thanks for all the info, mustachians!

 - Chops

Try Thrift stores,  yard sales & old folk's basements.   Shouldn't have to pay much (if anything) for one of these.

Gone Fishing

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2916
  • So Close went fishing on April 1, 2016
    • Journal
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #32 on: September 29, 2014, 02:38:02 PM »
However, a good trick for a stainless steel pan- after you're done cooking and have removed your food, pour some cooking wine into the pan and cook it. It unsticks the food and makes cleaning a breeze.

We call that gravy:)

Druid

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 103
  • Age: 41
  • Location: California
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #33 on: October 13, 2014, 09:46:20 AM »
I am sticking with a cast iron as well. Another problem with the non stick pans is they simply don't last. A typical nonstick pan lasts between a year and two. All of the replacement costs make the non stick pans the more expensive option.

You can find good deals on cast iron pans at antique stores!

The only thing I sometimes have trouble with on a cast iron pan is over easy eggs, since I have to use so much oil. So I just started poaching my eggs. Less oil means less cost per cooked eggs.

falcondisruptor

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 151
  • Location: Ottawa, ON
    • Simple Cheap Mom
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #34 on: October 26, 2014, 08:55:24 AM »
We recently replaced our pans with some new non-stick, non-specific chemical but probably still lots of others.  Even though we only use plastic utensils I've started to see scratches again.  Pork chop bones maybe?  Does that make sense?

We have a ceramic top stove that came with the house and were told cast iron would be a poor choice for for.  I agreed.  Am I dumb?

We don't yet have a wok, so maybe that will be our next purchase.  When cast iron is out of the picture, what's better stainless or aluminum?

BuildingFrugalHabits

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 250
  • Location: Great Plains
  • Living the dream
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #35 on: October 26, 2014, 10:26:14 AM »
Cast iron is heavy but great.  I just seasoned mine the other day with some bacon fat and the eggs don't stick to it.  The bonus is that you get a free work out while using it ;-)

Instructions I've read say to season with olive oil or vegetable oil but I think animal fat might be the way to go (or coconut fat).  My understanding is that saturated fats are more stable especially at high heat.  Mono and poly unsaturated fats are more susceptible to heat and will start to break down.  This allows for free radicals to form.  I actually don't eat that much meat but when I do, I try not to waste anything.  We save all the fat rendering whenever we cook bacon etc and then use it to cook or season with.  I can believe I grew up throwing this away. What a waste!

rocketpj

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 964
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #36 on: October 26, 2014, 11:22:08 AM »
Cast iron for all purposes.  I reseason ours once a year.   I expect to leave them to my kids in about 80 years.

Properly seasoned they are effectively nonstick.  I also cook with a lot of oil, so that's probably part of it (perpetually seasoning them).

Fodder

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 217
  • Location: Ottawa, ON
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #37 on: October 26, 2014, 11:39:46 AM »
I really love enameled cast iron.  It is expensive if you buy it new, but if you can find it at a garage sale or thrift store, you can get it quite inexpensively, from people who don't know better.

galliver

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1863
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #38 on: October 28, 2014, 02:23:31 PM »
We recently replaced our pans with some new non-stick, non-specific chemical but probably still lots of others.  Even though we only use plastic utensils I've started to see scratches again.  Pork chop bones maybe?  Does that make sense?

We have a ceramic top stove that came with the house and were told cast iron would be a poor choice for for.  I agreed.  Am I dumb?

We don't yet have a wok, so maybe that will be our next purchase.  When cast iron is out of the picture, what's better stainless or aluminum?

I went with steel because I read it was less reactive to acidic foods (e.g. tomato sauces) and would not add its own flavor to such dishes. I also had a distaste for aluminum after encountering some thin aluminum pans that warped in my life. As mentioned above, I am not displeased with the performance of our SS pans. Of course, look for an aluminum or copper clad bottom (at least), since steel is not fantastically conductive.

falcondisruptor

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 151
  • Location: Ottawa, ON
    • Simple Cheap Mom
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #39 on: October 30, 2014, 02:35:03 PM »
We recently replaced our pans with some new non-stick, non-specific chemical but probably still lots of others.  Even though we only use plastic utensils I've started to see scratches again.  Pork chop bones maybe?  Does that make sense?

We have a ceramic top stove that came with the house and were told cast iron would be a poor choice for for.  I agreed.  Am I dumb?

We don't yet have a wok, so maybe that will be our next purchase.  When cast iron is out of the picture, what's better stainless or aluminum?

I went with steel because I read it was less reactive to acidic foods (e.g. tomato sauces) and would not add its own flavor to such dishes. I also had a distaste for aluminum after encountering some thin aluminum pans that warped in my life. As mentioned above, I am not displeased with the performance of our SS pans. Of course, look for an aluminum or copper clad bottom (at least), since steel is not fantastically conductive.

Thanks for the pretty specific suggestion!

Louisville

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 545
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #40 on: October 30, 2014, 03:01:50 PM »
To awesomely re-season my cast irons, I bake a nice oily corn bread in them. The bread dumps right out, and you can fry an egg right away with no stick.

galliver

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1863
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #41 on: October 30, 2014, 03:39:01 PM »
We recently replaced our pans with some new non-stick, non-specific chemical but probably still lots of others.  Even though we only use plastic utensils I've started to see scratches again.  Pork chop bones maybe?  Does that make sense?

We have a ceramic top stove that came with the house and were told cast iron would be a poor choice for for.  I agreed.  Am I dumb?

We don't yet have a wok, so maybe that will be our next purchase.  When cast iron is out of the picture, what's better stainless or aluminum?

I went with steel because I read it was less reactive to acidic foods (e.g. tomato sauces) and would not add its own flavor to such dishes. I also had a distaste for aluminum after encountering some thin aluminum pans that warped in my life. As mentioned above, I am not displeased with the performance of our SS pans. Of course, look for an aluminum or copper clad bottom (at least), since steel is not fantastically conductive.

Thanks for the pretty specific suggestion!

If you want more specific, we have this one http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CLCS-11-11-Piece-Stainless-Cookware/dp/B00BB19BH0/ but we got it on sale for $110? $120? I can't comment on durability or comparison to other SS brands/sets because we only got it 2 months ago. But I've enjoyed using it and still looks practically new. :)

Fi(re) on the Farm

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 253
  • Location: New Englandish
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #42 on: October 30, 2014, 05:19:12 PM »
My cast iron skillet is probably older than most of you punks on this here message board cough cough cough wheeze.
Mine too! I've had it since 1979, it's 35 years old!
« Last Edit: October 31, 2014, 03:36:24 AM by KateH »

gimp

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2344
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #43 on: October 30, 2014, 10:39:09 PM »
If you find 12" to be too heavy, 10" is much lighter.

I can cook eggs in mine with no oil. Upon getting called out, I uploaded a video to prove it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWlLwU6HIXo

I don't need to reseason it... I guess my method of cooking keeps it well seasoned. (It sees a lot of oven time at high heat with oil, and it sees bacon once in a while.)

My cast irons are younger than yours', but an old lady told me I was making a good choice when I was buying mine, so I got that going for me.

1967mama

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2164
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Canada
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #44 on: October 31, 2014, 01:48:53 AM »

We have a ceramic top stove that came with the house and were told cast iron would be a poor choice for for.  I agreed.  Am I dumb?


I am using cast iron on a ceramic cooktop. So far, no problems in 6 months. I dug my cast iron out after reading about it on the forums. Its a little bit of a learning curve if you're new to cast iron. Now I need to train my teens and young adult children how to use it -- NO SOAP! ;-)

galliver

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1863
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #45 on: October 31, 2014, 08:18:47 AM »

We have a ceramic top stove that came with the house and were told cast iron would be a poor choice for for.  I agreed.  Am I dumb?


I am using cast iron on a ceramic cooktop. So far, no problems in 6 months. I dug my cast iron out after reading about it on the forums. Its a little bit of a learning curve if you're new to cast iron. Now I need to train my teens and young adult children how to use it -- NO SOAP! ;-)
The problem with cast iron on a ceramic top is apparently the risk of scratching the cooktop. So you wouldn't see problems until your coktop cracked (due to initial scratch + heat cycling) . (I haven't worked with a ceramic top, but I looked it up out of curiosity.)

vern

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 592

FoundPeace

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 199
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #47 on: November 14, 2014, 12:32:08 AM »
I will add my voice to the chorus calling for cast iron.

Also, don't worry about using soap. Just don't use an abrasive scrubber. This is a good link for those who are new to cast iron, and for those who think they know what they are doing
http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/11/the-truth-about-cast-iron.html.

I learned most of what I know from my Grandfather who got 3rd in the world Dutch oven cook-offs one year, was a judge at many similar events, and also taught a Dutch oven course at a university. Needless to say I loved it when he cooked! I also loved learning from him, he was a good teacher.
I agree with most of what that article is saying... except seasoning. If you want to season your cast iron, do it like this (also read if you are a science geek like I am):http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/. Also, if you want your cast iron to be non-stick, heat it up completely before you put anything on it. I heat up my cast iron, then add some oil, then add the food. You don't have to do it this way, but it will be more non-stick this way.

I'm also in love with material science (mechanical engineer) and I think it would be fun to make a deeper study of this as a part of the interaction of polymerized fat and cast iron as a part of a masters degree in material science. Isn't this stuff cool?

homehandymum

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 548
  • Location: New Zealand
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #48 on: November 14, 2014, 01:38:02 AM »
I've seen this thread title for a few days now and kept thinking "gosh, I hope all those replies are saying 'cast iron'"

Well done, mustachians, you didn't let me down ;)

We cook in clarified butter (which we make ourselves) and just wash the pan out with hot water, towel dry it and put it on the element to dry completely.

jamal utah

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 82
  • Age: 41
  • Location: Colorado
Re: Anyone have a recommendation for a non-chemical nonstick pan?
« Reply #49 on: November 21, 2014, 04:02:51 PM »
Cast iron.  Why mess with perfection?

+1 can't go wrong here.