… and frying pan, too!
Coming up on 4 months on my own, I decided that it was time to create the possibility of preparing my own meals, so I went out last night and bought a $40 Calphalon 2-1/2 quart saucepan with glass lid and a cheap-ass frying pan. The reasoning behind the cheap-ass frying pan is that I have never, ever seen a nonstick surface that was durable enough to justify buying an expensive one. As I get better at cooking, I’ll probably wind up going with a cast-iron frying pan.
Actually, if memory serves, the missus is holding onto a cast-iron griddle/skillet thingy that was my grandmother’s, so that will be the next addition to my arsenal.
After giving everything a nice trip through the dishwasher, this morning I had scrambled eggs for breakfast, along with strawberry yogurt with Cheerios.
Tonight: steak with mac and cheese. Mmmmmm.
Two words that describe the best cooking surface there is…
Cast Iron
it’s cheap, and once seasoned (you can get preseasoned CI) it’s about the most non-stick cooking surface there is, it actually improves the more you use it, unlike teflon wich breaks down over time, if the seasoning on CI gets damaged, it can be re-seasoned
go to your local kitchen supply store, spend $10-15 on a preseasoned 10 or 12 inch skillet and use it for everything (except tomatoes and other acidic foods, they can damage the seasoning requiring a reseason)
cheap, durable, adds iron to the food, and can be used as a weapon if needed, what’s not to like 
I actually keep my shotgun in the kitchen (no story, that’s just where it wound up), but it’s good to know that I would have a hand-to-hand backup if the pump jammed or something.
Yeah, but he’s new to cooking, so I’d recommend against it. He’s new, so he’s going to end up doing what I did with my first one: Clean it with soap when he’s not thinking. I put mine in the damn dishwasher, and let me tell you, an unseasoned cast iron frying pan is the most stickiest piece of cooking equipment you could ever use. I had to put the wire brush attachment on my drill to get the damn shit off. Seasoned ones kick ass, but it takes years to get them truly seasoned.
KneadtoKnow, I recommend a Wok. I love my cheap non-stick wok. Not just for stir fry, it’s flat enough to saute a couple small pork chops and deep enough to fry chicken! The rounded sides means you can do a small batch of chili in one pan without it burning, and there truly isn’t anything better for spaghetti sauce for one or two.
I would disagree if I hadn’t just yesterday peed in my toilet that doesn’t work. I didn’t even realize what I had done until I flushed and nothing happened.