Making caramel

When I make caramel, it’s usually step 1 in creme caramel. So I am making a hard candy, not a gooey sauce. But that’s what they are usually doing on the Great British Bake Off, and they do it differently.

I pour some sugar into a small anodized aluminum omelet pan, and stir it until is is evenly liquid, at which point it is also just about the right shade of brown.

They dissolve sugar in water, and DON’T STIR IT. (they always emphasize this) until it’s done.

I tried that once, and it took a lot longer and seemed fussier, somehow. Although I didn’t have that moment of panic when some chunky bits that got stuck early are a little reluctant to melt.

So, what’s your method, and what do you perceive to be the advantages and disadvantages of it?

By the way, Discourse says my topic is similar to:

But that’s about making sauce, not a hard candy. And it’s also a pretty short thread that doesn’t really address my question. Still, you might want to check it out.