I’m not much of a cook. I don’t bother to make what most people consider meals very often, but that doesn’t mean I don’t ever take out a pot or pan from the kitchen cabinet and cook or heat something for dinner. Even if all I’m making are scrambled eggs or heating jarred tomato sauce and boiling pasta, I do need a few different pots and pans. The current group I own have seen better days and it is probably time to replace some of them. I’m looking at what’s out there and with all the celebrity chefs having their own lines these days there seem to be triple the number of different brands, plus all the “eco-friendly” pans that have appeared over the past couple of years.
On the one hand I do like the idea of PFOA and PTFE free, so Earth Pan or Cuisinart Green Gourmet seem like good choices. On the other hand, I do tend to believe Consumer Reports the majority of the time and they claim Teflon coating is safe. Non stick is very important to me since it helps keeps me from burning things and I dislike scrubbing pans more than I dislike cooking in the first place. Cast iron is out because I know there is no way I’ll take care of it the way you need to. So, has anyone bought new cookware recently? Bought any of the new “green” pans? Thoughts, comments, suggestions?
I hardly cook at all any more, but I’d be lost without teflon on a pot or pan. I don’t think I’d know how to cook in a pan that doesn’t have it. I buy the cheap-os in Target and toss them and replace after 2-3 years. Because I do NOT believe an expensive teflon lined pan lasts any longer than a $14.99 special. I would be interested in the Paula Deen or Rachel Ray line of cookware if Santa wanted to give me a nice present. It’s aimed at the middle class, and that would be me.
If you have a CostCo membership, they have an amazing deal on a set of three very heavy (so it heats evenly) pans by Tramontina - 8" 10" and 12". The 12" is too big for daily use, but I use the 8" and 10" pans literally every single day, sometimes more than once a day. They have taken a lot of use, CostCo has their wonderful return policy and the set of three cost me less than $25.
Seriously? You need at least one cast iron pan. I have a very tiny kitchen in the apartment I stay in in Kansas City, and I have a 6" cast iron pan that I use for searing steaks. I clean it by pouring a tablespoon’s worth of kosher salt in it while it’s still hot and scrub it with a paper towel. That’s it.
The rest of what I have is two pots, a larger one and a smaller one. I got them second hand and they are a lot better quality than I’d buy new, but they are probably a good example of Sam Vimes’ boot theory - they are 18/10 steel and they will probably outlive me. 18/10 steel is worth spending the money on - a celebrities name is not.
Sorry, I didn’t see it. I tried searching before I started this too. If there is another, Moderator, please close this one. I know we’re not supposed to duplicate threads.
I can’t fathom any way in which one pan could possibly be more or less “green” than another. It’s a hunk of metal with a thin layer of an inert polymer on it. About all I can think of that might be non-green is the resource depletion to make that polymer, but realistically, whenever you cook anything in it, there were more resources spent on the food packaging.
As I said in the other thread, following the instructions that come with the cookware is important. When Silverstone or Teflon coated pans say “use medium or lower heat”, and “use only non-metal utensils”, it’s not a suggestion. Very high heats can blister the coating and cause it to become part of what you cook. Metal utensils obviously will scratch the surface. Once the surface is marred like that, the rest can chip off more easily. This is one of the reasons why cast iron is a good choice for the common sense impaired. Heavy-bottomed stainless is also a good product, but again needs care with heat.
Chefguy - I think I must have been searching more for certain brands, like the Earth Pan or Green pan, and that’s why I didn’t find it. I will read through it, thanks.
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Chronos **- The Earth Pan claims to be more “green” than Teflon because of:
gaffa - Sorry, but yep, no to cast iron, seriously. For one, “washing” it with salt doesn’t seem clean to me, plus now you’re telling me I have to do this while it is still hot? I’m lucky if I wash my dishes most nights before I go to bed. I’m more of the soak and wash in the morning type. Which I’m sure is huge no-no with cast iron.
OK. I don’t find it’s any hassle - I take whatever I cooked out of the pan, pour in some salt and scrub it. Often, I’ll do that after I’ve eaten whatever I’ve cooked. The cast iron pan will still be warm enough to clean. And it is plenty clean. All the food residue transfers to the salt, all that is left in the pan is some oil, which protects the pan.
I don’t always clean my cast iron right after I use it. When I don’t, I heat it up on the stove first. Typically I put it under hot, running water and scrub the crispy bits off with a nylon brush. If there are some stubborn bits, I use kosher salt and a napkin. Then it gets heated up, oiled with Crisco, and stowed in the oven until next time. What I like about cleaning the cast iron is that I don’t have to put my hands in scalding water, as I do when I do the other dishes.